Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, The Messy, and The Pivot
July 30 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Join us for Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, the Messy, and the Pivot—a virtual conversation series featuring Cornell alumni who hold doctoral degrees and have built dynamic careers beyond academia.
In this session, you’ll hear from Yingyu Liu, Ph.D. (Scientific Editor, Cell Press) and Wing (Yingyi) Zhong, Ph.D. (Clinical Dietitian, Mass General Hospital), two Ph.D.-trained professionals who have translated their academic training into impactful careers in science publishing and clinical nutrition.
They’ll reflect on how they navigated their transitions, applied their research skills in new contexts, and built meaningful work at the intersection of science, communication, and patient care.
What to expect:
- Candid, informal conversation—no slides, just real stories
- Insight into non-academic career paths in STEM and health
- Q&A with alumni who once stood where you stand now
Whether you’re actively exploring careers beyond academia or simply curious about what’s possible, this session offers a unique opportunity to hear from those who’ve charted new paths—with all the complexity, creativity, and learning that comes with it.
As a clinical pediatric dietitian at Mass General Hospital, Wing (Yingyi) Zhong specializes in medical nutrition therapy for children with epilepsy, with a focus on the ketogenic diet and the low glycemic index treatment (LGIT). She works closely with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams to provide compassionate, evidence-based care that supports seizure management and overall well-being. Wing earned her Ph.D. in Nutrition Sciences from Cornell in 2022.
Yingyu Liu joined Cell Press in 2021, now working as an editor for the journal Cell Host & Microbe and supporting researchers across various journals. She received her doctoral degree from Cornell University in 2020, studying the relationship between plants and pathogens. Yingyu is passionate about scientific communication, collaborative problem-solving, and supporting diverse voices in STEM.
