Hosting & Mentoring a University Administrative Fellow

Created in 2014, the University Administrative Fellows (UAF) program provides enrolled graduate students (typically post-generals Ph.D. students) the opportunity to work in an administrative capacity for approximately six hours per week during the course of a semester. UAF hosts craft their position descriptions in consultation with Assistant Dean James M. Van Wyck. The GradFUTURES team then circulates the posting to graduate students in the GradFUTURES Professional Development Newsletter, and on the GradFUTURES website. In most cases, graduate students apply directly to the host department and the host department selects the fellow.

The fellowship consists of working on a project under the direction of the host department, attending meetings when appropriate, and discussing with the host the various aspects of the host’s position, including specific responsibilities, organizational dynamics, external networks, etc. Fellows receive a stipend (which is covered by the host office, in most cases) in addition to their normal support. Before accepting the fellowship, selected students must receive permission from their dissertation adviser(s) and must be in good academic standing.

    Outcomes

    Graduate Students

    • Gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for university administration
    • Are mentored by a non-faculty member on campus
    • Learn new skills or use existing skills to complete a project in a department outside their academic department
    • Are introduced to a potential career field

    Administrative Mentors

    • Work with graduate students on a discrete deliverable or an ongoing project
    • Gain a deeper appreciation of the many abilities Princeton graduate students have, and better utilize these talents in the context of their own offices

    Assessment

    At the end of each UAF appointment, the fellows and mentors are surveyed regarding their experience and provide suggestions for further program development. The fellows and mentors also submit a short one-page document describing the outcomes for each UAF mentor/mentee pairing.

    Iteration

    Adjustments are made to the program based on survey feedback. For instance, based on survey feedback after the first years of the program, we have added a professional development seminar series as a requirement of the program. Fellows are required to attend four out of six seminars. Seminar topics range from “Managing Up: How to Connect with your Mentor” to “Legal and Ethical Topics in Higher Education” to “Understanding the University as a Complex Organization."

    Onboard a University Administrative Fellow!

    If you have interviewed a UAF candidate and would like to make a formal offer, use the form below.

    Onboarding University Administrative Fellows

    Find a University Administrative Fellow!

    Current and Former UAFs & Mentors

    Kaitlin Faherty, GS, ARC
    University Administrative Fellow

    Kaitlin Faherty is a Master of Architecture II candidate and a University Administrative Fellow with the Princeton Urban Imagination Center (PUIC). Previously she worked as an architectural designer in New York City after receiving her professional degree from CUNY City College of New York & the Macaulay Honors College. She plans to…

    Andrew Finn, GS, ENG
    University Administrative Fellow

    I am the current Vice President of the Graduate Student Government, a University Administrative Fellow, and an English Department PhD Candidate who specializes in medieval English literature.

    Edward P Freeland *92, SOC
    Executive Director, Data Driven Social Science Initiative

    Dr. Edward P. Freeland is the Executive Director of the Data Driven Social Science Initiative (DDSS) and a Lecturer at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He also has mentored numerous University Administrative Fellows at the SRC. Dr. Freeland teaches a graduate seminar (SPI 593e - Surveys, Polls and Public Policy), and advises faculty and students who are conducting survey research projects. 

    Nicholas Garcia
    University Administrative Fellow

    Nicholas Garcia is a PhD student in Chemistry and a University Administrative Fellow in PRISM.

    Penelope Georges
    Associate Director, STEM Initiatives, Council on Science and Technology

    Penelope Georges joined Princeton University in 2020 with the Council on Science and Technology. With a B.S., Ph.D., and postdoctoral research all in bioengineering, her career and education have been interdisciplinary, linking the natural sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics with engineering design.

    Anthie Georgiadi, GS, ENG
    Graduate Student, Department of English

    "Every time I meet with people affiliated with the community I am more and more convinced that we are so lucky to have them; to have people dedicated to helping all of us pursue our varying interests and explore possibilities that surpass what we imagined when we joined our PhD programs. If I had to offer one piece of advice to fellow students, it would be the following: pursue your interests and the rest will follow."

    Lindsay Griffiths, GS, ENG
    University Administrative Fellow

    "I am not daunted by the number of unknown paths my life could take professionally. Rather, I’m excited by the fruitful and fulfilling careers that I walk in and towards, and the many different skills I have been able to hone at Princeton in preparation. I so appreciate all the opportunities here to explore and learn."

    Julia Grummit, GS, HIS
    University Administrative Fellow
    “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 sense of how the University functions as a whole, offering insight into roles beyond the classroom.”
    Ian Gunady, GS, MAE
    University Administrative Fellow

    Ian is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering working on experiments studying turbulence within the field of fluid mechanics. Ian is University Administrative Fellow (UAF) in spring 2024 in the GradFUTURES team and led development of the inaugural cohort of Structured Problem Solving like Consultants with Kevin Xu (GS, CBE) and…

    Rebekah Haigh, GS, REL
    Community College Teaching Fellow

    "Taking part in the GradFUTURES Fellowship program was an enriching experience both professionally and personally. It opened up a whole world of experiences and possibilities that I plan on exploring in the future."

    Hasan Hameed, GS, HIS
    University Administrative Fellow
    "I've gotten to interact with people in departments as diverse as Professional Development and the Office of Undergraduate Student Life, giving me a much more nuanced sense of the complexity of the University and the range of different departments involved in serving the student community"
    Caitlin Harvey, GS, HIS
    University Administrative Fellow
    "Whether I remain in academia or not, this experience has been tremendously useful to both my career development and my personal development. I'm grateful to all of the kind people at PUP for welcoming me into their workplace."