Graduate School of Arts & Sciences students were out in full force this spring to celebrate Bryn Mawr’s annual Graduate Student Appreciation Week. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, in coordination with the Graduate Student Association kicked off the week’s events with its biennial career symposium on March 31st in the Ely Room of Wyndham Alumnae House. This year’s symposium, “Careers Beyond the Classroom” was a workshop dedicated to the pursuit of alt-academic employment after graduation. Five panelists of Bryn Mawr alumnae/i and current faculty were invited to share their experiences of obtaining and flourishing in jobs in public and private sector industries. Dean Sharon Burgmayer of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences gave introductory remarks. The event was moderated by Director of LILAC Katie Krimmel.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences encourages and facilitates a wide range of post-graduate career pathways for its students. The college’s strong alumnae network and the breadth of Bryn Mawr’s professional reach was emphasized by each panelist. Kathryn Bryant (Ph.D. Mathematics, ‘16) spoke about her professional experience culminating in her recent position as Senior Data Manager for the energy company National Grid, stressing the importance of getting to know individuals outside of academia that can help one land a high-powered industry job. It is this sort of network that Bryn Mawr’s Digital Scholarship Specialist Alicia Peaker has helped develop in the still nascent field of digital scholarship, where communication among peers fuels major innovations in pedagogy. Likewise, as Social Media Manager for the online art and culture publication Hyperallergic, panelist Lola Arellano-Weddleton (M.A. History of Art, ’17) has made networking a primary focus in her professional life.
Panelist Dr. Sara Sieteski (Ph.D. Classics, ’17) highlighted the importance of a factor that is often overlooked in particular career paths – the balance of personal and professional fulfilment. Having recently accepted a position as Senior Learning Technologies Program Manager for the Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Sieteski stressed the need to set one’s individual parameters for career success, allowing room for personal factors such as happiness and family. Similarly, panelist Ben Williams (Ph.D. Chemistry, ’15) talked about his own personal journey beyond academia, noting how it was his job placement experience in a health and safety position that encouraged him to make the switch from academia to industry. Dr. Williams is now pursuing an M.A. in Occupational Hygiene in hopes to work to reduce industrial hazards while still utilizing his expertise as a chemist. This year’s career symposium demonstrated the need to demystify the world of private and public sector industries and encourage the graduate community to consider jobs that are personally rewarding as much as they are the best application of one’s scholarship. The personal experiences of the panelists and the active participation of attending faculty, graduate students, and alumnae/i, demonstrated that while traditional careers in academia will always be strongly encouraged at Bryn Mawr, the professional success of Graduate School of Arts & Sciences alumnae/i can be defined in much broader terms.
Graduate School Appreciation Week continued on April 3rd with the Graduate Research Symposium, as students and faculty convened in the Great Hall for student talks and poster presentations. Lightning talks were given by Hannah Schwartz (Math), R.J. Barnes (Classics), Carlos Cartagena (Physics), Katherine Ford (History of Art), Cassandra Gates (Chemistry), Matthew Jameson (Archaeology), Isaac Craig (Math), Dan Crosby (Classics), Laurel McLaughlin (History of Art), and Mary Sexton (Chemistry). Carlos Cartagena (Physics), Andy Clark (Physics), Shannon Dunn (Archaeology), Cassandra Gates (Chemistry), Vince Gregoric (Physics), Sam Pezzimenti (Math), Danielle Smiley (Math), Rachel Starry (Archaeology), and Haley Varnum (Chemistry) presented their research as posters. R.J. Barnes was awarded best presentation for his talk on “The ABCs of Magic in the Ancient World” while Shannon Dunn won best poster with her research on “Poseidon of the Saronic Gulf: An exploration of landscape and dedication at the sanctuaries of Sounion, Isthmia, and Kalaureia.” The Graduate Research Symposium also featured the awarding of the 2018 Graduate Faculty Mentorship Award to Chair and Professor of Mathematics Lisa Traynor, in recognition of her service and dedication to the Bryn Mawr graduate community. Festivities continued throughout the week with a series of student-led events culminating in a celebratory dinner. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the Graduate Student Association thanks all involved in organizing and contributing to this annual tradition.
