Through the GradFUTURES mentorship program, doctoral students have ongoing access to a network of Princeton graduate alumni mentors, who offer guidance and advice across a broad range of fields. Currently enrolled graduate students are matched with a graduate alumni mentor based on common academic and professional interests, life challenges, and experiences.
Additionally, graduate students can use discussion guides and goal-setting activities to help spark meaningful conversations with their alumni mentors and others in their professional network. Topics range from time management and work-life balance to networking and job-seeking advice.
How it Works
Graduate students will be matched with a personal alumni mentor based on common academic interests, career goals, life challenges, and experiences. They will learn how to overcome challenges, receive career advice and develop skills to become effective leaders. Graduate students may also use the platform’s discussion guides and goal-setting activities to help spark meaningful conversations with their mentors and other professionals.
The GradFUTURES Mentorship program is intended to:
- Provide graduate students with a structured means of initiating and maintaining a professional relationship with a graduate alum in which to receive 1:1 advice and support regarding the challenges of doctoral education and research; professional development strategies; and referrals to others to assist in building the graduate student’s professional network;
- Build connections and community between Princeton graduate students and graduate alumni who will share invaluable insights about their own academic and professional experiences, discuss the skills and competencies needed for career progression, and who will support graduate students in navigating their own personal and professional goals during these uncertain times.
Graduate Alums! We are Currently Recruiting Mentors!
To express your interest, please fill out the following form. Thank you!
Graduate Students! The Call for Mentee Applications is Open!
Hear from Current and Former Mentors & Mentees!
"I've been most appreciative of the stimulating conversations that have motivated me to pursue research topics I would have never otherwise considered."
Marc Brahaney, Princeton ’77, *86, P19, is the owner of Princeton-based Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction which he cofounded with his late wife, Janet Lasley, in 1997 when they merged their two companies, Brahaney Architectural Associates and Lasley Construction Inc. Since then Lasley Brahaney has been recognized as a premier…
"Participating in the UAF program was one of the most formative experiences I had at Princeton. The program provided me important mentorship, a supportive community, and lasting connections that expanded my vision of what I could do post-PhD."
Michelle Burke has more than 20 years of experience in student success roles and higher education consulting. She is currently a University Relations Director with Mentor Collective, serving 150+ colleges and universities to close the equity gap through mentorship. Burke was previously Director of Student Life at Grand Valley State University…
I am a rising G3 in the Quantitative and Computational Biology Department at Princeton. My research involves applying machine learning to problems in cancer genomics, under the advising of Dr. Mona Singh. At Princeton, I am a co-founder and editor of Princeton Insights (a science communication organization), a member of the Graduate Women in…
After graduating from SPIA in 1981, I served on the professional staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I handled foreign policy and international security issues for the Committee from 1981 to 1986. One of my mentors from three summer internships at the State Department opened the door for me with the Committee. After leaving the…
I am an Applied Scientist at Descartes Labs, a startup that develops software for geospatial data analyses and related solutions for businesses and government. As an Applied Scientist, I help teams advance their progress towards their sustainability goals and understand the impacts of climate variability by using statistical and machine…
Ken Igarza is an NSF-GRFP fellow in Dr. Annegret Falkner's laboratory at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI), having previously studied and conducted research at Emory and Columbia University. At PNI, Ken studies how the brain generates drives that lead animals to seek social interactions and hopes to discover how these mechanisms go…
I am a third-year graduate student in the department of Quantitative and Computational Biology. Most of my work is done in collaboration with the ZERO Lab in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I do optimization of energy systems models; currently, I aim to make these models faster and more accurate through mathematical…
I am a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Art & Archaeology focusing on modern and contemporary art. My research focuses on the history of photography as well as art from Latin America.
"As a 2021 Community Teaching Fellow at Rowan College of South Jersey, I have been able to learn about the process of teaching in a…
An historian of Chinese visual culture, Freda lived in Asia as a student and professional for more than two decades. In Taiwan she had excellent opportunities for language study and viewing masterpieces at the National Palace Museum. In China from 1997 to 2013, she worked at the Palace Museum and taught at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and…
I am Professor of Philosophy at Monash University. I have been--at different times--Associate Dean Research, Associate Dean Graduate Studies, Head of School, Director of the Graduate Program, etc. I have also been CEO of the Australasian Association of Philosophy, and Member of Council of the Australian Academy of Humanities. I specialize in…
Noel is a PhD candidate in molecular biology at Princeton University co-mentored by Dr. Joshua Rabinowitz and LSI fellow Shawn Davidson.
"I was able to explore careers beyond academia as soon as I got to Princeton University- the support system for career and professional development has been astounding. The GradFUTURES Social…
"I believe graduate students and PhDs can be agents of innovation, change, and leadership both inside and outside of academia."
Dr. Elena Peregrina Salvador specializes in strategy and revenue management in the Digital/ Startups and Telecoms sectors. Currently, she works as Strategy Principal for Vodafone Group, one of the top 10 telecoms corporations in the world, where she looks after the Consumer Product and Services portfolio. Prior to Vodafone, she was part of the…
I am a senior executive with experience in developing corporate strategies, business visions as well as driving sustainable product innovation, and business transformations. At Dassault Systèmes, a leading global software provider of virtual 3D environments, my roles included Vice President of 3DEXPERIENCity; VP Digital Transformation &…
Deborah Schlein is the Near Eastern Studies Librarian at Princeton University Library. She received her PhD in Near Eastern Studies, also from Princeton, in 2019, and then spent a year as a Provost's Postdoctoral Librarian Fellow at New York University. In her day-to-day job, Deborah works closely with faculty, students, and researchers whose…
After completing my degree from Princeton in 1988, I served in various roles in the semiconductor process and chip design areas. Some highlights include device modeling, circuit modeling, and behavioral modeling of analog circuits so that they can be included in digital simulators. My current role focus on design verification, which is the…
Elaine Tsui is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, where she studies the development of new catalytic methods in organic synthesis. Prior to coming to Princeton, she received a B.A. in Chemistry and English from Wesleyan University and worked in patent litigation in Washington, D.C. Elaine was a GradFUTURES Fellow at New America's Future of Land…
Dr. Joe Tylka is a research scientist at Siemens Corporate Technology whose expertise lies in multichannel signal processing, intelligent control, and machine learning. He received his Ph.D. in 2019 from Princeton University, where his dissertation research focused on virtual navigation of measured 3D sound fields.
Akil Word-Daniels has held several strategic leadership positions in business, technology, and academia. He is a long-term strategist who is people-focused and data-driven. He is currently a Program Manager and Risk Analyst at Microsoft for Cloud Security. Previously he worked as an Offering Manager for IBM, where he was responsible for…
Ying Zhu received her Ph.D. from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2003. She worked as a Research Scientist and Project Manager at Siemens Corporate Research from 2003 to 2014, where she led R&D teams to develop and productize a wide range of computer vision and machine learning technologies for advanced driver…