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Break the Ice: Virtual Winter Networking

February 5, 2026 | 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET

Join The New York Academy of Sciences for an afternoon of virtual networking designed to spark meaningful conversations, foster professional connections, and deepen your knowledge across dynamic fields. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in themed breakout rooms, each guided by a domain expert, who will lead the discussion and encourage cross-disciplinary exchange.

The themed networking rooms are:

AI and Data Science

Dive into conversations about the applications of AI technology and emerging trends in the growing field.

Biotech and Entrepreneurship

Connect with innovators, founders, and biotech enthusiasts. Explore pathways from research to startup, funding strategies, and biotech product development.

Engineering and Robotics

Discuss mechanical, electrical, and software engineering topics—from automation and robotic systems to design challenges and career pathways in engineering fields.

Science Communication and Community Outreach

Share strategies for effectively fostering dialogue around scientific concepts with various audiences to support building trust in science.

Life Sciences and Research

Engage in conversations about building a career in scientific research, within and beyond academia.

All participants will return as a group at the end of the program to share insights, highlights, and key takeaways.

Pricing

Member: Free

Nonmember: $10

Making Your Science Matter: Effective Communication for K-12 Engagement

February 25, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET

115 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10006

The strategic applications of scientific knowledge are indispensable for the discovery and development of meaningful solutions to society’s challenges. Given the current funding environment around STEM and waning public trust in science, scientists have an increasingly critical role to play in transforming how the next generation understands, engages with, and trusts science.

This interactive workshop will provide the fundamentals for exposing scientists to youth-centered science communication. Through discourse and a hands-on activity, participants will explore practical ways scientists can activate their research and engage with K-12 students inside and outside of the classroom. By the end of the program, participants will gain a better understanding of how to communicate scientific concepts and their research to K-12 audiences through developing activities that are meaningful and approachable, ultimately helping foster public engagement with science and with scientists.

This training will be held in-person at the Academy’s space on 115 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10006. Space is limited. Attendees are encouraged to register early.

Speakers

Adrienne Umali

Associate Director, Education,
The New York Academy of Sciences

Adrienne Umali is Associate Director of Education at The New York Academy of Sciences, where she leads K–12 enrichment programs designed to spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of science through mentorship and hands-on learning. She is passionate about making STEM accessible and engaging for all students, and brings experience as both a neurobiology researcher and a middle/high school science teacher in the Bronx. Adrienne holds a BS in Psychology from Brown University, a Master’s in Biomedical Science from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a Master’s in Education from CUNY Lehman College.

Danielle Mink-Bellizzi

Program Manager, Education,
The New York Academy of Sciences

Danielle Mink-Bellizzi is a Program Manager on the Education team at The New York Academy of Sciences, where she leads STEM mentorship programs that connect scientists with K–12 students through hands-on, inquiry-driven learning. Driven by a commitment to expanding access to meaningful STEM experiences, she oversees the Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program and Family Science Nights, fostering inclusive partnerships across NYC. Before joining the Academy, Danielle spent over a decade in informal education across museums and schools, developing art and science programming. She also brings experience in geospatial technologies and remote sensing, having led teacher workshops and served as a STEM specialist with the KIPP Charter network. She holds a BA with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BS in Coastal Environmental Studies from Stony Brook University.

Zamara Choudhary

Program Manager, Education,
The New York Academy of Sciences

Zamara Choudhary oversees a portfolio of professional learning programming at The New York Academy of Sciences designed to accelerate career advancement for scientists, students, STEM professionals, educators, and adult learners. She leads the Leon Levy Scholarship in Neuroscience’s Mentorship Program, the Academy’s Internship Program, and alumni engagement for the Stevens Initiative. Passionate about democratizing knowledge across disciplines and continents, Zamara spent a decade in cultural institutions building expertise in international program design and management, teaching, fundraising, research, and public engagement. She holds a Master’s in Arts Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s in History, English, and Arabic Studies from the CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College.

Pricing

Member: Free

Nonmember: $35

Creatively Navigating Your Job Search: A Workshop for STEM Postdocs

March 17, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET

Navigating the job market as a postdoc can be challenging given the many options (academia, government, industry, and non-profits) and unwritten rules for success. This workshop provides practical and evidence-based strategies to help postdocs navigate the job search process across diverse sectors and prepare compelling applications. Participants will learn how to effectively search for and analyze job ads, how to apply effective storytelling to tailor applications, approach interviews, and highlight relevant achievements for different career paths. By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with actionable tools and greater confidence in navigating the STEM job market.

Speaker

Headshot of Sonali Majumdar
Sonali Majumdar, PhD

Assistant Dean for Professional Development,
Princeton University

Sonali Majumdar, PhD is Assistant Dean for professional development in the Graduate School of Princeton University and founder of the Graduate Career Consortium’s International Community of Practice. A scientist by training, she builds innovative professional development programs and partnerships to help empower PhDs to solve complex socio-technical problems through dynamic careers. She developed two innovative and field-leading PhD-level professional development programs, PhD Plus at University of Virginia and GradFUTURES at Princeton University. Her book, Thriving as an International Scientist, is the first career guide specifically tailored to the unique needs of international STEM PhDs.

Pricing

Member: Free

Nonmember: $20

Behind the Screen: ‘The Calling’ Movie Night and Panel Conversation

A graphic for "The Calling" movie.

January 28, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET

Join The New York Academy of Sciences for a special screening of ‘The Calling: A Medical School Journey’, followed by a panel conversation with the director of the film and cast members.

‘The Calling’ explores the experiences of a diverse group of medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx as they navigate their path to becoming doctors in one of America’s most underserved communities. Through their perspectives, the film explores the challenges of our healthcare system and the struggles students and professionals face when pursuing a career in medicine and finding their true calling. The Academy will show the full version of the film, which is not available publicly.

After the screening, attendees will have the opportunity to join an intimate panel discussion with the film’s director and cast members. The discussants will share insights about the creative choices that shaped the film’s storytelling and narrative, their experiences participating in the film’s production, and how the film has continued to shape their career journey.

Pricing

All: Free

Sponsor

Let’s Talk Genetics: A Workshop for Educators and Science Communicators

A graphic with a DNA helix.

December 2, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET

How does your health relate to your genes? What can (and what can’t) commercial ancestry testing tell you? How does law enforcement use DNA in criminal investigations? Join Personal Genetics Education and Dialogue (PGED) for an interactive workshop about genetics advances and their applications, including how to foster conversations about these topics in classrooms and community spaces.

Participants will learn about how genetics can intersect with personal and societal interests, including the use of genetic information in health, ancestry testing, and law enforcement. They will participate throughout the workshop, including in an online game, and will be encouraged to ask questions and share their perspectives with other attendees. Although this interactive workshop is geared towards educators and scientists interested in public engagement, anyone interested in genetics is welcome to attend.

Please note that the workshop is limited to live attendance and will not be recorded.

Sponsor

Personal Genetics Education and Dialogue (PGED) is a public engagement with science program based in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. For over eighteen years, they have raised awareness and inspired curiosity, reflection, and dialogue about genetics. They create resources and offer programs that explore the relevance and impact of genetics in people’s lives. By highlighting the “personal” in genetics, they strive to help people build knowledge and confidence to speak up, ask questions, and make informed decisions based on their needs and values.

Speaker

Rob O’Malley, PhD

Strategic Engagement Lead, Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue (PGED), Harvard Medical School

Rob is a biological anthropologist who shifted from a career studying wild chimpanzees to one focused on public engagement with science. Rob has expertise in evidence-based public engagement approaches, with a particular interest in how history, culture, and worldview (including faith and spirituality) inform peoples’ perspectives on genetics and related sciences. He helps to develop and facilitate workshops, co-creates and edits formal and informal education resources, and identifies and pursues grants and other funding opportunities to support PGED’s work. Rob is also the education committee co-chair for the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA).

Pricing

All: Free

Becoming a Principal Investigator: Career Timeline and Milestones

A scientist in a lab.

October 29, 2025 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET

The transition from postdoc, student or fellow to Principal Investigator (PI) is an exciting career milestone that comes with new responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities. However, there can be a wide gap in the skills and knowledge needed to smoothly make this transition and excel as a PI. 

This online webinar addresses topics that those transitioning to independence in academia should be aware of as they successfully advance to their next career stage. It is designed for postdocs, early-career faculty, and researchers aspiring to or preparing to lead their own labs or projects. Participants will gain practical insights into the multifaceted role of a PI—balancing scientific vision with leadership, mentorship, and administrative responsibilities.

Speaker

Headshot of Jamie Rubin

Jaime S. Rubin, PhD

Jaime S. Rubin, PhD is the Vice Chair for Investigator Development and Professor of Medical Sciences in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University. Her PhD thesis, published in the journal, Nature, described the first molecular identification and characterization of a human DNA repair gene. She has held a number of senior level positions at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, including Acting Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs, having served as the founding Director of the Office of Graduate Affairs, and Acting Associate Vice President/Acting Associate Dean for Research Administration, having served as one of the founders of the Office of Research Administration. All of these positions have allowed for the teaching, mentoring, and career development of junior investigators, including: undergraduate, graduate, medical, public health, dental, and nursing students, residents, postdoctoral scientists, clinical fellows, and junior faculty.

Pricing

Member: Free

Nonmember: $20

Careers Across Borders: Thriving as an International Scientist

A graphic of people standing together.

November 11, 2025 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

Building a successful career in STEM as an international scientist presents exciting opportunities—and unique challenges. Nearly half of graduates in STEM PhD programs in the United States are international students who often face added obstacles when navigating universities, the job market, and more generally, life in the United States.

Join the Academy online on Tuesday, November 11 at 1:00 PM ET for an engaging workshop delving into strategies for building a STEM career within the United States as a foreign-born scientist. Topics that will be discussed include:

  • Short and long term career mapping for international scientists
  • Strategies for immigration pathways for STEM careers in the U.S. as well as exploring global careers
  • How an international scientist can leverage their background and the unique and valuable skills they bring to support their career goals

This virtual workshop is created and presented by Sonali Majumdar, PhD, Assistant Dean for Professional Development at the Graduate School of Princeton University and author of the book, Thriving as an International Scientist.

Speaker

Headshot of Sonali Majumdar
Sonali Majumdar, PhD

Assistant Dean for Professional Development, Princeton University

Sonali Majumdar, PhD is Assistant Dean for professional development in the Graduate School of Princeton University and founder of the Graduate Career Consortium’s International Community of Practice. A scientist by training, she builds innovative professional development programs and multi-sector partnerships to help empower PhDs to solve complex socio-technical problems through dynamic careers. Since 2018, she has developed two innovative and field-leading PhD-level professional development programs, PhD Plus at University of Virginia and GradFUTURES at Princeton University. Her book, Thriving as an International Scientist, is the first career guide specifically tailored to the unique needs of international STEM PhDs.

Born and raised in India, she earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia and completed postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where she developed a passion for enhancing the training of early career scientists.

Pricing

All: Free

Food Waste

Organic composting.

Eligibility

  • This challenge is only open to Junior Academy students from the USA and countries in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Mentors can be from any country.
  • Maximum of six (6) students per team, plus one (1) mentor.

Overview

Nearly one third of all food worldwide goes to waste somewhere in the journey from farm to plate. The issue is not limited to wealthier countries, but causes of the waste vary by country and region, and the impact is not equitable. Preventing the billion metric tons of food wasted each year could reduce world hunger, minimize greenhouse gasses, and prevent habitat and biodiversity loss across the globe. In this challenge, you are asked to design innovative technological and social solutions that reduce food waste with an eye towards promoting sustainability, equity, and responsible consumption.

Challenge

Design an innovative, scalable solution that helps reduce food waste at the local level (household, local restaurants, retail) or at the regional level (agriculture), while promoting sustainability, equity, and responsible consumption.

Consider the following when designing your solution:

  • What type of food waste will your solution address?
    • Household waste? Restaurant or grocery waste?
    • Specific foods such as fresh vegetables? Meat? Dry goods?
    • Specific harvests or regions?
    • Something else?
  • How can your solution be available to and adopted by the entire community?
  • How will you approach the problem? Will you take a technology approach or a social approach?
  • How can your solution address equity issues in food availability?
    • How might you integrate community co-design into your solution?
    • How might your solution be scaled to impact other regions or other countries?
  • How can you keep the cost of your solution low enough to encourage implementation?
  • How sustainable is your solution? 
  • What region or community might your solution impact the most?
  • What public policy might be needed to support or implement your solution?

See the challenge course syllabus.

Success Evaluation Criteria

Solutions will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • Innovation and Design Thinking: Is the design and approach unique and/or innovative? Does the design show a high degree of originality and imagination?
  • Scientific Quality: Are the appropriate references and analytical methods used and are the insights derived correctly?
  • Presentation Quality: Is this concept concisely and clearly explained? Are the findings/recommendations communicated clearly and persuasively?
  • Commercial Viability/Potential: Does the solution have the potential to make a difference?
  • Sustainability: What is the social impact on local communities? How does the solution incorporate positive environmental or social objectives? Is the solution in line with a sustainable or justice focused future?
  • Teamwork and collaboration: Was the experience a collaborative endeavor? Was the knowledge gained from the experience reflected upon and tied back to a civic engagement mindset? (From Personal Reflections)

See the challenge rubric.

Sponsors

The Junior Academy is implemented by The New York Academy of Sciences and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.

Marine Biodiversity

An underwater shot.

Eligibility

  • This challenge is open to Junior Academy students who are residents of one of the 5 boroughs of New York City.
  • Maximum of six (6) students per team, plus one (1) mentor.

Overview

Offshore wind farms can offer a renewable energy source to meet the growing demand for energy of coastal communities and cities around the world, but there are also some environmental drawbacks. The construction and presence of wind turbines can disrupt marine life behavior, damage sensitive marine habitats, and reduce biodiversity in marine communities. This challenge asks you to design and plan offshore wind farms with the least negative impact on marine life that support and even increase biodiversity. How could you make offshore wind energy truly sustainable?

Challenge

Design an innovative solution that supports marine biodiversity by creating or improving marine habitats within or around offshore wind farms, while also minimizing disruption and damage to the ocean floor and water column during installation and operation.

Consider the following when designing your solution:

  • How could your solution also incorporate strategies for ongoing environmental monitoring and mitigation to ensure long-term ecosystem health?
  • What will motivate industry to implement your solution?
  • What policies might need to be implemented at the government level to fully realize your solution?
  • How will materials be sourced? Will there be a downstream environmental impact?
  • What will your solution cost? Will it be a practical choice?

See the challenge course syllabus.

Success Evaluation Criteria

Solutions will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • Innovation and Design Thinking: Is the design and approach unique and/or innovative? Does the design show a high degree of originality and imagination?
  • Scientific Quality: Are the appropriate references and analytical methods used and are the insights derived correctly?
  • Presentation Quality: Is this concept concisely and clearly explained? Are the findings/recommendations communicated clearly and persuasively?
  • Commercial Viability/Potential: Does the solution have the potential to make a difference?
  • Sustainability: What is the social impact on local communities? How does the solution incorporate positive environmental or social objectives? Is the solution in line with a sustainable or justice focused future?
  • Teamwork and collaboration: Was the experience a collaborative endeavor? Was the knowledge gained from the experience reflected upon and tied back to a civic engagement mindset? (From Personal Reflections)

See the challenge rubric.

Sponsor

Energy Infrastructure: Solar Power

Solar panels.

Eligibility

  • This challenge is open to all Junior Academy students.
  • Maximum of six (6) students per team, plus one (1) mentor.

Overview

In an increasingly electrified world, shifting from fossil fuel dependence to renewable energy is necessary to sustainably meet the growing demand. Making this transition will require 2 areas of innovation:

  1. Retrofitting current infrastructure, building new solar-ready infrastructure, and/or replacing aging power grids originally built to rely on fossil fuels.
  2. Technology that allows for the efficient and reliable distribution of solar power from areas and times of high solar input to areas and times of high electricity demand.

What innovative solution could you design to make the shift from traditional energy sources to renewable solar energy a reality?

Challenge

Design an innovative and scalable solution to improve electrical infrastructure and/or energy storage technology in order to make solar energy use more reliable, efficient, and economical for meeting the energy demands of technology and society.

Consider the following when designing your solution:

  • What level will you focus your solution on? Individual households or buildings? City infrastructure? Regional power grids? Agriculture? Nomadic communities?
  • What geographical or governmental region will you focus your solution on? What are the most urgent energy challenges in this region? How can your solution be scaled to other regions?
  • What are the supply, demand, distribution needs, and storage capabilities of electricity for your specific territory or geographical location?
  • What might be the cost of your solution? Will it be affordable for your focus audience?
  • How might retrofitting be part of your solution?
  • How could Artificial Intelligence (AI) be incorporated into your solution? Identifying ideal locations for retrofitting existing infrastructure? Managing energy flow? Managing energy use and storage? Through machine learning? Diagnosing and/or responding to system or grid fluctuations? Something else?
  • How can you use available data and research to inform or test your solution?
  • How will you prototype your solution?
  • Could your solution be expanded to other renewable energy sources such as wind or geothermal?

See the challenge course syllabus.

Success Evaluation Criteria

Solutions will be judged based on the following criteria:

  • Innovation and Design Thinking: Is the design and approach unique and/or innovative? Does the design show a high degree of originality and imagination?
  • Scientific Quality: Are the appropriate references and analytical methods used and are the insights derived correctly?
  • Presentation Quality: Is this concept concisely and clearly explained? Are the findings/recommendations communicated clearly and persuasively?
  • Commercial Viability/Potential: Does the solution have the potential to make a difference?
  • Sustainability: What is the social impact on local communities? How does the solution incorporate positive environmental or social objectives? Is the solution in line with a sustainable or justice focused future?
  • Teamwork and collaboration: Was the experience a collaborative endeavor? Was the knowledge gained from the experience reflected upon and tied back to a civic engagement mindset? (From Personal Reflections)

See the challenge rubric.

Sponsor

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