Department Launches Professional Development Workshop Series for Students

In response to student requests, our department recently launched a monthly professional development workshop series aimed at providing valuable insights and resources for career growth. Over the past semester, we hosted four diverse in-person sessions that connected students at all levels with experts across academia and industry. All of the panelists have some connection with NCSU Statistics as faculty, alumni, or friends of the department.

The series began on September 5, 2024, with an engaging general discussion led by Dr. Kimberly Sellers, where students had the opportunity to share their goals and questions about professional development. Approximately 20 students attended this open forum that allowed students to begin exploring potential career paths and development strategies, and offering an opportunity to ask questions of direct importance to them as future statisticians and data scientists. This frank and open conversation set the stage for future workshop topics and ideas.

On October 2, 2024, the workshop focused on “Grad School versus the Job Market” and included a panel discussion regarding entering the workforce directly or pursuing further studies, and the tradeoffs associated with each decision. Our expert panelists, Drs. Ross Gosky (Associate Dean at Appalachian State), Stephanie Zimmer (Senior Research Statistician at RTI), and Fang Chen (Director of Advanced Statistical Methods at SAS) shared their perspectives on each path. After the discussion, Ms. Lindsay McCallister, a campus Career Counselor, led a valuable curriculum vita (CV) and resume review session. In this session, students were able to see a sample CV/resume template as well as peer review each other’s documents and propose suggested updates. The workshop panelists likewise offered individual advice regarding the respective attendees’  CVs/resumes.

The series continued on November 12th with a session focused on Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). Drs. Brian Reich (Co-Director of the Directed Research for Undergraduates and Mathematics and Statistics (DRUMS) program) and Sujit Ghosh (Co-Director of the Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science (SIBS) program) were the panelists for this workshop that provided insights on how REUs can benefit students interested in hands-on research and enhance their academic and career trajectories. This session further offered students an opportunity to learn more, not only about REU opportunities at NC State, but across the country in statistics, biostatistics, or data science. The panelists likewise discussed what makes for an appealing application submission, and what eligibility requirements exist for the respective programs. 

The final session of the semester occurred on December 3rd and featured a summer internship panel discussion comprised of NCSU Statistics Department alumnae, including Dr. Gina-Maria Pomann (Associate Professor in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Duke University) and Nicole Jones (Director of Advanced Analytics R&D for JMP Statistical Discovery LLC). During this workshop, the panelists discussed how students can identify, apply for, and make the most of summer internships.

Students are encouraged to look out for future workshops next semester, as the department continues to bring in expert perspectives and practical advice to support student career growth at all levels. The workshop further serves as an opportunity for students to network with career statisticians, hear about their journeys toward their respective careers, and gain valuable expertise and mentorship from the speakers and panelists.