Professional & Career Development
Events & Workshops
Calendars
USF graduate students and postdocs have year-round access to workshops, competitions, networking events, and community gatherings designed to build the skills — and connections — that matter most, inside and outside the classroom.
 View Event Calendar |
 Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) |
Upcoming Events
Career Club (Virtual)
October 22
Register Here
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST
Are you navigating a tough job market? ... wondering where to take your next career
step? ...feeling stuck in the application cycles?
The job market is turbulent, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Whether you’re
just starting to explore or actively applying, the Career Club is your space to discuss
challenges, celebrate wins, develop your network, prepare for interviews, improve
your resumes or LinkedIn profiles, and learn the strategies that get you hired!
Unlock your potential! Elevate your career!
Join the club at https://bit.ly/USFCareerClub
3MT and Lightning Talk Finals
October 23
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 AM EST
Location: CWY 206
Graduate Students who are selected in the preliminary heats on Oct 5, 7, 9 will advance
to the finals - and grad students selected in department-specific heats - will participate
in this event to select the top 2 winners and a people's choice.
More info https://www.usf.edu/graduate-studies/research/three-minute-thesis.aspx
Postdoc Scholars will participate in a Lightning Talk competition and the top 2 winners
and a people's choice will be selected. Postdocs, please register for the Lightning Talks Competition here: Registration: 2026 Postdoc & Visiting Scholar Lightning Talks – Fill out form
Come and hear about a wide variety of research happening here at USF!
Academic Culture & Communication
October 23
Register Here!
Time: 9:30 - 10:30 AM EST
Location: ALN 296
Set Yourself up for Success as a Teaching Assistant.
Enroll in one session or all sessions designed to help you thrive in your TA role
- whether you're grading, holding office hours, running labs, or teaching. Each session
focuses on key skills and cultural insights to help you feel confident and prepared.
Graduate Student Monster Mash!
October 27
RSVP In BullsConnect
Time: 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Location: ALN 226
Join us in the Office of Graduate Studies for a Halloween treat from the Dean and
enjoy a fun opportunity to connect, mingle, and build community with fellow graduate
students.
Save Time and Get Credit with ORCID
October 27
Register here
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Getting and using your free ORCID iD and ORCID record can help you save time and get
credit for your work in funding, publishing, and research reporting workflows. Funding
organizations, publishers, and research institutions are increasingly requiring or
asking for ORCID iDs from researchers, so this workshop will help you make sure you
are ahead of the game.
In this workshop, we will cover:
- An overview of the benefits of ORCID for researchers
- How ORCID can help you save time throughout the research landscape
- Tips and tricks for keeping your ORCID record up-to-date
Presented by Paolo Gujilde, ORCID US Community.
NVivo for Qualitative Analysis: Advanced
October 27
Register Here
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM
The workshop will be an interactive workshop to allow participants to practice using
NVivo, including importing data, creating cases and classifications to facilitate
comparative analyses, data visualizations, and more. Please be sure you have downloaded
NVivo before the workshop. By Shawna Durtschi, USF Libraries.
Iterative Diagrammatical Analysis
October 28
Register Here
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Iterative Diagrammatical Analysis (IDA) is a qualitative analytic approach that uses
visual diagramming to support researchers in identifying, examining, and refining
relationships and patterns within complex qualitative data. This introductory workshop
will provide an overview of the foundations and process of IDA, illustrate how diagrams
evolve through iterative engagement with data, and explore how the approach can support
deeper and more transparent qualitative analysis. By Krysta Salvato-Hayes, USF Education.
Designing Your Research Poster
October 29
Register Here
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Research posters are a common communication tool in the academic community for visually sharing research projects and creative ideas. During this session, we will discuss key aspects of designing effective posters and pertinent information about the Graduate Student Research Symposium and the Postdoctoral Scholar Research Symposium so you can WOW the judges and potentially win awards!
Presented by Tracy Costello, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Postdoctoral Affairs and Graduate Student Success, USF Office of Graduate Studies
Future Faculty Fridays
October 30
Time: 3:30 - 4:30 PM EST
Location: ALN 296
Caffeine & Hypotheses: Postdoc Community
November 2
Time: 9:00 - 10:30 AM
Location: ALN 296
Your AI Research Workflow
November 3
Register Here
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
With planning, discovery, synthesis, and analysis skills in place, this capstone session
brings everything together into a complete research life cycle, from initial question
to final presentation. Participants will see how the tools and strategies covered
throughout the series can work together seamlessly, with deliberate human checkpoints
for interpretation, verification, and refinement, and will explore how AI can help
turn findings into effective, accessible visuals and presentations for sharing research
with different audiences. The result is an efficient, ethical, and transparent workflow
that balances automation with scholarly judgment from discovery to dissemination.
By Evan Fruehauf, USF Libraries.
SPSS Intermediate
November 3
Register Here
Time: 1:30 - 3:00 PM
This workshop covers when and how to run common frequentist analyses for continuous
outcomes (i.e., t-test, ANOVA, linear regression) within the SPSS platform and how
to interpret the output. This workshop will cover enough conceptual underpinnings
of these analyses to enable individuals to correctly select an analysis and interpret
results, but is not intended to provide a deep statistical understanding of these
analyses – it functions more as a fast “how-to” type tutorial on running such analyses
within SPSS itself. By Wendy Rote, USF Psychology.
Postdoc Benefits and Resources / Orientation
November 3
Register Here
Time: 4:00 - 5:30 PM
In this seminar, we discuss all your benefits and resources.
- New USF Postdocs are strongly encouraged to attend
- Current postdocs who have questions about any of these topics are welcome to attend
This orientation session for postdoctoral fellows is an opportunity to learn about policies and guidelines pertaining to postdocs, postdoc benefits, career and professional development opportunities, and other resources available at USF. This is an opportunity for you to network with other postdocs and get answers to your questions.
AI-Assisted Poster Design
November 4
Register Here
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
This workshop emphasizes how AI can assist researchers to draft and format their poster
design based on specific prompting. Attendees will learn methods to integrate their
information, develop hierarchy, and operate long language models to arrange and edit
their poster design. By David Watts, USF College of Design, Art & Performance.
Donating Your Digital Collections
November 4
Register Here
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Have you been creating digital tools or products in your research or grant activity
and want to make sure these items accessible? This workshop will cover collection
for USF's digital archives for oral history, photograph, or document collections.
By Amanda Boczar, USF Libraries.
*Please note that this session will not cover research data management for large data
sets or publishing. For information for those types of materials, contact: digitalcommons@usf.edu.
AI Disclosure & Transparency
November 5
Register Here
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Artificial Intelligence (AI) disclosure is “the practice of stating when content or
interactions have been generated or assisted by AI.”1 While how, when, and to what
degree the use of AI should be disclosed is a complex and unsettled topic, there is
still guidance that can inform how researchers approach disclosing AI use. In this
workshop, participants will learn about AI disclosure importance and application in
a variety of contexts, with a focus on those most closely aligned with academic and
research considerations. By Carl DiNardo, USF Libraries.
1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools were utilized generatively in the preparation
of this abstract. Claude Sonnet 5 was used on 8/14/2026 to define “AI Disclosure”
as quoted above and was based on an outline of the workshop. All AI use was reviewed
for relevance and accuracy. Responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of this
work remains solely my own.
Academic Culture & Communication
November 6
Register Here
Time: 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Set Yourself up for Success as a Teaching Assistant.
Enroll in one session or all sessions designed to help you thrive in your TA role
- whether you're grading, holding office hours, running labs, or teaching. Each session
focuses on key skills and cultural insights to help you feel confident and prepared.
From Numbers to Narrative
November 9
Register Here
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 PM
This workshop will explore the ethical dimensions of data analysis and research. Understand
the importance of data privacy, bias, and responsible data sharing. This workshop
will help you understand ethical challenges, conduct research with integrity, and
provide resources to help you. By RJ Janssens, USF Mathematics & Statistics.
Tech Talks
November 9
Learn More
Tech Talks is designed to provide opportunities for graduate student investigators to present
their research in a clear, insightful manner in a 7-minute presentation. Seven outstanding
students will be presenting their current research projects. Talkers will present their research in a quick, insightful, and clear manner.
Tech Talks will be held on:
📆November 9, 2026🕐3:00 - 5:00 PM
📍ALZ 101
Academic Culture & Communication
November 13
Register Here
Time: 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Set Yourself up for Success as a Teaching Assistant.
Enroll in one session or all sessions designed to help you thrive in your TA role
- whether you're grading, holding office hours, running labs, or teaching. Each session
focuses on key skills and cultural insights to help you feel confident and prepared.
Sandwich Generation: Multigen Caregivers
November 10
Register Here!
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Scholars of Excellence
November 12
Time: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: MSC 2709
Each year, the Office of Graduate Studies recognizes students and faculty whose academic excellence and scholarly contributions have contributed significantly to the national and international reputation of USF. Awardees are honored during the Scholars of Excellence event each Fall
Building Your Custom AI for Research
November 12
Register Here
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
For those ready to go beyond off-the-shelf tools, this bonus session explores building
your own AI environment when the standard platforms aren't quite meeting your needs.
Topics include locally hosted solutions using platforms like Ollama and LM Studio,
building custom agents in Microsoft Copilot for specialized research tasks, and connecting
with IT and higher-level campus AI computing resources for those ready to move past
the basics. Participants will leave with a roadmap for pursuing secure, adaptive AI
systems tailored to their own research goals. By Evan Fruehauf, USF Libraries.
Iterative Diagrammatical Analysis
November 12
Register Here
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Building upon the introductory Iterative Diagrammatical Analysis (IDA) workshop, this
interactive session will provide participants with an opportunity to experience IDA
through hands-on application. Participants will engage with qualitative data, develop
and revise diagrams, and explore how the iterative diagramming process can reveal
relationships, challenge initial interpretations, and support analytic sensemaking.
By Hannah Brady, USF Education
Academic Culture & Communication
November 13
Register Here
Time: 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Set Yourself up for Success as a Teaching Assistant.
Enroll in one session or all sessions designed to help you thrive in your TA role
- whether you're grading, holding office hours, running labs, or teaching. Each session
focuses on key skills and cultural insights to help you feel confident and prepared.
GIS Data Collection using Survey123
November 13
Register Here
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 AM
In this workshop, participants will learn how to leverage the ESRI Survey123 platform
for field data collection. The Survey123 application allows users to create smart,
location-aware surveys using a drag-and-drop web designer.By Benjamin Mittler, USF
Libraries.
Tampa Bay Heart Walk
November 14
Join Our Team or Donate
Time: 8:00 - 11:00 AM
Join our team and help make a difference! The Office of Graduate Studies and the Graduate & Professional Student Council are participating in the 2026 Tampa Bay Heart Walk to support efforts to combat heart disease and stroke.
Sandwich Generation: Multigen Caregivers
November 19
Register Here!
Time: 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Academic Culture & Communication
November 20
Register Here
Time: 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Set Yourself up for Success as a Teaching Assistant.
Enroll in one session or all sessions designed to help you thrive in your TA role
- whether you're grading, holding office hours, running labs, or teaching. Each session
focuses on key skills and cultural insights to help you feel confident and prepared.
Unwrapping the Holiday Scam Season
December 1
Register Here
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Writing Wednesdays 📝 (Online or In-Person)
Wednesdays, Weekly
Online: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Being intentional and consistent about writing will help you progress and meet your
goals. Whether it's a journal article or a fellowship/grant, thesis or dissertation,
proposal, or a scholarship/award application, join peers in a time of intention setting
and dedicated writing.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Stephanie Harper (Online)
Conversation Studio
Fridays, Weekly
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: ALN 209
Join the Conversation Studio in the Graduate Student Lounge in ALN 209.
An English discussion group for graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scholars
designed to help you build confidence, improve fluency, and connect with peers in
a welcoming environment.
Conversation Studio offers a relaxed, supportive space to practice speaking while
engaging in meaningful conversations on academic and everyday topics. Whether you
want to strengthen your English communication skills, gain confidence speaking in
groups, or expand your community, all are welcome.
Join us and be part of the conversation - attend one session or come to them all!
ETD Formatting Workshops ✏️
Rotating Mon/Tue
Meet virtually via Microsoft Teams. View Dates.
Join Workshops
These are meant to help with ETD-specific formatting.
What's the difference between Workshops?
- ETD Formatting Workshops (weekly) cover formatting guidelines and last approximately 1.5 hours.
Drop in for help with document formatting.
- ETD Process Workshop occurs once a semester and covers all aspects of the process from Registration to Review.
- Book a 1-on-1 Help Session with an ETD Specialist, these are only 15-minutes and can cover the ETD process including document assistance if needed. Bring focused
questions.
National Postdoc Association SmartSkills
Monthly
NPA Smartskills have recurring sessions every 4th Tuesday of the month at 3PM.
Many postdocs wonder about the pathway into industry without ways to learn the truth about the journey.
Join leaders from industry as they share their thoughts on the current industry postdoc
landscape, discuss misconceptions about postdocs and careers in industry, clarify
differences between industry and academic postdocs and positions, offer recommendations
to postdocs seeking to enter industry positions, and provide insights on future trends
that may affect postdocs in industry.
This is intended as a collaborative discussion so bring your questions!
Follow OGS on BullsConnect as another way to view and register for our OGS Events:
The Center for Career & Professional Development presents engaging programs, meaningful experiences, and comprehensive services, which are provided in partnership with employers, faculty, staff, and the global community.
USF Libraries offer a variety of virtual and in-person workshops that are aimed to assist graduate students with developing research skills:
USF Health Libraries offer a variety of virtual workshops and other scheduled events. There are two locations on the USF Tampa Campus: Hinks and Elaine Shimberg Health Sciences Library on Bruce B. Downs Blvd, and the Florida Blue Health Knowledge Exchange in downtown Tampa's Water Street District.