Syracuse University Gradcast

Dr. Melissa Welshans from the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising is back with our final installment on the NSF GRFP: tips from two grant recipients. Melissa speaks with Jane Pascar, a PhD candidate in her third year of the Biology PhD Program, and Katie Piston, a PhD candidate in her fourth year of the Bioengineering PhD program.

Tracy Bauer, G'15, Graduate Career Development Specialist, and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., Director of Career and Professional Development at the Graduate School want to help you know how to work with us! We briefly discuss how we help students, when you should start working with us, how to make appointments and more. 

Join Tracy Bauer, G'15, as she interviews Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., to learn about applying to Ph.D. programs. This episode answers your questions on when you should get started, how to find schools that are a good fit for you, what to include in a successful statement of purpose essay, and more!

Melissa Welshans, Ph.D., G’14, from Syracuse University’s Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising interviews Mary Beth Monroe, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Monroe received an NSF GRFP grant while a PhD student at Texas A&M University, and served as a reviewer for the award during last year’s application cycle. If you haven’t listened to our previous episode, the NSF GRFP – And Why It Matters, make sure to listen to that episode first.

* Applicants must be US Citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, be pursuing a research-based master’s or PhD degree in STEM or social sciences, enrolled in an accredited U.S. institution by the fall after they receive the award, and either applying to or recently enrolled in graduate school.

The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) is one of the most prestigious (and lucrative!) awards one can get as a grad student. It will pay for 3 years of both tuition and a generous stipend for students in STEM or Social Science. Melissa Welshans, PhD, Assistant Director of the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) sat down with me to share what students need to know and how to prepare for the fellowship. Melissa tells us that there is no better time to get started on your application, and this podcast is a great way to start. 

* Applicants must be US Citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, be pursuing a research-based master’s or PhD degree in STEM or social sciences, enrolled in an accredited U.S. institution by the fall after they receive the award, and either applying to or recently enrolled in graduate school.

Carlos Castaneda, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology and Chemistry at Syracuse University, shares his experience and thoughts on the on-campus interview--including whether there will be such things this year! Carlos and I discuss all the crucial bits: the meals, the meeting with the dean, even shoes. If you are wondering how to make a good impression during the second round, this podcast is for you.

Join Tracy Bauer, G'15, and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., as they discuss digital, video, and phone interviews as more and more companies recruit virtually. What is a digital interview like? What is a video call/zoom interview like? What is a phone interview like? How should I prepare for a digital or video conference call interview? How should I prepare for a phone interview? How and when should I follow up after an interview?

Elvi Caperonis, Technical Program Manager at Amazon and Life & Agile Career Coach, talks about how to stay adaptable in your job search and career using some of the techniques of Agile Methodology (used in software development). She also encourages you to increase your emotional intelligence and to discover and use your own super powers.

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Rebecca Schewe, Assistant Professor of Sociology and O'Hanley Faculty Scholar. Dr. Schewe takes us through the first-round or "screening interview" that colleges and universities use to determine whom they should invite for on-campus interviews. These meetings are short, to the point, and most often happen over Zoom or the phone. What are they looking for, and how do you make the cut--and get the invitation for the campus interview? Find out here. 

Shaundel Sanchez completed her Ph.D. in spring 2020 in Cultural Anthropology just as the pandemic hit, causing her postdoc in Germany to be cancelled and her to reevaluate her post-Ph.D. life and career goals. Throughout our interview she describes how she evaluated herself through self-reflection and refined her job search with networking successes along the way. Shaundel begins a Visiting Assistant Professorship this fall at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.