Our Mission
“Thank you for offering the A2i series this Fall – I really appreciated the range of topics covered by speakers who represented different career trajectories. This is an important resource that I wish more students would take advantage of! I look forward to participating in future events.”
Accelerate to Industry (A2i) is an industry workforce readiness program for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers developed by the NC State University Graduate School. The program provides students with knowledge, skills, and abilities that establish long-term professional success.
The mission of the A2i program is to show graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and alumni the wide range of available industry careers, to help them secure industry jobs, and to empower them to excel in the corporate environment by demonstrating key competencies that are not usually learned through academic training. The A2i program facilitates these outcomes through a variety of modules that offer networking opportunities, discussion panels, presentations, workshops, team projects, site visits at local companies, and internships.
Job Search Strategies
Company Site Visits
Internships
Team Practicum
Immersion Weeks
Upcoming Events
PhD students and postdocs! Want to know more about transitioning to industry and PhD-level hiring? Attend our Acceleration to Industry Immersion Day on May 16th! You will meet employers and peers while gathering tips and tricks to get hired within the industry. With detailed panels, employer feedback, free food, and chances for networking, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss! Space is limited to 40 participants, so register today!
Other Events
9:30 am – 12:00 pm | Mar.21 |Register Here
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Mar.25 |Register Here
We are holding two “intensive” workshop sessions for graduate students looking for jobs and internships. These workshops will cover application materials, job/internship search strategies, networking, and more in a condensed format. Students are welcome to attend either session, they do not have to participate in both.
Recent News
PARKER LORD WELCOMES A2i TO ITS LABS
Friday, November 8, 2024: Doctorate and Post-doctorate students took a tour of Parker Lord – a lead manufacturing and material engineering company – in Cary. NC taking a tour of their chemical and product development labs and interacting with a panel of scientist from each of their main regional departments.
Participants got an up and close demonstration of Parker Lord’s adhesives, coatings, thermal management products, their production processes and equipment. Thank you to Brandon Bowser, Susan Donalson, and the Parker Lord team for engineering the walk throughs and discussions!
FEBRUARY 28th – Join us in this workshop to arm yourself with strategies for job searching! In this session, we will discuss the skills and qualities of employees from the employer’s perspective, strategies to research your potential employer, and time management in job searching. Come and have your questions answered and work through approaches as a team.
Register on Handshake here / Postdocs can Register here
MARCH 5th – While a CV is usually used for applying to academic jobs, a resume is more often used for job applications in the industrial world. Converting from a CV to a Resume, or vice versa, can be complicated; this workshop will provide a framework for getting started. Learn how to translate your skills and subject matter expertise into the format(s) that align you with relevant career paths.
Event: Translating Skill – Job Search
Stacia Solomon is the Director of the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture. A native of Charlotte, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and marketing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is currently pursuing her EdD in Educational Leadership from East Carolina University.
Event: Translating Skill – CV to Resume
Rachel Coleman is a National Certified CounselorTM (NCC®) through the National Board for Certified Counselors as well as Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) in the state of North Carolina. She is currently a doctoral candidate at NC State, pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education.
Join us for a dynamic and hands-on workshop to help PhD students create a compelling personal brand that will stand out in any industry. This session will equip you with the tools to identify the branding strategies that align with your unique expertise, values, and goals.
Through interactive exercises, you’ll practice refining your professional presence and leave with strategies you can implement immediately to enhance your career trajectory. Don’t miss this opportunity to craft a personal brand that showcases your strengths, expands your opportunities, and sets you apart in the transition to industry or beyond.
Event: I&E Personal Branding Workshop
Shep Moyle is an accomplished entrepreneur, CEO, and educator with over three decades of experience in business innovation, strategy, and leadership. He serves as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at the Fuqua School of Business, teaching undergraduate, graduate, and executive education courses in Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His popular courses, including New Ventures Discover, New Ventures Deliver, Strategies for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Luxury, Wealth, and Happiness, emphasize practical insights and actionable strategies to prepare students for impactful leadership.
Cultivate Creativity: Innovative Thinking for Duke PHD Students
Coordinator Abby Grubbs explores various theories and models of creativity, and you’ll apply these concepts to real-world innovation scenarios.
Thive Internally: Overcoming Immunity to Change
Dr. Roberta Maldonado Franzen’s engaging and transformative workshop explores new approaches to personal growth to overcome the hidden barriers that hold them back.
Bridging the Gap: Transitioning & Networking from Academia to Industry
An insightful event featuring Dr. Brandon Bowser ‘21 as he shares experiences of networking and transitioning into the industry.
Meet the Crew
Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, Ängela received a Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2005 where she was also a Student-Athlete on the Track & Field Team. She continued her education earning a Master of Science in Athletic Administration from North Carolina Central University in 2007. During her time as a Graduate Assistant, she had dual roles within the Sports Medicine and Compliance units of the athletic department. After completing her studies, she worked with the NCCU Student-Athlete Academic Support Services. Her interest in student academic success and development propelled her into academic advising and program development for first time freshmen, sophomore, and transfer students. Angela joins us from North Carolina Central University where she most recently served as interim Academic Advising Coordinator. Ängela truly enjoys engaging with students assisting them in creating their pathway of success and seeing them reach their full potential. Ängela is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and when not working she enjoys traveling (especially to a beach), crafting, going to an athletic event and spending time with family and friends.
Ängela Bonner
Associate Director
angela.bonner@duke.edu
“Born and raised in New York City, Hakeem attended Pace University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. While at Pace he worked as Non-profit Program Director, organizing afterschool enrichment programs and antiviolence events for the community of East Flatbush until graduation. He continued his education at New York University, earning a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Study. Post undergrad, Hakeem has accumulated 5 years of Business and Program Analyst experience working on Projects at MUFG Union Bank and Nuveen Investment services until earlier this year. Once completing his Masters, he decided to dedicate his time fully to research around music, identity, and social activity.
Hakeem is now at Duke in the Ethnomusicology doctorate program to study the social forces behind music’s relationship with identity construction and investigate the cultural work done in genres tied to Black Atlantic societies introduced in the 21st century. He joins the Duke Career Center as a Graduate Intern and is excited to contribute to the A2i program.
Hakeem Watson
Graduate Intern
hakeem.watson@duke.edu
