Your community--nourish it and it will nourish you. 

In the capstone episode of PostDoctoral, Dr. Cynthia Estremera Gauthier shares her perspective on cultivating a community that will support and sustain you during the PhD program and as you consider future career tracks. Our conversation follows Cynthia's "Aha!" moment to the advice and encouragement she received from her academic and personal support systems, then to her current position as  Director of Racial Equity and Engagement for a strategy firm. 

Cynthia's story, inseparable from the mission of this podcast, reaffirms the central role community plays in your pivot. 

From the PostDoctoral community to you: enjoy!

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Dr. Cynthia Estremera Gauthier is an educator, humanist, expert facilitator, and equity practitioner. She leads the Equitable Community Engagement service area as the Director of Racial Equity and Engagement at Strategy Arts. Cynthia has a superior record of supporting the development of coalitions that work to solve societal issues nationally and across the Greater Philadelphia region. Her focus is on strategies of inclusivity and advocacy that empower Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), women and those who are financially insecure. She has presented at local and national conferences to share strategies for how nonprofit and government agencies should equitably engage historically underserved communities and is actively supporting clients in implementing equitable community engagement practices. Cynthia specializes in safe space facilitation and in creating diverse, inclusive and equitable initiatives that amplify the voices of marginalized peoples. Her expertise of institutionalized racism spans more than 10 years across sectors, and she previously taught extensively about the Black and Latinx experience in America, identity development, white privilege, and racism. Prior to teaching and consulting, Cynthia worked in local politics and in nonprofit roles in Philadelphia. Cynthia has authored several pieces in blogs, books, peer-reviewed journals, and has been featured in podcasts like UCHRI’s “Voices of Diversity” and “PostDoctoral” and documentaries like “Uhuru: Rooting Our Voices.” Cynthia holds a B.A. and a M.A. from Penn State University and Villanova University both in English and a PhD.in English and Africana Studies from Lehigh University. Cynthia is a writer, mother, and runner, and likes to dedicate her free time to exploring new places to travel and eat with her husband and boys.