Career Catalysts
Career Catalysts are a monthly workshop series aimed at preparing trainees for continued career success. The series exposes trainees to different career paths in science and also serves as a forum to host a variety of professional development workshops. The series was created by Northwestern University Center for Reproductive Science programmatic leadership in 2017 after trainees indicated they wanted more practical advice, experiences and reflections from professionals in relevant careers.
Previous Speakers
| Speaker & Affiliation(s) | Topic | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Marina Damiano, PhD, Founder, Damiano Group Scientific Communications |
Strategic Presentations for Scientific Minds |
February 2025 |
|
Craig Wortmann, Clinical Professor of Marketing and Executive Director, Kellogg Sales Institute, Northwestern University |
Storytelling for Interviews |
November 2024 |
|
Malene Hansen, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Professor, The Buck Institute for Research on Aging |
Grant Writing and Review |
October 2024 |
|
David Pépin, PhD, Associate Director of the Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital; Co-founder and Scientiftic Advisor, Oviva Therapeutics |
Bridging Academia to Industry |
February 2024 |
|
Romana Nowak, PhD Professor of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Co-Editor in Chief, Biology of Reproduction Mary B. Zelinski, PhD, Professor, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Co-Editor in Chief, Biology of Reproduction |
Peer Review in Academic Scholarship |
December 2023 |
|
Jason Herrick, PhD, Vice President of Conservation and Animal Health, Omaha Zoo Nucharin Songsasen, PhD, DVM, Head, Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conversation Biology Institute Christopher Tubbs, PhD, Associate Director, Reproductive Sciences, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance |
Reproductive Scientists in Conservation Biology |
November 2023 |
|
Ellen Taaffe, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations, Director of Women’s Leadership Programs, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University |
Constructive Feedback |
September 2023 |
| Michael A. Thomas, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine & President, American Society for Reproductive Medicine |
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Reproductive Medicine |
April 2023 |
|
Paula Cohen, PhD, Professor of Genetics, Director, Center for Reproductive Genomics, Associate Vice Provost for Life Sciences, Cornell University Gary Hunnicutt, PhD, Research Scientist, Department of Medicine, Yale University and the Assistant Director for Research Affairs, Yale Cancer Center Kelly Mayo, PhD, Dean and Associate Provost for Graduate Education, Professor of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University |
Reproductive Scientists in Higher Education Administration |
February 2023 |
| Stacey Tobin, PhD, Principal, The Tobin Touch |
How to Write a Scientific Manuscript |
December 2022 |
|
Travis Kent, PhD, Program Officer, Fertility and Infertility Branch, NICHD Candance Tingen, PhD, Program Officer, Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch, NIHCD Stephen Ward, PhD, Program Officer, Discovery & Translational Sciences, Global Health Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
Reproductive Scientists as Grant Program Officers |
November 2022 |
| Gail Berger, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor at Kellogg School of Management and Deputy Director of the Kellogg Center for Executive Women |
Saying Yes, Saying No: Doing "more" with intentionality and purpose |
September 2022 |
| Leah Lebowicz, MS, EdD, CMI, Program Director, Biomedical Visualization, Biomedical and Health Information Sciences & Clinical Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago |
Biomedical Visualization |
April 2022 |
| Emily Copeland, Associate Director, Science Communication Network |
Social Media for Scientists |
February 2022 |
| Rebecca Willingham, CRS Program Assistant, and MFA Directing Candidate, The Theatre School at DePaul University |
Storytelling and Presentation Skills in Science |
December 2021 |
| Sha Norman, Equity Outreach and Education Coordinator, Northwestern Office of Equity |
Frameworks and Tools for Identifying and Interrupting Microaggressions |
November 2021 |
| Molly Beestrum, MLIS, Education and Curriculum Coordinator, Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University |
Utilizing Library Resources to Maximize Your Academic Potential |
September 2021 |
| Teru Jellerette-Nolan, PhD, TS (ABB), Associate Director, Medical Science Liaison, Reproductive Medicine/Maternal Health, Ferring Pharmaceuticals |
From Lab to Pharma: One Scientist's Career Path |
May 2021 |
| Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, Director of and Alison S. Carlson Endowed Professor for PRHE, Professor, UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies |
A Career of Working at Science and Policy Intersection |
April 2021 |
| Gail Berger, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor at Kellogg School of Management and Deputy Director of the Kellogg Center for Executive Women |
Using Your Time Well: Doing "more" through Intentionality and Purpose |
December 2020 |
| Greg Kopf, PhD, Director of Research and Development and Contraceptive Technology Innovation |
The Long and Winding Road: A Career in Academia, Pharma and the Non-Profit Sector |
November 2020 |
| Molly Beestrum, MLIS, Education and Curriculum Coordinator, Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University |
Utilizing Library Resources to Maximize Your Academic Potential |
September 2020 |
| Hugh Clarke, PhD, Co-Editor in Chief, Biology of Reproduction |
Academic Writing and Publishing, Part 2 |
May 2020 |
| Bonnie Rochman |
Science Journalism |
May 2020 |
| Hugh Clarke, PhD, Co-Editor in Chief, Biology of Reproduction |
Academic Writing and Publishing, Part 1 |
March 2020 |
|
Travis Kent, PhD, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow Kristin N Smith, Program Manager for Fertility Preservation, Northwestern Medicine |
Advocacy and Policy Work |
January 2020 |
|
Molly Beestrum, MLS, Galter Health Science Library |
Utilizing Library Resources to Maximize Your Academic Potential |
October 2019 |
|
Michelle Tack, PhD, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP |
Small Business and Patents |
May 2019 |
|
James Rea, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, Stony Brook University |
Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science Workshop |
March 2019 |
|
Sandeep Pawar, Managing Consultant, Navigant Consulting |
Consulting |
February 2019 |
|
Elizabeth Jablonski, Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training and Development, The Graduate School at Northwestern University |
Postdoctoral Roadmap |
September 2018 |
|
Kelly Mayo, Julie Kim, Monica Laronda, Mary Ellen Pavone Moderator: Francesca Duncan |
Academic Career Panel |
May 2018 |
|
Melissa E. Resh, Assistant Principal, Brooks College Prep |
Careers in Secondary Education |
April 2018 |
|
Michelle Melin-Rogovin, Senior Associate Director of Foundation Relations, and Nicole Moore, DSc, Director, Office of Research Development (ORD) |
Finding and Securing Funding Opportunities |
March 2018 |
|
Timothy V. Duncan, PhD, Research Scientist, FDA |
Careers for Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other Government Agencies |
January 2018 |
|
Stacey C. Chapman Tobin, PhD, ELS, The Tobin Touch, Inc. |
Preparing Manuscripts for Publication |
November 2017 |
|
Patricia Smith, Research Librarian, Galter Health Science Library |
PubMed and Endnote |
October 2017 |
|
AbbVie |
Iindustry Careers and Perspectives from AbbVie |
September 2017 |