Please join Duke Postdoctoral Services and the Graduate School for a series of short, focused career conversations with former Duke postdocs and PhD students.
We will ask each Alum 5 questions:
- Could you tell us about your background?
- How did you get your job at your organization?
- What’s a typical day like at your organization (pre- and post-COVID)?
- What can postdocs and students who would like to work in this field (or explore it further) do to prepare?
- What is the employment outlook for this field, given the COVID crisis? (please note that the answer to this question may be “We don’t know yet.”)
We will ask each HR Manager 5 questions:
- Can you tell us about your organization, and describe a typical day for a PhD hire?
- What does the hiring process look like at your organization? What areas do you look at from the resume/CV and cover letter? (for example, are publications important? Do you need to do a postdoc?)
- Besides being a good scientist/researcher, what other skills, experience and/or training are important?
- What can postdocs and students who would like to work in this field (or explore it further) do to prepare?
- What is the employment outlook for this field, given the COVID crisis? (please note that the answer to this question may be “We don’t know yet.”)
New for Fall 2021, as part of the Academic Job Search Series: New Faculty Zooms
- Could you tell us a bit about your institution and your responsibilities there as a new assistant professor?
- How did you adapt to changes in the application and interview process and/or onboarding for your position due to the pandemic?
- Given the impact of the pandemic, are there any specific experiences, credentials, or qualifications (eg, online teaching experience) that your department or institution now seeks in potential hires?
- What advice would you offer current postdocs and grad students who will be applying for faculty positions soon?
- What is the hiring outlook at your institution? (please note that the answer to this question may be “We don’t know yet.”)
Thurs Sept 9, 11-11:30 am
WHAT: New Faculty Zoom with Lauren Slosky, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0lhyRHLB2hyGflk
As part of a series of short, focused conversations with PhD and postdoc alumni who successfully navigated the academic job market during the pandemic, we’ll feature Lauren Slosky, PhD, an incoming Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota. Lauren is a postdoc in Cell Biology and will begin her role at UMN in November 2021.
Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel
Weds Sept 22, 11-11:30 am
WHAT: Alum Zoom with Jacob Jacobsen, PhD, CSO, Evecxia Therapeutics
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6updOYxr6fHNy5g
On Sept 22, our guest is Jacob Jacobsen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Evecxia Therapeutics (former Duke postdoc, Cell Biology).
Evecxia Therapeutics Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. Dr. Jacobsen directs the development of EVX-101, the Company’s lead clinical-stage product candidate for the adjunctive treatment of depression in patients not achieving an adequate response to traditional SSRI/SNRI antidepressants. While a postdoc in Dr. Marc Caron’s lab in the Department of Cell Biology, Dr. Jacobsen built the 5-hydroxytryptophan slow-release (5-HTP SR) scientific and technical rationale undergirding EVX-101. Dr. Jacobsen earned his PhD in Neuropharmacology at The University of Copenhagen. Drs. Jacobsen and Caron are co-founders of Evecxia.
In addition to discussing his work, Jacob will tell us about the open PhD-level positions at Evecxia Therapeutics.
Thurs Sept 30, 1-1:30 pm
WHAT: Alum Zoom with Annie Jeong, PhD, Assistant Director of Education and Diversity, University of Pennsylvania
REGISTER: https://gradschool.duke.edu/student-life/events/alum-zoom-five-career-questions-annie-jeong-phd-17-assistant-director-education
As part of a series of short, focused career conversations with former Duke PhD students and postdocs, we’ll feature Annie Jeong, PhD ’17. Annie serves as the Assistant Director of Education and Diversity for the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB), an NSF-funded, multi-institutional Science and Technology Center based at the University of Pennsylvania. In this role, Annie directs the center’s undergraduate and STEM outreach initiatives and strives to make a more inclusive and cohesive graduate and postdoctoral community through trainings, mentorship, and recruitment. Annie received her PhD from Duke University’s Program in Genetics and Genomics in 2017. Prior to joining the CEMB, Annie worked with biomedical PhD students and postdocs as the Assistant Director of Career Education in the Professional Development and Career Office at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel
Weds Oct 6, 11-11:30 am
WHAT: New Faculty Zoom with Kate Ostevik, PhD, Assistant Professor of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5ijdKc6qbfPKLYO
As part of a series of short, focused conversations with PhD and postdoc alumni who successfully navigated the academic job market during the pandemic, we’ll feature Kate Ostevik, PhD, Assistant Professor of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside. The Ostevik Lab studies diversification in flowering plants (ie, how and why species arise, change, and go extinct) using field collections, greenhouse experiments, and population genomics analyses.
Thurs Oct 7, 11-11:30 am
WHAT: New Faculty Zoom with Crystal Reynaga, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Bryn Mawr College
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39vw6MDQl4TygvQ
As part of a series of short, focused conversations with PhD and postdoc alumni who successfully navigated the academic job market during the pandemic, we’ll feature Crystal Reynaga, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology at Bryn Mawr College since June 2020 and former Duke postdoc in the Patek lab, Biology. Dr Reynaga’s research investigates questions that lie at the intersection of musculoskeletal physiology and movement mechanics. Her lab employs an integrative approach using modern physiological and engineering tools, such as electromyography, muscle imaging, biological materials testing, high-speed videography, computer vision, and 3D printing. As a Chicana scientist, her experiences in STEM have motivated her to devote her career to help increase diversity in STEM fields and broaden the public’s perception of science and scientists.
Weds Oct 13, 1-1:30 pm
WHAT: Alum Zoom with Jennifer Israel, PhD, Senior Genomics Data Scientist, Kriya Therapeutics
REGISTER: https://gradschool.duke.edu/student-life/events/alum-zoom-five-career-questions-jennifer-israel-phd-15-senior-genomics-data
On Oct 13, our guest is Jennifer Israel, PhD, PMP, Senior Genomics Data Scientist with Kriya Therapeutics. Since receiving her PhD in Genetics & Genomics at Duke,Dr. Israel has completed a postdoc in computational genomics at UNC and worked at Novozymes and Sarepta Therapeutics before starting her current role in April2021.
Kriya is a fully integrated platform company pioneering novel technologies and therapeutics in gene therapy that aims to revolutionize how gene therapies are designed, developed and manufactured–improving speed to market and delivering significant reductions in the cost per dose.
In addition to discussing her work, Jennifer will tell us about the open PhD-level positions at Kriya Therapeutics.
Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel
Weds Oct 20, 1-1:30 pm
WHAT: New Faculty Zoom with Rachel Gevlin, PhD, Assistant Professor of English, Birmingham-Southern College
REGISTER: https://gradschool.duke.edu/student-life/events/new-faculty-zoom-rachel-gevlin-phd-20-assistant-professor-english-birmingham
As part of a series of short, focused conversations with PhD and postdoc alumni who successfully navigated the academic job market during the pandemic, we’ll feature Rachel Gevlin, PhD’20 (English), Assistant Professor of English at Birmingham-Southern College. Rachel served as Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Monmouth College during 2020-21 and began her role at Birmingham-Southern in fall 2021.
Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel
Weds Oct 27, 1-1:30 pm
WHAT: New Faculty Zoom with Ajenai Clemmons, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Denver
REGISTER: https://gradschool.duke.edu/student-life/events/new-faculty-zoom-ajenai-clemmons-assistant-professor-public-policy-university
As part of a series of short, focused conversations with PhD and postdoc alumni who successfully navigated the academic job market during the pandemic, we’ll feature Ajenai Clemmons, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Scrivner Institute of Public Policy, the Josef Korbel School of International Relations at the University of Denver. Ajenai defended her dissertation during summer 2021 after securing a job at the same institution where she completed her master’s degree. She assumed her new position in fall 2021.
