How public engagement experiences in graduate school influence early career faculty

Graduate students face many challenges on their path to graduation, one of the greatest being uncertainty in future employment. Public engagement experiences create opportunities for graduate students to explore a variety of professions and confirm a career path. If a faculty position is the ultimate goal, these experiences augment training by improving communication, mentoring, and pedagogical skills and can change perspectives on teaching as a part of faculty responsibilities. Most important, by working with a broader audience, public engagement practitioners learn to practice teacher empathy and invest in building high-quality relationships with students at both the classroom and individual levels.