ASCEND: A Career-Readiness Program for Black Women Doctoral Scholars in STEM

Explore the outcomes of ASCEND's 16-week virtual career-readiness program, including participant experiences, measurable impact, and opportunities to support future cohorts.

Program Overview

ASCEND (Advancing Scholars' Careers through Education, Networking, and Development) was launched as a pilot in January 2026 to prepare historically excluded doctoral scholars in STEM—particularly Black women in biomedical fields—for careers beyond academia. The program combines career development, mentorship, wellness training, and peer support to help participants build confidence, expand professional networks, and develop the skills needed to thrive in diverse career paths.

This report evaluates the ASCEND pilot using a mixed-methods approach to measure changes in participants' knowledge, confidence, and career readiness while identifying opportunities to strengthen and scale the program in future cohorts.

Key Results

100% of participants would recommend ASCEND to another doctoral scholar, and the program earned an overall satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

90%

increased confidence

90% of participants increased their confidence in understanding non-academic career paths, and 100% improved their confidence in key career readiness skills.

100%

clearer sense of direction

100% of participants reported having a clearer sense of the career direction they wanted to pursue after completing their doctoral degrees as a result of the ASCEND program.

100%

meaningful connections

100% of participants said the professional connections they made through ASCEND were meaningful, and 90% built three or more new professional connections.

80%

translated learning to action

80% of participants updated their CV, 70% attended networking events, 60% completed informational interviews, and 50% secured job interviews within 1 month.

Participant Feedback

From career clarity to meaningful connections, participants consistently described ASCEND as a transformative experience.

"I appreciated how different paths can be viable for someone with my experience. The breadth and diversity of options available to me was something that stuck out."
"I've approached my career search with more intentionality. Instead of just applying to anything, I've been more deliberate about what I'm looking for and what I need from a role."
"The topic of networking prior to ASCEND felt so amorphous and abstract. Almost all the speakers demystified the idea of networking and broke it down to simply talk to people."
"It strengthened my confidence in pursuing career paths that bridge science, strategy, and global impact beyond academia."
"The most significant outcome that results from ASCEND was self-empowerment. I left every session feeling empowered to find a career that worked for me."

Recommendations & Next Steps

The results of the pilot evaluation showed that ASCEND successfully met or exceeded key performance indicators and demonstrated improvements in participants’ career knowledge, networking skills, and confidence. Both quantitative and qualitative findings suggested participants not only increased their confidence in navigating non-academic career pathways but also began using the skills they learned during networking, searching and applying for jobs, and interviewing. In addition, 100% of participants indicated they would recommend ASCEND to another doctoral scholar.
Although data showed strong short-term impacts of the pilot program on participants’ career preparation, long-term impact should continue to be assessed by monitoring participants’ job application and placement rates, with a focus on roles in industry, government, or nonprofit sectors. Alumni engagement should also be tracked to evaluate the ongoing use of professional networks established through ASCEND and their contributions to a more inclusive workforce.
lthough 90% of participants had improvement in their rating of feeling prepared for navigating the job search, the average post-program survey rating was one of the lowest rated after the program, with the average rating of 3.90, which equates to being between 3 (Somewhat prepared) and 4 (Prepared). Qualitative data showed in response to areas of improvement, participants consistently commented about additional opportunities to practice career-related skills through hands-on activities. Suggestions from participants included incorporating mock interviews, live resume and CV review sessions, and networking simulations.
Through qualitative feedback, participants frequently identified the sense of community and peer support as one of the program’s strengths. In addition, 80% of participants agreed they felt a sense of community with other ASCEND participants. However, several participants reflected on improvements to the peer accountability pods, including keeping the same small group throughout the program to build stronger relationships and more accountability. Participants also made suggestions to add clearer goals and expectations to these sessions.