As Executive Director of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH), Carin Berkowitz establishes the strategic direction for NJCH and serves as a passionate advocate for the humanities across New Jersey.  She joined NJCH in 2018 after having spent eight years as the Director of Historical Research at the Science History Institute, a museum, library, and center for scholarship in Philadelphia. She has served as an elected member of the Nominating Committee of the 11,000-member American Historical Association (AHA) and on the elected governing council of the History of Science Society, and is currently on the Board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, as well as serving as the Chair of the National Humanities Conference in Providence, RI in 2024.  Carin has a Ph.D. in the history of science from Cornell University and has published extensively on the historical intersections of art, science, medicine, and pedagogy, including the monograph Charles Bell and the Anatomy of Reform and the co-edited collection Science Museums in Transition: Anglo-American Cultures of Display in the Nineteenth Century.

I always encourage graduate students to think about their whole selves as they pursue a career--what kinds of environments, skills, and activities are engaging to them? What are their values and their personal strengths? Where would they like to live? What kind of a difference would they like to make in the world? I think opening up questions like that helps to illuminate many paths forward, and as one navigates a career trajectory outside the academy (and one's own personal growth), one can look to develop different aspects of one's interests, skills sets, and impact with each new move.

I've been to several GradFUTURES events and am incredibly impressed by the unique thoughtfulness, connections, and resources that the program brings to the Princeton community.  I wish such an innovative program had been available when I was a graduate student or setting out on my career.