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Past Workshops

 
 
Careers Outside the Academy: Alumni Panel 
Hosted by Sarah Lyon
Thursday, March 25 at 3:00pm
 

Are you a graduate student considering a career outside of academia? In this panel discussion hosted by Sarah Lyon, graduate alumni will discuss their diverse paths to careers outside the academy. Join us as they offer insight into their experience as graduate students, and the factors that influenced their career trajectories. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for the panelists when registering.

The Post-Doc Path: Applying For and Making the Most of a Post-Doctoral Position

Joseph Lutz and Sarah Lyon

Friday, March 19 at 11:30 a.m.

 
Post-doctoral positions have long been a popular option for PhD students in the STEM fields and they are increasingly common options for Humanities and Social Science PhDs as well. Led by Dr. Joseph Lutz, U.K.’s Director of Postdoctoral Affairs, and Sarah Lyon, this workshop will explore how post-docs compare to other post-PhD academic career paths: What are the costs and benefits of these positions? What are the differences between research and teaching post-doc positions? How can you craft a competitive application? What should you negotiate for? How can you make the most of your post-doc once you are there? 

From CV to Resume: Looking for Work Outside the Academy

Beth Hanneman (Stuckert Career Center) and Sarah Lyon

Thursday, March 11 at 3:30 p.m.

 
Are you a Masters or PhD student who is considering transitioning out of academia and wondering how to translate your academic CV into an impactful non-academic resume? This interactive workshop will describe the different uses and formats of these two documents, and will provide you with strategies to highlight the transferable skills you've developed through your teaching and research experiences. You will also learn how to organize, frame, and format your document to maximize your impact. Participants are encouraged to bring their most recent academic CV. 

Project Management for Graduate School and Beyond

Ashley Sorrell (Graduate School and CELT) and Sarah Lyon

Thursday, March 4 at 12:00 p.m.

 
Effective project management is a critical component of grad school success. It is also a skill in high demand outside of academia. This interactive workshop will introduce graduate students to the process of managing projects and the suite of tools that can help you to plan and track your progress. The workshop, led by Ashley Sorrell (CELT and the Graduate School) and Sarah Lyon will help you identify:
  • The forms of project management experience you are gaining in grad school
  • The specific project management techniques and tools that will enable you to successfully complete your dissertation research and writing
  • Concrete ideas for how to further develop and expand your project management skillset as you work towards degree completion
  • Ways to discuss and transfer your project management skills within alt-academic and non-academic careers

Finding Grant and Fellowships and Writing Successful Proposals

Justin Dunnavant (with Eladio Bobadilla)

Friday, February 19 at 11:00 a.m.

 
Led by Dr. Justin Dunnavant (University of Florida), this workshop will help graduate students understand the grant/fellowship-writing process and offer some practical advice for finding funding and writing effective and successful grants. The workshop will also discuss the “unspoken” benefits of grant-writing, including dissertation development, CV bolstering, networking, and career development. 

Open Forum: A Discussion on Support Systems for International Graduate Students in the College of Arts and Sciences

Sarah Lyon, Cristina AlcaldeAngela Garner, and Kia Markussen (GSC International Students Concern Committee Chair)

Thursday, February 4 at 12:00 p.m.

 
Graduate students and faculty are invited to join us for a discussion of the international graduate student experience in the College of Arts and Sciences. Our goal is to build community and identify concrete ways that the College can better support international students who make up 25% of our graduate student population. 

Finishing Your Dissertation in Six Months

Scott Rank (with Eladio Bobadilla)

Friday, January 22 at 11:00 a.m.

 
Led by Dr. Scott Rank, author of How to Finish Your Dissertation in Six Months, Even If You Don’t Know What to Write, this workshop will introduce graduate students to strategies for finishing the thesis or dissertation in a timely manner. Dr. Rank will explore the ways he went from “crippling writer’s block” to writing up to 1,000 words a day. The goal of this workshop will not be to replicate a single approach, but to help students find what works for them in order to begin writing and finish their dissertations without major delays. 
The Art of Networking and Managing Your Digital Presence
Matthew Zook and Sarah Lyon
Friday, November 13 at 12:00 p.m.
 
Graduate students often describe networking as uncomfortable, intimidating, and inauthentic. However, your ability to build and maintain productive relationships with a variety of people is a key component of future career success in both academic and non-academic settings. In this workshop, you will learn networking norms and strategies and how to get stared developing and maintaining contacts in order to sustain mutually beneficial professional relationships. We will discuss the purpose of informational interviews and how to conduct them effectively. The workshop will also explain the importance of, and concrete tools and strategies for, building and maintaining a digital academic presence and networking online. Presented by Matthew Zook, University Research Professor and □GS Geography, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.
Academic Job Market Strategies for Uncertain Times
Dierdra Reber, Chris Crawford, and Sarah Lyon
Thursday, October 22 at 3:30 p.m.
 
This workshop will provide an overview of the components of an academic job search (including job announcements, application materials, job talks and campus visits, negotiations, etc.). We will identify short-and long-term strategies for academic job searches and scholarly productivity during the current academic hiring climate. The workshop will provide a forum for mutual support for graduate students preparing for, or already on, the academic job market and will highlight the importance of self-compassion during the application process.
Presented by Dierdra Reber, Associate Professor and DGS Hispanic Studies, Christopher Crawford, Professor and DGS Physics and Astronomy, Kristin Monroe, Associate Professor Anthropology, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.
Navigating Your Graduate School Journey and Making the Most of Your Experience
Morris Grubbs and Sarah Lyon
Friday, October 9 at 1:00 p.m.
 
Are you just starting your PhD? Or are you in your first few years and COVID-19 has drastically changed your graduate school experience? Are you trying to get back into a groove and continue your research now that things have changed? Join faculty and recent graduates in this panel on making the most of graduate school as we head into a new (and different) academic year.
Hosted by Morris Grubbs, Assistant Dean and Director, Office of Graduate Student Professional Enhancement, The Graduate School, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.
Graduate Student Mental Health and Self-Care
Eladio Bobadilla, Nathan Vanderford, and Sarah Lyon
Thursday, September 24 at 3:00 p.m.
 
Now more than ever, conversations about mental health and self-care are critical. Yet much of this conversation remains stigmatized and often ignores the specific struggles of graduate/professional students. In this workshop, we'll discuss the resources available to graduate and professional students at UK. outline possible coping and support strategies and address frequently asked questions about a problem that researchers have called the mental health crisis facing graduate students.
Presented by Eladia Bobadilla, Assistant Professor of History, Nathan Vanderford Assistant Professor of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.
Open Forum: A Discussion on Support Systems for First Generation Graduate Students in the College of Arts & Sciences
Cristina Alcalde, James Lincoln, Alisha Mays, Leah Vance, and Sarah Lyon
Friday, September 18 at 1:00 p.m.
 
Please join Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Cristina Alcalde, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization, James Lincoln, Coordinator of Graduate Community Enhancement, Alisha Mays, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, and Leah Vance, PhD Candidate in Higher Education and Policy Studies, for a discussion of the first-generation graduate student experience. Our goal is to build community and identify concrete ways that the College can support first generation graduate students.
How to Get the Mentoring You Need in Graduate School: Successfully Navigating Relationships with Faculty and Advisors
Eladio Bobadilla, Dayton Starnes, and Sarah Lyon
Friday, September 11 at 12:00 p.m.
 
One of the most important factors in graduate student success and in the timely completion of their dissertations is having a supportive advisor and an effective, cooperative, and collaborative committee in place. But often, students do not know how to choose an advisor, how to structure committees, or how to navigate the power dynamics involved in these relationships.
Please join Eladia Bobadilla, Assistant Professor of History, Dayton Starnes, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for a workshop that will address these topics, and provide resources and strategies to help graduate students build strong relationships with a broad range of mentors who will contribute to their long-term success in graduate school and beyond.
Open Forum: A Discussion on Support Systems for BIPOC Graduate Students in the College of Arts & Sciences
Cristina Alcalde, Bertin Louis, Eladio Bobadilla, and Sarah Lyon
Friday, August 28 at 12:00 p.m.
 
Please join Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Cristina Alcalde, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization, Bertin Louis, Associate Professor of Anthropology and AAS, and Eladia Bobadilla, Assistant Professor of History, for an open discussion of the College of Arts & Sciences 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Plan and Report. Help the College establish short- and long-term priorities and action items so that we can better support BIPOC graduate students.
Publicly Engaged Scholarship
Hosted by Sarah Lyon and Karen Petrone
Friday, April 23 at 12:00
 
Are you interested in publicly-engaged scholarship and working with local communities? Please join us for a panel featuring scholars from a variety of disciplines to learn more about their own work and suggested best practices. The workshop will acquaint you with a broad array of resources and conversations on the topic of publicly-engaged scholarship and answer any questions you might have.  It is co-sponsored by the Cooperative for the Humanities and Social Sciences,  the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies, the Appalachian Center, and the Center for Equality and Social Justice. Faculty Panelists include Christia Brown (Psychology), Ann Kingsolver (Anthropology), Lydia Pelot-Hobbs (Geography), Natalie Nenadic (Philosophy), and Matthew Wilson (Geography).  Please feel free to send questions in advance to petrone@uky.edu.