Community

Professional development for the next generation of scholars

Our workshops, panels, and mentoring initiatives help students and early-career researchers prepare for doctoral study and academic careers. Each brings them into direct conversation with faculty members and doctoral scholars who have navigated the same path.

Our Community Initiatives

  1. 01

    Workshops & Webinars

    Focused learning and discussion that help participants understand academic pathways and prepare for their next steps. Our past programming has included webinars related to doctoral applications and academic development.

  2. 02

    Academic Pathways Panels

    Professors and researchers share the experiences and choices that shaped their academic journeys. Past conversations have included faculty affiliated with University of California campuses and other U.S. universities.

  3. 03

    PhD Incubator

    A multi-month nonprofit mentoring initiative for prospective doctoral applicants, combining webinars, faculty and doctoral-student mentorship, one-to-one application feedback, and mentor interviews.

Past event highlights

Since 2020, ConnectEd has brought students together with faculty members and doctoral scholars through panels, workshops, roundtables, and sustained mentoring.

  1. Mentoring initiative

    PhD Incubator

    More than 20 faculty and doctoral-student mentors supported prospective PhD applicants through an eight-part webinar series, small-group workshops, and mentor interviews.

    • 24 mentors
    • 8 webinars
  2. Panel series

    Professional Development Panel Series

    Twelve professors from U.S. universities shared their paths through doctoral study and into faculty careers, across four field-specific sessions.

    • 12 faculty speakers
    • 300+ live attendees
  3. Workshop

    Writing to Prospective Advisors

    Professor Belle Wang of Sam Houston State University showed applicants how to write clear, effective inquiry emails to prospective advisors.

    • 500+ participants
    • 287 at peak
  4. Roundtables

    PhD Roundtables

    Doctoral scholars from UC Irvine, Columbia, Princeton, and Stanford spoke candidly about research, doctoral life, and the job search in business and the humanities.

    • 2 sessions
    • 100–200 attendees each

Stay connected

Ask about future community learning opportunities or share an idea for a workshop or conversation.

Receive Community Updates Contribute to an Initiative Suggest a Workshop or Panel