David Lafferty
Professional Development Coordinator
Graduate Professional Development
David, along with colleague Karim Abuawad, is responsible for developing, organizing, and delivering a wide variety of workshops, events, and services to facilitate the professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Their services span both academic and professional supports, including 1-to-1 thesis/dissertation writing support, group workshops on academic writing, and certificates that encourage the development of transferable skills in professional writing, communication, and research management. They also provide career-oriented workshops and 1-to-1 consultations on individual aspects of career development, with a focus on preparing graduate students for alternative-academic or non-academic employment. Additionally, they conduct class visits to deliver focused sessions on topics mentioned above. Events they organize include Fall and Winter orientations for new graduate students and the Three Minute Thesis competition, including providing training sessions on scholarly communication to prepare graduate students for the competition.
Please get in touch with David regarding:
- 1-to-1 professional development consultations for graduate students;
- Alternative-academic and non-academic employment options for PhD graduates;
- Questions regarding 3MT or graduate orientations.
The Professional Development website can be accessed here and students, staff, faculty, and alumni are all welcome to sign up for the Professional Development mailing list to stay updated on new and continuing offerings.
