Navigating Your PhD 2023

Navigating Your PhD 2023 is a 2-day hands-on workshop for women+ in the Faculty of Math who are pursuing a graduate degree (Masters or PhD) to get better prepared for a successful completion of the program as well as receive guidance and mentorship with regards to career opportunities post-graduation. Some of the workshop sessions include a keynote presentation, careers panel, milestone mapping activity, mentorship advice panel, as well as several discussion sessions. Our aim is to create a comfortable space that is conducive for healthy discussions and reflections as well as to promote interaction between peers within the Faculty of Mathematics.

The workshop will take place at the University of Waterloo campus in SLC3216 on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25, 2023. This event is sponsored by Women in Math (WiM), the Waterloo Women’s Impact Network (WWIN), and the Math Innovation Office (MI).

Please note that participation is limited to 30 students, and a waitlist is available. Please email Maliha Ahmed (m243ahme@uwaterloo.ca) to be added to the waitlist. We kindly ask that if you have registered and are unable to attend, please inform the organizers via email so that your spot can be given to those on a waitlist.

Workshop schedule (Location: SLC3216)

Day 1: Friday, March 24, 2023

9:30 a.m - 9:55 a.m. | Registration

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. |Keynote Address: Dr. Sarah Mayes-Tang will share her journey as a math graduate and an academic, as well as advice that was received and any that she would like to pass on to students for a brighter, more secure future.

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Icebreaker: Get to know your fellow WiM, and participate in a photo session opportunity

12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. |  Lunch (will be provided)

1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | Careers Panel: In this session, you will learn about different career paths of math PhD graduates in both industry and academia. The panel features Dr. Amélie Belanger (Associate at Scotia Capital), Dr. Shelley Bull (Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute), Dr. Andrijana Burazin (Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga), Dr. Gerarda Darlington (Professor, University of Guelph) and Dr. Amanda Clemm (Strategic Projects Manager, McKinsey & Company)

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Preparing for a Career While in Grad School: In this session, we will explore how to network for career preparation, how to plan for and conduct a job search in both industry and academia, understand market research and target audience analysis, as well as discuss helpful strategies and resources for each career path.

Day 2: Saturday, March 25, 2023

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Milestone Mapping activity: In this hands-on session, you will learn several project-management, and time-management strategies to help create a program timeline for yourself and plan for minor and major milestones, no matter which stage of the program you are in.

11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. |  Coffee break

11:15  a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Building a Support Network Panel: In this session, our panelists will discuss the importance of support networks and what that may look like, as well as possible mentorship opportunities during graduate school (within and outside of the university). The panel features Dr. Nataliya Portman (Senior Data Scientist, Cineplex Digital Media), Dr. Amenda Chow (Associate Professor, York University), and Dr. Ghazal Geshnizjani (Professor, University of Waterloo)

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch (will be provided)

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Working with Advisors: In this session, we will discuss how to choose and set expectations with your advisor, prepare for advisor meetings, as well as how to engage in “difficult” conversations with your advisors.

2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Workshop wrap-up: In this informal session, we will debrief and consider future plans keeping in mind workshop goals and objectives.

Organizers:

• Ghazal Geshnizjani
• Disha Tandon
• Maliha Ahmed (m243ahme@uwaterloo.ca)