Past Workshops & Events

Grant Writing Workshop with Dr. Betty Lai
Learn how to use grants to gain control over your scholarly career! This workshop covers how to find funding targets, how to develop grant ideas, and the mechanics of fundable grants. All attendees receive access to funded samples and electronic resources. The workshop is geared towards scholars who are new to grant writing—this includes scholars at multiple career stages (e.g., graduate students, postdoctoral scholars). It will focus on universal grant writing skills, and the goal is to help scholars of all disciplines learn to write compelling grants for funders they choose.

PhD Student End-of-Year Pizza
Join the Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs team for a delicious pizza lunch to celebrate the end of another year! This event is exclusively for PhD students, so come and enjoy some well-deserved downtime with your peers. We will have a variety of pizza available, including both classic and adventurous toppings, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. This is a great opportunity to unwind, catch up with friends and colleagues, reflect on the year’s accomplishments, and network with PhD students from other departments.

PhD Pub Night
Join us at Fuller’s Pub for a free round of drinks and snacks and the opportunity to network with your fellow PhDs! We will have some swag to give away and PDPA staff on hand to help you practice your research elevator pitch.

Preparing to Teach This Summer
Are you teaching in the summer term and need guidance on how to fit a semester’s worth of material into six weeks? This workshop will help PhDs prepare for summer teaching by offering strategies to reformat course material to fit in a shorter timeframe and techniques to maximize student engagement. Through interactive activities and peer feedback, participants will leave the workshop with a firm plan for successfully teaching a summer course.

Crafting a Research Statement
A research statement is required for many academic job applications. This document serves as a summary of your current research and accomplishments as well as the future potential for your work. Your research statement is an opportunity for you to share how enthusiastic you are about your work and discuss your ability to receive funding with potential employers. During this one-hour workshop, you will learn about the three goals of successful research statements and receive tips on how to format, organize, and write your research statement.

Crafting a Diversity Statement
This workshop will guide participants through the process of crafting a compelling diversity statement for faculty job applications. Participants will learn about the importance of diversity in academic settings, the various components of a diversity statement, and strategies for effectively communicating personal experiences and perspectives related to equity and inclusion at the university level. Participants will leave the workshop with a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively showcase their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their job application.

Crafting a Teaching Statement
The Teaching Statement is a common requirement for many academic job applications. This document serves as a discussion of your personal teaching philosophy, accomplishments, and potential for future teaching growth. During this one-hour workshop, we will show you how to properly format, organize, and write a teaching statement that effectively communicates your enthusiasm for teaching and potential for growth.

From CV to Resume: Crafting Your Work History
Different job applications require a number of different application documents, which can vary considerably. The curriculum vitae (CV) serves as a detailed academic record and is crucial when submitting academic job applications. In contrast, resumes, typical in non-academic US roles, condense skills and past responsibilities into one to two pages. This workshop offers guidance on crafting tailored CVs and resumes, offering formatting, structure, and writing tips.

Presentation Skills
This workshop will equip participants with strategies to clearly and effectively present their research in a variety of mediums to diverse audiences. Attendees will learn the importance of preparation, understand how to design the arc of a presentation, and gain the skills necessary to easily navigate common pitfalls of academic presentation, such as avoiding jargon and fielding questions.

Identifying & Articulating Transferable Skills
As a doctoral student, your journey extends beyond research and writing. Join our interactive workshop to learn how to articulate key strengths and abilities gained during your academic experience and how these skills translate to various careers. Discover how you can reflect on past work experience to identify transferrable skills and ways to describe existing skills to academic and non-academic audiences.

Making the Most of Your Mentorship
In this workshop, participants will learn about the basics of mentor/mentee training. Through interactive activities, we will discuss the importance of proactively managing your mentoring relationships and explore which of your professional development priorities you can focus on with your mentors.

Project Planning for Dissertations
Writing a dissertation is a long-term project. But putting just a little thought into planning can help you stay on track with your research and writing and ensure that you meet all your deadlines and milestones. This workshop will introduce you to an array of project management tools and approaches to help ease the planning process for those approaching or in the middle of dissertating.

Building a Website With Wix
Join Wix staff to learn more about creating your online portfolio website. This workshop will provide concrete steps on how to plan your website, use the Wix platform, and explore professional design features. Sign up to discover the basics of creating a website with Wix as well as features to take your portfolio to the next level. All attendees will receive a FREE one-year Wix premium plan!

21 Days of Unlearning Racism & Learning Antiracism
Join us this February for our asynchronous 21-day program, Unlearning Racism & Learning Anti-Racism. This initiative aims to equip our community members to thrive in a diverse, inclusive academic environment. Each day, you will immerse yourself in anti-racist literature and multimedia. While this program centers predominantly on combatting Anti-Black racism, the content caters primarily to learners who are white and non-Black people of color. However, as our goal is to provide inclusive learning opportunities for all participants, we will offer valuable resources for Black, Indigenous, and Brown People of Color as well.

Non-Academic Job Search Strategies
Now more than ever, PhDs are pursuing a myriad of opportunities outside of academia. Although finding a non-academic job may not be as structured as most academic searches, there are many resources available to support you in this process. Most importantly, there are tools available to help you to identify fulfilling, intellectually-stimulating career opportunities that are aligned with your skills, interests, and values. This workshop will guide participants through the development of a strategic approach to job hunting and provide information and advice on career opportunities for PhDs in various fields.

We will be hosting two workshops: one for PhDs in the humanities/social sciences and one for PhDs in STEM.

Confronting Writing Challenges
This workshop is designed to introduce you to a number of simple strategies and ways of thinking about writing that can help you overcome writer’s block—the inability to produce written work due to fear, anxiety, confusion, or (most commonly) procrastination. To that purpose, this workshop will look at the reasons people frequently avoid their writing tasks and discuss ways in which establishing patterns and routines can help you get back to writing.

Time Management
It can often feel like procrastination is holding us back from accomplishing the things that are truly important to us. This workshop will help you reflect on how you prioritize your tasks, offer strategies for task management and self-motivation, and demonstrate the importance of self-care and giving yourself breaks. Through it, you will learn techniques to establish priorities and make your work more effective and efficient.

Career Development & Exploration
Considering a career outside of academia? Wondering if there are academic opportunities beyond a traditional faculty role that may fit your interests and skills? Join us for an interactive workshop where we will break down your experiences, skills, and interests, so that you can identify relevant opportunities worth investigating further. You will also learn about a variety of tools and resources that can help you in this career exploration process.

Salary Negotiation & Communication Strategies for Job Offers
Navigating the job market can be daunting, but this workshop will provide you with essential skills to confidently handle job offer negotiations. Discover how to distinguish negotiable aspects from non-negotiable ones, ensuring you make informed decisions about your career path. We offer valuable resources to demystify the negotiation process, empowering you to understand and navigate this critical aspect of securing your future career.

How to Survive Financially During Grad School or a Postdoc
Managing your money as a grad student or postdoc is challenging, but it shouldn’t feel overwhelming. This seminar will teach you not just how to survive, but how to thrive financially on a grad student stipend or postdoc salary. We will look at real-life examples of early-career PhDs finding financial success and discuss a variety of topics, including money mindset, increasing income, decreasing expenses, saving, investing, and debt repayment, all tailored to the constraints and opportunities of the PhD life.

Equitable Grading Practices
Do you dread the pile of blue books that you have to read through for midterms and exams? Do you worry that your grading may be slightly inconsistent? This workshop focuses on how to improve grading practices through the use of rubrics. Whether you’re a seasoned lab leader or a new teaching fellow, rubrics offer an explicit, systematic way to explain your learning objectives to students while shortening your grading time. Participants will be introduced to rubrics used across various disciplines and learn how to identify clear learning objectives for students and graders alike. Finally, this workshop will allow participants to reflect on how they might adopt a rubric in their own current or future classroom setting. Doctoral students of all stages are welcome.

Writing an Individual Development Plan (IDP2)
In this workshop we will use the self assessments completed after “What is an Individual Development Plan” to develop and write a structured individual development plan that aligns with your goals and values. Registrants should complete the assessments on ImaginePhD (Social Sciences/Humanities) or myIDP (STEM) prior to the workshop to get the most out of this time. Together we will work on backwards planning and goal setting to create a roadmap for your success. The workshop will also cover strategies for discussing your plan with a mentor. Register

Tax Webinar (Domestic & International)
Join Robert D. Underwood, CPA, PC for this tax preparation webinar, specifically designed to help graduate students file federal and Massachusetts income taxes. Mr. Underwood is well-versed in the unique challenges facing stipend- and scholarship-supported graduate students, and he will be available after the webinar for any students who have additional questions. There will be two webinars: one for domestic students and one for international students.

Concrete Steps for Writing Abstracts
After the title, the abstract is the first thing people look at to determine whether or not to keep reading—you do this too! A compelling abstract must accurately summarize the content of your work in just a few lines and clearly highlight its significance in a way that’s accessible to as broad of an audience as possible. As a result, writing the abstract is often more challenging than writing the article itself! In this workshop, we will discuss the need for abstracts, the types of abstracts you will most commonly encounter in various fields, and steps to help you create a compelling abstract that truly captures the importance of your work.

What Is an Individual Development Plan? (IDP1)
Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are a customized roadmap for your professional training and goals and will enable you to make the most of your doctoral education. The IDP process will prompt you to reflect on your skills and your career aspirations and help you translate those into specific actions and achieve new skills and professional goals. Join us for an interactive workshop that walks you through self-assessments in skills, values, and interests, and sets you up to develop and write a plan to be shared with your PhD mentor. Participation in this workshop partially satisfies the requirements for the PhD Progression Career Workshops badge.

Strategies for Literature Reviews
Literature reviews are a great way to gain useful background in your discipline, learn more about techniques you’re unfamiliar with, and re-invigorate the direction of your research. They are also an important first step in writing many types of documents, but constructing a literature review requires you to read dozens of scholarly sources in order to discover how they relate to one other, where gaps need to be filled, and where significant contributions can be made! In this workshop, you will first learn what a literature review is and why it’s necessary. You will then develop strategies to locate, read, and manage a wide variety of scholarly sources, so you can strategically take notes, organize your thoughts, and effectively structure a meaningful literature review.

First Day of Teaching
How do you set the tone for the entire semester on the first day? How can you encourage students to participate in group activities? Is it possible to balance being an authority figure while still being a student yourself? This workshop is designed to help you create a positive classroom environment from the first day of the semester. Through it, you will learn about various icebreaker activities, group work that promotes increased participation, and the ways you can display leadership and still connect with students. This workshop is open to all stages of doctoral students from those who lead labs and discussion sections to those running their own courses as instructors of record.

PhD Student End-of-Year Pizza
Join the PDPA team for a delicious pizza lunch as we celebrate the end of another year! This event is exclusively for PhD students, so come and enjoy some well-deserved downtime with your peers. We will have a variety of pizza options available, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Whether you prefer classic toppings or something more adventurous, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. This is a great opportunity to unwind, catch up with friends and colleagues, reflect on the year’s accomplishments, and network with PhD students from other departments.

Preparing for Interviews
Interviews are an essential part of the job application process and doing them well takes practice. But you likely haven’t had a formal interview for several years—you’ve been busy working on your PhD! This workshop will guide you through tested strategies for mastering the interview, from preparation to execution.

Translating Academic Research Into a Start-Up
Through this workshop, you can learn about the steps required to translate your research into a start-up company. Rana Gupta, Director of Faculty Entrepreneurship at BU, will discuss the topic of entrepreneurship as it applies to doctoral students and postdocs. In addition, Dr. Kenn Sebesta, Director of the Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching & Innovation Center (RASTIC), will share his experiences working at start-up companies in the Boston area.

Using ChatGPT as a Writing Tool
This workshop is designed to help PhD students use ChatGPT, an AI-based writing assistance tool, in a responsible and effective manner. Participants will learn about the potential benefits and limitations of using AI writing tools, as well as ethical considerations related to plagiarism and intellectual property. The workshop will also provide hands-on practice with using ChatGPT, including techniques for effectively integrating the tool into the writing process, refining output, and properly citing any generated text. Through interactive exercises and group discussion, participants will gain a better understanding of how to leverage AI writing tools while maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the quality of their writing.

Incorporating Feedback Into Your Writing
We receive feedback quite often, either implicitly (a change in the gestures or tone of the speaker) or explicitly through written or verbal communication. Feedback can be a powerful tool in professional and educational settings, but in order to be effective, it must be well-delivered, well-received, and translated into actionable steps. This workshop will guide you through the process of understanding, managing and incorporating feedback efficiently, focusing specifically on the integration of feedback in writing.

PhD Student Pub Night
Join us at Fuller’s Pub for a free round of drinks and snacks and the opportunity to network with your fellow PhDs! We will have some SWAG to give away as well as PDPA staff available to work with you to practice your research elevator pitch.

Professional Communications: The Basics of Email for Work
Writing email is more complicated than it appears, and often causes miscommunication. To write effective emails, writers need to consider the target audience and purpose of the email, among other aspects. Just as we work to develop our skills as academic writers, honing the skill of crafting professional emails is an important aspect of career development during graduate school. This virtual workshop covers email language issues such as tone, subject lines, appropriate salutations and closings, and other issues such as the responsible use of the medium. We will address high-stakes messages such as requests for Letters of Recommendation and networking outreach, as well as lower-stakes communication including conversations with peers and students.

5 Days of Unlearning Racism & Learning Anti-Racism
Join us for a dynamic 5-day program, Unlearning Racism and Learning Anti-Racism, this November. This initiative aims to equip our community members for thriving in a diverse, inclusive academic environment.Each day, you’ll immerse yourself in anti-racist literature and multimedia. While the focus predominantly centers on combatting Anti-Black racism, the content caters to white and NBPOC learners, with valuable resources for Black Indigenous and Brown People of Color. Our goal is to provide inclusive learning opportunities for all participants.

We’ve condensed this program into five intensive days (instead of 21) to provide a focused and impactful learning experience. This new format allows for concentrated engagement with key anti-racist concepts and resources, ensuring participants absorb and internalize the material effectively. By streamlining the program, we aim to accommodate busy schedules while maintaining the program’s effectiveness in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our community.

Requesting & Composing Recommendation Letters
During your PhD, you will encounter situations where you are either requesting recommendation letters from potential recommenders or being approached by your own students, colleagues, and others seeking your recommendation. This virtual workshop serves a dual purpose: it offers guidance on the proper way to request recommendation letters for PhD students/candidates and also provides them with information on how to craft effective recommendation letters when they are asked to provide them. Additionally, this workshop will clarify the distinctions between a list of references, a recommendation letter, a reference letter, and a letter of support. Join us to learn more about how to request and compose an effective letter of recommendation!

Job Documents Feedback Sessions
These sessions provide an opportunity for PhD students to get feedback on their job application documents. Bring any and all documents for review and guidance. We recommend consulting the PhD Progression Level 2 Career Development Pathway badges focused on job documents like a CV, Resume, Cover Letter, Teaching and Diversity Statements, prior to joining the feedback session.

Crafting Your Elevator Pitch
Refine your communication skills and captivate your audience with our dynamic workshop on crafting an engaging elevator pitch. This session will equip you with the tools and techniques to concisely and effectively convey the essence of your research in a compelling manner. Learn how to distill complex ideas into clear and concise messages, captivate attention, and leave a lasting impression. Additionally, this workshop will also serve as valuable preparation for those interested in participating in the upcoming Three Minute Thesis competition.

Equitable Grading Practices
Do you dread the pile of blue books that you have to read through for midterms and exams? Do you know how to grade, but would like to find a way to better explain to your students why they received the grades they did? Do you worry that your grading may be slightly inconsistent over a few days or across the semester? This workshop focuses on how to improve grading practices through the use of rubrics. Whether you are a seasoned lab leader or brand new teaching fellow, rubrics can offer an explicit, systematic way of explaining your learning objectives to students while shortening your grading time. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to rubrics used across different disciplines. Then, participants will identify how learning objectives are clearly defined for students and graders alike. Finally, this workshop will also allow participants to reflect on how they might adopt a rubric in their own current or future classroom setting. Doctoral students of all stages are welcome.

Career Exploration
Considering a career outside of academia? Wondering if there are academic roles beyond a traditional faculty role that may fit your interests and skills? Join us for an interactive workshop where we will breakdown your experiences, skills, and interests, to help you discover relevant opportunities to investigate further. You will also learn about a variety of tools and resources that can help you in this career exploration process.

What Is an Individual Development Plan?
Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are a customized roadmap for your professional training and goals and will enable you to make the most of your doctoral education. The IDP process will prompt you to reflect on your skills and your career aspirations and help you translate those into specific actions and achieve new skills and professional goals. Join us for an interactive workshop that walks you through self-assessments in skills, values, and interests, and sets you up to develop and write a plan to be shared with your PhD mentor. Participation in this workshop partially satisfies the requirements for the PhD Progression Career Workshops badge.

Three-Minute Thesis Information Session
Curious about the upcoming Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition? Join us for an information session where we will provide all the details you need to know about this exciting event taking place on October 31. Discover how the 3MT competition challenges PhD students to effectively communicate their research in just three minutes. Learn about the high value prizes, rules, judging criteria, and valuable tips on crafting a compelling presentation. Whether you’re considering participating or simply interested in learning more, this session will equip you with the knowledge and inspiration to take part in this prestigious competition.

PhD Virtual Orientation
Our virtual orientation aims to acquaint you with the multitude of resources and support offered by the PDPA and other offices at BU, as well as equip you with effective strategies for managing your time, building productive relationships with advisors, and setting meaningful goals for your PhD program. During this session, we will introduce you to the Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs Office and its mission to support your personal and professional growth. You will learn about the range of services and programs we provide, including workshops, seminars, networking events, and one-on-one consultations to address your unique needs as a PhD student. We will also discuss strategies for time management, navigating mentor-mentee relationships, and other tools provided by our office and others.

Writing an Individual Development Plan (IDP2)
In this workshop we will use the self assessments completed after “What is an Individual Development Plan” to develop and write a structured individual development that aligns with your goals and values. Registrants should complete the assessments on ImaginePhD (Social Sciences/Humanities) or myIDP (STEM) prior to the workshop to get the most out of the time. Together we will work on backwards planning and goal setting to create a roadmap for your success. The workshop will also cover strategies for discussing the plan with a mentor.

Job Application Process
Join us for an informative workshop designed exclusively for PhD students, where we will demystify the job application process for both academic/faculty positions and non-academic roles. This interactive session will provide you with invaluable insights and practical strategies to navigate the intricacies of applying for jobs in diverse sectors. Learn about crafting compelling application materials, tailoring your CV to specific job requirements, acing interviews, and showcasing transferable skills for non-academic career paths. Whether you’re aiming for an academic position or exploring alternative career options, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and tools to confidently pursue your desired career path.

Dissertation Writing Group
The Dissertation Writing Group (DWG) will meet weekly in June and July this summer to provide PhD students/candidates with a weekly three hour session devoted to setting achievable writing goals and sharing them with a small group of peers. This time is devoted to writing, and at the end of each session, writers share progress made, writing challenges, and victories while setting concrete goals for the coming week. The DWG is facilitated by a professional staff member who will introduce guided reflections and share effective strategies you can build into your writing routine.

Wellness and Self-Care Sessions for Postdocs
Postdoctoral Affairs and Faculty and Staff Assistance Office are collaborating to pilot a workshop series on wellness and self-care. The topics will range from learning about why and how to cultivate wellness to learning about Emotional intelligence, Imposter syndrome, Burn out, Presentation anxiety, Resilience & grit. The series will be created and co-presented by Pallavi Eswara, Director, Postdoctoral Affairs and Dr. Violet Li, FSAO.

PhD Pub Night
Join PDPA at the Pub for a free round of drinks and snacks and the opportunity to network with your fellow PhDs. We will have some SWAG to giveaway as well as PDPA staff available to work with you to practice your research elevator pitch.

Landscape of Higher Education Institutions in the US
Understand Carnegie classification; learn what primarily undergrad institutions and research institutions are looking for in their faculty. Learn what it takes to align your CV and to prepare for a teaching faculty position, faculty in a PUI, or as a tenure track faculty in a high-very high research activity institutions. Applicable to postdocs from all disciplines.

Emotional Intelligence
EQ or emotional intelligence, the ability to regulate one’s emotions and also understand the emotions of others around you, has evolved into one of the strongest predictors of performance. In this webinar, you will learn about emotional intelligence, how you can use it to communicate effectively, empathize with those you interact, and become a more self-aware and socially aware individual. We will also discuss how EQ plays a role in workplace, we will explore ways to strengthen your EQ, and learn the four core competencies of emotional intelligence.

Careers Outside Academia
Panelists will talk about their current positions, their journey so far to their current position, how to enter and succeed in their area of work, and advice on how postdocs could prepare for careers outside academia or alt-ac careers.

Postdoc Academy Webinars
In this Postdoc Academy Webinar, postdocs will learn about how they can go from postdoc to launching a faculty career. They will learn more about career preparation, the application, interview, and negotiation processes, and about life in the first few years as a faculty member.

21 Days of Unlearning Racism and Learning Antiracism
To support a continued commitment to the work of becoming anti-racist allies and advocates, and to holding ourselves and each other accountable for engaging in this work going forward, we invite you to join Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs at BU for the 21-days of Unlearning Racism and Learning Anti-Racism. This program, unlike our February 21 Days, is inclusive of multiple racial identities and has a focus on learning about systemic racism in education specifically.

Dissertation Writing Institute
A special program for new dissertation writers, this four-day in-person intensive program will equip you with essential keys to succeed in the dissertation stage and beyond! Each day, you will attend skill building, professional development workshops facilitated by staff from Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs. Workshop topics will include planning for the semester and writing, and goal setting for writing. Each day will consist of morning workshops followed by structured time to implement the new strategies you’ve learned and receive peer feedback.

Dissertation Writing Intensive
Are you hoping to complete a meaningful chunk of dissertation writing before the summer months? Our four-day Dissertation Writing Retreat provides focused writing time and a community of like-minded peers. The program provides a high level of structure and accountability, and participants should expect to write four hours every day. During the program, participants benefit from one-on-one consultations with ERC Writing Fellows.

PDPA Open House
Participants will get an overview of PDPA’s upcoming programming and events, as well as hear lightning talks by our talented postdoctoral scholars. One of the unique aspects of our PDPA office is that we are not only practitioners, but also researchers actively generating grant funding and producing peer-reviewed scholarship. Lunch will be served at the reception following the program.

PhD Student End of Year Pizza Celebration
Join us for a delicious pizza lunch as we celebrate the end of another academic year! This event is exclusively for PhD students, so come and enjoy some well-deserved downtime with your peers. We will have a variety of pizza options available, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Whether you prefer classic toppings or something more adventurous, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. This is a great opportunity to unwind, catch up with friends and colleagues, and reflect on the year’s accomplishments. It’s also a chance to meet and network with other PhD students from different departments and fields.

Creating and Curating Your Online Presence
In this webinar, presented by Pallavi, director of postdoc affairs, postdocs will learn about creating a personal website through and establishing their LinkedIn profile. This is an interactive webinar if you want it to be, so have your CV, resume, and LinkedIn profile available.

Crafting a Targeted Resume
In this webinar, presented by Pallavi Eswara, director of postdoc affairs, postdocs will learn about how to take their academic CV and translate it into an active resume. This webinar will be interactive and provide opportunities to build and refine your resume.

How to Write an Outstanding Book Proposal with Laura Portwood Stacer, PhD
In this presentation, Dr. Stacer, author of The Book Proposal Book, will cover how to effectively pitch a revised dissertation project for scholarly publishers. We will discuss what scholarly presses mean when they say that they don’t publish dissertations and how to ensure that your submission materials address the major concerns publishers have when considering revised dissertations. We will also address the common advice to “write your dissertation as a book” and when you should start approaching publishers about your project.

How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation with Laura Portwood Stacer, PhD
This presentation for early career researchers and their mentors will cover how to effectively pitch a revised dissertation project for scholarly publishers. We will discuss what scholarly presses mean when they say that they don’t publish dissertations and how to ensure that your submission materials address the major concerns publishers have when considering revised dissertations. We will also address the common advice to “write your dissertation as a book” and when you should start approaching publishers about your project.

Using ChatGPT as a Writing Tool
This workshop is designed to help PhD students use ChatGPT, an AI-based writing assistance tool, in a responsible and effective manner. Participants will learn about the potential benefits and limitations of using AI writing tools, as well as ethical considerations related to plagiarism and intellectual property. The workshop will also provide hands-on practice with using ChatGPT, including techniques for effectively integrating the tool into the writing process, refining output, and properly citing any generated text. Through interactive exercises and group discussion, participants will gain a better understanding of how to leverage AI writing tools while maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the quality of their writing.

Make the Most of the Summer Months: Productivity and Goal Setting Workshop
Are you a PhD student looking to make the most out of your summer? Join us for a workshop that will provide you with effective strategies to stay productive and engaged during the summer months. During this interactive workshop, we will discuss active learning strategies that will help you achieve your academic and personal goals. We will explore a range of techniques, including time management, goal-setting, and effective communication, to help you create a plan that works for you. Our experienced facilitators will share tips on how to maintain your focus and motivation, even when facing distractions and competing demands. We will also discuss the importance of self-care and how to integrate it into your daily routine. You will leave this workshop with a personalized plan for the summer that will help you stay on track and achieve your goals. Whether you are working on your dissertation, preparing for qualifying exams, or pursuing other academic or personal projects, this workshop will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to make the most out of your summer.

Preparing to Teach this Summer
Are you teaching in the summer term? Need some guidance on how to fit a semester’s worth of material into six weeks? This workshop will help PhD students prepare for summer teaching Participants will learn strategies for designing and organizing their course material to fit within the shorter timeframe, as well as techniques for maximizing student engagement and learning in a compressed schedule. The workshop will also cover strategies for effective communication with students, managing workload and pacing, and handling unexpected challenges that may arise in a condensed course format. Through interactive activities and peer feedback, participants will leave the workshop with a solid plan for successfully teaching a summer course.

Job Documents Feedback Session
This peer-review session will provide participants with the opportunity to work with peers in their discipline to review each others’ job documents including CVs, Resumes, Teaching and Diversity Statements. PDPA staff members will facilitate and will be available to provide additional guidance and answer questions.

Diversity Statement
This workshop will guide participants through the process of crafting a compelling diversity statement for a faculty job application. Participants will learn about the importance of diversity in academic settings, the different components of a diversity statement, and strategies for effectively communicating their experiences and perspectives related to diversity. Through interactive exercises participants will leave the workshop with a solid understanding of how to effectively showcase their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their job application.

Imposter Syndrome Workshop
If you have ever felt like an intellectual fraud, you are not alone! Many accomplished people have felt like an impostor at some point. In this interactive workshop, students will learn about the causes of impostor syndrome and the five types of impostor syndrome. Participants will learn a variety of techniques they can personalize to lessen the impact of impostor syndrome and gain greater confidence in their academic and professional life. This workshop is only offered in-person.

Teaching Statement
The Teaching Statement is a description of your teaching philosophy, accomplishments, and a discussion of potential of your teaching for the future. It is a common part of academic job applications that allows you to share how enthusiastic you are about your teaching and how you envision your growth as an educator. During this one hour workshop, you will learn about the main purpose and contents of a teaching philosophy statement, and will get tips about how to format, organize, write and revise your teaching statements.

Time Management
At times, it might feel like procrastination keeps you from truly accomplishing what’s most important to you. This workshop will help you reflect on how you prioritize, learn task-management and motivation strategies, and understand the importance of self-care and allowing yourself breaks. You will learn techniques for setting goals and priorities and approaches for working more efficiently and effectively.

Writing a CV
A Curriculum Vitae or CV is a comprehensive scholarly record, which includes your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, publication record, and more. It is a vital document for applying to academic and academic-adjacent positions during and after your PhD. We recommend having a comprehensive CV that lists all of your experience, which you can shorten for specific opportunities as needed. In this workshop we will explain the conventions of a CV as well as how to convert a CV to a resume.

Increasing Your Intelligibility: Pronunciation Tips for Clearer Communication for International Graduate Students
What does research say are the keys to understanding others and being understood? How can you maximize your preparation for important presentations or other high-stakes situations? Join us for an in-person workshop to learn strategies for efficiently improving your pronunciation based on your particular needs and insights from theory and research on multilingual communication.

Writing a Resume
Resumes are one to two page summaries of your professional experience, education and skills. A resume is used in the United States for most non-academic positions. Rather than a list of accomplishments, resumes should detail what skills and responsibilities you built through your various experiences. Resumes should be tailored to the position that you are applying for. Therefore, as with CVs, we recommend having a comprehensive resume that lists all of your relevant experience dating back to your undergraduate career. In this workshop, we will cover the conventions of a resume as well as how to convert a CV to a resume.

Setting Boundaries
Setting boundaries and communicating your needs is essential for your well-being, maintaining healthy relationships, and cultivating a work/life balance that really works for you. In this workshop, we will explore what boundaries are and the benefits of setting boundaries with yourself, others, and work. We will also provide you with resources and prompts to guide you in setting goals to put in place or improve your boundaries.

Job Simulation Workshop
Job simulations provide the opportunity test out and reflect upon potential careers of interest. Completing a job simulation exercise will help you determine whether or not to further pursue the career field before committing energy and time to an internship or additional training. Simulations are meant to give you an idea of the types of work you might do in a given career but are not meant to replace an internship or externship experience or a formal course. In this workshop we will introduce you to various job simulation platforms and learn how to engage in experiential learning as part of your career exploration and preparation.

Making the Most of Your Mentorship
In this workshop participants will learn about the basics around the science of mentorship and mentor/mentee training. Through interactive activities we will discuss the importance of proactively managing your mentoring relationships and explore which of your professional development priorities you can work on with your mentors.

Narratives and Experiences from the Field: Contesting Power and Oppression in Community-Based Participatory Research Collaborations
Drawing from relevant community-based participatory research research (CBPR), literature, and experiences from the field, this workshop will introduce key historical moments, theoretical frameworks, and applications of CBPR. Using multimedia, experiential learning, and critical self-reflexive approaches, this hybrid workshop will engage graduate students, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders in a collective community of learning to gain critical consciousness of power configurations, ethical commitments, and specific strategies to redefine and promote equity and justice within transdisciplinary community-based research collaborations.

Deconstructing a Job Description
What are the most important components of a job description? How do you know if your profile and your background are a good fit for the job? How do you know if this job and the company/institution advertising the job will be good fits for you as well? In this one-hour workshop, we will answer these questions and give you tips to subsequently tailor your application documents to the job description and successfully communicate your value add to your employers and future colleagues. Please come with one or more postings of interest to you.

Maximizing Your LinkedIn
In this workshop, we will cover what makes a good LinkedIn profile and how to write a summary. We will also discuss the type of information you should add to your profile to make it more robust. This workshop is aimed for those who have basic knowledge of LinkedIn or those who want to strengthen their profile. Learn how to research employers and companies so that you can build your network. Discover how to use the job search tool and learn how to further your professional development by connecting with alumni and joining groups on LinkedIn. By the end of the workshop, you will learn how to craft a message to a prospective connection.

Navigating Networking
You know that you should be “networking,” but what does that mean? And how can you navigate networking when conferences, lectures, and other events are virtual? During this interactive workshop, attendees will learn the basics of networking, identify the who and what of their own networks, and develop strategies for how to turn “small talk” into more meaningful conversations. Participants will come away from this workshop with the tools to navigate networking and with a better understanding of how to make the most of the networking process.

Non-Academic Job Search Strategies: Social Science and Humanities
Now, perhaps more than ever, PhDs are pursuing a myriad of opportunities outside the academy. Although finding a non-academic job may not be as structured as most academic searches, there are many resources available to support you in this process. Most importantly, there are tools available to help you to identify fulfilling, intellectually challenging career opportunities that are aligned with your skills, interests, and values. This workshop will guide participants through developing a strategic approach to job searching, as well as providing information, tips, and advice on career opportunities for PhDs in Humanities and Social Science fields.

Non-Academic Job Search Strategies: STEM
Now, perhaps more than ever, PhDs are pursuing a myriad of opportunities outside the academy. Although finding a non-academic job may not be as structured as most academic searches, there are many resources available to support you in this process. Most importantly, there are tools available to help you to identify fulfilling, intellectually challenging career opportunities that are aligned with your skills, interests, and values. This workshop will guide participants through developing a strategic approach to job searching, as well as providing information, tips, and advice on career opportunities for PhDs in STEM fields.

Informational Interviews
Informational interviews describe the process of gathering career information from people who are already working in occupations, organizations, or geographic locations you are interested in. Conducting these types of conversations can help you to develop confidence and knowledge in exploring career paths, and to make potentially valuable contacts for the future. This workshop will provide participants with strategies for getting started on identifying who to interview and what to ask.

Tax Workshop for Domestic and International Students
Join Robert D. Underwood, CPA, PC, for Tax Preparation webinars for graduate students focused on filing federal and Massachusetts income taxes – one webinar for domestic students and a second webinar for international students. Mr. Underwood is well versed in the unique challenges facing stipend- and scholarship-supported graduate students and he will be available after the webinars via email for any students who have questions.

Career Exploration
Considering a career outside of academia? Wondering if there are academic roles beyond a traditional faculty role that may fit your interests and skills? Join us for an interactive workshop where we will breakdown your experiences, skills, and interests, to help you discover relevant opportunities to investigate further. You will also learn about a variety of tools and resources that can help you in this career exploration process.

Fast & Furious & Fair: Accurate, Equitable, and Nimble Grading
Do you dread the pile of blue books that you have to read through for midterms and exams? Do you know how to grade, but would like to find a way to better explain to your students why they received the grades they did? Do you worry that your grading may be slightly inconsistent over a few days or across the semester? This workshop focuses on how to improve grading practices through the use of rubrics. Whether you are a seasoned lab leader or brand new teaching fellow, rubrics can offer an explicit, systematic way of explaining your learning objectives to students while shortening your grading time. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to rubrics used across different disciplines. Then, participants will identify how learning objectives are clearly defined for students and graders alike. Finally, this workshop will also allow participants to reflect on how they might adopt a rubric in their own current or future classroom setting. Doctoral students of all stages are welcome.

Professional Outreach: Emails and more
Writing email is more complicated than it appears, and often causes miscommunication. To write effective emails, writers need to consider the target audience and purpose of the email, among other aspects. Just as we work to develop our skills as academic writers, honing the skill of crafting professional emails is an important aspect of career development during graduate school. This workshop covers email language issues such as tone, subject lines, appropriate salutations and closings, and other issues such as the responsible use of the medium. We will address high-stakes messages such as requests for Letters of Recommendation and networking outreach, as well as lower-stakes communication including conversations with peers and students.

Help! What do I do on my First Day of Teaching?
How do you set the tone for the entire semester on the first day? Should you go through the whole syllabus? What are ways to encourage students to participate? How do you balance being an authority figure while still being a student yourself? This workshop is designed to help you create a positive classroom environment on the first day. You will learn about various types of icebreaker activities appropriate for different class sizes, types of group work that promote increased participation, and ways to balance leadership while also humanizing yourself to students. You will also take time to identify which techniques are most applicable to your particular class environment. This workshop is open to all stages of doctoral students from those who lead labs and discussion sections to those running their own courses as instructors of record.

What is an Individual Development Plan? (IDP1)
Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are a customized roadmap for your professional training and goals and will enable you to make the most of your doctoral education. The IDP process will prompt you to reflect on your skills and your career aspirations and help you translate those into specific actions and achieve new skills and professional goals. Join us for an interactive workshop that walks you through self-assessments in skills, values, and interests, and sets you up to develop and write a plan to be shared with your PhD mentor. Participation in this workshop partially satisfies the requirements for the PhD Progression Career Workshops badge.

Structuring and Delivering Presentations with Jean-luc Doumont
Strong presentation skills are a key to success for researchers and other professionals alike, yet many speakers are at a loss to tackle the task. Systematic as they usually are in their work, they go at it intuitively or haphazardly, with much good will but seldom with an effective outcome. This interactive workshop offered by Jean-luc Doumont, proposes a systematic way to structure and deliver a research talk: what (not) to include and in what order, and how to engage the audience with words, voice, and body language while managing stage fright. The workshop will be held in person in the Kenmore Room (1 Silber Way, 9th Floor). Light breakfast and snacks will be provided.

Writing an Individual Development Plan (IDP2)
In this workshop we will use the self assessments completed after “What is an Individual Development Plan” to develop and write a structured individual development that aligns with your goals and values. Registrants should complete the assessments on ImaginePhD (Social Sciences/Humanities) or myIDP (STEM) prior to the workshop to get the most out of the time. Together we will work on backwards planning and goal setting to create a roadmap for your success. The workshop will also cover strategies for discussing the plan with a mentor.

Managing Your Academic Identity Online
Google yourself. Like what you see? Or, would you like to work on building your online presence as an academic? This workshop will provide participants with the resources and strategies to think about how to build and manage their academic brand online, based on individual career goals. Topics covered: LinkedIn, Twitter, Personal Websites, and more.

From Academia to UX Research: Applying a Humanities Ph.D. Beyond the Classroom
User experience (UX) research has become a popular career option in recent years, especially for PhDs in the humanities and social sciences. But what does a job in UX look like? What skills and experience are most highly valued, and how can you break in? Join this career chat with Simon Wolfe Taylor. Simon received his PhD in History from Columbia University and has since worked for companies including ReD Associates, Meta, and Twitter. He is currently Staff UX Researcher at YouTube.

Mock Interviews
Use the strategies introduced in the “Mastering the Interview” workshop for a mock interview with a PDPA staff member. Whether or not you have an interview coming up, practicing your STAR method answers will better prepare you to excel at interviews in the future.

Mastering the Interview
Interviews are an essential part of the job application process and doing them well takes practice. But you likely haven’t had a formal interview for several years – you’ve been busy working on your PhD! This workshop will guide you through tested strategies for mastering the interview, from preparation to execution.

Confronting Writing Challenges
This workshop is designed to introduce you to a number of simple strategies and ways of thinking about writing that can help you to overcome what is commonly called “writer’s block”: the inability to produce written work due to fear, anxiety, confusion, or simple procrastination. To that purpose, the workshop will examine what reasons people tend to have to not writing, and discuss the ways in which writing patterns and routines can be established to help writers write.

Project Planning for Dissertations
Writing a dissertation is a long term project. Putting some thought into planning out the project ahead of time can help writers stay on track with research and writing, as well as meeting deadlines and milestones. This workshop will introduce participants to an array of project management tools and approaches to help the dissertation planning process for those approaching or in the middle of dissertating.

Identifying & Articulating Transferable Skills
As a doctoral student you are building skills and experiences beyond simply research and writing – through volunteering, leadership roles, internships, and more. In this interactive workshops participants will learn how to articulate key strengths and abilities gained during the academic experience, and how these skills translate to future roles in a variety of careers. Participants will learn how to reflect on past work experience to identify essential transferrable skills, and how to describe existing skills for audiences within and beyond academia.

Creating a Data Management Plan
Ever went back to an old folder of yours or a colleague, and started wondering what each file contained, how some results were obtained, or what some file or variable names meant? If yes, you know how frustrating that can be. During this one hour workshop, JD Kotula from BU Libraries will provide you with tips to create a Data Management Plan (DMP). This will be relevant for people willing to better manage their data as they conduct their research, people who need to submit a DMP along with a grant application, and people who are about to close a project and need to document, organize and store their data appropriately. In addition, Charles Jahnke from BU IS&T will tell you more about what BU has to offer in terms of data storage and research computing, so you have all the information needed to construct your data management plan.

Crafting a Research Statement
The Research Statement is a summary of your research accomplishments, current work, and future direction and potential of your work. It is a common part of academic job applications that allows you to share how enthusiastic you are about your research and what you have accomplished, as well as your ability to get fundings and to start a research program at the institution you are applying to. During this one hour workshop, you will learn about the three goals that successful research statements achieve, and will get tips about how to format, organize, write and revise your research statements.

Individual Development Plan Workshop Series
In this two part series participants will learn “What Is an Individual Development Plan” and will then work on writing their own individual development plans based on self assessments of their interests, skills, and values. These workshops will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on your goals for the semester and beyond, and give you the tools to create a plan to discuss with your mentors.

Writing an Effective Teaching Philosophy Statement
The Teaching Philosophy Statement (or TPS) is a statement of your approaches and philosophy regarding teaching and learning. It should include specific examples to illustrate your approaches from your past teaching experience, or propose specific ideas for how you would teach future courses. It is also a space for you to highlight which courses you are qualified to teach and/or develop at the institution you are willing to join. During this one-hour workshop, you will learn about how to construct, format, write and revise your teaching statements.

Time Management 
At times, it might feel like procrastination keeps you from truly accomplishing what’s most important to you. This workshop will help you reflect on how you prioritize, learn task-management and motivation strategies, and understand the importance of self-care and allowing yourself breaks. You will learn techniques for setting goals and priorities and approaches for working more efficiently and effectively.

Deconstructing a Job Description
What are the most important components of a job description? How do you know if your profile and your background are a good fit for the job? How do you know if this job and the company/institution advertising the job will be good fits for you as well? In this one-hour workshop, we will answer these questions and give you tips to subsequently tailor your application documents to the job description and successfully communicate your value add to your employers and future colleagues. Please come with one or more postings of interest to you.

Creating a Portfolio with Wix
Join Wix staff to learn more about creating your online portfolio website. We’ll cover how to plan a website, how to use the Wix platform, and explore professional design features. Sign-up to discover the basics in creating a Wix website as well as features to take your portfolio to the next level. And… a one-year FREE Wix premium plan to all attendees!

Basics of Grant Applications
Have you ever wished to apply for a grant or a fellowship but do not know where to start? Do you struggle identifying funding opportunities that are relevant for your field or your current career stage? In this workshop, we will first go over the benefits of grant writing while in graduate school. We will then provide you with tips and resources to identify grants and fellowships that could help your progress in your PhD and your career, and guidelines to create a funding plan. We will end the session by providing you with tips to write a proposal to apply for a funding opportunity.

What is a Postdoc? Panel Discussion
Considering applying for a postdoctoral position after your PhD? This virtual panel session will address participants’ questions about postdoc applications, preparation for a postdoc position, and advice for how to be successful as a postdoc. Three current BU postdocs from a variety of fields will share their experiences and answer your questions.

From the CV to the Resume
Different job applications and different traditions require that you prepare and submit drastically different application documents. Thus, the Curriculum Vitae or CV is a comprehensive scholarly record, which includes your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, publication record, and more. It is a vital document for applying to academic and academic-adjacent positions during and after your PhD. On the other end of the spectrum, resumes are used in the United States for most non-academic positions. They are one to two page summaries of the skills and responsibilities that you have acquired or held previously, and that can allow you to be successful at the job you are applying for. In this workshop, we will provide key definitions, as well as formatting, structure, and writing tips for you to create and tailor CVs and resumes to the positions you are interested in applying for.

Cover Letters: Who, What and Why You
One of the most difficult pieces of the job application to write is a cover letter. It needs to describe to your future employer who you are, what you can do, and why they should be interested in you. In this workshop, we will discuss the core components and structure of a cover letter and provide recommendations for tailoring letters for different types of positions.

Concrete Steps for Writing Abstracts
After the title, the abstract is the first thing people read to determine whether or not to read an article, review, dissertation, book chapter,… further. You probably do this quite often too! However, writing a compelling abstract that accurately describes a study in a few lines while being accessible to as broad of an audience as possible and clearly highlighting its contributions is a different story. In this workshop, we will go over why we need abstracts, the different types of abstracts that are currently used, and how to create a compelling abstract. We will also provide examples of abstracts that have been written to present studies from various fields.

Strategies for Literature Reviews
Literature reviews can be a great way to: 1) gain useful background in your discipline; 2) learn more about techniques you hadn’t thought of; 3) re-invigorate the direction of your research through learning new ideas. They are an important component of many documents (articles, dissertations, grants), as they examine the work of other scholars to describe the current state of knowledge of a field. Writing a literature review requires extensively and critically reading dozens of scholarly sources and finding how they relate with each other, what points or theories are confirmed in some sources, where contradictions lie, and where gaps need to be filled (and, consequently, where significant contributions can be made!). In this workshop, we will first define what literature reviews are and why they are needed. We will then present tools and strategies to search for, manage and read various scholarly sources strategically, take notes and organize your thoughts, and structure and write a wonderful literature review!

Conference Papers Workshop
Conferences offer an excellent opportunity to share work, get feedback and build connections in your field – but the particular art of writing and delivering a conference paper can be opaque, intimidating or just plain challenging. This workshop will discuss best strategies for preparing a paper to present at an academic conference, including tips to clearly explain your research, tricks to keep your audience engaged and even tools for handling the ever-daunting Q&A portion. Whether you have an upcoming conference on your mind or just want to develop your skills, this workshop will help you hone your capacity to share your ideas in an engaging and easy-to-understand way.

Integrating Feedback in Writing
We receive feedback quite often, either implicitly – a change in the gestures, look or tone of our interlocutor – or explicitly, through written or oral language. Getting feedback is receiving information (“feed”) about something that we have done or made, with the intent or hope that by sharing observations about that specific output “back” to the person who made or produced it, the output can be improved. Feedback loops are quite common in biological or electrical systems, and are key to their auto-regulation. Feedback can also have a powerful impact in professional settings (keep projects on track, improve processes and behaviors, etc.), but to be efficient, it requires to be well-delivered and well-received and incorporated, i.e., understood and translated into actionable steps. The goals of this workshop are to guide you through understanding, managing and incorporating feedback efficiently. We will focus specifically on integrating feedback in writing.

Dissertation Prospectus/Research Proposal
Dissertation prospectuses and research proposals are very similar, in the sense that they both allow you to share your research question, demonstrate how important it is, how you are planning on answering it, and what will the impact of your research be. In this workshop, we will provide tips and strategies to help you: – keep your audience and the requirements of your department or grant review committee in mind, – organize your thoughts and create an outline for your document, – present your literature review, research idea and plans properly.

Elevator Pitch event with Linda Plano
“Tell me about yourself!” “So, what do you do?” “Why should we hire you?””What is your research about?” An elevator pitch can help you answer each of these questions, and help you initiate a conversation with someone, whether at a cocktail party, during a job interview, in the middle of a Thanksgiving dinner, or in an elevator. With Linda Plano, PhD and International Strategic Communications Consultant, join us (location on the Charles River Campus TBA) to learn how to: 1. Clarify your goals and audience 2. Leverage Dr Plano’s “Perfect Pitch” process 3. Execute for your specific situation (you will practice in pairs with other participants)

EAL (English as an Additional Language) PhD Student Brown Bag Lunch
Writing a PhD dissertation is a daunting task for everyone, and having to write it in a language that is not your native or first language can make it seem even more challenging. EAL (English as an Additional Language) writers often worry about their writing not being “academic enough”, or can be unsure of their ability to choose the right words or know and apply grammatical rules properly. Yet, EAL PhD students perform as well as native English speakers when it comes to writing and submitting a well-written PhD dissertation on time, and even complete their PhD faster! Join us 12:30pm and 2pm for a Brown Bag lunch (location on the Charles River Campus TBA) to: share your experience, talk about the specific challenges you face in graduate school, and discuss strategies that you can put in place to become more at ease with writing in English, plan dissertation writing, and seek relevant resources and help.

What is an Individual Development Plan?
Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are a customized roadmap for your professional training and goals and will enable you to make the most of your doctoral education. The IDP process will prompt you to reflect on your skills and your career aspirations and help you translate those into specific actions and achieve new skills and professional goals. Join us for an interactive workshop that walks you through self-assessments in skills, values, and interests, and sets you up to develop and write a plan to be shared with your PhD mentor. Participation in this workshop partially satisfies the requirements for the PhD Progression Career Workshops badge.

Making the Most of Your Mentorships
In this workshop participants will learn about the basics around mentorship and building strong relationships with your mentors. Through interactive activities we will discuss the importance of proactively managing your mentoring relationships and explore which of your professional development priorities you can work on with your mentors.

Career Planning & Exploration
Identifying the job that is right for you—whether in academe, industry or beyond—takes work, and competing successfully for that job warrants a new approach to career planning. Each doctoral student develops different characteristics, skills and talents during the course of their training. This interactive workshop guides participants through the initial steps of identifying their particular skills, interests, and values for a future career and introduces participants to available resources to explore career pathways that align with those priorities. Participation in this workshop partially satisfies the requirements for the PhD Progression Career Workshops badge.

Identifying and Articulating Your Transferable Skills
As a doctoral student you are building skills and experiences beyond simply research and writing – through volunteering, leadership roles, internships, and more. In this interactive workshops participants will learn how to articulate key strengths and abilities gained during the academic experience, and how these skills translate to future roles in a variety of careers. Participants will learn how to reflect on past work experience to identify essential transferrable skills, and how to describe existing skills for audiences within and beyond academia.

Non-Academic Job Search Strategies (STEM + Humanities/Social Sciences)
Now, perhaps more than ever, PhDs are pursuing a myriad of opportunities outside the academy. Although finding a non-academic job may not be as structured as most academic searches, there are many resources available to support you in this process. Most importantly, there are tools available to help you to identify fulfilling, intellectually challenging career opportunities that are aligned with your skills, interests, and values. This workshop will guide participants through developing a strategic approach to job searching, as well as providing information, tips, and advice on career opportunities for PhDs in STEM, Humanities, and Social Science fields.

Establishing a Work/Life Balance
With so many competing priorities and demands on your time as a doctoral student, establishing a work-life balance can be challenging. Join PDPA for a workshop centered on how work-related behaviors impact physical and psychological well-being. The discussion will focus on how to create and sustain boundaries regarding work responsibilities within an academic setting while maintaining a strong work ethic. Attendees will create personal plans to remain effective doctoral students while balancing work and personal values.

PhD Progression Badge-a-thon
Join PDPA for an afternoon of digital badging. During this first annual Badge-a-thon, you will get familiar with the PhD Progression platform, learn what goes into the creation of badges, earn badges in the PhD Progression Pathways, and most importantly, build badges of your own! We want you to contribute to the professional development resources available to your fellow PhD students by creating the badges you want to see and earn. We will have PDPA and PhD Progression swag to share, as well as snacks and drinks.

Engaging with Decoloniality as Students & Researchers
Join PDPA and BU URBAN as Dr. Josué R. López guides a conversation around engaging with decoloniality and a reflection on the decolonization of our research projects and our experiences. Decolonization demands creative responses to colonial and supremacist oppression, such that we engage critically in what we do and how we orient ourselves in the world. During this two-part event, Dr. López will first share his experience in understanding decoloniality in his research and doctoral studies more broadly. In the second half of the 90 minute session, participants will be split into breakout rooms for guided reflections on how their own experiences affect and relate to decolonization, considering how that knowledge can be used to impact our research and our disciplines.

Tax Preparation Workshop
Join Robert D. Underwood, CPA, PC, for Tax Preparation webinars for doctoral students and postdocs focused on filing federal and Massachusetts income taxes – one webinar for domestic students and a second webinar for international students. Mr. Underwood is well versed in the unique challenges facing stipend- and scholarship-supported doctoral students and postdocs. He will be available after the webinars via email for anyone who has questions. Sessions will be recorded.

Optimized Financial Goal Setting for PhDs and Postdocs
Having any degree of savings when living on a grad student stipend or postdoc salary is a huge financial accomplishment. You are likely eager to make the best use of that limited flow of money. Should you save up cash? Should you pay down debt (even student loans)? Should you invest—and is that possible for a grad student or non-employee postdoc? This workshop presents an eight-step framework that helps you make the right decision for your individual situation to get your money working hard for you by focusing on just one financial goal at a time.

Communicating Science, Shaping Policy
Facilitated by the Union of Concerned Scientists, this skills-based workshop will introduce participants to the essentials of science communication for policy-change and feature a case study from GreenRoots in which scientists and community members partnered to influence policy. Co-hosted by Boston University’s URBAN Program, STEPUP, Federal Relations and PDPA.

Skillsmatch + PhD Progression Info Sessions
Skillsmatch is a skill inventorying tool created by EMSI/BurningGlass. The Skillsmatch tool provides personalized learning recommendations to fill your skill gaps so that you are prepared for whichever career pathway fits your interests, skills, and values. PhD Progression is an asynchronous professional development curriculum built specifically for PhD students at BU. Through the acquisition of digital badges connected to activities and assessments recorded on the badgr pro platform, you will be able to plan, monitor, and share your progress through seven learning pathways. Join us for this info session learn more about Skillsmatch and PhD Progression. The session will cover how to make the best use of both tools, with ample time for you to ask questions about getting started.

Careers in Academia for Biomedical Students
Now what? “I’m in a biomedical training program so I’m committed to a career in the biomedical sciences but frankly, I’m not sure exactly what I want to do with my PhD/postdoctoral training. Actually, I’m not even sure I know what’s out there!”

Could this be you? If so, you might want to join us to learn more about the biomedical workforce opportunities from those doing the work. We’re holding a series of panel discussions that will enable you to learn about various career opportunities, in many cases through the lenses of our Boston University alumni. Don’t limit yourself as you might be surprised to learn about career paths you had not considered!

Doctoral Reading Strategies
Boosting your reading comprehension is one of the most effective ways to enhance your overall academic performance and long term professional growth! During this workshop, we will explore strategies for navigating the heightened volume of readings in your doctoral programs. We will also discuss strategies for understanding complex academic texts and explore the relationship between growing as a reader and as a writer. Lastly, will learn helpful annotation and note taking strategies to translate the materials you read into reference materials for your next paper or project.

Careers in Science Communication & Law
This panel of PhDs who have made the transition to careers in Science Communication & Law will share their career paths, tips for skill building, and advice on how to make the transition from a biomedical PhD program to one of these careers. Don’t limit yourself as you might be surprised to learn about career paths you had not considered!

Doctoral Writing Strategies: Getting Started
You have read every reference, cleaned your house three times and finally settled down with coffee and your computer. You have even opened a brand new Word document and, after some extensive consideration, given it a title along the lines of “FINAL Absolutely Final No Really Final Draft 2.0.” And now there is really nothing to do but write – but how do you force yourself to move that cursor? In this workshop, we will discuss ways to confront that dreaded blank page, transition from doing your research to making sense of it, and develop a drafting system that works for you.

Non Academic Careers for Social Science PhDs
The Center for Innovation in Social Science invites current BU PhDs to join us for a panel discussion with BU PhD alum from Anthropology, History, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Economics, and Geography, who all work in non-academic roles. Panelists will share their career trajectories and insights they have on transitioning out of academia with current PhDs who are interested in exploring a variety of career paths.

Overcoming Procrastination & Perfectionism
Do you find it difficult to start on projects without the pressure of a looming deadline? Has fear of failure held you back and contributed to writer’s block? This workshop will help you understand your procrastination triggers and how to overcome them. You will come away from this workshop with strategies to help you get started on projects, make consistent progress toward completion, and find satisfaction at each stage of the process.

A variety of Biomedical Careers – Panel
Now what? “I’m in a biomedical training program so I’m committed to a career in the biomedical sciences but frankly, I’m not sure exactly what I want to do with my PhD/postdoctoral training. Actually, I’m not even sure I know what’s out there!” Could this be you? If so, you might want to join us to learn more about the biomedical workforce opportunities from those doing the work. We’re holding a series of panel discussions that will enable you to learn about various career opportunities, in many cases through the lenses of our Boston University alumni. Don’t limit yourself as you might be surprised to learn about career paths you had not considered!

What will I do – And who will I be – If I am not an academic
For academics, work is often more than a way to pay the bills: it is a vocation. Even thinking about a career change therefore causes many of us to experience an acute identity crisis—something Chris Caterine experienced first-hand when he left the professoriate to work for a global consulting firm. During this practicum, Chris draws on lessons from his book Leaving Academia to help you disentangle your sense of self from your academic career and to develop strategies for demonstrating the relevance of your professional experience to employers in other sectors.

Professional Outreach: Emails, Interviews, and More
Writing email is more complicated than it appears, and often causes miscommunication. To write effective emails, writers need to consider the target audience and purpose of the email, among other aspects. Just as we work to develop our skills as academic writers, honing the skill of crafting professional emails is an important aspect of career development during graduate school. This workshop covers email language issues such as tone, subject lines, appropriate salutations and closings, and other issues such as the responsible use of the medium. We will address high-stakes messages such as requests for Letters of Recommendation and networking outreach, as well as lower-stakes communication including conversations with peers and students.

Learning to Lead: Leadership Skills Workshop
An interactive workshop focused on identifying and building your leadership opportunities skills. The workshop will cover best practices in navigating complex interpersonal dynamics and organizational challenges. Participants will reflect on their own strengths in these areas and be introduced to a host of new skills and strategies them for leadership success going forward.

A Field Guide to Grad School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum with Jessica McCrory Calarco
Join the Newbury Center and Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs as we kick off the Boston University First-gen College Celebration with a talk presented by Dr. Jessica McCrory Calarco, author of A Field Guide to Graduate School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum. Some of the most important things you need to know in order to succeed in graduate school—like how to choose a good advisor, how to get funding for your work, and whether to celebrate or cry when a journal tells you to revise and resubmit an article—won’t be covered in any class. They are part of a hidden curriculum that you are just expected to know or somehow learn on your own—or else. Jessica McCrory Calarco will highlight portions of her book and walk you through the secret knowledge and skills that are essential for navigating every critical stage of the postgraduate experience, from deciding whether to go to grad school in the first place to finishing your degree and landing a job. An invaluable resource for every prospective and current grad student in any discipline, A Field Guide to Grad School will save you grief—and help you thrive—in school and beyond. Copies of the book will be available for attendees while supplies last!

Creating a Portfolio with Wix
Join Wix staff to learn more about creating your online portfolio website. We’ll cover how to plan a website, how to use the Wix platform, and explore professional design features. Sign-up to discover the basics in creating a Wix website as well as features to take your portfolio to the next level. And… a one-year FREE Wix premium plan to all attendees!

Networking and Hiring for International Students
The Networking and Hiring for International Students workshop will focus on demystifying the hiring process, giving an overview of the networking process, as well as providing helpful resources for selecting advocates and initiating conversation. The workshop will feature a guest speaker, Sammy Hejazi, an Associate Director at Wayfair. He has been an active advocate for international students. He’s a former international student and will share his unique perspective given his background and his experience.

Building an Online Academic Presence
Google yourself. Like what you see? Or, would you like to work on building your online presence as an academic? This workshop will provide participants with the resources and strategies to think about how to build and manage their academic brand online, based on individual career goals. Topics covered: LinkedIn, Twitter, Personal Websites, and more.

Project Management: Planning Your Project & Tools+Tricks
This series of workshops will provide participants with skills to manage their time, large projects, and stressors during and throughout the doctoral experience. The interactive workshops will introduce learners to strategies and tools that they will be able to apply to their professional lives well past the PhD. In the Project Management: Planning Your Project Workshop participants will learn how to plan and organize large and small scale projects, and will be introduced to project planning tools and strategies.

Building Resilience
For everyone, especially during a global time of uncertainty, it can be difficult to manage responsibilities across our professional and personal lives. Navigating these challenges effectively and building resilience are critical for our mental health and productivity. This interactive workshop will describe the characteristics of what it takes to be resilient and identify strategies to recover from stress. Participants will explore evidence-based strategies, including drafting a resilience action plan, and learn how to apply these effectively to their individual objectives.

Learning to Communicate Your Research/Work to Various Audiences
This workshop, led by Dr. Jovana Milosavljevic Ardeljan, will equip participants with strategies to clearly and effectively present their research/work to wide range of audiences. In the workshop, you will learn how to understand the role of communication in making a broader impact, develop a mindset that will help you translate your work to different audiences, identify stakeholders and their expectations, develop a plan of action for articulating the value of your work, explain what you do and why it matters.

How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Expertise and Engage Target Audiences
Are you looking to engage with target research funders, collaborators, academic journals, media reporters and publications and/or the general public? Dr. Matthew Partridge – biochemist who has spent 16 years working in both industrial and academic research, and 10 of those years tweeting and posting about it on social media – will lead a remote workshop to help you achieve your thought leadership reach and visibility goals. Pulling from his experience at both Real Scientists and ErrantScience, Dr. Partridge will share helpful tips and tactics for faculty members at every comfort level and presence on social media. This workshop will cover the value and impact of different social media platforms, how to effectively communicate your work, how to engage with target audiences, how to develop and refine your strategy, and measure success.

Building and Using Linked In (Profile and Research)
In this workshop, we will cover what makes a good LinkedIn profile and how to write a summary. We will also discuss the type of information you should add to your profile to make it more robust. This workshop is aimed for those who have basic knowledge of LinkedIn or those who want to strengthen their profile. Learn how to research employers and companies so that you can build your network. Discover how to use the job search tool and learn how to further your professional development by connecting with alumni and joining groups on LinkedIn. By the end of the workshop, you will learn how to craft a message to a prospective connection.

What Is an Individual Development Plan?
Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are a customized roadmap for your professional training and goals and will enable you to make the most of your doctoral education. The IDP process will prompt you to reflect on your skills and your career aspirations and help you translate those into specific actions and achieve new skills and professional goals. Join us for an interactive workshop that walks you through self-assessments in skills, values, and interests, and sets you up to develop and write a plan to be shared with your PhD mentor.

Grant Writing Workshop Series
Are you working on a grant proposal and want to make your application stand out? Join us for the 2021 Grant Writing Series, offered by Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs. This 6-week series focuses on how to clearly and concisely express the significance, approach, and innovation of your study. After learning about effective writing strategies and grant mechanics, you’ll have dedicated writing time and receive peer feedback on your proposal.

Sessions:
– Basics of Grants & Fellowships & Editing Strategies
– Faculty Panel
– Research Proposals
– Grant Review Process
– Submission and Peer Review

Leaving Academia: A Practical Guide, with Christopher L. Caterine
After earning a PhD in classics from the University of Virginia and teaching at Tulane, Christopher Caterine left academia for a job at a corporate consulting firm. He is not alone in transitioning out of academia. The majority graduate students in the humanities and social sciences won’t secure a tenure-track faculty job, yet many still assume that a tenured professorship is the only successful outcome for a PhD. During his career transition, he went on more than 150 informational interviews and later interviewed twelve other professionals who had left higher education for diverse fields. Drawing on everything he learned, Caterine wrote his book Leaving Academia which helps PhD students chart their own course to a rewarding new career. He addresses dozens of key issues, including overcoming psychological difficulties, translating academic experience for non-academics, and meeting the challenges of a first job in a new field.

Job Documents Workshop Series + Peer Feedback
Join PDPA for the annual series of workshops focused on crafting effective documents for your job search in academia or otherwise. Each hour-long session will focus on a different document. Following these workshops participants will be able to identify characteristics of successful job applications and revise their own materials to make them more competitive. Each workshop in the Job Documents Workshop Series will be followed up a week later with an hour-long Peer Feedback session where participants can come with their revised Job documents and work with facilitators and peers to review and continue to improve upon their drafted job documents. Participants should register for these sessions separately.

Sessions:
– From CV to Resume: Crafting Your Work History
– Cover Letters: Presenting Who, What, and Why You
– Interviews: Informational and for the Job
– Teaching Statement
– Diversity Statement
– Negotiating the Salary and Job Offer

Job Documents Workshop Series + Peer Feedback
Join PDPA for the annual series of workshops focused on crafting effective documents for your job search in academia or otherwise. Each hour-long session will focus on a different document. Following these workshops participants will be able to identify characteristics of successful job applications and revise their own materials to make them more competitive. Each workshop in the Job Documents Workshop Series will be followed up a week later with an hour-long Peer Feedback session where participants can come with their revised Job documents and work with facilitators and peers to review and continue to improve upon their drafted job documents. Participants should register for these sessions separately.

PDPA-ERC Writing Workshop Series
The 2021 Writing Workshop Series, designed in partnership with the Educational Resource Center, will provide doctoral students with strategies for working on common elements and troubles areas in dissertations, articles, seminar papers, grant proposals, and other written projects. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to project management strategies for planning and tracking progress on large research projects like the dissertation.

Sessions:
– Project Planning for Dissertations
– Concrete Steps for Writing Abstracts
– Strategies for Literature Reviews
– Structural Elements: Paragraphs, Sentences, and Transitions
– Incorporating Feedback into Your Writing

Doctoral Reading Strategies with the Educational Resource Center
Boosting your reading comprehension is one of the most effective ways to enhance your overall academic performance and long term professional growth! During this workshop, we will explore strategies for navigating the heightened volume of readings in your doctoral programs. We will also discuss strategies for understanding complex academic texts and explore the relationship between growing as a reader and as a writer. Lastly, will learn helpful annotation and note taking strategies to translate the materials you read into reference materials for your next paper or project.

Overcoming Procrastination & Perfectionism with the Educational Resource Center
Do you find it difficult to start on projects without the pressure of a looming deadline? Has fear of failure held you back and contributed to writer’s block? This workshop will help you understand your procrastination triggers and how to overcome them. You will come away from this workshop with strategies to help you get started on projects, make consistent progress toward completion, and find satisfaction at each stage of the process.

Non-Academic Job Search Strategies for STEM + for Humanities/Social Sciences
Now, perhaps more than ever, PhDs are pursuing a myriad of opportunities outside the academy. Although finding a non-academic job may not be as structured as most academic searches, there are many resources available to support you in this process. Most importantly, there are tools available to help you to identify fulfilling, intellectually challenging career opportunities that are aligned with your skills, interests, and values. This workshop will guide participants through developing a strategic approach to job searching, as well as providing information, tips, and advice on career opportunities for PhDs in STEM, Humanities, and Social Science fields.

Summer Priorities: Planning for Productivity
The unstructured summer months can be excellent for making progress on research, writing, and skill-building. But this time should also be used to catch up on sleep, socializing, and self-care. Join PDPA for a workshop focused on making the most of this time by developing a plan, setting goals, and designing a sustainable structure for your time.

Citation Management Workshop
Do you wish it were easier to manage and share your research? Luckily, there are several tools that make citing, storing, and sharing your references easy. In this one-hour interactive workshop, BU Librarians will demonstrate how you can use citation management tools like Zotero, Mendeley, and RefWorks, as well as formatting and citation tracing tools in BU databases, to help with your research.

Writing an Individual Development Plan
We recommend that all doctoral students create individual development plans (IDPs) as a way of outlining career plans. IDPs are a customized roadmap for your professional training and goals and will enable you to make the most of your doctoral education. The IDP process will prompt you to reflect on your skills and your career aspirations and help you translate those into specific actions and achieve new skills and professional goals. Join us for an interactive workshop that walks you through self-assessments in skills, values, and interests, and sets you up to develop and write a plan to be shared with your PhD mentor. (Recording available)

Career Planning & Exploration
Identifying the job that is right for you—whether in academe, industry or beyond—takes work, and competing successfully for that job warrants a new approach to career planning. Each doctoral student develops different characteristics, skills and talents during the course of their training. This workshop guides participants through the initial steps of identifying their particular skills, interests, and values for a future career and introduces participants to available resources to explore career pathways that align with those priorities. (Recording available)

Hack Your Budget, with Dr. Emily Roberts of Personal Finance for PhDs
When it comes to balancing their budgets, grad students and postdocs usually try to pack as much value into as little spending as possible. This immensely practical workshop shows attendees how to “hack” their budgets by decreasing their spending in key necessary areas and implementing strategies to make their budgets more effective. Attendees submit their spending data on housing and utilities, transportation, and food in advance through a survey. The first part of the workshop is a presentation and discussion on this crowdsourced data, during which attendees share with one another their strategies and insights. The second part of the workshop is a short presentation of effective budgeting strategies to speed progress toward financial goals. (Recording available)

Broadening the Audience for your Research
Come prepared to discuss your research and hone your science communication skills in this interactive Zoom workshop with Kat McAlpine, science editor of BU’s research news site The Brink. Being able to explain the importance and impact of your research to journalists, potential funders, journal editors, research collaborators, policymakers, and members of the public will play a critical role in your career success. Learn how to discuss your research with nonexperts and gain the mindset that will allow you have meaningful conversations with diverse audiences. Kat will also discuss what makes a great story pitch and where there are opportunities for you to contribute to and promote your work and expertise on The Brink.

Navigating Networking (Virtual & In-Person)
You know that you should be “networking,” but what does that mean? And how can you navigate networking when conferences, lectures, and other events are virtual? During this interactive workshop, attendees will learn the basics of networking, identify the who and what of their own networks, and develop strategies for how to turn “small talk” into more meaningful conversations. Participants will come away from this workshop with the tools to navigate networking and with a better understanding of how to make the most of the networking process. (Recording available)

Becoming an Expert Learner with the Educational Resource Center
Do you find yourself quickly forgetting material you’ve learned? It turns out that many common study and memorization habits are ineffective for building a professional, scholarly knowledge base. With insights from cognitive psychology and other fields, this workshop will equip you to become a more effective learner, able to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems.

Owning Your Greatness and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin
Do you have difficulty owning your strengths and accomplishments? Are you afraid of being exposed as a fraud? Do you attribute your success to luck, mistakes, or key relationships? Does perfectionism lead to you overworking, lacking balance and a fear of missteps? If so, you may be experiencing impostor syndrome while in graduate school. This Wellness Day training session with Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin, discussed the research behind imposter syndrome including typical signs and behaviors as well as strategies to identify your triggers and defeat impostor syndrome through healthy coping strategies. (Recording available)

Establishing a Work/Life Balance
With so many competing priorities and demands on your time as a doctoral student, establishing a work-life balance can be challenging. Join PDPA for a workshop centered on how work-related behaviors impact physical and psychological well-being. The discussion will focus on how to create and sustain boundaries regarding work responsibilities within an academic setting while maintaining a strong work ethic. Attendees will create personal plans to remain effective doctoral students while balancing work and personal values. (Recording available)

Tax Preparation Workshop for PhDs and Postdocs
Join Robert D. Underwood, CPA, PC, for Tax Preparation webinars for doctoral students & postdocs focused on filing federal and Massachusetts income taxes – one webinar for domestic students and a second webinar for international students. Mr. Underwood is well versed in the unique challenges facing stipend- and scholarship-supported doctoral students and postdocs. He will be available after the webinars via email for any students who have questions.

Personal Skills for Professional Success Workshop
Join us for this interactive program which will help you improve your professional presence and business dining skills both during and after a Pandemic! Understand how to make a good first impression in person as well as in virtual meetings +Increase awareness of business protocol: know the rules and decide when to follow, bend or break them +Gain competence and confidence in networking and dining etiquette skills +Learn how to juggle everything from small talk to decoding a complex place setting +Have fun and increase your self-confidence as we walk you through every aspect of a meal, whether you’re the host or guest Please bring a fork, knife, and spoon, and feel free to eat during the seminar.

Data Management Workshop with BU Libraries
Funding institutions such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health now require grant applicants to submit a data management plan. In this workshop, BU Librarians will provide an overview of good data management practices, discuss strategies for securing, organizing, and preserving your research data. Come prepared with questions and problems that you’ve encountered in managing your data, and we will help you find solutions! (Recording available)

Building An Online Academic Presence
Google yourself. Like what you see? Or, would you like to work on building your online presence as an academic? This workshop will provide participants with the resources and strategies to think about how to build and manage their personal brand online, based on individual career goals. Topics covered: LinkedIn, Twitter, Personal Websites, and more. (Recording available)

Basics of Lawful US Permanent Residency
As part of Boston University’s 9th Annual International Education Week, the ISSO invites BU’s international student and scholar community to learn more about the various options for applying for US permanent residence (aka greencard) in the US. Elizabeth Goss, the Founding Partner of Goss Associates will be providing an overview of the process as well as the potential avenues for obtaining permission to remain in the US that are most typically pursued by non-immigrants who are studying, teaching or pursuing research in the US.

The Graduate Student and Postdoc’s Guide to Personal Finance with Emily Roberts, PhD
Are you ready to take the next step with your finances as a graduate student or postdoc? Do you want to learn how to allocate your money more optimally, break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck, and increase your net worth even while in training? This seminar presents an 8-step framework to guide you from broke to financially secure to wealthy through saving, debt repayment, and investing and includes real-life examples of other graduate students and early-career professionals finding financial success. Led by Dr. Emily Roberts of “Personal Finance for PhDs” this seminar is the first in a two-part series. Look for the second event in February.

Professional Outreach: Emails, Interviews, and More
Writing email is more complicated than it appears, and often causes miscommunication. To write effective emails, writers need to consider the target audience and purpose of the email, among other aspects. Just as we work to develop our skills as academic writers, honing the skill of crafting professional emails is an important aspect of career development during graduate school. This workshop covers email language issues such as tone, subject lines, appropriate salutations and closings, and other issues such as the responsible use of the medium. We will address high-stakes messages such as requests for Letters of Recommendation and networking outreach, as well as lower-stakes communication including conversations with peers and students.

Stress Management Workshop
This series of workshops offered by Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs in partnership with the Education Resource Center will provide participants with skills to manage their time, large projects, and stressors during and throughout the doctoral experience. The interactive workshops will introduce learners to strategies and tools that they will be able to apply to their professional lives well past the PhD. In the Stress Management Workshop, led by Dan Do of the School of Social Work, participants will learn strategies for identifying stressors, managing a balance between work and life, and be introduced to a variety of coping strategies.

Learning to Lead: Leadership Skills Workshop
An interactive workshop focused on identifying and building your leadership opportunities skills. The workshop will cover best practices in navigating complex interpersonal dynamics and organizational challenges. Participants will reflect on their own strengths in these areas and be introduced to a host of new skills and strategies them for leadership success going forward.

Making the Most of your Mentorship
In this workshop participants will learn about the basics around mentorship and building strong relationships with your mentors. Through interactive activities we will discuss the importance of proactively managing your mentoring relationships and explore which of your professional development priorities you can work on with your mentors.

Presentation Skills Workshop Series
This three-part series of workshops offered by PDPA will equip participants with strategies to clearly and effectively present their research in a variety of mediums, to a broad range of audiences. As a result of these sessions attendees will: learn the importance of preparation, understand how to design an arc of a presentation, and gain the skills needed to easily navigate the common pitfalls of academic presentations such as avoiding jargon and fielding questions. In “Basics of Presentations” we will talk about attuning your presentation to audience, goal, and core message and making the best use of slides and visuals. In “Public Speaking” participants will work on crafting their elevator pitch in order to hone your ability to effectively and efficiently communicate about your research project. In “Conference Presentations” we will discuss how to make the best use of slides and visual aids and how to approach fielding questions.

Job Documents Peer Feedback Series – Resumes, Cover Letters, Teaching Statements, Diversity Statements
This series of peer-review sessions will provide participants with the opportunity to work with peers in their discipline to review each others’ job documents. After a brief review of the basics of each document, participants will be separated into breakout rooms with other doctoral students or postdocs from a related discipline to exchange and provide feedback on each other’s documents. Each hour-long session will focus on a different document.

Management of Time, Projects, and Stress – Workshop Series
This series of workshops offered by Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs in partnership with the Education Resource Center will provide participants with skills to manage their time, large projects, and stressors during and throughout the doctoral experience. The interactive workshops will introduce learners to strategies and tools that they will be able to apply to their professional lives well past the PhD. Participants will learn techniques for setting goals and priorities, approaches for working more efficiently and effectively, how to identify and combat stressors, and practice healthy coping strategies.

BU Rising – Endurance Strategies for Uncertain Times
During the spring and summer of 2020 we have collectively experienced the disturbing unraveling of our daily lives. And the impacts of the global pandemic, racial unrest, and government proclamations have affected all of us in differing and complicated ways. This workshop offered more immediate strategies for maintaining resilience during challenging times.

Managing Difficult Conversations
Hosted by Francince Montemurro of the Office of the Ombuds, this workshop will introduce doctoral students to strategies for how to prepare for, approach, and navigate difficult conversaions that may arise during an academic career. Using the strategies introduced, students will be given the opportunity to practice implementing these skills through interactive activities, with the goal of equipping participants with the resources to manage difficult conversations they may encounter in the future.

Building an Online Academic Presence
Google yourself. Like what you see? Or, would you like to work on building your online presence as an academic? This workshop will provide participants with the resources and strategies to think about how to build and manage their academic brand online, based on individual career goals. Topics covered: LinkedIn, Twitter, Personal Websites, and more.

Academic Job Search Panel
Four faculty members in the early-mid stages of their careers from a range of institutions career will offer insights and recommendations based on their experiences for PhDs and postdocs interested in learning how to navigate the complexities of the academic job market.

Panelists:
– Lara Ayad – Asst. Professor of Art History, Skidmore College
– Veronique Oldham – Asst. Professor of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
– Christopher McVey – Senior Lecturer, Boston University Writing Program
– Steve Ramirez – Asst. Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Boston University

Planning for a Career During a Crisis
The two-hour event was divided into two sessions. We heard from eight panelists about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their industry, and challenges they see for those pursuing a career in their area in the wake of the pandemic. In the second hour, panelists moved into individual breakout rooms with participants. This will provide the opportunity for current PhDs to ask questions to those in industries or careers closest to their field.

Panelists:
– Dara Lee Luca – Senior Researcher, Mathematica
– Eoin Cannon – Chief Speechwriter, City of Boston
– Sarah Parrish – Asst. Professor of Art History, Plymouth State University
– Jane Owens – Senior Director & Head of Neuromuscular Research, Pfizer Rare Disease Research Unit