‘ASPIRE Spotlights’
ASPIRE Internships Offer a Window to the World Beyond the Lab
Jul. 16, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 3, Spring 2016. By Kathleen L. Gould, PhD, Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences This fall, the BRET Office of Career Development launched its internship initiative as part of the ASPIRE Program. ASPIRE is funded by a BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) Award from the NIH...
Beyond Grant Writing: Exploring Career Opportunities in Scientific Communication through the Vanderbilt ASPIRE Program
Jul. 15, 2021—This article was originally published in the 2018-2019 Annual Report. By Natalya Ortolano, Graduate Student I had an interesting discussion about future career options with my six-year-old niece recently who asked a question I ponder daily, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I explained in kid-accessible terms that I was currently...
Look and Act the Part: The Importance of Professionalism in One’s Career Development
Jul. 15, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 9, Spring 2019. By Christopher Smith, Ph.D., former Postdoctoral Fellow, now Postdoctoral Affairs Program Manager, North Carolina State University Landing a dream job can be a daunting task for even well-seasoned scientists. However, with underdeveloped soft skills, such as effective communication and emotional intelligence, or an...
Our Journey Into Business and Management Consulting
Jul. 15, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 7, Spring 2018. By Siwei He and Aparna Shekar, Graduate Students Working towards a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences not only instills a wide repertoire of positive personal and professional qualities in trainees, but also opens many doors in a wide gamut of career paths....
BRET Trainees Get a Look “Inside the Beltway”
Jul. 15, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 1, Spring 2015. by Suneethi Sivakumaran, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow This past fall, the BRET Office of Career Development and the Vanderbilt ASPIRE Program partnered with the Vanderbilt Office of Federal Relations and other campus offices to provide trainees an externship opportunity in federal stem policy...
Bridging the Gap Between Science and Business
Jul. 15, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 5, Spring 2017. By Derrick Cumberbatch, Graduate Student “Participating in this module helped me have a more entrepreneurial mindset, which has changed how I view my career. Seeing business as an integral part of everything we do has made me more mindful in how I...
ASPIRE on the Road: Boston
Jul. 14, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 8, Fall 2018. Exploring the Most Innovative Square Mile on the Planet By Ralph J. Hazlewood, Ph.D., and Jessica M. Overstreet, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellows The BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program furthered its mission to empower and prepare biomedical trainees at the Ph.D. and...
ASPIRE Trainees Fly to San Diego
Jul. 14, 2021—This article was originally published in the 2018-2019 Annual Report. By Lorena Infante Lara, PhD, with contributions from Salma Omer, Graduate Student La Jolla, San Diego, CA, is home to a sizable life sciences cluster, housing over 1,200 life sciences companies and more than 80 independent and university-affiliated research institutions. For trainees interested in developing...
Pin Drop: Alumni Employer Proactive Worldwide Visits Campus
Jul. 13, 2021—This article was originally published in the 2018-2019 Annual Report. By Justine Sinnaeve, Graduate Student Proactive Worldwide wants to know how job candidates have been fire-tested and how they have learned from those experiences. The good news is that the management consulting firm is all too familiar with the challenges that Vanderbilt Ph.D. students and...
Career Symposium Features the Significance of Mentorship and Networking
Jul. 13, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 8, Fall 2018. By Jessamyn Perlmutter, Graduate Student Each year, the BRET Office holds its Annual Career Symposium for hundreds of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows looking for advice on how to take the next steps in their careers. Held on June 1, this year’s...
Opportunity Begets Opportunity: Leveraging Connections to Gain Invaluable Career Experiences
Jul. 13, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 7, Spring 2018. By Heather McCartney, Graduate Student As the stress of preparing for (and passing!) my qualifying exam started to dissipate, I began to wonder what type of career I could have after I finally earned my doctorate. Aiming to get exposure to as...
Data Science Essentials Module Wraps Up a Successful First Year
Jun. 14, 2021—This article was originally published in the 2018-2019 Annual Report. The Vanderbilt ASPIRE Program piloted a new initiative in partnership with the Nashville Software School to enhance the readiness and confidence of biomedical trainees to pursue data science careers. Data Science Essentials combined project-based didactic exposure to data science with communication training and case sessions...
Vanderbilt Takes on Capitol Hill: A Look Inside Science Policy for Students and Fellows
Jun. 9, 2021—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 9, Spring 2019. By Colbie Chinowsky, Graduate Student The BRET Office of Career Development and the Graduate School took to the road in October 2018 to further their combined mission of empowering and preparing Ph.D. and postdoctoral trainees for careers within the biomedical sciences. The...
Tennessee Brewer Uses Scientific Principles to Elevate Beer Creation Process
Sep. 15, 2020—This article was originally published in Results & Discussion, Issue 3, Spring 2016. By Andrew Wiese, Graduate Student Cell biologist turned brewmaster, Dr. Laura Burns, left an academia-centered career path three years ago for the opportunity to pursue her passion for fermentation and beer creation. Taking advantage of a unique opportunity, Dr. Burns turned a...