My journey into a biochemistry PhD program was certainly not the usual path. After spending nine years as a music educator and performer, I decided to return to school and become a scientist! I took classes at my local state college, gained some research experience, and eventually joined Rice to pursue my PhD. While making this big career shift has been exciting, it has also come with expected and unexpected challenges. One unexpected challenge: the professional norms in scientific fields are quite different from those I experienced as a musician! Luckily, Rice was ready to help. Rice offers many free professional development resources to graduate students through the Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC), the Center for Career Development (CCD), the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), and the Doerr Institute for New Leaders.
The Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC)
Need help writing a proposal? Do your poster design skills feel lackluster? Do public presentations fill you with endless anxiety? The Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC) is here to help! CAPC staff and peer consultants offer workshops and one-on-one consultations on everything communication: written, oral and visual! From prepping a class presentation to writing a dissertation, CAPC offers both short and long-term support to help students feel confident as communicators. In my first semester, I attended a workshop on creating clear and engaging posters. The workshop was full of useful, user-friendly tips and I still regularly reference my notes from it! To explore how CAPC can help you, click here!
The Center for Career Development (CCD)
What can you do with your graduate degree? How do you make the connections to get the job you want? What’s the best way to strike up a networking conversation? The Center for Career Development (CCD) is ready to equip you with the skills you need to transition into the career you want. The CCD offers a wide range of resources including CV/resume coaching, mock interviews, and career crawls with local companies! If you are still trying to figure out what you want to do after grad school, the CCD even offers career and personality assessments to help you find your path. I recently had a one-on-one appointment with Dr. Rideau to talk through my career goals and the ways that I feel nervous professionally in the science field. She was so encouraging, and we made a plan to prepare me to network at conferences this summer! You can learn more about these resources here. To sign up for CCD events, students can login to 12twenty using their NetID.
The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
Are you passionate about education and mentoring? Are you considering a career that involves collegiate teaching? The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) can help you develop your pedagogical skills to take your mentorship to the next level! The CTE offers a wide array of grad student focused opportunities including lunch workshops, a Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning (GCTL) Program, and graduate fellowships. I am working towards earning the GCTL and have taken two courses so far. These courses have been engaging, collaborative, and useful. Beyond learning evidence-based practices to improve teaching, students also receive guidance in developing teaching portfolios and philosophy statements to apply for faculty positions in the future! To learn more about how the CTE can enrich your grad school journey, click here!
The Doerr Institute for New Leaders
What does effective leadership look like to you? Are you looking to become an effective collaborator and leader in your field? The Doerr Institute can expand your leadership skills and help you work more effectively with those around you! The Doerr Institute offers multiple programs including personalized coaching with an experienced leadership coach, short-term workshops on focused topics, and excursions to meet with top leaders in industry. These programs help students grow their self-awareness, improve their emotional intelligence, and develop achievable leadership goals so they are ready to make a difference in the world! I took part in personalized leadership coaching last semester and it was a fantastic experience. My coach took the time to understand me and struck the perfect balance between encouraging me and challenging me to grow. To learn more about the Doerr Institute, click here! Registration only opens a few times a year, so click here to sign up for notifications!
About the author:
Robyn Alba is from Fort Worth, Texas and is a Ph.D. student in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. She received her B.M. in Music Performance from Texas Christian University in 2012 and her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of North Texas in 2022. Read more.
Further Reading:
How to email graduate school professors
An Honest Look at How I've Navigated Networking from Ground Zero
Embracing Growth: My journey in the 2023-2024 Women in Leadership cohort