2025 Ph.D. Connections Conference

Acknowledgements

The University Career Center, Rackham Graduate School, and the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the Medical School would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the conference planning committee members. The names of our committee members are listed below. Finally, the Ph.D. Connections planning committee would like to acknowledge several staff members from the University Career Center and Rackham Graduate School who each made significant contributions to the logistics and communications for this event; their names are also included below.

Ph.D. Connections Committee Chairs

Kirsten Elling, Ph.D.

Assistant Director for Graduate Student Career Advancement, University Career Center

Maggie Gardner, Ph.D.

Senior Program Manager, STEM Professional Development, Rackham Graduate School

Ph.D. Connections Committee Members

Tim Cavnar, Ph.D.

Ph.D. Career Coach, University Career Center

Ioannis Vasileios Chremos, Ph.D.

Program Manager for Career and Professional Development, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Michigan Medical School

Danielle Coleman

Events Coordinator, Rackham Graduate School

Trish Fugate

Administrative Assistant Senior, Rackham Graduate School

Danielle Rosenscruggs

Ph.D. Candidate, Developmental Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Kaylee Steen, Ph.D.

Associate Director of Professional Development and Trainee Support, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Michigan Medical School

Additional Contributors

Kevin Calhoun

Director, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Michigan Medical School

Nate Hill

Social Media and Community Engagement Strategist, University Career Center

Matt Nelson

Director of Communications, Rackham Graduate School

Bryan Pollard

Events Coordinator, Rackham Graduate School

Laura Schram, Ph.D.

Senior Academic Director, Dean’s Office, Rackham Graduate School

Mike Solomon, Ph.D.

Dean and Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs–Graduate Studies, Rackham Graduate School

Joelle Fundaro Randall

Assistant Director, University Career Center

Jameson Staneluis

Creative Lead, Rackham Graduate School

Marc Williams

Senior Web Designer, Rackham Graduate School

Rackham Graduate School

Rackham Graduate School offers opportunities, funding, and resources that prepare students to access the wide range of career opportunities available to them. We want to help you:

• Identify and expand your transferable skills
• Discover the many career options available to you

The University Career Center

The University Career Center (a unit of Student Life) serves Ph.D. students in a variety of ways and offers expertise on how to conduct non-academic job searches. Ph.D. students are encouraged to access individual appointments, programs, and web resources designed to address their career needs.

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) team uses a rigorous and tailored approach in their programs to meet the needs of their graduate, postdoctoral, and postbaccalaureate communities. OGPS programs are intended to empower learners in eight competency areas using a hands-on approach. The eight OGPS competencies include career awareness, skills assessment, knowledge and skill building, communication, learning by engagement, portfolio building, experiential discovery, and job search.