Marjannie Akintunde at the Internship and Career Center

Alumna Marjannie Akintunde Takes the STEM Road Less Traveled

Marjannie Akintunde sits at the small, brown meeting table, waiting. The round table dominates most of her office in South Hall, but the space still feels welcoming. Sunshine streams over Akintunde’s shoulder from the window, highlighting a collection of inspiring quotes and colorful artwork from her two children, Banke, age 5, and Seyi, age 3. A box of tissues, a cup of pens and a few pamphlets wait on the table with her.

A Ph.D. student enters and asks Akintunde for help. Her work-day officially begins.

This is not the traditional setting you’d expect for a scientist. And yet for Akintunde, who holds a Ph.D. in immunology, this is exactly where she wants to be. As a senior career advisor at the UC Davis Internship and Career Center, Akintunde provides career development, and coaches and advises master's, Ph.D. and postdoctoral scholars in all disciplines.

She’s using her expertise as a STEM professional to solve problems, contribute to society and make an impact on people’s lives. She’s just doing it wearing a navy UC Davis cardigan instead of a lab coat.

Immunology to advising

While pursuing her Ph.D. at UC Davis — studying environmental chemicals that impact the immune systems of children with autism — Akintunde developed a passion for mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in her research lab. During an internship at Genentech in South San Francisco, she realized that she was equally excited about training and advising her new interns as she was learning about drug development and discovery.

“The impact of working with students is immediate. They can come in very unsure and we work together to find a path to keep moving forward.”

“With science, you’re trying to solve problems, and the process is a little slow — you publish a paper and maybe people read it,” says Akintunde. “The impact of working with students is immediate. They can come in very unsure and we work together to find a path to keep moving forward.”

With help from UC Davis’ Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology program, Akintunde took a position in Genentech’s product development regulatory affairs unit after earning her Ph.D. There she was responsible for managing newly developed drugs for clinical oncology trials, to ensure they met regulatory approval by health authorities worldwide.

She didn’t consider advising as a career until she returned to UC Davis for postdoctoral research with the STEM Strategies Group within the Office of the Provost. In collaboration with the Office of Corporate Relations within the Office of Research, Akintunde led the planning of a mentorship and professional networking event for undergraduate and graduate women in STEM interested in careers in biotechnology.

“The event had a huge attendance,” says Akintunde. “It was diverse, inclusive and inspirational.”

Read the full story on the UC Davis Women in STEM website.


About UC Davis Graduate Studies


Graduate Studies at UC Davis includes 99 dynamic degree programs and a diverse and interactive student body from around the world. Known for our state-of-the-art research facilities, productive laboratories and progressive spirit – UC Davis offers collaborative and interdisciplinary curricula through graduate groups and designated emphasis options, bringing students and faculty of different academic disciplines together to address real-world challenges.

UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral scholars become leaders in their fields: researchers, teachers, politicians, mentors and entrepreneurs. They go on to guide, define and impact change within our global community.

For information on Graduate Studies’ current strategic initiatives, visit the Graduate Studies strategic plan page.

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