Graduate School

T.G.I.F.
2025-08-01 16:30 - 19:00, 2025-07-25 16:30 - 19:00, 2025-07-11 16:30 - 19:00, 2025-06-27 16:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Our weekly Tell Grads Its Friday will continue over the summer at our typical time. T.G.I.F. is catered to the graduate and professional student body. These students can bring guests, up to one per person. The age requirement for Cornell Affiliated non graduate students is 23 years or older.

Weekly Salsa
2025-07-31 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-24 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-10 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-03 17:30 - 19:30 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
You are invited to join our vibrant Latino dance community! Learn new salsa footwork and combinations in line and circle format. All levels welcome! No partner necessary. Photos and videos may be taken for promotional materials, if you would like to opt out please speak to our organizations leadership during lessons!

Primer Series: Right From the Start: Valuing Your Time
2025-07-31 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom
Thursday, July 31, 10 – 11 a.m. – Register
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing your time, it is a skill that can be learned! In this session, we will review commonly used time management techniques, discuss how to make strategic decisions that support the whole you, and discuss how to maintain relationships when setting professional boundaries. In addition, participants will share what time management techniques they have found work best for them.
Presenter: Janna Lamey, associate dean for graduate student life

Weekly Karaoke
2025-07-30 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-23 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-16 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-09 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-07-02 17:30 - 19:30 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
A brand new BRB program is launching: weekly Wednesday Karaoke! Grab some friends, bust out your favorite playlist, and come ready to sing some songs! To enter the queue, all songs must be non-explicit and submitted to the Google form provided at the event.

Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, The Messy, and The Pivot
2025-07-30 16:30 - 17:30 | Online
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 and reflections on navigating career transitions as international students

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.
Register to attend.

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.

Primer Series: Money Matters: Budgeting and Saving
2025-07-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Wednesday, July 30, 2 – 3 p.m. – Register
Whenever you make a big transition (and coming to Cornell for graduate school counts!), you learn quickly that money matters. We’d like you to join us for this introductory session about finances and budgeting basics. The goal is for students to leave with concepts and a structure for planning their income/expenses for the upcoming year. When you register, we will ask what specific topics you would like addressed, allowing presenters to craft a program to meet your expectations.
Presenters: Jorge Cuevas, Alternatives Federal Credit Union

Weekly Trivia
2025-07-29 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-07-22 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-07-08 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-07-01 18:30 - 20:30 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Trivia is back for the summer starting June 10th! Summer trivia will be weekly on Tuesdays starting at 6:30 PM at the Big Red Barn. Come with a team or show up on your own and see Jacob to be matched with an existing team. All are welcome!

Primer Series: Getting the Mentoring You Need and Want
2025-07-25 10:00 - 2025-07-27 12:00 | Zoom
Friday, July 25, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Register
Join us to reflect on your mentoring experiences and needs and discuss strategies to establish a network of mentors across multiple areas in which you need support. We’ll explore ways to co-construct and manage mentor-mentee mutual expectations using tools from the FAIM (Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring) Resource Center to guide your self-assessment and priority setting and help you plan how to productively communicate and reach out to current and potential faculty advisors.
Presenters: Colleen McLinn, associate dean for professional development, and Sara Xayarath Hernández, associate dean for inclusion and student and faculty engagement

August Book Club
2025-07-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Our fourth and final book for the BRB Summer Book Club is “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” by Anne Lamott. In this book, Lamott discusses the different stages of and emotions that come with writing and publication. As we all are pursuing higher education degrees, this book can help us take a step back and look at our writing from a meta perspective. We are looking forward to an exciting discussion and we’ll be giving away a free physical copy of the book as well! Register and receive your free PDF.

Approaches to Designing Your Academic Job Talk
2025-07-24 12:00 - 13:15 | Zoom
Start planning what types of job talks to be ready for after the written application material and Zoom/preliminary interview stage. These might include chalk talks, one hour research seminars with an emphasis on future plans, or other formats such as a disciplinary research presentation that also speaks to your teaching, mentoring, and/or advising philosophy.
Presenters: Colleen McLinn, Associate Dean for Professional Development, Cornell Graduate School; and Christine Holmes, Director of Postdoctoral Studies
Register to attend.
Co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Career and Professional Development and the Office of Postdoctoral Studies as part of the Academic Job Search Series.

Primer Series: Navigating Cross-cultural Classroom Dynamics
2025-07-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom
Thursday, July 24, 10 – 11 a.m. – Register
As a teaching assistant, you will encounter a Cornell community with great cultural, linguistic, and geographic diversity. Join this online workshop to examine the relationship between cultures and educational systems, as well as discuss how this relates to teaching at Cornell. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other new students from a variety of backgrounds.
Presenters: Jody Gabler, instructor, Center for Teaching Innovation, and Alice Wu, instructor, International Teaching Assistant Program

Primer Series: Navigating Key Graduate Milestones and Academic Expectations
2025-07-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom
Wednesday, July 23, 10 – 11 a.m. – Register
Learn about key milestones associated with being a Cornell graduate student before you are expected to reach them. This session will share important information about academic milestones and provide strategies to help you successfully meet them. In addition to a short presentation, participants will have opportunities to break into smaller groups to reflect on and brainstorm how to apply the guidance in their fields of study.
Presenter: Josephine Martell, associate dean for academics

Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, The Messy, and The Pivot
2025-07-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
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 Susan Korbel, Ph.D. (Owner, Core Research Inc.) and Michael Vernick, Ph.D. (Customer Solutions Architect, Vonage), two seasoned professionals whose paths span social science research, strategic consulting, product development, and tech innovation.
With decades of experience across sectors, Susan and Michael will reflect on how their graduate training shaped their work, how they’ve navigated career shifts, and what they’ve learned along the way.
What to expect:

Informal, real talk—no slides, just stories
Candid insights from two Ph.D.-trained professionals
Q&A and advice for students exploring diverse pathways

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.
Register to attend.

Since receiving her Ph.D. in Public Administration from University of Michigan and her bachelor’s from Cornell, Dr. Korbel has been conducting market research and consulting with hundreds of public and private organizations. After many years working in broadcast and public media, Susan Korbel founded Core Research in 1989 when she had her first child. Core Research conducts consumer, voter, and business-to-business research. Dr. Korbel has been behind the scenes helping some of the premiere South Texas businesses and charitable organizations chart successful courses with strategic and tactical planning.

Michael Vernick is a seasoned product strategist, inventor, and solutions architect with over 30 years of experience spanning startups, enterprise tech, and research labs. He specializes in building scalable systems for real-time communication, live video, and streaming technologies, and currently works as a Customer Solutions Architect at Vonage. Michael earned his doctorate in Computer Science from Stony Brook and his bachelor’s and M.Eng. from Cornell and holds 9 U.S. patents.

Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, The Messy, and The Pivot
2025-07-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
Join us for Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, the Messy, and the Pivot—a virtual conversation series featuring guests who hold doctoral degrees and have pursued diverse careers beyond academia.
In this session, you’ll hear from Dr. Yvonne Masters, Ph.D. (Food Science, Cornell), a food safety & quality leader with nearly two decades of global CPG experience and technical expertise in compliance, auditing, and supplier risk mitigation. Dr. Jenny Valentine, Ph.D. (Chemistry, Yale) is a Senior Principal Scientist at Regeneron, where she leads bioanalytical strategy for oncology programs using both traditional and emerging drug modalities.
What to expect:

Candid, informal conversation—no slides, just real stories
Insights on working in industry, biotech, and food safety
Q&A and advice from experienced Ph.D. professionals

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.
Register to attend.

Dr. Yvonne Masters, Director of Food Safety and Quality Policy at John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., brings nearly two decades of leadership in food safety across the nut, dairy, and snack food sectors. A Cornell alumna, she has also served as a Senior Microbiologist and Quality Leader, earning recognition through the 2022 IAFP Harold Barnum Industry Award and her company’s 2024 Vision Award. Her academic foundation from the University of Illinois and Cornell continues to inform her impactful work in advancing industry standards.

Dr. Jenny Valentine currently works in the Bioanalytical Sciences Department at Regeneron. In her role, she leads bioanalytical strategy for multiple programs in oncology that utilize both traditional and emerging drug modalities. She has eight years of experience in large molecule bioanalysis, with previous roles focusing on immunogenicity assay development, validation, and sample testing. Jenny earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Yale University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University in the Matthew DeLisa Laboratory from 2012–2015. She is an active participant in several AAPS working groups.

Developing a Narrative For Your Teaching Statement
2025-07-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Explore essential elements of a teaching statement for an academic job application. Come prepared to brainstorm key ideas of your statement. Leave with peer feedback on a first draft of your teaching statement, or ideas on how you might revise an existing draft to ensure it accurately reflects your approach to creating inclusive classrooms.
Presenters: Derina Samuel, Associate Director for Graduate Student Development, Center for Teaching Innovation; Colleen McLinn, Associate Dean for Professional Development, Cornell Graduate School; and Christine Holmes, Director of Postdoctoral Studies
Register to attend.
Co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Career and Professional Development and the Center for Teaching Innovation as part of the Graduate School’s Academic Job Search Series.

Alumni Conversation about the Academic Writing Process
2025-07-15 15:30 - 16:30 | 172 Goldwin Smith Hall, 232 Feeney Way, Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States
The College of Arts and Sciences is hosting alumna Dr. Alison Miller on Tuesday, July 15. In addition to presenting to undergraduate Nexus Scholars in their professional development class, the Graduate School and Arts and Sciences Career Development are delighted to offer 1:1 meetings and an Academic Writing Process small group conversation hosted by Dr. Miller in the afternoon. Individual meetings are available for both undergraduates and graduate students, while the Academic Writing Process event is open to students, postdocs, and interest faculty/staff. If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please sign up via this SignUpGenius link as soon as possible.
Dr. Miller authored the book Finish Your Dissertation: Once and for All! and co-founded a virtual co-working community for graduate students and other academic professionals called The Academic Writers’ Space. She is focused on helping people shift from hustle and overwhelm to Relaxed Productivity, a way of working that honors productivity, purpose, and well-being. Her approach is rooted in both science and lived experience. She holds a BA from Cornell and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from University of Illinois Chicago, and has 25 years of entrepreneurial leadership, including founding and leading The Dissertation Coach, which helped over 15,000 people earn their doctoral degrees before she sold the company after 24 years of impact.
Please send any questions about Dr. Miller’s events for graduate students on July 15 to Dr. Colleen McLinn (cmm252) or Jess Shapiro (js3845). This event will be in-person only and space is limited, although you are welcome to join the waiting list if all spots are taken.
See also:
More resources for Graduate Student Writing Support

Writing a Research Statement for a Primarily Undergraduate Institution
2025-07-09 12:00 - 13:15 | Zoom
Through an interactive online discussion, guest presenter Dr. Jeffrey Werner (Professor of Chemistry at SUNY Cortland) will help job-seekers interested in faculty positions at four-year colleges and universities (e.g., primarily undergraduate institutions, or PUIs) outline a research statement that highlights plans to mentor undergraduate students in research.
Register to attend.
Sponsored by the Graduate School’s Office of Career and Professional Development as part of the Academic Job Search Series. We encourage you to learn more about the other support resources available to you through the Office of Postdoctoral Studies and Future Faculty and Academic Careers.
Accommodations: We strive to make our events accessible to all Cornell community members. Individuals who have accessibility accommodations to request should contact futurefaculty@cornell.edu. We ask that requests be made at least one week in advance to help ensure they can be met.
