Careers Beyond Academia

Information Session on the Three Minute Thesis (3MT)
2022-02-01 16:00 - 17:00, 2022-02-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2022-02-11 15:00 - 16:00, 2022-02-11 16:30 - 17:30, 2022-02-15 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Learn about the Three-Minute Thesis competition: history, format, judging, prizes, and how Cornell offers the chance to participate. Organizers will field your questions about competing in an all-virtual competition in Spring 2022.
Register online to attend an information session.

Career Chats
2022-02-04 12:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Careers Beyond Academia and Office of Postdoctoral Studies Live Q&A Session for any job search questions! Wondering about applications, interviews and job opportunities? Have a quick question about timing? Thinking about skill building or how to build experiences into your resume? Please pop in to ask a question, hear tips from colleagues and more.
All graduate students and postdocs from any field are welcome to attend. We welcome alumni, too!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://cornell.zoom.us/j/96455841355?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 964 5584 1355
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Launching Your Career in the Med Tech Industry-info sessions
2022-02-04 14:00 - 15:00, 2022-02-09 17:00 - 18:00, 2022-02-10 20:00 - 21:00
PhD students and postdocs, come learn about BD’s Technology Leadership Development Program (they’re hiring!), one of the premier career-accelerating opportunities in the med tech industry, along with insider interview & resume tips that will give you a leg up for your transition to industry.
WHEN: Feb 4 @ 2 ET, Feb 9 @ 5 ET, or Feb 10 @ 8 ET
Join via MS Teams using this link
PLEASE RSVP HERE
The TLDP vision is to develop future leaders of BD’s R&D organization.

The program consists of three successively more challenging assignments (~18 months each) that span multiple businesses and / or locations within BD.
A personalized and dynamic career path is sculpted for each TLDP associate with the influence of senior R&D leaders and your personal skills and interests.

Program Qualifications:

Outstanding Ph.D. graduates with significant leadership experience and technical depth in engineering, life sciences, or natural sciences fields:

Mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, biology, and related fields

Early-stage career (less than 3 years of industry or postdoc experience outside the pursuit of a degree)
Willingness and ability to relocate to different geographic locations
To qualify for this position, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction to duration.

Postdocs and PhD students at all stages are welcome. Please note that we encourage you to apply for the program 6 months – 1 year prior to your intended start date for optimal timing.
Apply to the Technology Leadership Development Program (Job ID R-376803)
Application closes March 7th for the 2022 spring cycle

Tips for a Memorable 5 Minute Research Presentation
2022-02-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
This event will provide practical tips for creating a memorable research pitch to hook your audience.
The learning objectives for the webinar:

Given a short presentation, participants will be able to analyze it for specific improvements in their performance.
Participants will be able to explain three qualities that make a pitch memorable.
At the end of this webinar, participants will have tangible examples to avoid jargon and summarize their research more clearly in the critical first five minutes of a presentation.

Register now for this event.

Careers Beyond Academia Small Group Session
2022-02-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
To get the most out of Careers Beyond Academia, join us at a small group session if you are interested in exploring your options and want to meet colleagues who are considering careers outside of a traditional tenure-track role.

Career Chat: UX Career Panel
2022-03-08 16:00 - 17:15 | Zoom
Learn about UX careers at this panel presented by Careers Beyond Academia. User Experience Design is the process of creating systems between human users and websites and/or apps. This design is driven by research, data analysis and results.
Moderated by Megan Sawey, PhD candidate and researcher at Cornell University!
Panelists:

Susan Campbell ’94, VP, UX Research, HBO Max WarnerMedia
Elaine Cheung ’09, Senior User Experience Researcher, Hinge (PhD in social psychology)
Maria Cipollone, Senior User Research, Spotify (PhD in media and communication)
Sabrina Papazian ’12, postdoc alumna, CX Strategist, UX Researcher and Anthropologist, National Gallery of Art (PhD anthropology)

Moderated by Megan Sawey, PhD candidate and communication researcher at Cornell University!
Register to attend.

Frame Yourself as a Top Job Candidate
2022-03-16 12:30 - 13:30 | Zoom
This workshop is structured for PhD students and Postdocs entering the Industry market. We will focus on career options, strategies and techniques to explore career options in industry, non-profit and government. Ever wonder what skills transfer? Or if you could be a consultant? Bring a job advertisement for your Dream Job, computer and spirit of adventure!
Register online for March 16 session.

Getting involved in science policy as a grad student
2022-03-16 17:00 - 18:00 | Warren Hall 138
Curious how you can get involved in science policy as a STEM grad student? Join Cornell Advancing Science and Policy for a panel discussion via Zoom or in person with graduate students who have written and edited policy memos, coordinated and participated in local and federal advocacy, and worked with science policy professionals all while working toward a PhD!
Panelists:
Andy Sanchez, ASAP President, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Special Editions at Journal of Science Policy and Governance
Kara Fikrig, ASAP Secretary, Founder and Organizing Chair, Vaccination Conversations with Scientists
Joseph Long, ASAP Vice President, NSPN Sci-Pol Scholar, Washington Academy of Sciences
You can register on CampusGroups or this Google Form for this hybrid (in-person/Zoom) session on March 16th from 5-6 PM in Warren Hall 138. Contact cornellasap@gmail.com or jtl238@cornell.edu for any questions.

2022 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition
2022-03-22 16:00 - 17:30 | Zoom
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a competition for doctoral students to develop and showcase their research communication skills.
The 2022 final round competition will be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Register to attend and vote for the people’s choice award.
3MT challenges research degree students to present a compelling story on their dissertation or thesis and its significance in just three minutes, in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. In addition to the first place and second place winners from among the finalists, audience members on March 22 will be asked to select a People’s Choice Award Winner.
The 2022 final round competitors are:

Sebastian Diaz Angel – Ph.D. Candidate in History
Fernanda Fontenele – Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Juliana González-Tobón – Ph.D. Candidate in Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology
Shagun Gupta – Ph.D. Candidate in Computational Biology
Andrew Legan – Ph.D. Candidate in Neurobiology and Behavior
Yanle Lu – Ph.D. Candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Vaibhav Sharma – Ph.D. Candidate in Physics
Bruno Shirley – Ph.D. Candidate in Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

What Can Your Professional Society Do For You? Resources for Navigating the Humanities Careers Landscape
2022-03-31 15:30 - 17:00 | Zoom
Sponsored by Careers Beyond Academia and featuring two professional societies: the Modern Language Association and the American Historical Association.
Humanities PhD students and post doctoral scholars, please join us to learn tips and resources from Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Historical Association (AHA) on your job search beyond academia. Tons of resources from connections, events, networking and job searching strategies. Featuring Janine Utell from the Modern Language Association and Emily Swafford from the American Historical Association.
Register online.

How to Build an Awesome Career with Your Humanities PhD
2022-04-07 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom, NY, United States
What the heck can you do with a Ph.D., anyways? In this session, “Humanities Beyond the Academy” working group (Cornell University, Syracuse University and University of Rochester) mini-resident Chris Cornthwaite will talk about some of the avenues you can choose, from governments to NGOs to non-profits to tech. Attendees will come away with some new ideas for rewarding non-academic roles and have a clear sense of how to move into them. To Register.
Chris Cornthwaite completed a Ph.D. in religious studies, then went on to lead projects for a think tank and help build refugee programs with the federal government. Along the way, he launched Roostervane, a site dedicated to teaching lost grads to build amazing careers with their degrees. He founded a consulting company in 2020 and currently consults on SEO and content strategy with tech clients.

Mastering LinkedIn
2022-04-08 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom, NY, United States
In this workshop (Part 2) with “Humanities Beyond the Academy” working group mini-resident Chris Cornthwaite, we’ll do a deep dive on LinkedIn (bring your profile!). We’ll learn how you can find roles, position yourself, and meet cool people in all sorts of fields. By the end of the workshop, you’ll know how to use job postings to improve your profile, how to get on the radar of potential employers you care about, and how to use the platform to open up opportunities. To Register.

From PhD to Publishing Career
2022-04-21 12:30 - 13:30
Did you know a PhD is great training for a career in academic publishing?
Join staff from Cornell University Press to learn about this less-traditional use of your PhD. Hear from the director of the Press, Jane Bunker and acquisitions editor Bethany Wasik as they share insights into what a life in publishing can look like.
Cornell University Press is hiring a graduate student as a paid part-time Acquisitions Fellow for the summer. This session will be an opportunity to find out more about this fellowship and how it may help you transition from your studies to a creative, fascinating, demanding, and satisfying non-teaching career. The opportunity will offer both shadowing with CU Press staff and practical experience. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity as details emerge, please email Susi Varvayanis at sv27@cornell.edu.
Made possible through support from Careers Beyond Academia in the Graduate School.

Career Paths in Regulatory Affairs
2022-04-25 17:30 - 18:30
Join the Science Alliance for the fifth in this National Academies of Science series on Tuesday, April 25, 2022, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM ET. The career path discussion on regulatory affairs will be followed by a virtual networking opportunity with the panelists.
Almost all scientific innovations related to human health are subject to state, federal or international regulation. How is a certain product deemed safe for human use and before it is made available for patients or consumers at large? These recommendations are made by regulatory affairs professionals.
The rise in diagnostics, drugs, therapeutics, vaccines, and medical technologies means a greater need for individuals who need to work in the intersection of government and healthcare industry. In this webinar, we will learn the roles played by a regulatory affairs professional and the skills a graduate or postdoctoral fellow needs to be successful in this field.
Attending this panel you will hear about:

Opportunities for regulatory affairs professionals and how to transition into this type of role
The “side-hustles” you can pursue to gain more knowledge about regulatory affairs career options
The challenges to consider when considering a position in this field

The event will be followed by a virtual networking opportunity with the panelists at 6:30 PM.
If you have specific questions you would like the panelists to address during the discussion – please email siyer@nyas.org and he will incorporate them into this conversation.
The Career Path series is FREE to New York Academy of Sciences members. Cornell community: sign up for a free 1-year membership here.
Register today to attend this discussion and receive notifications on future events.

Interviewing 101: The Lingo, The Process and the Options
2022-04-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
Join us to explore the fundamentals of interviewing in industry (government, NGO, think tanks, for profits.) This workshop will present an overview of interviews, types of interviews you may encounter and advice on how to articulate your research and PhD work into professional experience.
Register online for the April 26 workshop.

Careers protecting human health and the environment
2022-04-27 15:30 - 17:00
Join a panel of experts from the NIH, EPA, and two academic institutions to learn about careers protecting human health and the environment, a biosafety fellowship, on-campus mentors, and resources to help you see if this sector is for you, within or outside academic settings.
We will discuss career paths, mentorship, resources, connections and opportunities. We’ll also get an overview of the NIH National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program Intramural Research Training Award (NBBTP/IRTA Fellowship) from several points of view.
Hosted by Careers Beyond Academia. An online event, link provided below.
Learning outcomes:
By participating in this event, you will learn about:
Careers and opportunities using your interests and skills in this sector

within and beyond academia
communication of complex research topics to broad audiences
an interest in how to regulate research in a safe and ethical way

Resources that were helpful in the panelists’ career trajectory so far

mentorship
connections and conversations with (alumni) professionals in these types of roles
fellowship application process

A roadmap for what you could be doing while still at Cornell to

rule in or rule out a tangential career in this sector to see if it’s for you
gain experiences that will make you more attractive to employers in this area

Panelists
Jessica McCormick-Ell, Division Director, Occupational Health and Safety at The National Institutes of Health
Joshua Turse, Biosafety Officer at Cornell University
Alexis Brubaker, Associate University Compliance Officer at Cornell University
Endia Blunt, Biologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Andrea Vogel, Health And Safety Specialist at Duke University Health System
Moderated by
Susi Varvayanis, Executive Director, Careers Beyond Academia, Cornell University Graduate School
Held via Zoom. Join using this link. Meeting ID: 534 497 5582 Password: [REDACTED]

NAGS 2022 3MT Competition
2022-04-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
The Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) s pleased to announce the 2022 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. This year, the virtual event will be hosted by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). The 3MT competition will feature winners of each NAGS member’s local competitions, including Cornell’s 2022 3MT champion, Bruno Shirley. The NAGS winner and runner-up being sent to the next Council of Graduate Schools national competition.
The competition will be held live via Zoom. To attend the event. Visit the NAGS 2022 3MT website for more information.

Opportunities for Public Communication of Science
2022-04-29 16:30 - 18:30
Join a panel of speakers to be inspired about how as a graduate student or postdoc you could take advantage of opportunities to engage in communication of your research, science in general, and best of all, share your passion with public audiences! Q&A and informal discussion will follow.
This public panel session kicks off the COMM5660 weekend workshop, led this year by Cat Lambert.
TODAY’S SESSION is HELD IN-PERSON ONLY in Warren B75 at 4:30pm April 29. All are welcome to attend, no pre-registration required.
Learn about the wide range of opportunities for incorporating public engagement and science communication in your professional activities. Speakers will share how they got into science communication, reasons why they continue to do so, opportunities and challenges integrating communication activities as a doctoral student or postdoc. The panelists will also share specific skill to work on that are useful elsewhere, and goals they have for future science communication activities. Tehre will be opportunities to ask questions of the panelists and informal discussion will follow.
Panelists:
Jeff Pea: PhD candidate in Nutritional Sciences, science educator and illustrator. At Cornell University Jeff conducts research in the Cornell Ovary Lab focused on how the ovary can act as a biomarker for metabolic and reproductive conditions. Jeff is a science educator and illustrator whose work focuses on translating science, medicine, and healthcare to classrooms and the general public. @jeffpeapod / www.jeffpea.com
Dr. Eve Vavagiakis: postdoc in Physics, writer and author of “I’m a Neutrino,” a children’s book from MIT Kid’s Press. A space enthusiast since childhood, she now works in experimental cosmology as part of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, CCAT-prime, CMB-S4, and Simons Observatory collaborations to build instrumentation and study the oldest light in the universe. She also co-directs the high energy physics reader’s digest blog ParticleBites. @EveVavagiakis / evevavagiakis.com
Jenn Houtz: PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, developer of “Bird’s Eye View” elementary school outreach program. Originally from Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, Jenn’s research focuses on how gut microbiota diversity relates to stress-related changes in physiology and behavior in wild birds. Jenn runs a local outreach program for elementary school students on avian ecology and biodiversity. She is also President of the Cornell First Generation and Low Income Graduate Student Organization (FiGLI). @JennHoutz / https://jenniferhoutz.weebly.com/
Ishan Mishra, PhD Candidate in Astronomy, science writer and communicator. Ishan’s research involves planetary spectroscopic retrievals. He is a writer for the astronomy outreach blog “Astrobites” and part of the science communication team of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell. Ishan has also been active in organizing outreach events such as Museum in the Dark, Expanding Your Horizons, and public talks and exhibitions at local libraries and community centers. @astro_ishan / https://ishan-mishra.github.io/ He will be joining the panel remotely.
Supported by Cornell’s Department of Communication and Careers Beyond Academia in the Graduate School.

Prepare for the NIH Career Symposium
2022-05-09 16:00 - 16:30
Get ready for the NIH Career Symposium!
1. all zoom links to attend will be in the whova app
2. join this pre-conference orientation on HOW TO USE THE CAREER SYMPOSIUM EFFECTIVELY
May 09, 2022 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Register Now
Join for 30 minutes to prepare yourself for the symposium. Learn why the workshops (at 11 am and 4:30 pm) are so important, how to navigate the Whova site, potential meetups, how to ask questions to the speakers, and how to strategize your participation.
(will be recorded and on YouTube by Tuesday morning)

NIH Career Symposium: Academic Careers
2022-05-11 11:00 - 17:45
A great forum to network across an astounding array of employment sectors, have conversations with professionals, learn what kinds of positions are in those sectors, how to be a competitive applicant, and resources to help you on your job hunt! Over 260 speakers to network with!
Learn more and register now. All sessions are online.
In brief:
May 11 –Academics: faculty and non-faculty
May 12 – Industry: research and non-research (MSL, FAS, sales, marketing, reg affairs, etc), Business, Technology Transfer and Patent Careers (patent law, PTO, business Development, Tech Transfer in all sectors) as well as public health/epidemiology and clinician careers
May 13 – Love of science: policy, communication, education, government, data science, non-profits and more
To note:
1. all zoom links to attend will be in the whova app
2. Join a pre-conference orientation on HOW TO USE THE CAREER SYMPOSIUM EFFECTIVELY
May 09, 2022 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Register
Join for 30 minutes to prepare yourself for the symposium, to learn why the workshops (at 11 am and 4:30 pm) are so important, how to navigate the Whova site, potential meetups, how to ask questions to the speakers, and how to strategize your participation.
This session will be recorded and on YouTube by Tuesday morning https://www.youtube.com/c/NIHOITE
Details about the NIH Career Symposium
To plan your days:
WED-MAY-11 – ACADEMIC CAREERS
11:00am-11:50am – Seminar: Introduction to Academia (will be recorded)
12:00pm-1:00pm – Research Intensive Faculty
1:10pm 2:10pm – Teaching Intensive Faculty
2:20pm-3:20pm – Non-Faculty Research (Academics) (like core directors, staff scientists, etc)
3:30pm-4:30pm – Supporting Academic Science (postdoc office, grants, student services, admin
4:40pm -5:40pm- Seminar: Why Career Choices are so Hard: a practical guide for navigating the career process (will be recorded)
THU-MAY-12 – INDUSTRY CAREERS
11:00am-11:50am – Seminar: Industry overview (will be recorded)
12:00pm-1:00pm – Industry- Bench Careers
1:10pm 2:10pm – Industry: Nonbench Careers (MSL, FAS, sales, marketing, reg affairs, etc)
2:20pm-3:20pm – Business, Technology Transfer and Patent Careers (law, consulting, PTO, business Development, Tech Transfer)
3:30pm-4:30pm – Public Health/Clinical
4:40pm -5:40pm- Seminar: Current Hiring Trends (will be recorded)
FRI-MAY-13 – FOR THE LOVE OF SCIENCE CAREERS
11:00am-11:50am – Seminar: Introductions to Careers (will be recorded)
12:00pm-1:00pm – Science Policy
1:10pm 2:10pm – Careers in Science Communication (editors, science writing, etc)
2:20pm-3:20pm – Government Careers (mostly non-bench, all branches)
3:30pm-4:30pm – Science Education and Outreach Careers / Data Science / Non-Profits

NIH Career Symposium: Industry Careers
2022-05-12 11:00 - 17:45

NIH Career Symposium: Policy, Communication, Government Careers
2022-05-13 11:00 - 16:30

Careers Beyond Academia Information Session
2022-05-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Does your career plan need a tune-up? Join us in a small group session to find out how we can help you! Get the most out of Careers Beyond Academia. If you are interested in exploring your options and want to meet colleagues who are considering careers outside of a traditional tenure-track role, sign up for a small group session. Bring your questions, share your career aspirations and trepidations, receive guidance on how to get started on your career search, and specific advice on how to approach your advisor or make a career decision. We’ll exchange tips, tricks, and tools to efficiently explore your options, build your skills and take action to prepare for your future. Feel free to pop in anytime during this hour that suits your schedule.

ComSciCon-NY
2022-06-03 08:30 - 2022-06-04 17:00
Calling all science communicators! Apply now to join June 3 and 4, 2022. The 2022 ComSciCon-NY conference will be held online with in-person networking in Ithaca and Buffalo.
Learn more about the ComSciCon-NY 2022 speakers
ComSciCon-NY is a communicating science conference for STEM graduate students and post-doctoral researchers from universities based in New York (Ithaca, Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, etc.). This statewide chapter workshop and conference is organized and led by graduate students and postdocs. Cornell has hosted this conference annually since 2015 with the support of the office now called Careers Beyond Academia in Cornell’s Graduate School.
Hank Green
Keynote Speaker: Hank Green
Hank Green started making YouTube videos 15 years ago with his brother, John. His love of the online community prompted Hank and John to co-found other endeavors, including VidCon, DFTBA.com, the Project for Awesome, and Complexly, which has produced nearly a dozen educational YouTube channels, including SciShow and Crash Course. Most recently, Hank and John are raising money to dramatically and systematically improve maternal health care in Sierra Leone. You can join them at PIH.org/hankandjohn.
Panel Sessions and workshops on:

Community Outreach
Science & Art
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Science Communication
Career Panels-Science Journalism, Science Policy, Medical Communications, Field Application Scientist

Interactive sessions with expert panelists and professional communicators
Networking opportunities with peers passionate about science communication
Hands-on training to practice and perfect communication skills
About the organizers:
Katerina Roth
Katerina Roth (@katerina_roth) Ph.D. Student, Food Microbiology, Cornell University
Katerina Roth’s research investigates the genomics and spoilage capability of extremophilic bacteria in an effort to better understand their ecological roles, reduce food waste, and characterize an industrially-relevant genus. Katerina is an officer for both the Food Science Department’s Community Outreach Committee and Cornell’s Vaccination Conversations with Scientists, where she works to bring understandable, hands-on science education to communities in Upstate NY. Katerina is passionate about equitable access to science and higher education. As such, she serves as a Multicultural Mentor to first-year grad students at Cornell. In her free time, Katerina loves to horseback ride, forage for mushrooms, bake, and explore trails with her two dogs, George and Lady.
Hannah Fay
Hannah Fay (@hannahrsfay) Ph.D. Student, Tumor Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Hannah received her B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Montana. Now a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, she studies how leukemia stem cells rely on autophagy for survival in the hypoxic bone marrow microenvironment and how this can be exploited therapeutically to prevent relapse in leukemia patients. Hannah’s science communication passion lies in effective & engaging science education at all ages. This includes interactive learning that maintains children’s natural curiosity about the world around them into adulthood, as well as scientific literacy for adults and communication training for scientists. To this end, she has worked as an outreach educator at a hands-on children’s science center and has an active role in the teaching & development of graduate courses at Roswell Park. Hannah enjoys rock climbing & jigsaw puzzles.
Meghan McGillin
Meghan McGillin (@WTFoodsci), USDA Predoctoral Fellow, Ph.D. Candidate, Food Microbiology, Cornell University
Meghan McGillin is the kind of food scientist that is equally comfortable in a research lab, artist studio, or food processing plant. Following her B.S. from UMass-Amherst, Meghan worked in a dairy plant where she tested raw cream for residue antibiotics. Meghan develops creative microbial solutions for increasingly pertinent issues, like antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and phage-based antibiotic alternatives. Beyond the lab, she bridges the gap between the scientific community and the public’s understanding to promote more inclusive discourse and inspire the next generation of researchers. An outspoken advocate for the use of art as a tool to convey science and humanize research, her award-winning video abstract utilized 3D and 2D animation to effectively illustrate the nuances of the phage lytic cycle and the role of synthetic engineering in developing better antimicrobials. See her rock’n’roll food science blog: foodsci.wtf and website: www.foodsci.wtf
Hsin-Yun (Rachel) Chang
Hsin-Yun (Rachel) Chang (@HsinYun_Rachel), Ph.D. candidate, Biomedical and Biological Science Program, Cornell University
Hsin-Yun (Rachel) studies the genomic regulation of hormetic memory to better understand how mild-stress experience can benefit health and delay aging. She aims to use her research expertise to convey the genetic and epigenetic code influencing human health to the public. She is also passionate about inspiring the next generation of young scientists, improving equity in higher education and the scientific research environment, as well as advocating for women in science. During her Master’s degree in Taiwan, she held a Science Outreach Workshop with undergraduates focused on conveying the knowledge of neuroscience underlying Oscar award-winning films. She was a co-chair of the 2021 Cornell BBS Symposium committee, in which she hosted the keynote round table discussion focusing on gender inequity and obstacles for women in science. She is excited to recruit more scientists to the mission of promoting the accessibility of science to everyone.
Megan Keller
Megan Keller (@MRKmicrobes), Ph.D. Student, Microbiology, Cornell University, https://mrk269.wixsite.com/megankeller
Growing up in Kansas, Megan found herself gravitating towards the unsolved mysteries of the natural world around her. She first dabbled in research on breast cancer therapeutics during her B.S. in Biology at Florida Gulf Coast University, minoring in Chemistry and Climate Change. Presenting her work at numerous local conferences and the ASCB national meeting, she fell in love with science communication. Shifting focus from cancer to microbiology, she now focuses on uncovering antibiotic resistance mechanisms in the gut pathogen, V. cholerae. Megan created a science blog to share her knowledge and experience, dissect the wonderful and diverse world of science, take deep dives into various relevant topics, and demystify a number of scientific subjects. As a staff science writer for The Cornell Daily Sun, she actively publishes articles relating to ongoing research across campus. Megan regularly volunteers in outreach programs, tables events and workshops to promote science literacy.
About ComSciCon
As part of a national organization, ComSciCon attendees have founded new science communication organizations in collaboration with other students at the events, published over 80 articles written at the conferences in popular publications with national impact, and formed lasting networks with student alumni and invited experts. Learn more about ComSciCon
Past Cornell hosted events and participant stories have garnered media coverage:
Science Communication Workshop Aims to Engage STEM Researchers Across New York February 4, 2019
ComSciCon at Cornell grows into 6th year August 12, 2019
Patients’ Waste is this Scientist’s Treasure November 2019
Reflecting on Year 2 ComSciCon-Cornell 2016
Reflecting on ComSciCon-Cornell, a regional workshop for upstate New York July 2015
How Gametes Came To Be. Natural History Magazine. 2014
Read about past events: ComSciCon-NY 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
