Professional Development Day 2022

Professional Development Day connects current Annenberg School doctoral students and postdocs with alumni representing various fields.

Professional Development Day provides an intimate setting for networking among alumni and doctoral students, giving current Annenberg students opportunities to make connections with alumni and giving alumni a way to stay involved with ASC.

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Schedule

8:45am-9am

Breakfast

Room 500

Coffee, bagels, and pastries will be available for attendees.

9am–9:30am

Welcome

Room 500

Speakers:

• John L. Jackson, Jr., Walter H. Annenberg Dean
• John B. Jemmott III, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies

9:30am-10:45am

Morning Keynote: The power and pitfalls of a Ph.D. in a changing economy

Room 500

This session explores how the value of a doctorate has changed over time and what doctoral students should know before they go into the job market. During this session, alumni will share the economic, political, and social changes that have intersected with the ways in which Annenberg School doctoral degrees are applied in academic and non-academic spaces.

Speakers:

• Nikhil Sinha '91, CEO, OneValley
• Sarah Parvanta '13, Senior Director, Mission Informatics, The ALS Association
• Susan Mello '13, Associate Professor of Communication, Northeastern University
• Jazmyne Sutton '19, Associate Research Director, SSRS

10:45am-11am

Break

11am-12pm

Session 1: The future of policy — and how to develop a career as a policy advocate or creator

Location TBA

In the United States and across the globe, much of the debate around policies is centered around elected officials and politics. But the people behind the policies — including advocating for specific ones — have an even more critical role. Alumni speakers from diverse policy sectors share their thoughts on how an Annenberg degree can help prepare doctoral students for a policy career.

Speakers:

• Ken Winneg '09, Managing Director of Survey Research, Annenberg Public Policy Center
• Angel Bourgoin '13, Senior Researcher, John Snow Inc.

Session 2: Tips on how to form your committee

(for first years only) Location TBA

Choosing your committee members can be one of the most agonizing times of your ASC doctoral experience. Alumni speakers share what to look for in a committee member, how to balance personalities on your committee, and what you should be focused on during your committee construction process.

Speakers:

• Prateekshit Pandey '22, Postdoctoral Fellow, Annenberg School for Communication, Univ. of Pennsylvania
• John Vilanova '19, Professor of Practice, Journalism & Communication and Africana Studies, Lehigh University

Session 3: “The one thing I wish I knew back when I was on the job market” — Alumni dish on the best ways to maximize your job search

Location TBA

Annenberg alumni frequently have “Aha!” moments about their times in the program after they’ve left. That wisdom can be useful for current doctoral candidates as they get ready for the job market. Alumni share lessons learned and things they might have done differently during their job search process.

Speakers:

• Andy Tan '13, Associate Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, Univ. of Pennsylvania
• Rui Shi '16, Assistant Professor of Communication, Rowan University

12pm-1pm

Lunch Reception

Lunch will be available to all attendees in the Annenberg Plaza.