About the Team

Our Mission

UChicagoGRAD’s career development team is a dedicated group of advisors and relationship builders. With academic and professional backgrounds that align with those of the populations we serve, we understand the graduate and postdoctoral experience and the distinct value that rigorous advanced-degree training brings to the wider world.

We support graduate students and postdocs by providing individualized advising, skill-building workshops, career exploration events, and connections to employers and alumni. Our nationally recognized resources and programs equip those we serve to become the next generation of leaders in academia, industry, nonprofits, and government. We encourage graduate students and postdocs to bring their passion for inquiry and innovation to the career development process, empowering them to define and achieve their own visions of professional success.

Career Development Team

	Monica Barry, Associate Director, Employer Relations and Outreach monicabarry14@uchicago.edu (773) 834-2962 Monica works closely with employers to cultivate long-term partnerships, create and sustain hiring pipelines, and advocate on behalf of graduate students and postdocs. She assists with promotion of internships, on-campus jobs, and full-time positions. Monica earned her MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.
	Steffen Blings, Associate Director, Graduate Career Development sblings@uchicago.edu (773) 834-3096 Steffen is a dedicated career advisor for social science and humanities PhD students and postdocs. He received his PhD in Government from Cornell University. Prior to joining the UChicagoGRAD team he served as an assistant professor and research project manager. Steffen also organizes professional development events to support graduate students and postdocs at UChicago.
	Brian Campbell, Senior Assistant Director, Graduate Career Development briancam@uchicago.edu (773) 702-9422 Brian Campbell is the Senior Assistant Director of Graduate Career Development at UChicagoGRAD. He is the primary career advisor for master's students in HUM, SSD, GSAL, and UCPE. He also advises PhD students and postdocs in History and CHSS. Brian earned a PhD in U.S. History from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
	Elahe Ganji, Director, Associate Director, myCHOICE eganji@uchicago.edu (773) 795-5437 As the associate director of myCHOICE, Elahe leads the development and implementation of programming that supports the career and professional development of UChicago STEM doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Before joining myCHOICE, Elahe gained advanced multi-disciplinary research and administration experience as a graduate trainee at the University of Delaware College of Engineering, University of Michigan Medical School and a Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois.
	Kathrin Kranz, Director, Experiential Education and Outreach kranz@uchicago.edu (773) 834-2962 Kathrin leads experiential education initiatives, including the Advance Internship Program and oral communication training for graduate students and postdocs. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and an LL.M. in Public International Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
	Amy Hark, Director, STEM Graduate Career Development and Postdoctoral Affairs ahark@uchicago.edu (773) 834-5002 Amy is a dedicated career advisor for STEM PhD students and postdocs. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University and prior to joining the UChicagoGRAD team worked as a postdoctoral researcher. Amy also organizes professional development and career exploration events to support graduate students and postdocs at UChicago.
	Courtney Wiersema, Senior Director, Professional Development and Outreach cwiersema@uchicago.edu (773) 702-3999 As director of the Professional Development Team, Courtney oversees the delivery of career development, experiential learning, fellowships, and communications programming. She previously directed the Mellon- and NEH-funded PATHS program at UChicagoGRAD. She serves as a dedicated career advisor for PhD students and postdocs in the Humanities Division. She received her Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame.

Career Development Interns

	Fiona Maxwell, Career and Communications Advising Intern fmaxwell@uchicago.edu Fiona Maxwell is a final-year History PhD candidate at the University of Chicago, researching spoken art and politics in the nineteenth-century United States. She has worked as a UChicagoGRAD Communications Specialist and Career Advising Intern since 2021. She advises MA students in the Humanities and Social Sciences on career-related topics and PhD applications, coaches graduate students to improve their writing, public speaking, and interviewing skills, and leads oral communications workshops across campus. Fiona’s background in theatre, improv, and storytelling informs her approach to helping students practice conversational and narrative communication styles.
	Rachel Chery, MA Career Advising Intern rtoussaint@uchicago.edu Rachel Chery is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Music Department at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on the history of radio in Haiti and the role it and YouTube play in connecting Haitians transnationally. As a UChicagoGRAD career advising intern, she supports MA students in the Humanities and Social Sciences with career exploration, resume and cover letter preparation, interviewing, and the PhD application process.
	Sohrab Salimian, Career Advising Intern salimian@uchicago.edu Sohrab is a Ph.D. candidate in the Computational Neuroscience program studying how mammalian brains control movement! In his current role, he advises graduate students on topics spanning resume writing, interview preparation, and public speaking. Outside of work, he enjoys rowing, tennis, and intramural volleyball.
	Emilia Wenzel, Career Advising Intern eszmyrgala@uchicago.edu Emilia Wenzel is a 4th-year PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago, researching pre-k teacher beliefs and practices surrounding early math learning. As a UChicagoGRAD Career Advising Intern, Emilia advises graduate students on topics such as resume writing, interview preparation, and career exploration. Emilia’s background as a former teacher and experience mentoring students and organizing student-focused events informs her approach to guiding students in their academic and career pathways.
	Nora Lambert, Career Advising Intern nslambert@uchicago.edu Nora Lambert is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art History at the University of Chicago, where she specializes in late medieval and early modern Italy. Prior to arriving at the University of Chicago, she held positions at several art museums including the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nora was the Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, where she curated the 2021 exhibition, Lust, Love, and Loss in Renaissance Europe. In her new role at UChicagoGRAD, Nora advises MA students interested in pursuing careers or further graduate school in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.