By Joie N. Marhefka, Ph.D.
As I write this column, I am working on planning our semi-annual alumni event. Once each semester, we invite alumni to join current students for pizza and conversation. This gives the students a chance to hear from recent graduates and learn about their experiences with internships, job searching, starting their first job in the field, and working in HTM in general. The students have an opportunity to ask questions as well as to make connections that may help them when looking for a job. The alumni share advice and also some crazy stories.
These events also allow the alumni to connect with each other as they provide opportunities to catch up with old friends and make professional connections. Often, a group of alumni and faculty will head out afterwards to continue the informal conversation in a more social setting. The feedback from both students and alumni has been overwhelmingly positive, and I know the alumni look forward to these events each year.
Beyond this event, I wanted to share some of the other ways that our alumni stay connected with the school and program. In many cases, these connections directly benefit our students. In addition, staying connected with the school and program can also benefit the alumni.
One way that alumni can get involved is by giving guest lectures. We’ve had recent graduates talk about finding their first job, give a lecture on a day in the life of a biomed, or do a question-and-answer session. Alumni with a bit more experience in the field have given lectures on various types of equipment, networking and device integration, and many other topics. We’ve also had alumni do practice interviews, which the students have found to be extremely beneficial.
Alumni are also invaluable as members of our Industrial Advisory Committee. This group is comprised of alumni as well as professionals who hire our graduates. The committee provides input on our curriculum to assure that it aligns with industry needs. While all of the members’ feedback is valuable, it is always great to hear the perspective of alumni who are familiar with the program and have experience in the industry.
I love hearing from alumni, and often do when their employers have openings. I get numerous emails every year from alumni who ask me to share opportunities with our students and other recent graduates. Alumni also make excellent supervisors for our interns as they are particularly familiar with our curriculum. We’ve started pairing first year students with alumni mentors, and the feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. Finally, we often invite alumni to participate in other events on campus, such as a Women in STEM event held at the beginning of each year.
From talking to our graduates, I know that many of them enjoy the interactions with the students and want to give back to the school. There are also some more direct benefits that alumni gain from staying in touch and getting involved. I’m always happy to share resources with alumni as well as to write recommendations for jobs or additional education. Staying connected with an alumni network is also a helpful way to learn about opportunities in the field.
If you are currently engaged with your alma mater, I’m sure that the students and faculty appreciate it more than you know. If you are not, I strongly encourage you to reconnect and look for opportunities to get involved. It will certainly benefit current students and will likely provide benefits for you, ranging from new professional connections to the satisfaction of giving back.
I am grateful for all that our alumni do to support current students. I also really enjoy mentoring current students at my alma mater.