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Academic & Professional Development

APD committee organizes and hosts events that complement existing graduate training and prepare students for their careers after graduation. We prioritize events by the needs and interests of Chicago-based graduate students

We often partner with Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA), NUIT, the Office of Fellowships, and Evanston-based associations. Some past and recurring events we’ve run include professional headshots, career panels, technical skills workshops, professional development skills workshops, and wellness workshops. We modify and optimize these events according to the shifting interests of the Chicago student body, and are constantly on the lookout for ways we can help graduate students build or add to desired skillsets. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Jenai Quan

Our Officers

Kelsey Wright
Chair 

kelseywright2025@u.northwestern.edu

She/Her/They/Them. Kelsey Wright is a Ph.D. student in Northwestern’s Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (NUIN). They work in Dr. Jun Yao’s lab, where they study the effect of limb load on motor neuron recruitment. Kelsey received their BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Rhode Island. On the weekends you can find them watching anime, playing dungeons and dragons, or crafting their latest DIY project. Find Kelsey on Twitter @KelseyWright333

 

John-Christopher Finley
Representative

john-christopher.finley@northwestern.edu

He/him/his. JC is a Ph.D. candidate in the Clinical Psychology program with a major area of study in Clinical Neuropsychology and Forensic Psychology. He received his master’s degree in clinical neuropsychology from Towson University and worked in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Currently, he is in Dr. Michael Brook’s laboratory studying traumatic brain injury and neuropsychological assessment for justice-involved adults. In his free time, he enjoys mountaineering, skiing, white water kayaking, surfing, and painting.

 

Cady Fu
Representative

yuheng.fu@northwestern.edu

She/her/hers. Cady is a Ph.D. student and a Northwestern DSI fellow in the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP). She received her B.A. in Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis. Supervised by Dr. Rui Yi and Dr. Rosemary Braun, her current research focuses on developing computational methods to study skin and hair regeneration. Outside of the lab, she is an amateur photographer and an adventurous foodie.

 

 

SzuYu Kuan
Representative

szu-yu.kuan@northwestern.edu

She/her/hersSzuYu is a Ph.D. student in the Driskill Graduate Program (DGP). She received her B.S. in Microbiology from Penn State University. She is a member of Dr. M.-N. Frances Yap’s lab, where she studies the physiology of Staphylococcus aureus. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, exploring restaurants, and watching reality shows/movies.