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

Cohort Sistas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing gender and racial equity in doctoral education by addressing systemic barriers that hinder the success and well-being of historically excluded scholars.

Since 2020, Cohort Sistas has grown into a global community of more than 4,000 doctoral students, applicants, and degree holders across the United States and 40 countries. Through accessible virtual programming, the organization supports Black women and other historically marginalized doctoral scholars by strengthening recruitment, retention, career readiness, and long-term success through mentorship, professional development, and community.

ASCEND (Advancing Scholars' Careers through Education, Networking, and Development) was launched as a pilot in 2025–2026 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.

Since 2020, Cohort Sistas has grown into a global community of

4,000+

doctoral students, applicants, and degree holders in 40+ countries.

Key Results

90% of participants increased their confidence in understanding non-academic career pathways, with average confidence rising from 3.1 to 4.4 out of 5.

Participants translated learning into action: 80% updated their résumé/CV, 70% attended networking events, 60% completed informational interviews, and 50% secured job interviews during or shortly after the program.

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

100% of participants reported having a clearer sense of the career direction they wanted to pursue after completing ASCEND.

100% (or nearly all) of participants improved their confidence in key career readiness skills, including presenting themselves professionally, navigating job searches, managing career stress, and overcoming imposter syndrome.

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.

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."