This series of 8 panel discussions with McGill PhD alumni aims to increase the visibility of potential career paths for PhD graduates and to provide an opportunity for contact and mentorship between current McGill graduate students, postdocs, and alumni.
The TRaCE Talks builds on the work of the TRaCE McGill project, which collected statistical information on the career pathways of over 4500 McGill PhDs who graduated between 2008 and 2018. The project also published the narratives of over 100 of these PhD graduates that provided further insight into the challenges and successes of McGill PhDs in their career progressions. In the 2020-2021 academic year, some of these graduates were invited to speak about their experiences in the Pathways for PhDs speaker series.
The TRaCE Talks continue the important work of the TRaCE McGill project by opening a space for discussion about the important contributions of PhDs within and beyond academia.
Upcoming TRaCE Talks
Careers in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
February 19, 5:30-7:30 pm. In-person, Thomson House Restaurant. Register here.
Panelists:
Alexandre Herbay (PhD, Communication Sciences and Disorders), Data Scientist - Project Lead, IVADO Labs
Ge Li (PhD, Earth & Planetary Sciences), Applied Research Scientist, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Marc-Antoine Beaudoin (PhD, Electrical Engineering), Senior Applied Research Scientist, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
TRaCE Talks/Connected Academics: Alternative Academic Careers
Thursday, March 19, 2026. In-person, Arts 150. Register here.
Join us to learn about the career pathways of McGill PhD alumni with a social science and humanities background who are working in Alternative Academic Careers! This in-person session will be followed by a community café where participants will have a chance to interact informally with the panelists and their peers.
Panelists:
W.Y Alice Chan (PhD, Education), Executive Director and Co-Founder, Centre de littératie religieuse civique / Centre for Civic Religious Literacy
Chloe Garcia (PhD, Education), Manager – Academic Programs, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University
Sylvain Margot (PhD, Music Theory), Program Manager, Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ)
Past TRaCE Talks
Careers in Climate and Sustainability
September 18, 12:00-1:00 pm. Zoom.
Panelists
Marie-Pier Labonté (PhD, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences), Climate Simulation and Analysis Specialist, Ouranos.
Sashenka Lleshaj (PhD, Political Science), International Just Transition Coordinator, Climate Action Network Canada.
Careers in Policy and Research Analysis
October 29, 12:00-1:00 pm.
Panelists:
Kaija Sander (PhD, Neuroscience), Scientist-in-Residence, Québec Government Office in London (UK).
Noelani Eidse (PhD, Geography), Senior Policy Advisor, Government of Yukon.
Alissa Mazar (PhD, Sociology), Tourism Policy Officer, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
TRaCE Talks: Careers in Teaching Beyond the Tenure Track
December 3, 2024, 12:00-1:00 pm. Zoom.
Panelists:
Erin Denton (PhD, Sociology), Senior Instructional Designer, Red Nucleus
Nathalie Jreidini (PhD, Biology), Director of Education, Zoo Ecomuseum
TRaCE Talks: Careers in Biotechnology and Medical Devices
January 21, 2026. 12:00-1:00 pm. Zoom
Panelists:
Amirtha Ambalavanan (PhD, Human Genetics), Genomics / Bioinformatics Specialist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network.
Khaled El-Monajjed (PhD, Mechanical Engineering), Senior Robotics Designer, Innovobot Labs.
Saeed Babadi (PhD, Kinesiology), Neoroimaging, Image Processing, and MRI Analyst, NeuroRx.
This work is licensed under a 