Scholarly Projects
PhD-trained scientists are needed in a wide variety of careers across the scientific enterprise and society. However, doctoral and postdoctoral training programs in the U.S. have historically focused on preparation for careers in academic research. In the past decade, the higher education community has been shifting toward recognition that graduate students and postdoctoral scholars need exceptional career development and professional skills, regardless of the career paths they pursue.
My work centers in this growing field of PhD career development. Since I entered the field in 2004, my professional interests have shifted to encompass both the traditional aspects of PhD career development--such as teaching, career counseling, and program development--and scholarship, such as research, advocacy, and service to the field. In 2014, I established the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Science's Center for Biomedical Career Development as a scholarly hub for serving UMassChan's PhD trainees while innovating educational approaches for PhD career development.
Fuhrmann, C.N. Career Development in Graduate Education, published in Forum for Issues in Science and Technology, Spring 2019 >
Core projects
Foundational Work: Understanding the Career Interests of PhD Trainees
Integrating Career Development into the Core Required Curriculum
Empowering Early-Career Scientists via Individual Development Plans
Building Capacity for Evidence-Based Practices in PhD Career Development