UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four Penn State alumni will share perspectives and strategies for navigating an uncertain job market after graduate school in a panel discussion titled "Charting Your Career Path Through Uncertainty," set for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Flex Theater of the HUB-Robeson Center at University Park and streamed online. The event is hosted by the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School and the Fox Graduate School Alumni Society.
The panel discussion is open to the public and designed to help graduate students thrive in today’s ever-changing job market despite potential challenges they may face. Panelists will include:
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Matt Chang serves as a programmer for Google DeepMind and earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 2011 in electrical engineering. He received his doctoral degree from Princeton University in 2017 in electrical engineering.
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Jami J. Rodgers is a global strategic sourcing manager at Amazon and graduated from Penn State in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. He earned his master of business administration from George Washington University in 2009.
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Mina Tsay-Vogel works as a UX research manager at Meta and received a doctoral degree at Penn State in 2007 in mass communications.
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Zahra Ghorbani recently began as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and obtained her doctorate in architectural engineering at Penn State in summer 2025.
The conversation will center around methods to build resilience and adaptability while developing a career. Whether students are currently in the first or final year of their graduate program, they will acquire valuable insights about shaping their career.
“Penn State alumni are charting their own successful career pathways all over the world, and we are excited to bring their wealth of knowledge to current graduate students,” said Levon T. Esters, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Fox Graduate School. “We hope to equip students at all stages of their graduate school journey with actionable strategies for finding career opportunities that align with their goals and interests.”
Immediately following the in-person event, there will be a casual networking mixer with the panelists, graduate students, Fox Graduate School Alumni Society board members and professionals from across the Penn State community. Free refreshments will be provided during this time.
To register and find more information, visit the Fox Graduate School website.