Recent Ph.D. graduates Peng Yang ’25, Jimin Wu ’25 and Thiago Jose Pinheiro dos Santos ’25 are each stepping into prestigious postdoctoral roles that mark the next phase in their journeys toward faculty careers. As alumni of the 2024-25 Future Faculty Fellows (FFF) program, they credit the initiative with giving them a powerful head start that provided practical tools for navigating the academic job market, a strong peer network and a deepened confidence in their academic identities.
The Future Faculty Fellows (FFF) program in Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing is designed to help Ph.D. students and postdocs explore the tenure track academic career path, compete successfully for tenure track faculty positions and launch their careers. The program offers workshops, panel discussions, networking events and other support tailored to academic career pathways.
Peng Yang ’25 is headed to the Department of Biostatistics at MD Anderson Cancer Center for a postdoctoral appointment that will allow him to apply his expertise in statistical methods and machine learning to real-world healthcare challenges. His research will focus on designing more efficient clinical trials and developing predictive AI tools for diagnosis and patient care.
Yang described the Future Faculty Fellows program as a key support system during his transition from Ph.D. student in the Department of Statistics to academic researcher. He said, “The most valuable aspect of the Future Faculty Fellows program this year has been the structured support in preparing application materials and navigating the academic job market. Moreover, the program fostered a strong peer network, enabling us to learn from each other, exchange feedback and build a collaborative community during a critical career transition.”
Jimin Wu ’25, who is defending her Ph.D. in Bioengineering in July, will continue at Rice as a postdoctoral researcher. Her work centers on developing computational microscopy systems that overcome the limitations of traditional optics. One major project, funded by ARPA-H, involves a cross-institutional team from Rice, Duke University and MD Anderson Cancer Center collaborating to build a low-cost, slide-free pathology platform with transformative potential.
Reflecting on her FFF experience, Wu noted that the program helped demystify the academic job search. “The Future Faculty Fellows program was incredibly helpful during my last round of faculty applications. In Level 3 specifically, I received constructive feedback on my CV and teaching statement, and the mock interview with faculty was particularly beneficial. The program also covered details that are hard to find elsewhere, such as chalk talk preparation and negotiating start-up packages. Lastly, being part of the FFF cohort was a great experience, as we regularly shared resources, advice and interview tips,” she said.
Thiago Pinheiro ’25 recently earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He has joined the Chemical Separations Group within the Physical Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. At ORNL, he is contributing to projects of global strategic relevance—including research on molten salts for nuclear reactors and critical metals used in energy systems and high-tech applications.
Pinheiro emphasized that the FFF program played a pivotal role in helping him prepare for the academic job market: “The Future Faculty Fellows program has been instrumental in my achievements thus far and will undoubtedly keep playing a key role in my future steps in academia. The entire FFF team (without exception) is outstanding, and the chance to interact with peers who are navigating the same process made the journey much smoother. The program taught me skills that I will carry throughout my academic career.”
Are you interested in the Future Faculty Fellows program? Learn more here.