The Faculty Fellows in Professional Development Innovation initiative supports faculty and departments in creating innovative professional development programs that help prepare Ph.D. students for a broad range of careers within and beyond the academy.

This program is intended to deepen the Graduate School's partnerships with faculty and graduate students by supporting bespoke professional development programs within the departments that will meet the unique and evolving interests of graduate students. There are four steps:

1. Identify graduate student professional development needs and interests: Faculty Fellows partner with graduate students in their department (or across departments) to gain a greater understanding of their evolving interests, desire to build new skills, or explore emerging career pathways. This will involve identifying existing skills, knowledge, or opportunity gaps.

2. Conceptualize and propose a program: Faculty Fellows will work closely with graduate students in their departments (or across departments) to co-create a proposal for an innovative professional development program. The overall goal for each program proposal is to expose graduate students to – and prepare them for – diverse pathways within and beyond the academy. However, the individual learning outcomes, program format, and length of the program may vary.

Examples of potential programs might include an innovative approach to:

• Connecting graduate students with graduate alumni and other professionals via customized shadowing programs and treks;
• Creating an alumni-in-residence program for the department to invite graduate alums to meet 1:1 with current graduate students and share advice;
• Providing skills training in areas not commonly associated with the curriculum via micro-credentialed programs and bootcamps;
• Developing immersive programs such as tailored part-time experiential opportunities;
• Hosting a professional development symposium or a graduate-focused fair.

3. Receive support with implementation and funding: Upon selection by a committee at the Graduate School, Faculty Fellows will receive support to implement and fund their innovative professional development program or initiative. Depending on the format and scope of the proposed program, funding awards may range from $500 to $2,000 for a one-time event and between $2,100 to $10,000 for a longer-term initiative. 

4. Attend two meetings of faculty fellows per year:  Faculty Fellows will convene as a group twice per year (fall and spring). In the fall, new faculty fellows will be formally announced and recognized. During the fall meeting, faculty fellows will meet with the GradFUTURES team to discuss the professional development goals within their departments and ways to implement their proposed programs. During the spring meeting, faculty fellows will share the results of their innovative program as well as graduate student feedback and learning outcomes with other faculty members at a celebratory reception.