Career Development 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, Assistant Director, Employer Relations monicabarry14@uchicago.edu (773) 834-2962 Monica collaborates with employers to assist with job placement upon degree completion for graduate students. Along with post-grad career listings, Monica assists with finding internships, externships, and fellowships. She is passionate about cultivating long term partnerships with employers, advocating for students. Monica earned her M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago and holds two B.A. degrees in History and English from Dominican University of California.
	Steffen Blings, Assistant 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, Assistant Director, Graduate Career Development briancam@uchicago.edu (773) 702-9422 Brian Campbell is an Assistant Director of Graduate Career Development at UChicagoGRAD. He advises graduate students and postdocs on a range of job search topics from career exploration to interviewing. He is a primary career advisor for masters’ students in SSD, PSD, 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, Assistant Director, Graduate Career Development njhardy@uchicago.edu Nathan leads master's student initiatives, including programming for professional development and PhD application support. Originally from Iowa, Nathan finished his PhD at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He is the dedicated career advisor for MA students at UChicago.
	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 Rapp, Assistant Director, Graduate Career Development amyrapp@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, Director, Graduate Career Development cwiersema@uchicago.edu (773) 702-3999 Courtney leads UChicagoGRAD's student and postdoc career preparation services. She also directs the Mellon-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

	Katie Aracena, GRADTalk Consultant karacena@uchicago.edu Katie is a PhD candidate in Human Genetics, researching genetic determinants of inter-individual variation in response to influenza infection. In her role as a GRADTalk Consultant, she helps advisees build public speaking skills in preparation for interviews, presentations, and classroom participation.
	Elsy Gonzalez, MA Career Advising Intern elsygonzalez@uchicago.edu Elsy Gonzalez is a PhD candidate in Political Science, with a focus in International Relations. Her main area of research is international recognition of statehood and diaspora lobbying from secessionist entities. As a UChicagoGRAD intern she helps guide MA students in the Social Sciences with their career options and PhD applications.
	Fiona Maxwell, GRADTalk Consultant fmaxwell@uchicago.edu Fiona Maxwell is a 4th-year History PhD candidate researching the spoken arts in the nineteenth-century United States. As a GRADTalk Consultant, 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.
	Sohrab Salimian, GRADTalk Consultant 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.