CIERA Connections

The purpose of this series is to provide junior researchers exposure to career opportunities outside academia.

We invite speakers with a graduate degree (e.g. in physics, astronomy, or related fields) to talk about their chosen non-academic careers. Events include opportunities for graduate students and postdocs to meet one-on-one or in smaller groups with the speaker before or after the talk.

CIERA Connection topics are intended to cover a wide range of career paths, such as Research Computing, Data Science, and more.

CIERA Connections events have included:

October 14th, 2024: “Job Search Resources & SMART Goal Setting”
- Elysse Longiotti, Associate Director, Student Career Advising at Northwestern University
May 22nd, 2024: “From Academia to Quantitative Research at IMC Trading”
- Dr. Tom Ilyevsky, Quantitative Researcher, IMC Trading
- Tayler Jennings, University Recruiter, IMC Trading
May 6th, 2024: “Navigating the Cosmos: Lessons Learned for a career in Astrophysics, Planetary Science, and Aerospace Industries”
- Dan Abramov, Propulsion Engineer at Blue Origin
April 15th, 2024: “STEM Careers in the Public Sector: from National Labs to Police Accountability to the Federal Government”
- Eve Chase, Data Scientist in the Public Sector
May 22nd, 2023: “Your 168: Finding Purpose and Satisfaction in a Balanced Life”
- Harry Kraemer, Kellog School of Management Professor and former CEO of Baxter
April 10th, 2023: “Careers in Data Science: The Product Analytics Track”
- Ben Nelson, Senior Data Scientist at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
May 17th, 2022: “Careers in Research Computing Services”
- Scotty Coughlin, Computational Specialist in the IT Research Computing Services Department at Northwestern