For decades, students pursuing doctoral degrees were all but destined for careers in academic research. As a result, most colleges and universities have long devoted the bulk of their resources to honing the research capabilities of their graduate students. This approach, however, doesn’t entirely jive with the realities of today’s workforce.
Greater numbers of employers are now seeing the benefits of hiring candidates with doctoral expertise. No one knows this better than Ambika Mathur, senior vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies and dean of The Graduate School at UTSA. In her five years at the university, she has collaborated with her peers to provide more comprehensive professional development opportunities to UTSA’s doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers.
“It’s important that we expose them to careers outside of academia given that only 25% of postdoctoral and doctoral students end up in tenure-track faculty positions at R1 institutions,” Mathur says. “They’re increasingly going into careers in government, the nonprofit industry and positions where they can shape policy.”
To that end, UTSA has been well ahead of the curve in supporting its doctoral scholars and postdoctoral fellows as they pursue a breadth of career paths. The Graduate School’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Success (GPS) program helps prepare master’s students, doctoral students and postdocs for a variety of career options in an evolving, modern workforce. GPS has helped many Roadrunners pursuing doctoral degrees enter the workforce with enhanced leadership, management and interviewing skills.
The 3MT® Research Competition, for instance, provides graduate students the opportunity to showcase their scholarly work or research in three minutes or less. The competition encourages them to develop concise communication skills, showcase their work with the San Antonio community and initiate new collaborations and networks. The Graduate School has also hosted the Career Pathways guest speaker series to promote the career pursuits, career development and career impacts of UTSA’s graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
One of The Graduate School’s most popular initiatives has been the launch of micro-credentials through Credly, giving master’s students, doctoral students and postdocs the chance to earn credentials or “badges” for achieving professional competencies through online sessions or workshops. Whether they’re added to resumes or LinkedIn profiles, these micro-credentials show potential employers that Roadrunners at the graduate level have completed training in sought-after qualities such as leadership, conflict management, delegation, public speaking and generative AI among many topics.
These kinds of professional development initiatives helped push UTSA’s doctoral student count over 1,000 for the first time ever in the fall of 2024. So, too, did Keep Running With Us (KRWU), a streamlined, invite-only admissions process that aims to keep talented UTSA undergraduate students and recent undergraduate alumni at the university to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees. KRWU removes many barriers to higher education for UTSA’s best and brightest while encouraging them to stay in San Antonio. Mathur says the potential to make a difference in the Alamo City, where educational attainment levels lag behind most major U.S. metro areas, has resonated with many of UTSA’s grad students.
“Even at the doctoral level, we have a high number of first-generation and Hispanic graduates here at UTSA. They can empower generational change,” Mathur says. “We have all of these issues of obesity, poverty and educational attainment in San Antonio, and it’s really important for them to understand that by getting a doctoral degree, they can influence policy and have a local or regional impact on health, economics and education.”
Here are four Roadrunners who took advantage of programs like GPS and KRWU and are now aiming to make an impact in their communities:
Karl Van Over
Van Over is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force who served in Iraq before returning stateside in 2010. As he endured a cycle of surgeries and recovery, he was medically retired from active duty here in San Antonio in 2012. It was an uncertain time in Van Over’s life, so to keep himself busy, he spent many of his days volunteering as an elementary, middle and high school tutor. This period rekindled his lifelong interest in education and cultural exchange and set him on a new career course.
He started researching teaching programs in San Antonio and was drawn to UTSA’s Educational and Professional Certification Program. In 2018, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a teaching certification in Early Childhood to Grade 6 (EC-6) and English as a Second Language (ESL).
“The program’s quality and the dedication of the faculty impressed me, and I was grateful for the preparation and support I received,” Van Over says.
He went on to volunteer as an ESL tutor for two San Antonio nonprofits, but it wasn’t long before he found that he missed the academic environment. Van Over was driven by intellectual engagement and a desire to give back, and he thought a graduate education would allow him to chase those passions. He was then encouraged to pursue a Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language and apply through Keep Running With Us.
He earned that master’s degree in 2020 and has just finished his third semester pursuing a Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy and Language through the UTSA College of Education and Human Development (COEHD). Van Over hopes he can offer a unique perspective to his peers and contribute to positive progress in second language education.
Along the way, Van Over says, The Graduate School has greatly supported his efforts. He attends the school’s networking events, social activities and conferences. He adds that the micro-credentials program has also provided him with “invaluable opportunities for personal and professional growth.”
“I see myself as an outlier among my peers. I am not pursuing a career as a professional researcher or a university faculty member, but remaining committed to volunteering as an ESL tutor,” Van Over says. “Thanks to the Keep Running With Us program and the support of COEHD’s Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies and The Graduate School’s faculty and staff, I am now positioned to meaningfully contribute to the growth of English language learners and improving the second language education field of study.”
Van Over adds that he’s thankful for the profound bonds he’s cultivated with professors, peers and mentors that has made his journey all the more meaningful. He says the rigorous coursework has given him opportunities to grow and that being surrounded by “brilliant minds” has been a constant inspiration.
“I feel profoundly grateful for every aspect of this experience, even the challenging days. This isn’t just a career path. It’s truly a calling that enriches my life in ways I never imagined possible,” Van Over says. “On a daily basis, I catch myself smiling, almost feeling guilty about how much I love what I do. To be able to walk alongside students as they navigate the intricacies of American English and culture, to witness their determination and growth, is incredibly fulfilling.”
Katie McCance
McCance may have earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in science education from North Carolina State University before arriving at UTSA, but she was no stranger to Texas. She received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, in 2015, and felt a return to the Lone Star State might be a good fit. McCance had long heard great things about UTSA, so after she finished grad school in Raleigh, she sought out postdoctoral opportunities that would bring her to San Antonio. In the summer of 2023, McCance joined UTSA as a postdoctoral fellow specializing in STEM education. She immediately felt at home.
“I was drawn to UTSA because I love the values and community here,” McCance says. “Even during my interview, I could tell how supported I would be at UTSA because of the amazing faculty and mentors who care about postdocs and our success.”
McCance has flourished since becoming a Roadrunner. She participates in and helps coordinate UTSA’s Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) network, another initiative under the GPS umbrella, which promotes instructional excellence in STEM disciplines in higher education. Working with the CIRTL has given McCance the opportunity to expand her network through meetings with other institutions across the country. Together, they learn and share about mutual interests around college teaching. She’s also a co-leader of the Postdoctoral Association at UTSA, which allows her to have greater conversations with postdocs across all disciplines at the university. In her position, McCance helps advocate for postdocs at UTSA and support their personal and professional needs with UT System.
“It feels like we have our own community and can offer support to one another,” McCance says.
The Graduate School has also supported McCance’s postdoctoral research. She received a postdoctoral travel award from The Graduate School, which allowed her to travel, present my research, and network at a prominent international science education conference. Additionally, McCance has presented research at postdoctoral symposium events hosted by The Graduate School, where she has shared her work focused STEM education and educational equity with faculty and postdocs across Texas.
Most importantly, McCance says, UTSA has supported her development as an instructor. She has now co-taught or led Ph.D.-level statistics courses for three semesters, and she says she wouldn’t have been able to do it without the proper resources or encouragement.
“When I arrived at UTSA, teaching was the area that I felt least confident in,” McCance admits. “My mentors here made sure that I could gain more teaching experience during my time as a postdoc.”
Merjulah Roby
Artificial intelligence, machine learning and cardiovascular medicine brought Merjulah Roby to UTSA. After completing her Ph.D. in computer science in India in 2020 and then postdoctoral research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in 2022, Roby found herself captivated by the work coming out of the Vascular Biomechanics and Biofluids Laboratory (VBBL) within the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering.
“The advanced research, collaboration with medical experts and publications from the lab inspired me,” Roby says. “It closely matches my interests and expertise, and the resources available at the institution motivated me to join UTSA.”
For nearly two years in the UTSA laboratory, Roby has implemented AI and machine learning techniques to automate and speed up the analysis process for medical patients. Roby is specifically applying that expertise to challenges in cardiovascular medicine. Through activities like poster presentations and multidisciplinary workshops hosted by The Graduate School at UTSA, she has been able network with many departments, enhance her communication skills and showcase her research in various venues.
Beyond research, Roby says she has made significant career strides at UTSA. Like McCance, she participates in CIRTL, which has guided her on a path toward STEM education. Roby has completed the courses “Special Problems: Becoming an Engineering Educator/Professor” and “Engineering Education Methods” to expand her exposure to STEM education.
Furthermore, the UTSA SciPhD program has provided her with many tools for career planning, such as the FLAMINGO tool, which uses AI to integrate the specific technical, business and social requirements of job ads with her own experiences and accomplishments. This has helped Roby learn how to interact with recruiters and negotiate the job market.
“Thanks to departmental networking opportunities, faculty advice and support, my expertise and contacts within academia have grown significantly,” Roby says. She further attributes that growth to The Graduate School, who awarded Roby with a travel grant to present her research at events like the Summer Bioengineering, Biomechanics and Biotransport Conference and the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society. “I have had multiple excellent opportunities to further my postdoctoral research and professional growth at UTSA, which have been made possible by The Graduate School.”
Mohamed Shahid Usen Nazreen
UTSA will always hold a special place in Mohamed Shahid Usen Nazreen’s heart. After all, the university gave him the opportunity to continue his research in the United States. Nazreen was born and raised in India, where he studied chemical engineering and petroleum engineering for 13 years before becoming an assistant professor in 2021 at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Dehradun, a city located near India’s Himalayan foothills.
It wasn’t long before Nazreen started pursuing postdoctoral research opportunities in the U.S., and UTSA quickly rose to his “first option” in 2022. He was drawn to the university’s proud identity as a Hispanic Serving Institution and its new emergence as an R1 research university.
“Coming from a minority community from India, I do feel that UTSA is one of the best institutions at making scholars like me feel like home,” Nazreen says. “I joined UTSA at the right moment. The R1 transition brought huge investments to the university, which are reflected in its recent developments, faculty with broad experience and research labs with state-of-the-art facilities.”
Nazreen spent two-and-a-half years at UTSA, specializing in electroplating and thermodynamic modeling research, while also honing many other professional aptitudes. He credits his participation in the 3MT® Research Competition and the San Antonio Postdoctoral Research Forum for his dramatic improvements in giving presentations. He says that Postdoctoral Association events helped him realize the importance of networking and effective communication. He was most inspired, however, by his participation in the CIRTL.
“The CIRTL programs help the postdocs strategize and nourish a teaching environment that’s adaptable and helps students be confident in their learning activities,” Nazreen says.
He’s carried those lessons forward in the Show-Me State. In September, Nazreen took a position as a postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. Louis, where he’s studying Li-O2 batteries and critical mineral recovery among other energy and chemical engineering specialties. He says he’s a more well-rounded scholar because of his time at UTSA and that he’ll continue to keep an eye on his former university going forward.
“I will always feel that UTSA is among the best institutions to work for,” Nazreen says. “And its merger with UT Health San Antonio will only strengthen funding opportunities and soon attract more talent within the United States and overseas.”
