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2010

The 2nd annual UC San Diego PhD Career Conference held on May 15, 2010 exceeded all expectations with more than 180 UCSD doctoral students in attendance, a 40% increase from last year’s inaugural event. In addition, over thirty PhD panelists, many of them recent UCSD alumni, returned to their alma mater to share their keen insights with students concerning their career transitions.

Panelists included award-winning academic and industry researchers, teachers, strategic consultants, project managers, bench scientists, postdocs, engineers, industry vice-presidents, and writers representing an impressive breadth of professions including academia, engineering, biotech, consulting, non-profit, education, and policy, among others.

This year, the conference planning committee was proud to offer current international doctoral students the chance to attend a panel of past international doctoral students who recently made the leap into a rewarding career in the U.S.

Professor Kim Barrett, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School at UC San Diego, welcomed the students to the Price Center’s East Ballroom during a massive continental breakfast. Professor Seth Cohen, PhD, the 2008-09 Roger Revelle Fellow in Global Stewardship, a AAAS Policy Fellow, and Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UC San Diego, gave an experience-based, inspiring talk titled “The Wealth of Opportunities in Your UCSD PhD Degree” that focused on the true breadth of professions and industries that seek and value a PhD education.

An entertaining conference keynote performance by comedian Tim Lee, PhD ended the official agenda in a packed house of approximately 300 PhD, masters, and postdoctoral students in the East Ballroom.

To end the day, students, panelists, and guests gathered on the East Ballroom Patio to enjoy appetizers, beer, and wine as they continued their lively conversations from earlier in the day.