Career development and science communication are critical to preparing students for success in STEM. That's why the Lovejoy Center partnered with CAMBIUM NRT to develop and launch a new professional development workshop series. Participants will:
- Discover the essential resources on the University of Arizona campus that support graduate students on their academic journey, from GIS drop in hours and 3D printing to research and grant proposal writing mentorship.
- Practice communicating their research effectively for a public audience with expert guest speakers from BIO5.
- Become MENTOR Institute certified.
- Develop durable skills, from being a good mentor to research management.
After a year of monthly workshops, participants will well positioned for a success in the rest of their academic journey and careers.
Workshops launch September 10th, 2025, and will continue on the second Wednesday of nearly every month until May 2026. All are welcome! Check out our calendar for upcoming sessions.
Workshop Recaps
Miss the session or or want a reminder of the resources shared?
Fall Semester: Career Services and Development
Session 1: Career Services at the University
2025 Guests: Isis Burks and Kendra Martinez from the Graduate Center
- Graduate Center website: https://gradcenter.arizona.edu/
- Graduate Career Services: https://gradcenter.arizona.edu/career-services. This is where you can book an appointment for free review of professional materials, career coaching, and more!
- PhD Degree Career & Professional Roadmap: https://arizona.box.com/s/y2ulnik55bln4md5wrb86bgebwv3h8fy
- myIDP (Individual Development Plan): https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
Takeaways from the session
- Tools like the Career & Professional Roadmaps are useful to consider what professional development opportunities you have been completing without realizing, and which activities might be useful to tackle next to launch you into a great career.
- Tools like myIDP are useful to expand your career horizons, (re)consider career possibilities you had discarded out of hand, and provide a reflection moment on your skills, values, and interests.
Session 2: Mentorship
2025 Guest: Tara Chandler, Assistant Director, MENTOR Institute, Office of Faculty Affairs
The MENTOR Institute's vision is to create a sustainable research institute that offers evidence-based resources and training on mentoring for faculty and students. They offer a wide range of trainings and are changing the way that the University of Arizona approaches mentorship and student support.
Resources from the session
Session 3: Research Development at the Main Library
2025 Guest: Lara Miller Rivera, Assistant Librarian, Strategies Teaching and Research Unit Lead, UA Libraries
The University Libraries offer tons of amazing resources for students, from 3D printing, drop-in GIS hours, study spaces, media digitalization lab, cameras, computers, software, newspaper licenses, tickets to botanical gardens and museum across Arizona-- and of course, the library has thousands and thousands of books, articles, and other types of free media.
Resources from the session
Session 4: Career Panel
We were joined in 2025 by professionals in a variety of science careers from local conservation organizations including the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, GIS specialists at national private companies.
Spring Semester: Science Communication
Session 1: Pitching Your Core Ideas
2026 Guests: Caroline Bartelme, Scientific Storyteller and Communications Manager at the BIO5 Institute, and Kat Kennedy, Sleep Researcher and 2025 BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellow
During this session, Caroline and Kat shared their strategies for communicating science with peers, lay audiences, donors, and more. They discussed why science communication matters and how one can become a better communicator. In the second half of the session, participants enjoyed a fun, interactive workshop that guided them to craft their elevator pitches and gave them an opportunity to practice pitching their ideas in a supportive environment.
Phoebe Meixner, Vanessa Buzzard
