Career Conversations
Do you have a question about career exploration, networking, applying, interviewing, negotiating, or anything else related to your career or professional development? Our team is offering one-on-one virtual appointments to work with you.
Register for a Career Conversation with a member of our team: April appointments
The Professional Development Team
Brian Rybarczyk, PhD -Associate Dean, Professional Development
brybar@unc.edu
Bynum Hall, Room 215
Areas of focus: cover letters, STEM, faculty and altac careers, interviewing, minority-serving institutions, diversity and inclusion in higher education, postdoctoral positions, undergraduate teaching, experiential learning.
Brian Rybarczyk has over a decade of experience in assisting graduate and professional students in career and professional development as well as research initiatives. In his role as Associate Dean, he oversees implementation of professional, career development, and fellowship programs administered by The Graduate School. He develops and implements graduate funding policies and oversees the review processes for a dozen fellowships, awards, plus several grants, scholarships and assistantships annually administered by The Graduate School. He is also an active member of the Graduate Career Consortium. Prior to coming to UNC, Brian obtained his bachelors and PhD at the University of Rochester. To learn more about his current involvements head to the Graduate School Directory.
Vanessa Doriott Anderson, PhD – Assistant Dean, Academic and Career Development
vkda@unc.edu
Graduate Student Center, Room 101
Areas of focus: cover letters, humanities/social sciences, nonfaculty careers, research communication, interviewing, small liberal arts colleges, academic publishing, visual communication, professional brand
In her role as Assistant Dean for Academic and Career Development, Vanessa Doriott Anderson leads workshops and teaches courses that develop students’ ability to build their professional brand, communicate their value, and pursue their chosen career. She is also an active member of the Graduate Career Consortium. Vanessa received her B.A. from Macalester College, her M.A. from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, and her Ph.D. from Duke University. She has previously worked with graduate students at NC State and Duke Universities and was a faculty member in French. Her academic specialization in twentieth-century autobiography informs her work with graduate students who seek to shape their many varied skills and experiences into a coherent professional narrative. To learn more about her current involvements head to the Graduate School Directory.
Laura Kuizin, EdD – Director, Masters of Applied Professional Studies
lkuizin@unc.edu
Graduate Student Center, Room 103
Areas of focus: professional development, educational leadership and policy, curriculum design, career exploration/development/advancement, diversity and equity initiatives, social sciences
In her role as director of the Master of Applied Professional Studies program, Laura Kuizin develops, directs, and manages all programmatic functions of the interdisciplinary degree program including admissions, registration, and advisement of students as well as oversight for a core curriculum. Laura is also responsible for monitoring academic degree milestones, budgeting and fiscal management, as well as program assessment and marketing. Prior to coming to The Graduate School, Laura served as an Assistant Dean for the Academic Advising Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and served as Director for the SMART Center and the McNair Achievement Program at Arkansas State University. Laura earned her BA in Psychology at the California State University, Sacramento, her MA in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, her Ed.S. from Arkansas State University, and her Ed.D. from Arkansas State University.
Katie Stember, PhD – Director, Experiential Learning
kstember@unc.edu
Graduate Student Center, Room 203
Areas of focus: resume/CV/cover letter review, interviewing, networking, STEM, science communication, non-faculty careers, experiential learning
In her role as Director of Experiential Learning, Katie Stember leads the Bridge Beyond Carolina summer internship program and teaches the GRAD 727: Team Collaboration course. She is tasked with expanding experiential learning opportunities for graduate students, especially for students who don’t currently have access. Prior to joining the Graduate School team, Katie served as Director for Life Science Economic Development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. She received her B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pathology from UNC Chapel Hill. Katie’s experiences as a former graduate student at UNC and her partnerships with growing North Carolina companies inform her work with graduate students as they explore professional development and career opportunities.