UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Graduate students are invited to attend the Graduate School’s annual Career Exploration Workshop on Oct. 7, to be held virtually via Zoom. Sponsored by the Graduate School Alumni Society, the workshop provides an opportunity for graduate students to meet Penn State alumni from industry, academia and government to gain first-hand insights into diverse career paths.
Graduate students will have the opportunity to have career conversations with alumni and ask questions about career planning and professional development. Students should register in advance.
Penn State alum Hannah Furnas, who received a doctoral degree in sociology with a dual degree in demography from the College of the Liberal Arts, will provide the keynote address. Furnas is a research manager at Chime, a fintech startup in San Francisco. Previously Furnas spent four years at Facebook leading the Ground Truth Measurement team in developing machine learning ground truth best practices.
Following the keynote presentation, there will be a panel discussion and breakout sessions with alumni. Panelists will share their insights and strategies for navigating the world of work beyond graduate school and finding fulfilling careers. Panelists include:
- Ned Brokloff, defense research liaison and professor of practice, Penn State College of Engineering and Applied Research Laboratory
- Levon Esters, associate dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Faculty Affairs, Purdue Polytechnic Institute
- Nancy Merritt, senior policy adviser, U.S. Department of Justice
- Matt Stein, program coordinator, Penn State Career Services
More information, including panelist biographies, is available at careerworkshop.psu.edu.