Symposium on Graduate Education
2004 Symposium on Graduate Education: Challenges, Choices, Careers
1:00 p.m. Welcome and introductory remarks
Richard Wheeler, Graduate College Dean
1:15 p.m. Keynote address
Maresi Nerad, co-author of the Ph.D.'s-Ten Years Later study, will share the results of her ongoing research which explores
career outcomes and opportunities available to individuals with advanced degrees.
Dr. Maresi Nerad, Director, Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education (CIRGE) and Associate Dean, University of Washington Graduate School
2:00 p.m. Transferable Skills, or 'How Did I Get Here?'
Graduates with advanced degrees often pursue satisfying careers outside academia. In this session, University of Illinois graduate alumni
will discuss their career paths in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Paula Havlik, University of Illinois Alumni Association, Moderator
Carl Zangerl, Ph.D. in History, Director of Communications, New England Financial
Lynell Cannell, Ph.D. in Physics, Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Lucent
Technologies
Angela Graham, Ed.D., Vice President, Battle Creek Community Foundation
3:00 p.m. Break and Refreshments
3:20 p.m. Concurrent Focus Sessions
Session 1: Dual Career Dilemmas
This panel will tackle the challenges faced by professional couples today as they seek satisfying careers and personal lives. Panelists
will discuss conflict, issue resolution, cultural perspectives, and the special concerns of gay/lesbian partners.
Marybeth Hallett, Assistant Director and Clinical Counselor, Counseling Center,
Moderator
Melanie Loots, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Matti Bunzl, Associate Professor, Anthropology/History
Sarah Projansky, Associate Professor, Cinema Studies/Gender and Women's Studies
Session 2: Academic Transitions and Life Cycles
Graduate school is the first step in a long academic career, and each stage that follows brings its own challenges and opportunities.
This panel will discuss the transitions of academic life from graduate school through tenure, focusing on the different stages of
academic employment.
Andrew Gewirth, Professor, Chemistry, Moderator
Ladona Martin-Frost, Lecturer in Music, Millikin University
Irina Vasenkova, Postdoctoral fellow, Cell and Structural Biology
Scott Ahlgren, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Greg DeNardo, Associate Professor, Music Education
Session 3: Organizing Your Education for Options
Graduate study can present intellectual, personal, and emotional challenges. This workshop will provide practical advice about the
graduate school experience, and will recommend strategies and resources to guide students to a successful outcome
Rebecca Bryant, Director, Graduate College Career Services Office
4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Reception
