Adrienne Darrah holds a Ph.D. in mass communications from the Penn State Bellisario College of Communications and serves as teaching faculty for the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. Adrienne’s research centers on communications in philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. As an avid consumer of television and movies, Adrienne is also interested in the sociocultural impact they have on society, particularly as they relate to women. A first-generation college graduate, Adrienne holds a BA in art history, an MBA, and a MPA all from Penn State. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Adrienne spent her career in a fundraising, working in the arts at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and in higher education at the University of Virginia, the University of Portland, the University of Oregon, and Penn State. Adrienne lives in State College, PA, with her husband Bob and their son Turner and cats Lucifur and Mazikeen.

Non-Academic Job Interviews: 4 Questions to Get Ready For

Are you taking the first steps into careers outside of academia? Anxious about selling yourself to a new audience post-PhD? This is normal, but with the right preparation you can knock your interview out of the park and stand out from the crowd! This article guides you through four important questions to prepare your answers for.

Read More »

The H in PhD Stands for Hope: Remaining Hopeful in a PhD Journey

The PhD journey can make us lose hope, feeling trapped in the melancholy that often befriends the doctoral journey. But this empowering and uplifting article, written from a South African perspective, explores the idea of hope being an important friend to PhD candidates, helping us reach the finish line to graduation. Alongside the author’s personal journey with mental health, the article emphasises the importance of prioritising wellbeing, changing strategy when things aren’t working, and always remaining hopeful for the future.

Read More »
Your contribution to our PhD Stories helps us disseminate valuable support to researchers worldwide.
Update cookies preferences