Virtual Professional Development

The Leadership Alliance’s Virtual Professional Development Series (VPD) is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in exploring a research career. The VPD is designed for all students - from those who are just beginning to understand what research is to those with multiple research experiences. The VPD will:
- Improve your understanding of the overall research process
- Provide a better understanding of research opportunities across disciplines and subject areas
- Introduce you to professionals in industry, academia, and government who are affecting social change through their research
- Give you increased confidence for future research opportunities and graduate school application processes
- Improve your networking skills and expand your network at multiple careers levels
- Understand careers that are available to research professionals
- Inspire hope, ignite curiosity, and help propel you to the next phase of your academic career


Summer 2022

Digital Badge
Virtual Professional Development Series participants who complete the following requirements will receive a digital badge/certificate of completion administered through Credly.com
To receive the badge/certificate participants must:
- Attend or view at least 4 of the 7 Wednesday Professional Development workshops.
- Visit at least 4 institutions at the virtual recruitment events
- Submit a question for at least one “Conversation with a Doctoral Scholar.”
- Register for TLA Connect - the Leadership Alliance’s professional networking site
- Complete a post-survey
Upon receipt of their digital badge participants will be able to upload it to various platforms (LinkedIn, etc), print it as a certificate, and share it with prospective employers and graduate institutions.