Fall 2020 Alum and HR Zooms

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:
  1. Could you tell us about your background?
  2. How did you get your job at your organization?
  3. What’s a typical day like at your organization (pre- and post-COVID)?
  4. What can postdocs and students who would like to work in this field (or explore it further) do to prepare?
  5. 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.”)

Tues Aug 6, 1-1:30 pm

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Elliott Hazen, PhD
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KUjfYta9czUxKd

On Aug 6, our guest is Elliott Hazen, PhD ’08 (Marine Ecology), Research Ecologist at NOAA, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.


Tues Aug 18, 11-11:30 am 

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Ryan Overcash, PhD
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41kYgkhI2kv093D   A Zoom link will be sent to registrants before the session.

On Aug 18, our guest is Ryan Overcash, PhD, Principal Clinical Research Scientist and Head of the Medical Writing Fellowship Program (currently accepting applications!) at Impact Pharmaceutical Services.


Tues Aug 25, 11-11:30 am 

WHAT: HR Zoom with Stacy Schnieber, VP of People and Culture, Camargo Pharma
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9FDmVSq4DJ8nfo1

Announcing HR Zooms, 5 questions with a HR professional! Want to get the inside scoop on hiring? Wondering what companies are looking for when evaluating PhDs? Join us for a series of short, focused career conversations with Human Resources professionals about the recruiting and hiring practices at their organizations.

On Aug 25, our guest is Stacy Schnieber, VP of People and Culture, Camargo Pharma. Camargo Pharmaceutical Services is the most experienced global strategist providing comprehensive drug development services specialized for the 505(b)(2) approval pathway and global equivalent processes. By assessing the scientific, medical, regulatory and commercial viability of product development opportunities, Camargo systematically builds and executes robust development plans that align with business strategies and ensure FDA buy-in every step of the way. Routinely holding three to six pre-IND meetings a month, Camargo works with product developers across more than 25 countries.

5 questions:

  1. Can you tell us about Camargo, and describe a typical day for a PhD hire?
  2. What does the hiring process look like at your company? 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?)
  3. Besides being a good scientist/researcher, what other skills, experience and/or training are important? (eg, soft skills, certifications such as leadership training, RAC, PMP)
  4. What can postdocs and students who would like to work in this field (or explore it further) do to prepare?
  5. 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.”)

Weds Sept 2, 1-1:30 pm 

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Erin Parish, PhD, Design Strategist, City of Durham
REGISTER:  https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dhbrl2I1G76aVk9

On September 2, our guest is Erin Parish, PhD ’15 (Cultural Anthropology), Design Strategist for the City of Durham. The City of Durham is home to an innovation team – known as the “i-team” – that deploys a range of strategies, including quantitative and qualitative research and design-based innovation, to bring greater clarity and new solutions to the city’s most pressing problems.  Innovation team designers believe in the power of cities–and city government–to dramatically improve people’s lives. The team’s multi-disciplinary approach leverages skills and tools from design thinking, behavioral science, and analytics to help tackle hard-to-solve public challenges.

Access to this video is limited to the Duke Community. Please email for the link.


Weds Sept 9, 1-1:30 pm 

WHAT: HR Zoom with Jessica Keough, Recruiting and Onboarding Manager with Research Square
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZaN67SS1LY3J0V

Join us for a series of short, focused career conversations with Human Resources professionals about the recruiting and hiring practices at their organizations. Our guest on Sept 9 is Jessica Keough, Recruiting and Onboarding Manager with Research Square.  Research Square exists to make research publishing faster, fairer, and more useful. Research Square solutions include author services (language editing, formatting, translation, posters, and figure preparation) from American Journal Experts, Video Abstracts to share published research with a broader audience, and new solutions for publishers like editorial checks to help streamline and improve the submission process.

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel


Tues Sept 15, 12:30-1 pm

WHAT: HR Zoom with Syneos Health
REGISTERhttps://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QIw3WuerP4sH2d

Want to get the inside scoop on hiring? On Sept 15, our guests are Susan Akers-Smith, Sr. Vice President, Medical Management & Scientific Services and Christine Cantu, Global Leader, University and Early Career Programs from Syneos Health. Syneos Health is a multinational contract research organization based in RTP NC. The company specializes in helping companies with late-stage clinical trials.


Mon Sept 21, 3-3:30 pm

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Nick Rizzo, PhD, Associate Manager of Strategic Feasibility at IQVIA Biotech
REGISTER:

On Sept 21, our guest is Nick Rizzo, PhD ’17 (Genetics & Genomics), Associate Manager of Strategic Feasibility at IQVIA Biotech (currently hiring 2 PhD-level positions on his team)!  Nick will discuss his background, job searching in industry, roles in clinical research and opportunities for PhDs. IQVIA Biotech provides integrated clinical and commercial solutions designed to help smaller biotech companies move forward in their effort to get treatments to patients.


Weds Sept 23, 1-1:30 pm 

WHAT: HR Zoom with Bob Miles and Aaron Turner, RTI International
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lBH3TSNEgSTOct

Want to get the inside scoop on hiring? Our guests on Sept 23 are from RTI International: Bob Miles, Manager of Talent Acquisition and Programs, and Aaron Turner, Talent Acquisition Manager. RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute whose experts hold degrees in more than 250 scientific, technical, and professional disciplines across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development fields. RTI research areas include healthcare, energy research, education and workforce development, food security, and the environment. The US Agency for International Development accounts for about 35 percent of RTI’s research revenue.

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel


Tues Sept 29, 11-11:30 am

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Rebecca Beerman, PhD, Scientific Integrity Associate, Duke Advancing Scientific Integrity, Services and Training (ASIST) Office
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_251xN3XoC3Qygi9

On Sept 29, our guest is Rebecca Beerman, PhD, former Duke postdoc in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology  and current Scientific Integrity Associate in the Duke Advancing Scientific Integrity, Services and Training (ASIST) Office. The ASIST office supports the Duke research community by promoting a culture of scientific integrity, improving data management practices, developing educational materials, organizing outreach activities, and providing individual consultations. In addition to discussing academic administration roles at Duke, Rebecca will talk about the position currently open at ASIST.


Weds Oct 7, 11-11:30 am

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Nora McGhee, PhD, Senior Program Officer for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3fb3ETS2JJbLImp

On Oct 7, our guest is Nora McGhee, PhD ’06 (Pharmacology), Senior Program Officer for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).  PCORI is authorized by Congress to conduct research to provide information about the best-available evidence to help patients and their health care providers make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI’s research, which is guided by input from stakeholders across the healthcare community, is intended to give patients and those who care for them with a better understanding of the prevention, treatment and care options available, and the science that supports those options.

Access to this video is limited to the Duke Community. Please email for the link.


Mon Oct 19, 12-12:30 pm

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Micah Gilmer, PhD, Senior Partner at Frontline Solutions
REGISTER:

Join us to hear from researcher and writer Micah Gilmer, PhD ’09 (Cultural Anthropology), Senior Partner at Frontline Solutions. Frontline Solutions is a Black-owned consulting firm that serves the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. They also build tools, models, and ventures that create far-reaching impact.  Micah works with clients to design research processes, build strong organizational cultures, and evaluate impact.

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services YouTube Channel


Weds Nov 4, 11-11:30 am

WHAT: Alum Zoom with Lauren Anderson, PhD, and Brandon Hall, PhD, Duke Surgery Office of Research Development
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aasULaakEvw2Jhj

On Nov 4, our guests are Lauren Anderson, PhD, Director, and Brandon Hall, PhD, Research Development Associate, from the Duke Surgery Office of Research Development. Lauren holds a PhD in Neurobiology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in Neuroscience from The Johns Hopkins University, and was a Duke postdoc in the Department of Neurology. Brandon holds a PhD in Pharmacology from Georgia Health Sciences University (now Augusta University) and a BS in Biology from the University of South Carolina at Aiken, and was a Duke postdoc in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

The Duke Surgery Office of Research Development provides strategic guidance, scientific editing and proposal development support for complex,individual investigator, and training grant proposals.  In addition to discussing their academic administration roles at Duke, Lauren and Brandon will talk about the transferable skills that are sought-after qualities for these types of academic jobs.