GradFUTURES Forum Graduate Student Professional Development Conference
2026-03-23 09:00 - 2026-03-27 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
About the GradFUTURES Forum

On behalf of the Princeton University Graduate School, Cornell graduate students and postdocs are cordially invited to attend the virtual sessions of the 2026 GradFUTURES Forum Graduate Student Professional Development Conference to be held March 23-27. Founded in 2020, the GradFUTURES Forum is a week-long professional development conference that is FREE and OPEN to graduate students from other institutions across the country and around the world.
Featuring dozens of keynote speakers, skill-building workshops, career panels, the conference offers dozens of online programs that support graduate students’ and postdocs’ success and prepare them for diverse career pathways.
Please visit this webpage to view the schedule (click on each date) and register for virtual sessions. (https://gradfutures.princeton.edu/Forum/Virtual)
Highlighting a few online talks of value to GCC members (times in Eastern Time):

The Professional Development Advantage: Rodney Priestley and Eva Kubu, Princeton Graduate School
Understanding the changing PhD opportunity landscape: Matt Sigelman, Burning Glass Institute
Innovative Approaches for supporting International Graduate Students: Fanta Aw (NAFSA), Amy Nice (Institute for Progress, Former White House OSTP), Violet Buxton-Walsh (Institute for Progress) and Robin Catmur-Smith (International Student Resource Center)
Global Careers: Thriving As An International Scholar, Sonali Majumdar, Princeton Graduate School

Link to L.E.K. Consulting
2026-04-27 - 2026-04-29 | Online
This year’s Link to L.E.K. program, designed for Life Sciences–focused PhD, MD, and PharmD students. The program will take place online from April 27–29, 2026. Interested candidates should submit a resume online through the L.E.K. website and complete the required assessment before March 8, 2026 (link here).
About Link to L.E.K.
Link to L.E.K. is an immersive program for PhDs, MDs and PharmDs designed to provide participants with an in-depth view of life sciences strategy consulting and more specifically, the Life Sciences Specialist (LSS) role. This program will be held virtually and will feature opportunities to:

Learn more about L.E.K. as a firm and the type of work we do
Gain hands-on experience working through a simulated case with Life Sciences Consultants and present findings to senior management
Network with all levels of Life Sciences staﬀ

Participants will receive an accelerated invitation to final round interviews for 2027 Life Sciences Specialist roles.
Learn more and submit your application on the L.E.K. website.
Contact Lindsey Methia (Recruiting Manager) at li.methia@lek.com with any questions.
Lindsey Methia, U.S. Recruiting Manager
L.E.K. Consulting
75 State Street, 19th Floor, Boston, MA 02109
O: +1 617 289 9768
Li.Methia@lek.com | www.lek.com

Nurture Your Network
2026-04-30 14:00 - 15:30
Learn why and how to network, conduct informational interviews, and ask practical questions. Incorporate AI tools, a tracking system, and LinkedIn strategies to build reputation and reach.
Workshop outcomes:

Understand why and how to build a network
Leverage the power of LinkedIn to identify and communicate with professionals
Learn to manage a network, and track it with a “Digital Rolodex a/k/a Tres Anillos.”

Networking is a two-way street where you must invest time and energy to nurture and grow it. Being intentional about your interactions can mean the difference between opening and closing doors. You can build something invaluable if you are selective and curate who/what you want to learn more about through informational interviews. AI tools help synthesize information, identify related organizations, and map ideas. A network contributes to collaborative activities such as publishing, presenting, and partnering on projects. We learn about an industry or sector through informational interviews (an opportunity to gather information and share your pitch), do market research, and find areas to collaborate. A genuine connection can organically lead to anything and everything. Integrate Excel with AI to track activities.
Join our in-person only hands-on networking workshop! All disciplines welcome! REGISTER NOW
Event Details
Date and Time: April 30 @2-3:30pm in-person only
Campus Location: Provided upon registration, prior to the event
Facilitator: Alumna Melissa Reitkopp’85
Accommodations: We strive to make our events accessible to all community members. Individuals who would like to request accessibility accommodations should contact gradcareers@cornell.edu. We ask that requests be made at least one week in advance to help ensure they can be met.
About the speaker: Alumna Melissa Reitkopp’85 is a talent acquisition pro, career coach and community connector who has helped thousands of professionals across non-profit, commercial and government sectors grow their careers and build meaningful networks. She combines recruiter insights with practical tools to help people land jobs they love.
Brought to you through a collaboration with Cornell Alumni Affairs and the Graduate School Office of Professional Development’s Careers Beyond Academia

Doctoral Advocacy Trek to D.C.: Apply by May 4
2026-05-13
Practice public policy advocacy! Apply to travel to Washington, D.C. for Cornell Doctoral Student Advocacy Day on May 13, 2026.
Travel Dates: May 12 & 13
About the Cornell Doctoral Student Advocacy Day
On May 13, Cornell doctoral students are invited to engage in meetings with elected Members of Congress, Congressional staff, and current policy fellows. These meetings will be organized by representatives from the Cornell Office of Federal Relations. In preparation for Advocacy Day, there will be a virtual training led by representatives from the Cornell Office of Federal Relations to prepare participants for their Advocacy Day activities (date TBA). Students from any graduate field are eligible to participate in Advocacy Day.
Because we may only select up to eight doctoral students to participate in the Cornell Doctoral Student Advocacy Day, please do not apply unless you can make yourself available to travel to Washington D.C. from the morning of May 12 through the late evening of May 13 and fully participate in the program.
Register now
Prepare to apply
The application form will ask about your undergraduate education, funding sources for your education, who your Congressional representatives are (if not voting eligible, you can use your local address), a synopsis of your research as part of a short bio, what you hope to get out of the experience and how it can inform your career goals.
Sponsorship
Support for participation in the Cornell Doctoral Student Advocacy Day comes from the Graduate School Office of Career and Professional Development and the Cornell Office of Federal Relations. Travel and accommodations will be at no cost to selected participants.
Questions
Should you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Susi Varvayanis, Executive Director of Careers Beyond Academia at gradcareers@cornell.edu.

Research Communication Workshop
2026-05-14 14:00 - 16:00
Join this interactive, in-person only workshop. PhD students and postdocs from all disciplines are welcome. Be prepared to discuss your own research!
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this workshop you should:
• Be able to introduce yourself in an engaging and memorable way
• Recognize and develop strategies to explain jargon or complex topics
• Develop skills and confidence to communicate with a variety of audiences
• Use different storytelling approaches to communicate your research
• Identify one or more outlets to communicate your research
• Develop an approach to start your talk and engage your audience immediately
REGISTER NOW
Facilitators:
Cynthia Leifer, Director Cornell Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Susi Varvayanis, Executive Director of Careers Beyond Academia
Date and time: May 14 from 2:00-4pm
Campus location: will be sent to registrants’ Cornell email prior to the date
Brought to you through a collaboration between the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in the Research and Innovation Division and Careers Beyond Academia in the Office of Career and Professional Development in the Graduate School.
