The OETIS Chronicle
FY23 Q4
Office of Education, Training & International Services
In this Issue DEI E&T Workshop Postdoc Recruitment Open House Grad Student Appreciation Week SCOTUS’ Ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions GSBS Annual Retreat International Travel Reminders Trainee Highlights Graduations Postdoc & Graduate Student Counts
Everyone's career journey is different, and that is a strength By: Tony Ngo, Ph.D., Guest Writer; Postdoc, Chun Lab
In May, Sanford Burnham Prebys’ Education and Training Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee was fortunate to host Dr. Caleb McKinney, Assistant Vice President and Associate Dean at Georgetown University. Dr. McKinney led a special career development workshop, titled “Advancing your Career through Community and Connection” and included themes on how to harness the strengths of your unique background to advance your career, navigating complex power dynamics in the workplace, and maximizing your relationships with your mentors. The workshop attracted not only graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, but also numerous other attendees from the Institute including research technicians, staff scientists and faculty. Though one might presume that the wide audience composition might hinder audience participation due to inherent power dynamics, Dr. McKinney quickly adapted, creating an inclusive and psychologically safe environment. Notably, he shared his personal experiences with microaggressions, setting audience expectations to the same level. This was a great real-time demonstration of navigating complex power dynamics in the workplace. For the workshop itself, there were several key takeaways. The first was the importance of building a community of mentors to enable different perspectives and support for various career and professional areas across someone’s life. For example, in the academic training environment, this could be an advisor, in addition to, peer or near-peer mentors to provide support. Continued on next page
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