About

Our Mission

GW COMPASS seeks to help graduate students in STEM prepare for life after graduation. COMPASS stands for Career Organization for Masters and PhDs to Achieve Success in STEM. The organization was founded on the idea that career success is heavily dependent on networking. Networking is one of the most valuable skills for graduate students; it can open doors to various job opportunities, aid in collaborations, develop creativity, and help land that “dream job” after graduation. GW COMPASS seeks to help graduate students learn how to network effectively by bringing them together with GW alumni and local professionals for various speaker events, networking workshops, social hours, and field trips. We strive to provide graduate students with the network they need to feel supported by the university and their peers, as well as to help them identify their goals for after graduation.

Membership

GW COMPASS membership is open to all GW students enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program in a STEM-related field. Though not limiting, our events tend to be targeted toward the following schools: 

Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)
Milken Institute School of Public Health (MISPH)
School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS)

To become an official member of our organization, you can fill out our Google Form to be put on our mailing listserv.

Undergraduates, faculty, and staff at GW are always welcome to attend any of our events!

Events and Programs

Career Workshops

GW COMPASS holds regular career-related workshop each month. These are designed to help graduate students in STEM prepare for life after graduation by teaching them skills outside of the lab that will be useful for them to succeed. The theme for Spring 2018 was “Learning How to Expand Your Network.” Check out our events page for more details on the monthly topic!

Social Events

On the third Thursday of every month, GW COMPASS puts together happy hour socials for MS and PhD students in STEM to informally network with one another at local bars/restaurants. Check out our events page to see the location for each month, or check us out on Facebook (GWUCOMPASS) and Instagram (@gwcompass) for other upcoming social events throughout the year.

Networking Events

We aim to host a variety of speakers throughout the semester, ranging from GW alumni, local professionals, and current GW faculty/staff.

Field Trips

Field trips through GW COMPASS are designed to bring MS and PhD students directly to local places of potential employment. We seek to expose students to the various types of jobs a STEM graduate student can obtain, so our field trip destinations include places such as biotechnology companies, national laboratories, research parks, medical centers, and policy associations. We host one field trip at the end of each semester, and all destinations are in the local DMV area.

Mentorship Program

The GW COMPASS Mentorship Program seeks to foster a STEM community between postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students by building support networks with positive role models in order to inspire and empower the next generation of STEM students and researchers.

To get involved with our 2018-2019 Mentorship Program, please email our mentorship chairs Rose Yin (roseyin@gwu.edu) or Stephanie Gomez (sgomez@gwmail.gwu.edu).