ConnectEd has convened workshops, webinars, and panels that connect learners with the experiences of professors and researchers. These exchanges give participants a chance to hear how academic interests develop and to ask practical questions about research and further study.
Our panels have invited professors from U.S. universities, including University of California campuses, to share their academic paths.
These conversations bring different experiences into view rather than presenting a single model of academic success.
Alongside faculty conversations, our programming has included webinars supporting prospective doctoral applicants.
These sessions complemented the sustained mentorship and individual feedback offered through the 2025 PhD Incubator.
The overview below describes recurring areas of our community work. Individual event recaps and recordings are added when documentation and sharing permissions are available.
Panel conversations in which professors share their academic journeys and respond to learners’ questions.
Webinars related to PhD preparation and applications. The 2025 PhD Incubator ran an eight-part series from September 2025 to January 2026, covering application planning, the academic CV, contacting faculty and securing recommendations, the statement of purpose, research proposals, a faculty perspective on strong candidates, interview preparation, and choosing offers and fellowships. See the full series
Conversations with mentors connected to the incubator, offering participants perspectives on research and academic life.
Speaker participation. Speakers contribute their individual perspectives. Any reference to a speaker’s university affiliation is descriptive and does not indicate that the university sponsors or endorses ConnectEd.