Path of Professorship

The speakers in this workshop were all so great. It is difficult to describe how inspiring it is for me when these great people… share their experience and wisdom of how they handle different problems in appropriate ways. It was also very encouraging to find out that so many people are having similar struggles and questions and there are so many supports out there.

—Workshop participant

Path of Professorship

The Office of Graduate Education is pleased to offer an annual multi-day workshop designed for attendees who personally align with the unique experiences of women-identifying people. The Path to Professorship Workshop prepares MIT Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral researchers to enter careers in academia and is open to all women-identifying and non-binary graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

The workshop’s aim is to provide information about academic scientific careers and the application process. Women-identifying and non-binary professors from MIT and a diverse range of colleges and universities share about their experiences in academia in an exciting and informative weekend. We aim to be inclusive in our event programming; we also recognize that the nuanced experiences of all gender minorities may not be fully represented. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to pofp2022@mit.edu.

Attendees learn:

  • Key strategies for applying and interviewing for academic positions
  • The importance of networking and how to manage networking with peers and superiors
  • Insights from deans and department chairs about what to negotiate for once ​you have the offer
  • Advice from faculty on things you can do now and during your hire to make your tenure-track years as smooth and successful as possible
  • Characteristics of different types of universities
  • Advice on maintaining a balanced life, in light of rigorous demands of a career in academia

**Note: materials and networking opportunities will be provided

This workshop is sponsored by the Office of Graduate Education with support for postdoctoral women-identifying and non-binary people from the Office of the VP for Research.