Ph.D. Connections Conference Career Panel: Academic and Higher Education Institutions

Higher education institutions offer a wide range of opportunities for Ph.D.s beyond the tenure track, including roles focused on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, work in the pedagogical space, and positions involved in various aspects of research. Panelists from a variety of disciplines will share their experiences in these types of roles and answer your questions about the ever-evolving possibilities in the higher education sphere.

Panelists

Tazin Daniels is an educational developer, consultant, and coach with over 15 years of experience in higher education and over a decade of experience preparing instructors to teach online. She holds a Ph.D. in medical anthropology which gives her a unique perspective on how to create equitable and engaging teaching-learning spaces in the midst of a global pandemic. Daniels is an associate director at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan, where she consults with graduate students, faculty, and administrators to improve their curriculum and teaching practices across STEM, health sciences, social science, and the humanities. She has published in the areas of inclusive teaching and instructor development in venues like New Directions in Teaching and Learning, and To Improve the Academy. She also runs ThePedagologist.com, a platform to connect with educators and educational developers committed to improving education everywhere.

Ken Sylvester is lead research development officer and administrator for the University of Michigan-Flint. He has spent over six years in this administrative role, supporting externally funded research efforts of faculty, after fifteen years as a federally funded social science researcher at the U-M Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. He has a Ph.D. in Canadian and American history with extensive postdoctoral training in quantitative analysis, geographic information systems, and environmental assessment. He works closely with faculty teams, academic deans, community leaders, program officers at federal agencies, and state and local government officials.

Gisselle Vélez-Ruiz is a cell biologist turned scientific administrator. She leads the STEM Engagement and Inclusion team that develops, implements and evaluates evidence-based programming to increase the number of students (K-12, undergrad) and trainees, including postbacs and postdoctoral fellows, from marginalized backgrounds entering and succeeding in STEMM careers. Gisselle is a first-generation college graduate from Puerto Rico. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan.

Registration is required at https://myumi.ch/NknWW.

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