KUPA Professional Development Symposium
Building on the tremendous success of last year's event, which was met with enthusiastic feedback regarding valuable insights, meaningful networking, and practical career advice, we are thrilled to invite you to this year's edition: The KUPA Professional Development Symposium 2.0.
We've listened to your suggestions and refined the program with expanded content, additional panel discussions on the job market, and more interactive elements to better support your career progression. This focused, one-day event is thoughtfully designed to help you navigate your career path and build essential, high-demand skills.
Date & time: Friday, January 30th, 2026 | 8:45AM – 5:10PM
Location: 2033 Becker Drive, West Campus, KU
Registration Deadline: January 10th, 2026
Please register to secure your spot and to ensure we can accommodate all participants.
KUPA Professional Development Symposium Agenda
| Time | Speakers | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 08:45 – 09:15 | Registration Pick up symposium materials and Networking Bingo Card | Networking |
| 09:15 – 09:30 | Ric Steele Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs | Opening Remarks |
| 09:30 – 10:20 | Nicole Reiz Director of Professional Development & Communications, KU | Mapping Career Pathways Beyond the Lab |
| 10:20 – 11:10 | Jen Humphrey Associate Director for Strategic Communications, Life Span Institute, KU | Communicating Research with Clarity and Confidence |
| 11:10 – 11:20 | Coffee break | Networking |
| 11:20 – 12:10 | Kaila Colyott Teaching Innovation Manager, Center for Teaching Excellence, KU | Effective Teaching and Mentorship in Higher Education |
| 12:10 – 13:00 | Jeff Stolz Director of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Human Resources, KU | Maintaining Personal and Professional Well-Being |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch break | Networking |
| 14:00 – 14:50 | Panel discussion (Academic) Rebecca Whelan Associate Professor, Chemistry, KU Justin Hutchison Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, KU Elizabeth R. Corson Fred Kurata Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, KU Anton Shirikov Assistant Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, KU | Preparing for the faculty job market |
| 14:50 – 15:50 | Poster Exhibitions | |
| 15:50 – 16:00 | Coffee break | Networking/Bingo |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | Panel discussion (Industry) Omar Maali, PhD Senior Project Engineer, City of Lawrence Patrick Hanway, PhD Senior Licensing Associate, KU Office of Research Pete Hondred, PhD Center Engineering Manager, Schlumberger | Preparing for the industry job market |
| 17:00 – 17:10 | Dr. Apoorva Ranjekar | Closing Remarks Bingo Prize Announcements Summary of key takeaways, appreciation to speakers, and recognition of Networking Bingo winners |