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.
	Nathan Hardy, Manager, External Relations njhardy@uchicago.edu 773.795.7771 Nathan builds and leverages relationships with external stakeholders to advance UChicagoGRAD initiatives and programming. His work focuses on alumni engagement and facilitating opportunities to connect alumni and their employers with current students, with each other, and with the University of Chicago more broadly. Nathan is the dedicated advisor for master's students in STEM disciplines as well as for MA, MDiv, and PhD students and Teaching Fellows at the Divinity School, where he completed his own MA and PhD.
	Kathrin Kranz, Director, Experiential Education and Outreach kranz@uchicago.edu (773) 834-2962 Kathrin leads experiential learning initiatives, including the GGI Internship Program. 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, Associate Director, 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 4th-year History PhD candidate researching the spoken arts in the nineteenth-century United States. As a Career and Communications Advising Intern, she advises students as they prepare for academic and professional speaking contexts, including interviews, presentations, and classroom participation. Fiona teaches improv at the Piven Theatre Workshop and performs at storytelling venues across the Chicago area. She is committed 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.
	Sophia Walker, MA Career Advising Intern scwalker2@uchicago.edu Sophia Walker is a PhD candidate in the departments of East Asian Languages & Civilizations and Cinema & Media Studies joint degree program, researching contemporary Japanese media history. As a UChicagoGRAD intern she supports MA students in the Humanities with career exploration and navigating the PhD application process.