Syracuse University Gradcast

Melissa Welshans, Ph.D., of the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising, joins Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., to discuss the collaboration between the Graduate School and the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) to support the many types of fellowships and scholarships for graduate students and postdocs.

In this episode, Tracy Bauer, G’15, is joined by Dan Klamm, ‘08, Vice President, Global Head of Social Media (Marketing). Dan uses Critical Thinking skills all the time as he makes important decisions in his work, and life. He’ll talk about what critical thinking is and how you can strengthen these skills that employers want. Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management. Career readiness is made up of eight career competencies that all employers want, regardless of industry or discipline: Career and Self-Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity and Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology.

Trenna Hill, ’14, G’18, is the Director of Athlete Development at Fire Lacrosse and a certified life coach. Trenna played lacrosse at Syracuse University, worked in Career Services, and went on to earn her master’s degree in higher education and C.A.S. in Athletic Advising and Administration before moving to Los Angeles. Trenna talks about her experiences being bi-racial and how being yourself is your superpower. Within the intersections of being biracial, indigenous, and a female athlete, Trenna became passionate about helping other athletes, biracials, and anyone struggling through their own identity crisis, build a strong core of confidence and authenticity, and redefining belonging while embracing what “fullness” really means. Not ironically, she is known for her ability to create and build strong team cultures with belonging, refreshing realness, and contagious confidence at the center. Trenna obtained her ICF Life Coaching Certification in 2020. You can follow her at @trenski23 or @_thegirlscoach on Instagram, and follow along at Thebiracialblog.com. Her podcast, Full of Myself, debuts in Spring 2022.

We talk about equity and inclusion with Diane R. Wiener, M.S.W., Ph.D. (Pronouns: she/they/Diane), Research Professor and Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute and College of Law at Syracuse University. Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management. Career readiness is made up of eight career competencies that all employers want, regardless of industry or discipline. Resources: Sins Invalid: https://www.sinsinvalid.org Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature: https://www.wordgathering.com Wiener, D. R. (2021, August). Dis/Ability and Critical Cultural Studies. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wiener, D. R. (2020, June). Rev. of Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the 21st Century, edited by Alice Wong (Vintage Books, 2020). In Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature, 14(2). Wiener, D. R. (2018, December). Rev. of Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People: Crip Wisdom for the People, edited by Alice Wong (Disability Visibility Project, 2018). In Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature, 12(4). Penner, P., & Wiener, D. R. (2018). Language Guide – Disability Cultural Center (2018 edition). Syracuse: Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center. Pollack, K., & Wiener, D. (2018). A Guide to Planning Inclusive Events, Seminars, and Activities at Syracuse University (2018 edition). Syracuse: Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center. Wiener, D. R., & Harris, J. (2017, 28 Feb.). On fortune cookies, neurodiversity, and accessibility. Huffington Post. Wiener, D. R. (2016, 21 Nov.). Intersectional politics and accessibility. Huffington Post. Wiener, D. R., & Hsu, M. (2016, 6 Sept.). Disability rights and the Sagamihara 19: A dialogue with Mizuki Hsu. Huffington Post. Wiener, D. R. (2016, 23 June). ‘Suck it, bipeds’: Finding Dory’s disability narratives. Huffington Post. Wiener, D. R. (2016, 25 May). On mad advantage: A letter to ‘the normals’ (and to the rest of us). Huffington Post.

Communication is defined as: Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization. Shannon Andre, ‘09, G’17, serves as the executive director of communications for the student experience at Syracuse University. She leads the division’s communications strategy and planning, along with a team of communications professionals who manage digital content, design, social media, campaigns and writing efforts for divisional departments and student-focused initiatives. Shannon joined the University as a staff member in 2011 after working at the United Way of Central New York. She earned a master's degree in communications management and a bachelor's degree in public relations and political science from Syracuse University. Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management. Career readiness is made up of eight career competencies that all employers want, regardless of industry or discipline.

Leadership is defined as: Recognizing and capitalizing on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals. In this episode, we hear from Greg Victory, G’04, Assistant Vice President, Student Affairs and Fannie Mitchell Executive Director, Career Center at Duke University. Greg received his master’s degree in higher education from Syracuse University’s School of Education. Previously, Greg served as Executive Director of the Tufts Career Center from 2016-2020, and as Executive Director of Continuing Education at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he was previously Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of the RISD Career Center. At Syracuse University, Greg taught in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, led the First-Year and Transfer Programs office, and served as a lead with employer engagement in the Career Center. Greg has also held positions at Colgate University and Ithaca College and taught junior high school social studies. One of Greg’s favorite jobs was serving as “Scooch,” mascot for the Syracuse Mets (formerly the Syracuse Chiefs), a AAA baseball club. That position allowed him to “be as goofy as I wanted to be, to bring joy, laughter and excitement to fans,” he said. “It offers a glimpse of my spirit, energy and enthusiasm.” In his free-time he enjoys traveling, food (cooking and exploring new restaurants), and spending time with his partner, David, and puppy, Faya. Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management. Career readiness is made up of eight career competencies that all employers want, regardless of industry or discipline.

In a new series in partnership with the Graduate Student Organization, Syracuse University Gradcast is featuring the voices and perspectives of graduate students on campus. Today we hear from Prajakta Mane, a master's student in the iSchool, about life in the US, the differences between the Indian and American educational systems, and her thoughts on life at SU. 

Career and Self-Development is defined as: Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization. In this episode, we hear from Geoff, “DeafGeoff” Herbert, ‘05, about his career and self-development as a student and professional. Syracuse University alumnus, Geoff “DeafGeoff” Herbert, ‘05, is a New York Emmy-nominated reporter and SEO Lead for syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, where he's worked since 2010. He has also been a DJ for more than 20 years known as "DeafGeoff," and previously worked at Syracuse radio station Hot 107.9 (WWHT-FM) for six years. He was born with a profound binaural hearing loss, gives motivational speeches about growing up with a disability/different ability, and is known on Twitter (@deafgeoff) for lipreading Jim Boeheim during Syracuse basketball games. Herbert grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School in 2005. He now lives in Syracuse with his wife and two children. Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management. Career readiness is made up of eight career competencies that all employers want, regardless of industry or discipline: Career and Self-Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity and Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology.

Chris Caterine holds a classics Ph.D., worked in academia for a few years...and then wanted to get out. As with many, life had complicated the once-clear path that he'd expected and wanted, and he found himself casting about for new opportunities. Now, Chris works at Deloitte as a Lead in the Pursuit Center of Excellence and puts the skills he learned during his doctorate to work every day. His recent book, Leaving Academia: A Practical Guide, is essential reading for anyone wondering what their next step might be. Hear Chris's story, his thoughts on the pandemic, and on academia in general right here. 

Ever wondered if you could put your STEM PhD to work in consulting? Kim White, Vice President and Senior Consultant with Numerof & Associates, certainly thinks so. Numerof & Assoc. is a strategy consulting firm that helps businesses across the life sciences sector develop and implement strategies for competitive advantage in dynamic markets. The firm has a number of PhDs on its staff, many from STEM backgrounds. Join us to hear about the work they do, about consulting in general, and advice about how to succeed in such a role. 

Bekka Burton, G’20, M.A., Linguistic Studies, is now a User Experience Content Writer at Paychex in Rochester, NY. Prior to securing this position, she went through a lengthy job search process filled with rejection. She shares her tips for if you’re experiencing the frustrations of the job search.

Alumna and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Caitlin Dawson Brown, G’15, discusses developing more self-awareness and self-compassion throughout your life. If you would like more assistance with these topics at SU, please visit the Counseling at Barnes Center at the Arch.

Last year we compiled a bunch of our bloopers and we’re back again with more; we hope you enjoy it!

What does a recruiter do? What is a hiring manager? These roles at companies are incredibly important to understand as a job seeker and are incredibly different. We’ll go over the differences and give you insight to help you improve your strategies with navigating the hiring process with both a recruiter and hiring manager.

Teaching demos are an often-overlooked part of an academic job interview, and they’re just as mysterious as their cousin, the teaching statement or “philosophy.” Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., breaks down the elements of a good demo, suggesting how to avoid inevitable pitfalls and, equally important, how to succeed at this sometimes-tricky assignment.