South Central Regional Meeting 2025
9:30 AM - 2:45 PM
Thursday, February 27, 2025
9:30AM - 2:45 PM
Format: Virtual
Agenda
9:30 AM – 10:05 AM | Welcome & Icebreaker
Kick off the meeting with a welcome from South Central Regional Director, Raquel Salinas (MD Anderson/UTHealth). This will be followed by introductions and a fun, interactive icebreaker, followed by a trivia session to build connections and set an engaging tone for the day. Icebreaker facilitated by members from the GCC Member Engagement and Belonging Committee- Sabeen Sheikh (Columbia Teacher’s College), Bryan McGrath (Harvard School of Medicine), Beth Olson (Harvard Kennedy School), and Briana Mohan (MD Anderson Cancer Center).
10:05 AM – 10:45 AM | Life Design for Career Development: A Panel Discussion
Explore how Life Design principles can be applied in career advising to help trainees navigate career decision-making with intention and flexibility. Panelists will share insights on integrating these strategies into career coaching and programming. Panelists- Annie Maxfield (University of Texas-Austin), Leah Banks (UT Southwestern Medical Center), Nana Lee (University of Toronto), and Julia Lapan (UVA). Moderated by Laura Rademacher (MD Anderson/UTHealth)
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM | Break
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM | Lightning Talks: Member Spotlights
A dynamic session featuring 3-minute flash talks from GCC South Central members sharing new projects, programming updates, best practices, or any other relevant topic in career development. This format provides an opportunity for attendees to showcase their work and spark new conversations.
12:15 AM – 12:30 PM | A look inside Diverse Scholar
Explore how Diverse Scholar supports diversity in academia and beyond through career resources, professional development, and mentoring networks. There will also be a short virtual tour of Diverse Scholar’s online office space, showcasing how the platform connects underrepresented scholars with career advising. Presented by Alberto Roca (Founder, Diverse Scholar).
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch & Chat
Grab your lunch and join us for an informal conversation! Whether you want to continue discussing insights from the sessions, ask questions, or just connect with others, this is a chance to engage in a relaxed setting. Cameras on or off—whatever makes you most comfortable. Drop in, enjoy your meal, and chat as much (or as little) as you’d like!
1:00 PM – 1:40 PM | AI in Career Advising: Practitioner Perspectives & Student Guidance
A facilitated discussion on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in graduate and career education. What are the opportunities, challenges, and ethical considerations? In this discussion, we will focus on how career practitioners are actively using AI tools in their work and how we are advising students on navigating these technologies effectively and ethically. Co-facilitated by Ryan Udan (MD Anderson Cancer Center) and Saffia Essien (MD Anderson Cancer Center).
1:40 PM – 2:25 PM | GCC Executive Committee Update
Hear key updates from the GCC Executive Committee on strategic initiatives, upcoming opportunities, and developments within the organization. This session includes a Q&A to encourage member engagement. Presented by GCC Past-President, Rob Pearson (Southern Methodist University).
2:25 PM – 2:45 PM | Closing Reflections
A wrap-up session for attendees to reflect on key takeaways, discuss potential collaborations, and identify action items to implement at their institutions. Facilitated by Raquel Salinas (MD Anderson/UTHealth).
Please refer any questions to Raquel Salinas at raquel.y.salinas@uth.tmc.edu
GCC
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