Professionalization Seminar - Fall 2026

Professionalization Seminar (2 credits; (virtual) drop-ins are also welcome)
Instructor: Regina Bateson (regina.bateson@colorado.edu)
Thursdays, 12-1pm in Jessor 155b (Lunch will be provided)

(GEOG-5100-002; PSCI 6851-001; PSYC 6831-001; SOCY 6851-001)

The IBS Professionalization Seminar (“Prosem”) equips graduate students for a successful transition into academic and policy research careers. Most weeks will feature an informal, interactive discussion with a guest speaker. Our guest speakers will be sharing insights from their careers and experiences. Topics covered may include working with the IRB, tips for professional networking, project management, the postdoc experience, interdisciplinary research, policy and community engagement, and more. 

Students can choose to register for the prosem for course credit, or they can drop in to selected sessions (in person or via Zoom). Non-registered students should use this RSVP form to indicate which sessions they plan to attend in order to receive the day's Zoom link: https://forms.gle/gktHBpsucoyrc7xZ9. 

Lunch will be provided.

Schedule and Syllabus

Aug. 20 – No meeting; Enrolled students should read the syllabus and complete the welcome survey: https://forms.gle/hMfXtQNbKfpNWoKV6

Aug. 27 – Welcome & Introductions

Sept. 3 – No Meeting; independent work time

Sept. 10 – Working with the IRB with Angie Chromiak, IRB Manager (Panel A), this session will be held in Jessor 290(NOTE ROOM CHANGE)

Sept. 17 – Grant Writing with Beverly Kingston, Director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, this session will be held in Jessor 390(NOTE ROOM CHANGE)

Sept. 24 – Life as a Postdoc with a panel of current IBS postdocs

Oct. 1 – Government Service and Policy Careers for PhDs with Cindy Huang, Research Professor, IBS and former Director of Policy at USAID, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services, and Vice-President of Strategic Outreach at Refugees International.

Oct. 8 – No Meeting; CU reading day

Oct. 15 – Conversation with IBS Graduate Training Director Aysegul Aydin, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

Oct. 22 – Mixed Methods Research with Jessica Finlay, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and IBS

Oct. 29 – Publishing with Rick Mansfield, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics

Nov. 5 – Professional Networking with Michelangelo Landgrave, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

Nov. 12 – Applied and Publicly-Engaged Research with Sara Meerow, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, IBS, and CIRES

Nov. 19 – No Meeting; independent work time

Nov. 26 – No Meeting; Thanksgiving

Dec. 3 – Conclusion: Present student-identified online resources and plan next semester

(11 seminar meetings; 3 independent work days; 2 holidays / reading day)