Communication – Career Advising & Professional Development | MIT

March Career Exploration Opportunities

Qingqing Ouyang — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:27:41 +0000

March brings a range of career exploration opportunities designed to help you connect your interests with meaningful paths forward. From conversations with guest speakers and professionals across global development, anthropology, and energy policy to Fulbright information sessions and international fellowship exploration, these events offer chances to network, ask questions, and discover new possibilities for your future career.

Mon, Mar 2 | 6:00 PM
Infinite Careers — Amah Edoh: Founder of African Futures Lab
In-person, Ford Building (E19-202)

Thu, Mar 5 | 4:00 PM
Graduate Student Professional Development Resource Lounge
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Tue, Mar 10 | 6:00 PM
International Development Career Social
In-person, MIT D-Lab (N51-265)

Tue, Mar 10 | 6:00 PM
Infinite Careers — Kali Benavides, Senior Analyst at National Grid
In-person, Ford Building (E19-202)

Wed, Mar 11 | 2:00 PM
Fulbright In-Person Information Session
In-person, Maclaurin Buildings (4-153)

Thu, Mar 12 | 4:00 PM
Graduate Student Professional Development Resource Lounge
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Fri, Mar 13 | 1:00 PM
Physician Lunch & Learn with Dr. John Leung — Boston Specialist Clinic
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Wed, Mar 18 | 1:00 PM
Explore Fulbright: Norway
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Thu, Mar 19 | 4:00 PM
Graduate Student Professional Development Resource Lounge
In-person, Rogers Building (7-103)

Career Exploration Bingo + Networking

Handshake #Event:1913099 — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:12:43 +0000

Turn career exploration into a fun game and enjoy cookies! In this interactive session, we complete a bingo card, each square prompting exploration, reflection, and connection—of career resources, school, work culture, or skills. By the end, you’ll leave with new connections, practical insights, and a clearer sense of what paths are worth exploring next.This CAPD event is open to MIT undergraduates.Please indicate any accommodation needs by completing the following survey: https://airtable.com/shrfsjcovcoDIN0daNote: Accommodation requests should be submitted one week in advance of an event. If accommodations are not possible due to the late timing of the request, a team member will reach out to you to discuss alternative resources and/or solutions.

February Career Exploration Events

Qingqing Ouyang — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:01:13 +0000

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance—it’s also a great excuse to invest a little love in your future. This February, CAPD’s Career Exploration events are here to help you explore new paths, meet inspiring professionals, and spark ideas that might just turn into long-term commitments. Whether you’re curious about studying abroad, unconventional career routes, or hands-on industry insights, consider this your sign to swipe right on what’s next.

Thu, Feb 12 | 2:00 PM
Fulbright Virtual Information Session (Virtual)

Wed, Feb 18 | 1:30 PM
Careers in Patent Law for PhDs & Postdocs
In-person, E19-202 (Ford Building)

Mon, Feb 23 | 12:00 PM
Physician Lunch & Learn with Dr. Lucy Shen
In-person, Rogers Building (7)

Mon, Feb 23 | 5:00 PM
Legal Career Options for STEM Students
In-person, Maclaurin Buildings (4)

Tue, Feb 24 | 6:00 PM
Infinite Careers: Francesca DeMeo — Research Scientist at MIT & CEO of NoStove, Inc.
In-person, location TBD

*not on flyer

Wed, Feb 25 | 1:00 PM
Explore Fulbright: Turkey (Türkiye)
In-person, Rogers Building (7)

Fri, Feb 27 | 10:00 AM
How to Succeed in Your Squiggly Career
In-person, Maclaurin Buildings (10)

Fri, Feb 27 | 2:00 PM
Coffee Chats with Alpha AI Engineering (For 1st & 2nd Years)
In-person

Infinite Careers – Francesca DeMeo – Research Scientist at MIT & CEO of NoStove, Inc.

Handshake #Event:1908431 — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:11:50 +0000

Join us for dinner with Francesca DeMeo! Come meet Francesca in person and enjoy a dinner while learning about her unique career bridging entrepreneurship and planetary science.Francesca is the CEO and Founder of NoStove, Inc., a platform helping people find the best local meal prep and meal delivery businesses to save time, eat healthier, and live better. Before founding NoStove, she co-founded Cambridge Select, where she served as CIO from 2011 to 2021. She led the company’s growth to over $30 million in annual revenue, becoming one of the largest footwear sellers on Amazon, and built the data systems managing product discovery, pricing, purchasing, and logistics at scale.Alongside her entrepreneurial career, Francesca is a Research Scientist at MIT, where her work focuses on asteroid surface compositions through spectroscopic measurements. Her research on the Bus-DeMeo asteroid taxonomy has earned over 500 citations, and her work on solar system evolution has been published in Nature. She has received prestigious honors including the DPS Urey Prize, NASA Hubble Fellowship, and Fulbright Scholarship, and has an asteroid named in her honor—Asteroid (8070) DeMeo.As an MIT alum, Francesca earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, as well as her Master of Science. She also earned her PhD at the Paris Observatory and completed postdoctoral work at MIT. During her time at MIT, she was actively involved in asteroid spectroscopy research and competed on the MIT gymnastics team!Register in Handshake. Dinner will be served for the first 30 attendees. This CAPD event is open to MIT undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and alumni. Please indicate any accommodation needs by completing the following survey: https://airtable.com/shrfsjcovcoDIN0da.Note: Accommodation requests should be submitted one week in advance of an event. If accommodations are not possible due to the late timing of the request, a team member will reach out to you to discuss alternative resources and/or solutions.

Infinite Careers – Kali Benavides – Senior Analyst at National Grid

Handshake #Event:1908436 — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:11:51 +0000

Join us for dinner with Kali Benavides! Come meet Kali in person and enjoy a dinner while learning about her career in energy policy and environmental strategy.Kali is a Senior Analyst at National Grid, where she focuses on crafting strategies for energy-efficiency programs for commercial and industrial customers. With more than 10 years of experience in the energy sector, she is passionate about advancing solutions that drive positive environmental impact at the intersection of policy, technology, and strategy. Before joining National Grid, Kali worked at the U.S. Department of Energy ensuring compliance with grants under the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. She also worked at Charles River Associates as a project manager and held multiple roles at Chevron in environmental compliance.After six years in environmental compliance, Kali returned to MIT to learn more about how policy and regulation are shaped. The Technology and Policy Program provided the perfect blend of technical analysis and policy instruction, allowing her to pivot into energy policy roles while continuing on a technical path. As an MIT alum, Kali earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Environmental Engineering in 2015 and her Master of Science in Energy Policy from the Technology and Policy Program in 2023. She values the unique nature of every career path and has found the MIT network invaluable in discovering new opportunities throughout her career.Register in Handshake. Dinner will be served for the first 30 attendees. This CAPD event is open to MIT undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and alumni. Please indicate any accommodation needs by completing the following survey: https://airtable.com/shrfsjcovcoDIN0da.Note: Accommodation requests should be submitted one week in advance of an event. If accommodations are not possible due to the late timing of the request, a team member will reach out to you to discuss alternative resources and/or solutions.

Distinguished Fellowships Information Session

Handshake #Event:1897182 — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:14:35 +0000

The Distinguished Fellowships team and MIT alumni will meet to share what fellowships and scholarships opportunities are available to students considering next steps after their time at MIT. Fellowships we support include the Rhodes, Marshall, Schwarzman, Knight-Hennessy, Gates, and many more. We will discuss the internal and external process for preparing to apply for fellowship, and will have members of the MIT community who can share their experiences pursuing, winning, and experiencing fellowships after their time at MIT.

This CAPD event is open to MIT juniors, seniors, graduate students, and alumni.

Please indicate any accommodation needs by completing the following survey: https://airtable.com/shrfsjcovcoDIN0da

Note: Accommodation requests should be submitted one week in advance of an event. If accommodations are not possible due to the late timing of the request, a team member will reach out to you to discuss alternative resources and/or solutions.

Save the date: Professional certificates for PhDs and postdocs

Lydia Huth — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 19:32:03 +0000

Professional Certificate programming for graduate students and postdocs has entered its 3rd year. These popular programs provide opportunities for participants to go a little deeper into grant writing and research mentoring, two important topics certain to play key roles in the careers of research trainees, regardless of their career destination. Past programs have seen high numbers of applicants and strong outcomes in terms of participant satisfaction and growth.

Opportunities to apply for the next round of certificate programs are approaching in the fall semester. Applications for the Grant Writing Training Certificate program open October 1 and close October 15. The Research Mentoring Certificate Program begins accepting applications on November 7 with a due date of November 25.

All MIT PhD students and postdocs are enthusiastically welcome to apply. For questions on the Research Mentoring Certificate please contact Elsie Otero, Assistant Director of Graduate Student Professional Development at eotero@mit.edu; for inquiries about the Grant Writing Training program, please email Amanda Cornwall, Associate Director of Graduate Student Professional Development at acorn5@mit.edu.

EVENT: Spilling the Tea on Leadership | 24 April 2025, 5pm

Lydia Huth — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:05:32 +0000

Thursday, April 24 | 5-6pm | On-campus

There’s something very special about the opportunity to hear directly from a leader about what her path to success was really like, how she learned to lead, and what has helped her to thrive. In this “Spilling the Tea” event, join an informal chat with MIT alumna Colleen Akehurst, who in her current leadership role serves as Chief Executive Officer at Sterilex. Don’t miss this chance to talk with an accomplished alumna mentor and ask her advice on leadership in graduate school and beyond.

Learn more about Colleen Akehurst on LinkedIn. This CAPD event is open to MIT graduate students.

A successful inaugural year for CAPD Graduate Student Professional Development’s certificate programs

Julia Mongo — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 17:06:17 +0000

This spring, over 150 doctoral students and postdocs successfully completed CAPD’s new professional development certificate program. Two certificates—one in research mentoring and the other in grant writing—were launched last fall to help PhD students and postdocs advance their growth in these essential areas. Participants attended a series of workshops throughout the 2023-24 academic year to fulfill the certificate programs’ requirements.

As reflected by the application numbers, the programs’ launch received an enthusiastic response. The Research Mentoring Certificate attracted 245 applicants, of which 75 participants, representing a mix of PhD students and postdocs, were selected. The cohort attended workshops designed to teach mentoring skills such as maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations, addressing equity and inclusion, and assessing understanding. Each session was led by a facilitator trained by the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER).

For the Grant Writing Training Certificate, which was co-funded by Postdoctoral Services, 325 doctoral students and postdocs applied and 100 were accepted. Participants were required to attend three intensive workshops that delved into critical aspects of writing and submitting scientific grant proposals for the NSF, NIH, and other agencies.

The first workshop featured a faculty panel, moderated by Vivian Siegel, lecturer in the Department of Biology, which introduced the grant writing landscape. Professors Anna Frebel (Physics), John Gabrieli (Brain and Cognitive Sciences), and Chris Kaiser (Biology), along with Research Administration Services’ Vivian Holmes, offered insights based on their professional experiences.

The second session, led by outside facilitator Dr. John Robertson, was an all-day deep dive into the art and practice of writing winning grant proposals. The third session, entitled “The Nuts and Bolts of the Research Funding Machine,” was led by MIT Research Administration Services and discussed the internal process for federal grant submissions. Participants also had the option of attending a fourth workshop, helmed by outside facilitator Dr. Beth Schachter, focused exclusively on NIH K grants for postdocs and F grants for graduate students.

Survey responses demonstrated that the programs achieved Graduate Student Professional Development’s goal of helping PhD students and postdocs learn valuable skills that are not typically included in their training. A participant in the Research Mentoring Certificate program wrote, “Thank you for organizing this! [It] should be mandatory for all mentors — it really was so helpful!” Responses to sessions of the Grant Writing Certificate program included, “Best grant writing workshop I ever attended,” “This was extremely helpful for many levels of grant writers,” and “I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to write a successful grant application.”

Based on the success of the first year of the program, CAPD looks forward to continuing with these offerings and expanding them to include certificates for other vital skill sets. Ultimately, these efforts will support the Institute-wide focus on developing graduate student professional development, an area of emphasis in the Institute’s Task Force 2021 report.

MIT Comm Lab Spotlight: Engineers, Express Yourselves

Tara Thakurta — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:06:09 +0000

The MIT School of Engineering Communication Lab, which turned 10 in 2023, helps students translate their work for broader impact.

For a decade, the MIT School of Engineering Communication Lab, which originated in the Department of Biological Engineering and has grown to encompass the school, has empowered students to refine, communicate, and demystify their discoveries for the public. “You could be doing the most interesting science in the world, but if you’re unable to explain it in a compelling way, nobody is going to know,” says Diana Chien PhD ’16, the lab’s longtime manager.

This spotlight appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of Spectrum, which highlighted mentorship across the institution.

Read the full article HERE

Other articles from the Fall 2023 issue of Spectrum include: