Pronouns she/her Position Assistant Dean for Professional Development Office Phone 609-258-9675 Email [email protected] Office 009 Clio Hall Website LinkedIn Bio/Description Dr. Sonali Majumdar joined the GradFUTURES team in May of 2022 as Assistant Dean for Professional Development. In addition to developing programs and building partnerships to benefit all graduate students, Sonali serves as the primary liaison for graduate students and faculty in the natural sciences and engineering divisions. Previously, Sonali was the Associate Director of Graduate Professional Development at the University of Virginia. She lead design, development and implementation of PhD Plus, the university’s professional development program to enable versatile PhDs who are deeply engaged with society’s needs in every sector and field. She also lead the administrative team for the university’s participation in AAU PhD Education Initiative. Nationally, she contributes to the field through Graduate Career Consortium (GCC); she served on the executive committee as communications officer (2022-24) and is the founder of the new International Community of Practice for foreign-born GCC members. Sonali earned PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia and did postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where she developed a passion for enhancing the professional development of graduate students and postdocs.Areas of Responsibility:Serve as liaison to graduate students and departments in the Natural Sciences and Engineering divisionsDevelop programs and campus-wide collaborations for signature GradFUTURES programs including interdisciplinary co-curricular learning cohortsCo-lead the alum mentorship program and other alum engagement initiativesDevelop experiential and exploration programs with industry partners in the natural sciences and engineeringImplement data-driven program assessment and graduate alum career outcomes data initiativesSupervise a team of graduate student Professional Development Associates and University Administrative Fellows in the Natural Sciences and Engineering divisions Support graduate programs in natural sciences and engineering toward developing and implementing professional development plans and activities for training grantsRepresent the Graduate School to co-lead two university-wide programs- Princeton Research Day and ReMatch Mentorship programConnect: LinkedIn Selected Publications Articles on professional development:Teach creativity in science higher education | Science | August 2024Creating strong near-peer mentoring programs | Inside Higher Ed | February 2024Lead with curiosity and creativity in your career | Inside Higher Ed | February 2023Shape your Ph.D. | Inside Higher Ed | August 2022Grad students should identify and adapt to new employment trends | Inside Higher Ed | February 2022Importance of self-knowledge in changing world of work | Inside Higher Ed | June 20213 distinct strengths of international researchers | Inside Higher Ed | January 2021Interviews:How Your Analytical Skills and Curiosity Can Propel Your Career in Academia and Beyond | "When Science Speaks"- Podcast by Mark Bayer | July 2022Scientific publications (5 of 9): Google scholar | ORCID L. Wei, S. Lee, S. Majumdar, B. Zhang, P. Sanfilipo, B. Joseph, P. Miura, M. Soller, E. Lai (2020). Overlapping Activities of Elav/ Hu Family RNA binding Proteins Specify the Extended Neuronal 3’UTR Landscape in Drosophila. Molecular Cell, 80(1):140-155S. Majumdar and M. Terns (2019). CRISPR RNA-guided DNA Cleavage by the Type I-A CRISPR-Cas system in Pyrococcus furiosus. Extremophiles, 23(1): 19-33Sonali Majumdar, Marianne Ligon, William C. Skinner, Rebecca M. Terns, Michael P. Terns. (2016). Target DNA recognition and cleavage by a reconstituted Type I-G CRISPR-Cas immune effector complex. Extremophiles. DOI: 10.1007/s00792-016-0871-5Sonali Majumdar, Peng Zhao, Neil T. Pfister, Mark Compton, Sara Olson, Claiborne V. C. Glover, III, Lance Wells, Brenton R. Graveley, Rebecca M. Terns, Michael P. Terns (2015). Three CRISPR-Cas immune effector complexes co-exist in Pyrococcus furiosus. RNA, (6): 1147-58Caryn R. Hale, Sonali Majumdar, Joshua Elmore, Neil Pfister, Mark Compton, Sara Olson, A.M. Resch, Claiborne V. Glover, Brenton Graveley, Rebecca M. Terns, Michael P. Terns (2012). Essential Features and Rational Design of CRISPR RNAs that Function with the Cas RAMP Module Complex to Cleave RNAs. Molecular Cell, 45(3): 292-302 Related News Graduate Students Practice Science Storytelling in Fourth Year of Lab Tales Workshop New Social Impact Fellowship Partnerships Focus on Science Outreach Sciences & Engineering Graduate Students Plan for Faculty Careers at 2024 Future Faculty Workshop Fifth Annual GradFUTURES Forum Offered Graduate Students Clarity, Confidence and Connections to Advance Their Professional Development Graduate Students Found Connections and Opportunities at 2024 Fellowship & Internship Fair Four faculty named first Faculty Fellows in Professional Development through new GradFUTURES program Upcoming Professional Development Events Jan 18 SFPUL: Burns Night at the Nassau Club Jan 21 Speaking for Impact, Influence & Connection: 2-Day Workshop Intensive & Communication Coaching Jan 22 Speaking for Impact, Influence & Connection: 2-Day Workshop Intensive & Communication Coaching Jan 23 Working in the Creative Arts and Public Humanities Jan 28 2025 GradFUTURES Focus on Future You(s) for science and engineering: Part 1 of 3 Jan 29 Building Resilience: Mindfulness and Stress Management for Academic & Professional Success Jan 29 2025 GradFUTURES Focus on Future You(s) for science and engineering: Part 2 of 3 Jan 30 2025 GradFUTURES Focus on Future You(s) for science and engineering: Part 3 of 3 Jan 31 30 Minutes Towards Better Bibliographies and Footnotes! (online) Feb 3 Introduction to QGIS Feb 4 Introduction to ArcGIS Pro Feb 5 Digital Scholarship Foundations: Static Websites (1 of 4)
