Beyond the Academy: Careers & Connections for Humanities and Social Sciences Graduate Students
Thinking about life after your graduate degree—but not necessarily in academia? Join us for Beyond the Academy, a career panel designed specifically for MA and PhD students in the humanities and social sciences who are exploring professional pathways beyond the tenure track.
You’ll hear from graduate-trained professionals who have built meaningful careers in public media, cultural institutions, nonprofit leadership, consulting, and more. Panelists will share how they identified public-facing career opportunities, translated their skills, and what their day-to-day work looks like now. This panel will be moderated by current PhD student, Carlos Dávalos, Journalism and Mass Communication.
After the panel, stick around for an informal networking reception where you can connect with the speakers and fellow graduate students, ask questions, and start building relationships that could support your own career development. Light refreshments provided.
Topics will include:
- How to identify and articulate the value of your MA and PhD skills outside academia
- Strategies for exploring career options and building a diverse professional network
- Tips on resumes, cover letters, and interviews beyond the CV
- Honest insights into the benefits and opportunities of public-facing careers
What you’ll gain:
- Insights into career options
- Strategies for identifying and communicating transferable skills
- Tips on job materials, networking, and navigating the transition
- Meaningful connections with professionals and peers
Who should attend: PhD students, postdocs, and early-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences interested in non-academic career paths and expanding their professional networks.
This special event is co-sponsored by the UW-Madison Center for the Humanities and the Graduate School.
Download a poster: PDF or JPG.
Panelists
Carlos Dávalos (moderator) is a journalist from Mexico City and a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His research explores the transnational relationship between Mexico and the United States in radio, media industries, and cultural identity. He produces bilingual programming at WORT 89.9 FM, where he also serves on the Board of Directors. A 2024–25 Mellon Public Humanities Fellow, Dávalos has worked with outlets including Carmen Aristegui’s newsroom, Sony Music Mexico, and Convoy Network.
Sarah Anne Carter, PhD is an Associate Professor and the Chipstone Foundation Design and Material Culture Chair in Design Studies, and the Executive Director of the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At UW-Madison, she teaches courses on historic interiors, the material culture of childhood, and material culture theory and methods. She was previously the Curator and Director of Research of The Chipstone Foundation in Milwaukee where she collaboratively curated many exhibitions and led Clipstone’s think tank program in support of innovative curatorial practice.
David Boffa, PhD is a video producer, filmmaker, and dog lover with a special interest in creative nonfiction and public history. Prior to working in media he spent over a decade as an art historian, teaching at colleges and universities in New Jersey, Maine, and Wisconsin. For the past four years, he has been a Producer in the Education Department at PBS Wisconsin. There he brings the research and writing skills he previously applied to Italian Renaissance art to the stories of Wisconsin’s past.
Olivia R. Williams earned her PhD in Geography from Florida State University in 2017, focusing on community land trusts (CLTs). Since 2014, she has researched, written, and published extensively on community land ownership, with work appearing in Urban Geography, Antipode, Journal of Urban Affairs, and Housing Studies. She served as Executive Director of Madison Area Community Land Trust (2020-2025) and is now beginning work as a technical consultant supporting CLTs in the US.