Future Faculty and Academic Careers offers a diverse range of both in-person and online workshops and networking opportunities for future faculty preparation. Programming is aimed at graduate students and postdocs across all fields, although faculty and staff are encouraged to join in some special events and learning community activities on important topics in teaching, research, and mentorship. See events calendar

Our programming is offered in partnership with the North American CIRTL Network, the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) and other Graduate School offices such as the Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE), the Office of Postdoctoral Studies (OPS), the Office of Academic and Student Affairs (OASA), and Careers Beyond Academia (CBA).

Here are some of our signature initiatives and Cornell-based programs, listed by extent of time involved.

Short Events and Workshops (1-2 hours)

• Academic Job Search Series workshops and job search discussions – in partnership with OPS; summer, fall, spring
• My Voice, My Story: Understanding the Untold Lived Experiences of Graduate & Professional Students interactive theater program on graduate climate offered upon request – in partnership with OISE
• Promoting Your Research with Compelling Communication – A new series to prepare graduate students who want to present their research effectively for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and other settings, with workshops also available to interested postdoctoral scholars – in partnership with other Graduate School offices
• Visiting speakers and special events on creating more inclusive higher education settings
• Customized trainings available on Research Mentorship (Contact us)

See also: CIRTL Network Programs

Cohort-based Series (3-12 hours)

• Building Mentorship Skills for an Academic Career workshop series and certificate program – spring
• Learning Community on Inclusive Teaching – online, in partnership with CTI
• NextGen Professors Program – by application, in partnership with OISE (year-long)
• Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) discussion groups
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Program – by application (year-long)

See also: Courses

Day-Long or Multi-day Events

• CIRTL Network Teaching Institutes – opportunities at other universities, some with partial travel support
• CIRTL Network Exchange Program – Apply for a funded trip to another CIRTL university to give a research and teaching talk and experience a mock campus interview visit experience (Contact us to learn more)
• Future Professors Institute – biennially, in partnership with the Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (next held in 2023)
• Inclusive Teaching Institute for Graduate Students and Postdocs – spring, in partnership with CTI (next held in 2022)
• Pathways to Success Symposium – annually – in partnership with other Graduate School and professional development offices

See also: Conferences and Institutes

Since 2015, Future Faculty and Academic Careers also offers both short-term and high-engagement activities enabling graduate students and postdocs to attain CIRTL Network levels of accomplishment (Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar).

Past Programs

• Connecting Research and Teaching Conference (formerly the Classroom Research and Teaching Symposium) – annually in late spring (on hiatus since 2020)
• Empowering Women in Science and Engineering (EWISE) Symposium – biennially, in partnership with OISE, the Office of Faculty Development and Diversity, and Diversity Programs in Engineering (on hiatus)
• Intergroup Dialogue Project training for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars – by application, in partnership with OISE and IDP, offered in some summer and winter terms for a broad audience of registrants
• PREPARE to Assess Student Learning Series – in partnership with CTI
• Summer PROFessional Development Series – casual Friday discussions on careers that emphasize teaching, developed by PhD Alum Shoshanna Cole
• Summer Institute on Evidence-Based Teaching Practices – in partnership with CTI