2010 Graduate Student Workshop

9th Biennial Conference

Puerto Rican Studies Association

Graduate Student Job Market & Careers in Higher Education

Thursday, October 21, 2010 • 2:00–4:00 pm
Trinity College, Vernon Social Center

Mapping Success in Graduate School: Linkages to Academic and Professional Roles

The experiences of graduate students vary according to their access to the cultural capital that equips them to develop effective networking skills and opportunities for collaboration with faculty. For some students it is a direct path and for others it is a path full of detours.

Presenters in this session will point to aspects of graduate school that need to be examined prior to engaging in your graduate work, as well as the networking, research, and teaching opportunities and collaborations that will give you the experiences expected of someone who has completed advanced studies. Although there are many faculty who are fully aware of the differentials in cultural capital and its influence in navigating graduate school and the prospective job market, a more deliberate and purposeful plan needs to be in place to be able to achieve the professional goals students are pursuing. Scenarios will be presented to engage participants in dialogues for problem solving in issues that pertain to graduate school using a case study approach.

PRSA 2010 Graduate Workshop Presenters:

Dr. María D. Martínez, Ph.D.

Director of the Center for Academic Programs and Interim Assistant Vice Provost for the Institute for Student Success at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Martinez is a strong advocate for the participation of Latinos in higher education at all levels. She has been involved in the Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education (CALAHE) for over 20 years, serving as President and Vice President. Dr. Martínez holds a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Education from Herbert H. Lehman College in New York City, a Master’s in Social Work, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut.

Xaé Alicia Reyes, Ph.D.

Associate Professor in Curriculum and Instruction and Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at the University of Connecticut. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and has been on the faculty of the University of Connecticut since 1999. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as: Journal of Latinos and Education, The Latino Studies Journal, Journal of Hispanics in Higher Education, and most recently in The International Online Journal of Educational Sciences.