Students, Faculty and Alumni/ae Stories

Student, Faculty and Alumni/ae Perspectives on GradFUTURES

These stories and commentaries illuminate the journeys of graduate students who have participated in GradFUTURES programming, and render visible the campus-wide community of support available for graduate students-- from faculty, staff, and alumni as well as industry partners. 

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  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Alana Ballantyne *13 (GER)

    "Stepping outside my comfort zone as an academic was really scary at first, but I'm really pleased that I pushed myself."

  • Carol Barash *89, ENG

    Award-winning author, educator, and entrepreneur Carol Barash holds degrees from Yale (BA,

  • Wendy Laura Belcher

    "Fortunately, the graduate student professional development program at Princeton University provides training in just these types of skills and thus...

  • André Benhaïm

    "The leadership and opportunities promoted by GradFutures provide students with invaluable practical tools that will help them magnify their...

  • Natalie Berkman, *18, FIT

    "Organizing the first Grad Student Career Meetup helped me to start picturing myself doing other things, and now I am happily managing academics at a...

  • Marshall Brown

    Marshall Brown is an architect, urbanist, and scholar. Among other accomplishments, he has represented the United States at the prestigious Venice...

  • Zoë Buonaiuto, *18, HIS

    • Zoë Buonaiuto, *18, HIS
      • University Administrative Fellow
      • Professional Development Working Group Member
      • Mentor, Graduate Mentorship Program
    "Participating in the UAF program was one of the most formative experiences I had at Princeton. The program provided me important mentorship, a...

  • Flora Champy

    • Flora Champy
      • Assistant Professor
      • Job Placement Officer (Fall 2020)

    Flora Champy joined the Department of French and Italian as an Assistant Professor of French in September 2018.

  • Caitlin Charos, *19, ENG

    "As a UAF, I found the structure, skill-building, and community I was looking for to make my graduate school experience more intentional. I highly...

  • Dane Christie, *19, CBE

    "If you cannot convince people of the merit of your ideas in language they can understand, you are not going anywhere, since it is impossible to...

  • Clarissa Ding, GS, CHE

    Clarissa Ding is a PhD candidate in Chemistry, where she studies the structure and dynamics of catalytic materials using computational methods and...

  • Anna Eddelbuettel Hancock, GS, CBE

    I graduated in May 2020 with my B.S. in biomedical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

  • Alicia M. Ejsmond-Frey, *19, CLA

    "My department was surprised but delighted to find out that I was going to pursue a career in government, and in his introduction to my FPO the...

  • 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."

  • Ma. Florevel (Floe) Fusin-Wischusen

    “Partnering with the Graduate School in promoting our Education, Training and Outreach program has significantly raised awareness and increased...

  • William A. Gleason

    • William A. Gleason
      • Hughes-Rogers Professor of English and American Studies;
      • GradFUTURES Learning Cohort Participant
    "It's exciting to see how many new initiatives and opportunities for graduate student professional development are emerging here on campus, in...

  • Jenny Greene

    "PTI supports our students not only by creating a strong community of like-minded people across the University, but also by providing a substantive...

  • 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...

  • Jiayue (Jenny) He, *08, ELE

    "Emotional resilience is essential for a founder. One of my undergrad professors told me, “Once you are in a Ph.D. program, it is all about the...

  • Jake Herb, *17, CHE

    Jake Herb is a Principal Scientist in the Materials and Energy Technology Group at Physical Sciences, Inc. (PSI).

  • Nicole Jacoberger

    Nicole Jacoberger is a mentor in the Community College Teaching Fellowship Program. Dr.

  • Patrice Jean, *99, MOL

    During graduate school, I honed my skills as a scientist, but I also learned how important it was to engage with all people from different...

  • Sophie Jiang, GS, ARC

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

  • Stanley N. Katz

    • Stanley N. Katz
      • Professor of Public and International Affairs;
      • Director of the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies;
      • GradFUTURES Learning Cohort Participant
    "The Higher Education Workshop has been a boon for me as a scholar-teacher with a long commitment to the study of higher education policy."

  • Don Kirsch, *78, MOL

    "The Dean’s office is supportive and helpful to those who want to pursue diverse careers in industry.  In fact, Princeton invited me back to lead a...

  • Ann Kirschner, *78, ENG

    Ann Kirschner is University Professor at The City University of New York, the nation's largest urban university, and a faculty fellow at the...

  • Josh Kotin

    • Josh Kotin
      • Associate Professor, Department of English
      • GradFUTURES Learning Cohort Participant
    "The workshop is an important forum for exploring graduate student professional development in the twenty-first century."

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Elizabeth Margulis

    • Elizabeth Margulis
      • Director, Music Cognition Lab
      • University Administrative Fellowship Program Mentor

    Elizabeth Margulis studies music using a combination of humanistic and scientific methods.

  • Meredith Martin

    • Meredith Martin
      • Faculty Director, Center for Digital Humanities
      • University Administrative Fellowship Program Mentor

    Meredith Martin is Associate Professor of English and the Faculty Director for the Center for Digital Humanities.

  • Erika Milam

    "The Graduate School's Professional Development Program provides guidance to help students develop the skills and competencies crucial for success in...

  • Mallory Monaco Caterine, *13 (CLA)

    Mallory Monaco Caterine *13, Classics, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Kallion Leadership, Inc., Senior Professor of Practice in Classical...

  • Christin Monroe, *18, CHM

    "I was able to gain so much practical experience and learn about career paths that I was unfamiliar with, which led to my first job after graduate...

  • Andrea Morris, *99, MOL

    "GradFUTURES has been a great way to build stronger connections to Princeton's Graduate School and also to current graduate students..."

  • Laura Murray

    • Laura Murray
      • Assistant Director, Learning Programs
      • University Administrative Fellowship Mentor

    Laura is the Assistant Director, Learning Programs in the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, where creates initiatives and programming to...

  • Ali Nouri, *06 (MOL)

    Dr. Ali Nouri is the President of the Federation of American Scientists. His scientific publications are in the fields of virology, cell...

  • Evan Ostrowski, GS, CBE

    "The GradFUTURES mentorship program connected me with an outstanding alumni mentor in Washington, D.C. who has helped show me the value of Ph.D....

  • 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...

  • Elena Peregrina-Salvador, *15, SPA

    Dr. Elena Peregrina Salvador specializes in strategy and revenue management in the Digital/ Startups and Telecoms sectors.

  • 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...

  • Rodney D. Priestley

    "I have been very impressed with the rollout of the GradFUTURES program, and the opportunities that it has provided for graduate students to receive...

  • Brenden Rickards, *96 (MOL)

    "The experiences at Princeton University in the classrooms, laboratories and departmental colloquia and functions helped mold me into the...

  • Ann Marie Russell, *12, PSY

    "When I was in graduate school, it felt like we had two choices: an academic career or failure. The thought of voluntarily pursuing a non-academic...

  • Anita Sands

    • Anita Sands
      • James Wei Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Keller Center
      • University Administrative Fellowship Mentor

    Anita Sands is a U.S. based board-director, author, and speaker. A former Fulbright Scholar, she holds a Masters in Public Policy and Management...

  • Adéráyọ̀ Sànúsí

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

  • Zachary Schmidt, GS, CBE

    "Before I even arrived at Princeton, GradFUTURES helped me secure an internship unlike any I had done before!"

  • Howard Stone

    • Howard Stone
      • Donald R. Dixon ’69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor
    "Professional development has many facets and the Graduate School can help with developing these skills. There are many possible paths to take after...

  • 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...

  • Katherine Thorpe, GS, ENG

    "It has beenn wonderful to have another sort of “home” outside of my department on campus, and another community of people to meet and learn from—it...

  • 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!"

  • John Tully, *12, CLA

    John earned his Ph.D.

  • Joe Tylka, *19, MAE

    Dr. Joe Tylka is a research scientist at Siemens Corporate Technology whose expertise lies in multichannel signal processing, intelligent control...

  • Anu Vedantham, *94 (SPIA)

    "I have appreciated the welcoming community provided by GradFUTURES, connecting faculty, staff, graduate students and alums to each other. The...

  • 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.

  • Joshua Wallace, *19, AST

    Joshua Wallace earned a PhD in Astrophysics in 2019 and is a Space Systems Analyst with Stellar Science.

  • Haina Wang, GS, CHE

    Haina is a third year graduate student in the Chemistry department.

  • Sarah Wilterson, GS, PSY

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

  • 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...

  • Ke (Kevin) Xu, GS, CBE

    Originally from Beijing China, Kevin is a PhD student in chemical and biological engineering and his work focuses on engineering multi-phase...

  • Annette Zimmerman

    "The GradFUTURES Learning Cohort on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence has been a platform for many illuminating and inspiring conversations...

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