Horizons by Hopkins
Horizons
by Hopkins
One day only. May 13, 2026
Bloomberg Student Center
A doctoral degree opens many doors. At Horizons, connect with doctoral alumni and discover where your professional journey can lead.
Horizons by Hopkins is Johns Hopkins University’s flagship career exploration conference for doctoral students and postdocs. In one day, explore career paths, clarify what matters to you, and connect with alumni who can help you move forward.
Whether you’re beginning to explore or ready to act,
you’ll leave with momentum and confidence.
(Plus, get a professional headshot).
Opening
Conversation:
Live Podcast
with Yowei
Shaw
Meet Yowei Shaw, award-winning podcaster, former NPR Invisibilia co-host, and creator of Proxy, a show that untangles life’s conundrums through conversations with strangers who’ve lived them.
At Horizons, she brings that approach to the doctoral career journey, hosting a live conversation with two Hopkins alumni about how they navigated uncertainty and moved forward.
Corbin Cunningham
Senior UX Researcher, Google Deep Mind
Ph.D. Psychological & Brain Sciences
Yowei Shaw
Creator and Host, Proxy
Daesha Ramachandran
Founder & Principal, Tusk
Ph.D. Reproductive Health
Four Career Worlds to Explore
Choose among four interactive sessions featuring a moderated alumni panel, workplace and resume scenarios, and Q&A. Part candid window into a career world, part preparation for entering it.
Corporate
Corporate environments, including consulting, pharmaceuticals, and tech, are organized around delivering solutions that meet client needs. In this session, you’ll hear from alumni who navigated that world, work through scenarios, and leave knowing how to show the value of your academic training.
Mission-driven
Mission-driven organizations, including foundations, philanthropy, and community health, focus on advancing the greater good. In this session, you’ll connect with alumni working in these spaces and learn how to translate academic training into work that aims to improve lives.
Policy & Government
Policy work involves shaping and implementing the systems that structure public life. In this session, you’ll connect with alumni working across public institutions—from health and regulatory agencies to housing to international security—and learn how academic expertise informs political decision-making.
Radical Horizons
This session offers a chance to connect with scholars who have built lives and careers outside of traditional institutional paths and professional identities. Working across artistic, community based, and unconventional roles, they’ll discuss independence, financial realities, and what it takes to build a life off the beaten path.
One-on-One Alumni Chats
Select from 50+ doctoral alumni working in different fields to meet with in 20-minute, one-on-one coffee chats. Ask questions, explore paths, and build connections with people who have been where you are.
Select Alumni
Taein D Lee
Founder and CEO
JJ Innovative Materials
PhD Materials Science Engineering
Francis Fordjour
Associate Director
Takeda
PhD Biological Chemistry
Savitha Subramanian
Senior Officer
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Doctor of Public Health
Gabriela Cantarero
Lead Scientific Reviewer
FDA
PhD Neuroscience
Kara Wedekind
Delivery Consultant
Deloitte
PhD English
Emma Katherine Bilski
Founder and Owner
Full Story Baltimore
PhD History
2026 Horizons
Schedule
10 a.m.: Arrive and connect
Check in opens. Coffee chats begin. Professional headshots start at 11.
Noon – 1:15 p.m.: Opening Conversation & Lunch
Live podcast conversation with Yowei Shaw.
1:30 – 3:00 p.m.: Career Worlds (Block 1)
Choose one: Corporate OR Mission-Driven.
3:15 – 4:45 p.m.: Career Worlds (Block 2)
Choose one: Government & Policy OR Radical Horizons
4:45 – 5:30 p.m.: Closing Reception
Informal networking with alumni and peers