GradPro staff members are here to support you as you navigate your graduate program, career planning, job search, and beyond.  

Here at GradPro, we understand that juggling multiple personal, academic, and professional goals while in graduate school can feel overwhelming. Professional Development Liaisons (PDLs) are trained to provide peer support to graduate students from diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines as they navigate their programs and plan for life after graduate school.

We encourage all graduate students to meet with a Professional Development Liaison (PDLs) for a virtual and confidential one-on-one consultation, where you can learn more about resources, strategies, and services that can help you achieve your academic and professional goals. Whether you are looking for a career within or beyond academia, we will direct you to resources and offices that will help you succeed on your career path. 

Professional Development Liaisons

Maria Almeida Reis headshot

Maria Almeida Reis

Hitchcock Postdoctoral Fellow

Maria completed her Ph.D. in Latin American History at UC Berkeley in the summer of 2024. Her doctoral research focused on the history of economic development, labor, and racial thinking in the Brazilian Amazon. While a PhD Student at Berkeley, Maria worked as a consultant at Berkeley Innovative Solutions, a graduate-student consulting program focused on sustainability projects. She was also one of the co-directors of Beyond Academia, a UC Berkeley non-profit dedicated to educational programming about careers outside the professoriate. Maria started working at GradPro in the Spring of 2024, where she has focused on sharing resources with the graduate student community and conducting outreach with campus partners.

 

Haripriya Sathyanarayanan headshot

Haripriya Sathyanarayanan

Architecture and DE in New Media

Haripriya is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Architecture with a Designated Emphasis in New Media at UC Berkeley. Her research explores the intersection of design, environment, and health, using participatory methods to create equitable solutions. As an international student and parent, she is dedicated to supporting these communities and fostering inclusivity, well-being, and professional growth within the STEM fields. Now in her third year with GradPro, she continues to focus on helping students navigate their academic and professional journeys.

 

Yana Zlochistaya headshot

Yana Zlochistaya

Comparative Literature

Yana is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature, where she studies the history of Soviet translation of anglophone texts, exploring the relationship between creative expression and censorship that characterized the era. Like Maria, Yana previously worked as a co-director and Speakers Lead for Beyond Academia, which cemented her interest in expanding graduate students’ horizons to include both academic and alt-ac career options. A staunch supporter of disability rights, she advocates for more inclusive models of higher education that can accommodate the needs of a wider variety of students. Now in her second year with GradPro, Yana seeks to focus on community-building and resource-sharing as means of enriching every student’s graduate school experience.

 

 

Reuben Perez heaadshot

Reuben Perez

Sociology

Reuben is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at UC Berkeley, where his research focuses on strategies for violence prevention in New York City neighborhoods and their impact on community well-being. Specifically, he examines the local factors that lead to different approaches to curbing violence in low-income Black and Brown neighborhoods. During his time at Berkeley, Reuben has interned at various technology companies, including Lyft, Salesforce, and Dropbox. These experiences have fueled his desire to become a Professional Development Liaison, where he can assist other graduate students in exploring career opportunities both within academia and beyond. 

 

Whenever you feel ready to take the step and schedule an individual consultation, GradPro is here to guide you through your professional development process. To learn about other services, programs, and resources GradPro offers to graduate students, visit the GradPro website.