myCHOICE: From NIH pilot to Institutionalized of Career Development Resource for STEM PhDs
Originally funded by the NIH Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training grant, myCHOICE program was created as an experiment and incubator of ideas to support career exploration, education, and experiential learning of PhD and postdoctoral trainees in biological sciences.
Over the course of 10 years (2014-2024) in the BSD, myCHOICE benefited enormously from a long and fruitful relationship with UChicagoGRAD and has grown to include trainees across three STEM academic units. In academic year 2024-2025 myCHOICE program moved from the BSD Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs to UChicagoGRAD, a Provost’s Office department that provides administrative support and co-curricular services to all UChicago graduate programs.
The merger of these entities concentrated and amplified the resources of both. myCHOICE at UChicagoGRAD continues to provide existing core programs, and also develops innovative new programs to serve the evolving needs of trainees across all STEM fields. This move was the culmination of years of growth, innovation, and community development among myCHOICE participants and supporters like you.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at mychoice@uchicago.edu.
Abby Stayart, Ph.D.
Dr. Stayart has been associated with the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division for more than a decade, first as a graduate student in the Rothman-Denes lab, followed by postdoctoral training in the lab of Laurens Mets. Her breadth of experience at UChicago made her uniquely suited to launch and develop the myCHOICE program from 2014-2024 as a valuable resource for the graduate and postdoctoral communities.
Inaugural myCHOICE Program Advisors
The myCHOICE Program Advisors are responsible for the oversight of the myCHOICE program and provide key structural and organizational inputs to programmatic development and implementation.
Erin Adams, Ph.D.
Joseph Regenstein Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Dr. Adams is an expert in molecular immunology; her lab uses structural, biochemical and cellular approaches to understand how the immune system distinguishes healthy tissue from diseased. Her exposure to a highly entrepreneurial environment during her graduate and postdoctoral training in the California bay area stimulated her interest in alternative career opportunities for trainees at the University of Chicago.
Victoria Prince, Ph.D.
Professor
Dept. Organismal Biology & Anatomy
Dean of Graduate Affairs,
Biological Sciences Division
Dr. Prince is an expert in developmental biology, using the zebrafish model to understand embryonic development of the brain and pancreas. She has held the position of Dean and Director of the Office of Graduate Affairs for the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) since 2010. This position provides her with a comprehensive view of all eighteen graduate programs within the BSD.
Julian Solway, M.D.
Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Director, Institute for Translational Medicine
Dr. Solway founded and chairs the Committee on Molecular Medicine, and is Dept of Medicine Vice Chair for Research and Dean for Translational Medicine. An engineer turned physician-scientist and practicing pulmonologist, Dr. Solway is an authority on asthma known for his breadth of knowledge and experience ranging from respiratory mechanics to cell and molecular physiology.
Ellen Cohen, MPP
Executive Director, Center for Health and the Social Sciences
Ms. Cohen directs CHeSS which is comprised of 100 faculty affiliates across all University of Chicago schools and divisions and staff who write and manage federal and non-federal grants, develop and oversee training programs for Ph.D. students, post-doctoral researchers, fellows and junior faculty, and sponsor seminars, workshops and lectures. As former Dean of Students at Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, she oversaw training of all masters and Ph.D. students, worked with faculty on curriculum development, course offerings, research, and applied learning opportunities. Ellen received her MPP degree with honors from the Harris School and her BA degree in economics from Brown University.