Graduate students and postdocs visit employer sites through UChicagoGRAD career exploration treks

Graduate students engaging with a panel of staff members at the Art Institute of Chicago on the Cultural Institutions and Museums Trek.

UChicago graduate students engaging with a panel of staff members at the Art Institute of Chicago during the most recent Cultural Institutions and Museums Trek.

In 2022, UChicagoGRAD brought back its successful in-person employer site visits (“treks”). These treks bring groups of 10–12 graduate students and postdocs to organizations to learn about the work the organization and its staff are doing, how staff transitioned into their positions, and what tips they have for students excited about pursuing similar work opportunities. In turn, host organizations raise awareness of their work and mission and meet talented graduate students and postdocs who have demonstrated a sincere interest in exploring internships and employment opportunities at the organization. By hosting treks, organizations can also build an ongoing relationship with UChicagoGRAD, which can help organizations recruit advanced degree talent and develop a presence on campus.

Two recent treks brought students to the Evozyne Headquarters in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and to Cultural Institutions and Museums in Chicago, including The Haitian American Museum of Chicago, Chicago Cultural Alliance, Chicago History Museum, and The Art Institute of Chicago.

At Evozyne, PhD students and postdocs learned about the broader biotech industry as well as the specific mission of Evozyne to make novel proteins that help solve problems in therapeutics and sustainability. The visit included a tour of the labs, a scientific and corporate overview of the company, and a panel discussion with staff, including a recent UChicago alum.

During the Cultural Institutions and Museums Trek, students learned about not only the organizations and their workspaces but also various career trajectories. As with every trek UChicagoGRAD has organized, student and employer feedback underlined the value of site visits and treks. One student shared that she “felt most energized” learning about opportunities through the treks, while another expressed that the “meetings were extremely enlightening and inspiring.” Organizations shared what a pleasure it was to meet with a small group of engaged and curious graduate students, and that they appreciated learning more about UChicago talent in an informal setting.

UChicagoGRAD facilitates several employer site visits and treks every year. If you are curious about learning more or interested in hosting UChicago graduate and postdoc talent for an on-site visit, please be in touch with Kathrin Kranz, Director of Experiential Learning and Outreach, at kranz@uchicago.edu.

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