Dr. Sonali Majumdar joined the GradFUTURES team in May of 2022 as Assistant Dean for Professional Development. In addition to developing programs and building partnerships to benefit all graduate students, Sonali will serve as the primary liaison for graduate students and faculty in the natural sciences and engineering divisions.

Previously, Sonali was the Associate Director of Graduate Professional Development at the University of Virginia. She lead design, development and implementation of PhD Plus, the university’s professional development program to enable versatile PhDs who are deeply engaged with society’s needs in every sector and field. She also lead the administrative team for the university’s participation in AAU PhD Education Initiative. Nationally, she contributes to the field through Graduate Career Consortium (GCC); she serves as social media chair of Carpe Careers writing group and is the founder of the new International Community of Practice for foreign-born GCC members.

Sonali earned Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia and did postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where she developed a passion for enhancing the professional development of graduate students and postdocs.

Areas of Responsibility:

• Serve as liaison to graduate students and departments in the Natural Sciences and Engineering divisions
• Develop programs and campus-wide collaborations including orientations, first-year and third-year initiatives
• Co-lead the alumni mentorship program and other alumni engagement initiatives
• Develop experiential and exploration programs with industry partners in the natural sciences and engineering
• Assist with data-driven program assessment, labor market analyses, and graduate alumni outcomes
• Coordinate agenda and special meetings of the Professional Development Working Group(PDWG) campus-wide coalition of partners
• Supervise a team of graduate student Professional Development Associates in the Natural Sciences and Engineering divisions