Promotion of Excellence Award

L. Maren Wood, PhD is CEO and director of the Center for Graduate Career Success, a mission-driven organization that partners with universities to prepare master’s and doctoral students for career success. The Center provides digital training platforms (Beyond the Professoriate and Beyond Graduate School) through which graduate students explore career options and learn job search strategies. In 2022, the Center formed a sponsorship partnership with ETS Global Higher Education Division to provide virtual trainings for master’s and doctoral students.

Since 2013, Dr. Wood has dedicated her career to supporting universities in preparing graduate students and PhDs for meaningful careers in academia and beyond. Her expertise has been featured in Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and peer reviewed books. She also serves as external advisor on committees such as the Council of Graduate Schools Humanities Advisory Committee and the ETS Graduate Education Advisory Council, and is regularly sought as a keynote speaker.

Dr. Wood earned her PhD in American History from UNC Chapel Hill. A proud Canadian, she now lives in Denver.