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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

 

Yufan “Baby” Wang
Representative

yufan.wang@northwestern.edu

She/her/hers. Baby is a M.A. student in Clinical Psychology. She graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychology and Business. She is a member of Dr. Heather Risser’s Family CARE Parenting lab, where she supports parents of neurodiverse children with mental health needs by developing targeted family-based interventions. During her free time, you can find Baby drawing, crafting, café hopping, and touring galleries and museums.