Current Student Stories

  • Avery Agles, GS, CBE

    "My experience has totally transformed my idea of academia into a place where meaningful change and empowerment can happen."

  • Jonathan Aguirre, GS, SPO

    • Jonathan Aguirre, GS, SPO
      • Professional Development Working Group Member
      • Participant, American Higher Ed GradFUTURES Learning Cohort
      • Participant, Ethics of AI GradFUTURES Learning Cohort
    "I've been most appreciative of the stimulating conversations that have motivated me to pursue research topics I would have never otherwise...

  • Mai Alkhamissi, GS, ANT

    Mai K. Alkhamissi is a second-year PhD student with an MA in Anthropology and Cultural Politics from Goldsmiths and a BA in Anthropology and...

  • Emilia Arguello, GS, Chemistry

    "I am excited to participate in this fellowship to experience the personal connections – both as a mentee and as a mentor – that only a genuine...

  • Megan Armknecht, GS, HIS

    • Megan Armknecht, GS, HIS
      • Summer Intern, Bureau of Bureau of Public Affairs/ Office of the Historian in Washington D.C
    "[T]his experience helped me form meaningful working relationships with other historians, and has been helpful in framing my prospectus for my...

  • Soha Aslam, *20, MAE

    Soha Aslam earned a Masters of Science and Engineering (MSE) candidate in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program at Princeton University...

  • Joseph Avery, GS, PSY

    "I learned a lot, I met other students with similar interests, and I formed lasting relationships with experts in the respective fields."

  • Yuzhou Bai, GS, EAS

    "I'm excited to support my fellow Ph.D.s in at least two ways: to highlight recent job market trends and consult on new career options for graduate...

  • John Barr, GS, CHM

    John Barr is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry and a 2020 Community College Teaching Fellow at Camden County College.

  • Janet Chow, GS, ENG

    "The Community College Teaching Fellowship completely changed the way I think about accessibility and pedagogy, for which I’ll always be deeply...

  • Elizabeth Durham, GS, ANT

    "My UAF with Princeton Writes has been a wonderful venue for examining the issue of efficacy in communication and the role of effective communication...

  • Nikita Dutta, GS, MAE

    "Effective education and outreach are important to me as a scientist, so it’s exciting to have designated time in the week to devote to them through...

  • Saadia El Karfi, GS, FIT

    As a UAF "I get to work on issues and topics that are meaningful to me as an international student, as a woman, and as an academic."

  • Julia Grummit, GS, HIS

    “Along with the practical skills I’ve learned through my work in the Center for Digital Humanities, the UAF fellowship has provided me with a better...

  • Hasan Hameed, GS, HIS

    "I've gotten to interact with people in departments as diverse as Professional Development and the Office of Undergraduate Student Life, giving me a...

  • Max Horder, GS, ANT

    "My experience of the UAF has been transformational: it has equipped me with the skillset I need to translate my academic training into proficiencies...

  • Brandon Hunter-Pazzara, GS, ANT

    "Overall, the experience gave me insight into thinking about the university as an institution and the processes involved in creating new resources...

  • Cory Isaacs, GS, SPI

    "My time as a UAF is helping me become a better teammate and better understand the relationship between people and the organizations within which...

  • Sophie Jiang, GS, ARC

    The "UAF experience has deepened my understanding of multidisciplinary and multicultural communication."

  • Honchan "Sonny" Kim, GS, POL

    "I really enjoyed thinking through these important issues in a room full of people from different disciplines. I learned a lot from our...

  • Anne Kuhnen, GS, SPI

    Anne Kuhnen is an M.P.A.

  • Robbie LeDesma, GS, MOL

    “Research on the Road” is a fantastic science communication/public speaking event that taught me a lot about how to think about my own work when...

  • Annabel S. Lemma, GS, CBE

    "What programmings do you want to see from the Professional Development office? I am always happy to listen to your inputs and discuss ways in which...

  • Athena Li, GS, MOL

    • Athena Li, GS, MOL
      • University Administrative Fellow
      • Professional Development Working Group Member
    "This is a place filled with excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. Great and meaningful connections are forged here every day. It is my great pleasure...

  • Beryl Li, GS, CHM

    "The UAF has been a great platform to offer insight into the intricate gears that run a university."

  • Steven Li, GS, MAE

    The Pathways with a PhD Bootcamp "provided a sense that our future, whatever it may be, is supported by Princeton."

  • Larry Liu

    "I am very grateful to GradFUTURES for providing current graduate students the opportunity to learn from professionals in higher education...

  • Shelby Lohr, GS, HIS

    Shelby Lohr is a Ph.D. candidate in History and a University Administrative Fellow in the Office of Communications.

  • James C. Loy, GS, PHY

    James C. Loy is a Ph.D. student in Physics, and a Professional Development Associate charged with working primarily on initiatives for graduate...

  • Victoria Luu, GS, GEO

    "This experience in creating bridges across different stakeholders and developing systematic solutions helped me to secure a prestigious marine...

  • Elena M'Bouroukounda, GS, ARC

    "Through this fellowship, I have gained a new perspective on how administrators can be mediators between academics and segmented academic departments...

  • Cate Mahoney, GS, ENG

    "In the spring I will teach my first class, and I'm super excited! I've found working with John and Stephanie to be like working with old friends."

  • Elizaveta Mankovskaia, GS, SLA

    "My UAF has been a fantastically useful and inspiring experience! [...] The part I especially enjoy is thinking about how to take advantage of the...

  • Ian McKeachie, GS, PHI

    Ian McKeachie is a graduate student in the Princeton philosophy department.

  • Kyle Oskvig, GS, PHI

    I came to Princeton via the University of Iowa (B.A.

  • Lucy Partman, GS, ART

    "Through this work, I have the extraordinary opportunity to connect and collaborate with people all across campus, in the Princeton community, and...

  • Stephanie Pope, GS, ENG

    "I would without qualification recommend an internship at the Foundation for anyone looking for a varied, challenging summer work experience and a...

  • Dylan Principi, GS, MUS

    “Within Princeton’s burgeoning GradFutures initiative, I am excited to help cultivate a space for graduate students to explore the critical role of...

  • Sucharita Ray, GS, HIS

    "As a staunch believer in educational equity, I am thrilled to be a Community College Teaching Fellow at Mercer County Community College."

  • Nicholas Risteen, *19, ARC

    "Seeing the publishing world as a form of intellectual curation—to evaluate and guide future scholarship in the field—was eye opening for me, and...

  • Adéráyọ̀ Sànúsí

    "I have found the experience deeply rewarding because of the invaluable opportunity to leverage my ethnographic research skills while I also learns...

  • Abigail Sargent, GS, HIS

    Abigail Sargent is a Ph.D. candidate in History and a 2020 Community College Teaching Fellow at Camden County College.

  • Emilie Storer, GS, PHY

    Emilie Storer is a Ph.D. Candidate in Physics, and a 2020 Community College Teaching Fellow at Mercer County Community College.

  • Elliot Taffet, GS Chemistry

    "This opportunity is a great way for Princeton PhD candidates to gain confidence with their ability to inspire in the classroom and navigate the...

  • Allison Tang, GS, CBE

    Hi there, I am a graduate student in Chemical and Biological Engineering. I work in the Avalos Lab, where we engineer proteins to help yeast make...

  • Melissa Tier, GS, SPI

    '"I'm also really grateful that my professional and academic experiences can continue to inform each other, and I appreciate that Princeton makes it...

  • Christopher K. Tokita, GS, EEB

    "Research on the Road helped me realize the "big picture" of my work and how to explain it in a compelling story format!"

  • Nicholas Turner, GS, COS

    "When thinking about moving into a career using these technologies, it's important to do that with a clear and broad perspective. The learning group...

  • Kevin Villegas Rosales, GS, ELE

    I am Peruvian and came five years ago to Princeton University to start my PhD in the Electrical Engineering department.

  • Liana Wait, GS, EEB

    My UAF is with the Communicating Research and Scholarship Working Group, and my mentor is Denise Hersey.

  • Leon Wang, GS, CBE

    Leon Wang is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical and Biological Engineering, as well as a member of the Professional Development Working Group, and an...

  • Peter Y. Wang, GS, CEE

    "The Pathways with a PhD Bootcamp helped me to understand the University's career resources, network with alumni and faculty, and practice planning...

  • Sarah Wilterson, GS, PSY

    Sarah Wilterson is a Professional Development Associate supporting graduate students in the Social Sciences..

  • Abraham (Avi) Wolf, GS, CBE

    The Venture Capital and Startups cohort "is a great way to quickly learn the core tenets of the funding ecosystem for entrepreneurs"

  • Kim Worthington, GS, HIS

    "The GradFutures program unlocks a broad range of penetrating insights from graduate students as its appeal across disciplines and fields attracts...

  • Tianxia Xiao, GS, CHM

    Tianxia Xiao is a rising fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry. During her undergraduate study, she researched the chemical...

  • Luojun Yang, GS, EEB

    Luojun Yang is a Ph.D. student is Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a University Administrative Fellow in the Pace Center.

  • Shengyu Yang, GS, EAS

    • Shengyu Yang, GS, EAS
      • Community College Teaching Fellow
      • Participant, American Higher Ed GradFUTURES Learning Cohort
    As a Community College Teaching Fellow, and a American Higher cohort member "I learned how to balance my research and teaching in a safe yet...

  • Tony Ye, GS, ORF

    "The Pathways with a PhD bootcamp series was invaluable for understanding the career planning process."

  • Ben Xinzi Zhang, GS, CHM

    Ben Xinzi Zhang is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, and a 2020 Community College Teaching Fellow at Mercer County Community College.

  • Felicia Zhang, GS, PSY

    Felicia Zhang is a PhD student in Psychology, and served as a University Administrative Fellow in the Center for Career Development.

  • Wenxuan Zhang, GS, CBE

    Wenxuan Zhang is a Ph.D. student in Chemical and Biological Engineering, and a University Administrative Fellow in the Office of Tech Licensing....

  • Xue Zhang, GS, EAS

    "[The UAF program] reshapes my ways of being a learner, teacher, and leader in higher education settings...It provides me with ample opportunities to...

To share your story or testimonial with fellow graduate students and the University community, kindly complete this brief form. 

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