Workshops

Career + Leadership Symposium

Career & Leadership Symposium 2024

Join the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) November 12 - 15, 2024 for a week of workshops that will inspire, motivate, and give you tools to continue your life goals, career exploration and build leadership skills.

On Thursday, November 14, 2024 the University of Alberta is partnering with the University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, Athabasca University and Concordia University in Edmonton for the province-wide Invest in Your Future Career Symposium. Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from across Alberta are invited to register for November 14 workshops.

Register for all sessions in campusBRIDGE and with the permission of your faculty/department, sessions can be counted towards professional development credit. Events are free and open to anyone on campus.

Leadership Series - November 12 - 13, 2024

Nov. 12 | Leadership of Self (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 12, 2024 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Leadership begins with self. What kind of leader are you? Does this matter? What makes a good leader? How can you build your leadership acumen? Join us in a conversation about leadership styles, determine what are your tendencies, and gain a better sense of what matters when it comes to leadership of self.

Facilitator: Renee Polziehn, PhD

Dr. Renee Polziehn is the Professional Development Director for the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. Following 20+ years of leading professional development programming for the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and the Postdoctoral Fellows Office, she has heard many of the challenges faced by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as they transition from their graduate degrees to the workplace. Renee is part of the executive leadership in the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and has been recognized nationally for the programming offered to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Nov. 12 | Leading Others (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 12, 2024 | 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Once you have a good handle on how you respond and interact with others and to events, you will want to add the next dimension of learning about others. How are people similar and different from you? What dynamics can come into play so that you can be successful in leading? We will examine how people learn as a tool for understanding how leadership is received by others and how this can impact team dynamics.

Facilitator: Renee Polziehn, PhD
Dr. Renee Polziehn is the Professional Development Director for the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. Following 20+ years of leading professional development programming for the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and the Postdoctoral Fellows Office, she has heard many of the challenges faced by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as they transition from their graduate degrees to the workplace. Renee is part of the executive leadership in the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and has been recognized nationally for the programming offered to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Nov. 12 | Leading Your Way Through Conflict (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 12, 2024 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows experience conflict as they move along their academic pathway. This aligns with the Myers-Briggs Company's finding that 85% of employees experience conflict in their workplaces. Lack of conflict resolution skills is cited as a major reason for this high percentage. Learning about conflict and how it can be resolved is a great step towards growing your leadership and diplomacy skills. This is an opportunity to assist you with moving from leadership of self to leadership of others.

Facilitator: Renee Polziehn, PhD
Dr. Renee Polziehn is the Professional Development Director for the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. Following 20+ years of leading professional development programming for the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and the Postdoctoral Fellows Office, she has heard many of the challenges faced by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as they transition from their graduate degrees to the workplace. Renee is part of the executive leadership in the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies and has been recognized nationally for the programming offered to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Nov. 13 | Leading Small Projects, Making a Big Difference (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 13, 2024 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: You may spend a part - even a good part - of your career working in positions outside of formal leadership. But that doesn't prevent you from leading projects that are innovative and inspiring. Indeed, working on the front lines often gives you special insight into the kinds of initiatives that will benefit those you serve.

In this hour-long conversation, we'll consider ways we can be creative leaders when our title doesn't include the words "manager," "supervisor" or "director." We'll discuss strategies for conceiving small projects, gaining buy-in from those above us, and involving other people in developing and promoting them.

Facilitator: Robert B. (Rob) Desjardins, PhD
Rob is a professional development instructional designer in the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. A U of A alumnus and seasoned communicator (MJ Carleton 1994; PhD Alberta 2010), Rob has spent nearly 14 years supporting and advocating for graduate students, including a decade as graduate writing advisor in the Academic Success Centre. He is also an active researcher in the field of late medieval cultural history, and is co-editor of The Arras Witch Treatises (Penn State, 2016) and the Leab Award-winning exhibition "Tinctor's Foul Treatise" (Bruce Peel Special Collections).

Nov. 13 | Bridging Leadership of Self and Others through EDI (1.5 Hours PD Credit)

Nov. 13, 2024 | 10:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: In this session, we will discuss why EDI work is, and should, be rooted in lived experiences and positionality. Using personal and professional stories, Dr. Neda Asadi will discuss how she came to work in the area of EDI and share thoughts and insights about what EDI is, what EDI isn't, and what it could/should be. Throughout the session, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own lived experiences and discuss the ways these experiences have shaped, and continue to shape, their own understandings and practices.

Facilitators: Neda Asadi, PhD
Neda Asadi, PhD is a University of Alberta alumna and long-term resident of Edmonton. She holds a PhD in Educational Policy Studies, is a researcher, and an educator with experience in teaching graduate and undergraduate courses and working with community groups. For example, she has led and facilitated sessions with the Edmonton Multicultural Community, Talking Circle: Building stronger communities between Indigenous Peoples and intercultural communities through sharing stories and histories.

Jay Friesen, PhD
Jay Friesen, PhD, is an Educational Curriculum Developer at the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and an Assistant Lecturer in Community Engagement at Community Service-Learning at the University of Alberta. He received his PhD in Cultural Studies (MLCS) from the same institution in 2019, where his research focused on the relationship between comedy and multiculturalism in Canadian communities. Jay has taught diverse courses on a wide variety of topics, including community engagement, cultural studies, and pedagogy, and is particularly interested in making post-secondary learning accessible and equitable, especially through university and community collaborations. He is a two-time recipient of the CSL Instructor of the Year award, once as a graduate student and once as an ATS lecturer.

Invest in Your Future - November 14 - 15, 2024

Nov. 14 | Courage Over Comfort: Tackling Avoidance and Owning Your Journey (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 14, 2024 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Graduate studies and life in the Post-Doctoral world are filled with challenges, stressors, and times of uncertainty. It is a human tendency we all have at times to avoid our struggles. But if you take avoidance too far, this results in a major problem: chronic turning away from uncertainty and challenges shrinks your life and stifles your potential. Drawing on 30 years of clinical experience as a psychotherapist, as well as some of his personal experiences, Alex offers a roadmap for embracing discomfort, navigating uncertainty, and practical strategies for taking ownership of your journey. This keynote will inspire and equip you to turn toward challenges with courage, focus on growth over success, and embrace the power of relational support in overcoming self-doubt.

Presenter: Alex Abdel-Malek, MSW, RCC
Alex Abdel-Malek, MSW, RCC, is a professional therapist and instructor devoted to understanding how meaningful choices affect our health and well-being. In addition to teaching counselling skills at a university level, Alex is a regular contributor to programs and courses at the UBC Life and Career Centre, teaching popular courses such as Overcoming Perfectionism and Breaking Patterns of Procrastination and is an academic instructor for Simon Fraser University. He has a Masters degree in Social Work from McGill University and is currently working towards his doctoral degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Nov. 14 | AI and the Future of Work (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 14, 2024 | 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: This is a curious time for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Well in fact all of us, as we try to understand how AI will impact the workplace, whether we have a skillset that will be in demand or replaced by AI, among many other questions. In this session, Dr Stella Lee will share her insights on the changing nature of the workplace in relation to technological innovations such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics. She will share a framework of the key areas of AI literacy and the competencies associated with them. By the end, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will have a sense of why they are well situated to immerse themselves in the workplace.

Presenter: Stella Lee, PhD. , Founder and Director of Paradox Learning Inc.
Academic-turn-consultant Dr. Stella Lee is an ed-tech and AI strategist, international speaker, startup advisor, StartEd mentor, LinkedIn Learning instructor, writer and executive board member for the Learning and Development Accelerator. With over 20 years of experience in digital learning, Stella combines her passion, academic background, and knowledge in computer science, visual art, human-computer interaction, and adult education with her unique global insights for her work with clients such as the United Nations, Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, The Open University, University of British Columbia, Government of Yukon, Government of Alberta, WorkSafeBC, TransLink, Bosa Properties, Arco/Murray Construction, and InnoEnergy. She is the founder of Paradox Learning Inc., a boutique consulting firm based in Calgary, Canada. Still firmly keeping one foot in academia, Stella continues to research, collaborate, mentor, and teach with universities and institutions worldwide. Stella's research interests include AI applications for education, ed-tech ethics, personalized and adaptive learning systems, and learning analytics. Her framework on AI literacy has been utilized across organizations and is being adopted into an online course in collaboration with Athabasca University in Canada.

Nov. 14 | Now what? How to Navigate Your Career (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 14, 2024 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Figuring out “what you want to be when you grow up”, is a question that everyone faces. Marvin has helped high school graduates, millennials, “gen x’ers” as well as newly retired professionals answer this question. To answer this question, he thinks three key questions need to be addressed: How do I feel? Why am I here? How would I measure it? In this session, drawing on a variety of examples, Marvin will provide a framework, and some tips to help you begin to answer the question, “What do I want to do with my life?”

Presenter: Dr. Marvin Washington, College Dean and Vice Provost for Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Alberta
Dr. Washington is the College Dean and Vice-Provost for Social Sciences and Humanities. His research, consulting, and teaching focus is on processes of organizational and institutional change. He is an award-winning teacher for courses on strategic management, organizational change and leadership at the University of Alberta. He has written three books on leadership and change with his latest titled "Leading Self Before Leading Others" with Stephen Hacker at Business Expert Press. Over his lifetime he has worked on topics of leadership, organizational change and JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) with various groups: AHS, AIMCo, Blue Cross, Enbridge, Parkland Fuels, Shaw Communications, SportChek, Syncrude, as well as government units such as ministries in the Country of Botswana, the state of Oregon, the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton.

Nov. 14 | Mentorship: Why You Want Mentors For Your Personal Board of Advisors (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 14, 2024 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Mentorship infers that you have a mentor and recognize the value that relationship can bring you. What if you have no idea how to find a mentor? What do you need a mentor for? What if I told you that I have more than 10 mentors? What’s in it for the mentors? Dr. Eileen Santos Hernandez will take us on a journey of doubt and confidence, failure and success that inspired her to seek the advice of a diverse sector of people. She will offer guidance on how to approach mentors, how to keep this relationship active but not overwhelming, and the significance it has played in her being successful in her graduate program and afterwards.

Presenter: Dr. Eileen Santos Hernandez, Professional Development Assistant
A recent doctoral graduate of the University of Alberta, Dr. Eileen Santos Hernandez is currently a Professional Development Assistant at the University of Alberta. Eileen was an international student from Venezuela with a bachelor's in Chemical Engineering. Her passion for food and all related to it, ignited her motivation to complete a Master's in Food Science and Technology. During her graduate studies in the Department of Food and Nutritional Studies, she published scientific articles with novel findings applicable to the chemical and material engineering field. She was a mental health advocate for the university community, and she volunteered as the Sponsorship Manager for Women in Science, Engineering and Research, worked six years as a Teaching Assistant, volunteered for the Canadian Biomaterials Society - Student Chapter, and completed three levels of the Graduate Teaching and Learning Program. Apart from these, she was a Production and Research/Development Consultant for Token Bitters, developing four beverage products now available on the market.

Nov. 15 | Writing Clearly for Non-Specialists (1.5 Hours PD Credit)

Nov. 15, 2024 | 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: As we prepare to move out of the academy and into the workforce, it's a good time to think critically about our writing style. Is it overly technical? Vague and abstract? Can we make it more accessible for people in the office and the public sphere? In this workshop, we share a few principles (and some back-pocket strategies) to help you balance clarity and professionalism in your non-academic writing.

Nov. 15 | Career Coaching for Graduate Students (1 Hour PD Credit)

Nov. 15, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MST | Online via Zoom

Description: Whether you are leaving Grad school to enter the job market for the first time or are returning to the full-time workforce you may benefit from career coaching. Do you find yourself wondering how to take the next step in your professional life? Whether it's overcoming a specific challenge, navigating a career transition, or simply striving to achieve a greater sense of fulfillment, career coaching offers a powerful solution. But what exactly are the benefits of career coaching, and how can it help you unlock your full potential? What are employers looking for and how can you learn more about yourself in order to be the best person for the job?

Career coaching often involves setting goals, identifying barriers to success, and developing actionable plans to overcome these obstacles. Coaching enhances clarity, focus, and motivation, making it easier to identify what you want and how to get there.

This session highlights what career coaching is and how it can be an effective part of your career development toolkit. We will dispel some career coaching myths, explore some coaching insights and illustrate how working with a career coach at the U of A Career Centre can provide you with the tools needed for developing effective career management strategies and gaining the clarity and confidence needed to navigate the next step in your career successfully.

Presenter: Rachel Sisson CCS

Rachel is the Team Lead for Career Coaching at the U of A Career Centre. She is a Certified Career Strategist through Career Professionals of Canada and has spent almost 20 years on campus empowering undergraduate and graduate students to achieve their professional aspirations.

With a strong focus on personalized coaching, Rachel provides tailored guidance for students looking to make their transition from school into the workplace. She takes a holistic approach that encourages self-discovery and goal-setting, helping students identify their strengths and interests and navigate the job market with confidence in order to build fulfilling and meaningful careers. A proactive advocate for student success, she is well-versed in current industry trends and continuously adapts strategies to meet the evolving needs of students. Rachel's dedication and expertise have ensured that students are prepared and well-equipped to thrive in their chosen field.

Career + Leadership Symposium