Graduate Division Logo
Faculty Newsletter
Winter 2021

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline to nominate a student or postdoc for the Dean's Mentoring Awards was incorrect in the newsletter you received earlier. The correct deadline is March 19. Apologies for the error!
Farewell from the Dean

After nearly nine years as Graduate Dean, the time has come for me to say goodbye to UCSF. When I interviewed in the summer of 2011, I was told that there were three priorities for the position: 1) raise the visibility of graduate education, 2) increase the funding for graduate students, and 3) improve the diversity of the graduate student body. From the vantage point of 2021, I see great progress in all three areas. Popular annual events like the Fall Celebration and Grad Slam and Postdoc Slam put the Graduate Division on the map. The generous donors to the Discovery Fellows program established an endowment of $100 million to support basic science PhD students. Thanks to faculty outreach efforts, the percentage of underrepresented minority students in the PhD programs doubled, from 12.3% in 2010 to 24.6% in 2020.

And there has been so much more. There have been all sorts of behind-the-scenes efficiencies, like moving paper forms online and streamlining policies. There have been public celebrations, like the Dean’s Awards for Excellence in Mentoring and an annual commencement that tripled in size, outgrowing the Rutter Center and moving to bigger venues like the Nourse Theater. There have been new programs for students, like childcare grants and the third-year reorientation. There have been new programs for faculty, like the suite of mentoring workshops on offer each year. We now display on newly-designed websites all kinds of data about our students and postdocs, and we were one of the first schools in the country to do so. We’re nationally recognized for our pioneering career outcomes studies, and we’ve published papers to urge other institutions to follow our lead. We’ve doubled down on our commitment not only to diversity, but also to inclusion and equity, with new staff hires, new courses for students, and expanded programming.

There’s still more work to be done, but I feel like I’m leaving you in good hands with the extraordinarily talented and dedicated staff of the Graduate Division, and I am confident that graduate education at UCSF will continue to thrive. It has been a pleasure to get to know so many of you and a privilege to support the work you do as scholars, researchers, educators, and mentors. Thank you for allowing me to develop my skills as a senior leader in higher education; everything I’ve learned from you will help me to serve the faculty and students at UC Riverside in my capacity as provost and executive vice chancellor. I won’t miss the fog in San Francisco, but I will miss all of you.

With warmth, respect, and gratitude,

Liz
Graduate Division Dean and Vice Chancellor for Student Academic Affairs Elizabeth Watkins is leaving UCSF at the end of January.


Interim Graduate Dean and Interim VC Confirmed
Elizabeth Silva, PhD

Liz Silva, associate dean for graduate programs, will serve as interim dean of the Graduate Division.

Liz has been in her current role since April 2016. Previously, she was director of the MIND career development program at UCSF; and she is a UCSF postdoc alumna! Liz has also worked as an editor for the Public Library of Science. Her PhD, in developmental biology, is from University College London.
Bill Lindstaedt, MS

Bill Lindstaedt will be filling Dean Watkins' second role as interim vice chancellor of Student Academic Affairs.

Bill has worked at UCSF for nearly 20 years and has served as assistant vice chancellor of the Career Advancement, International and Postdoctoral Services (CAIPS) group at UCSF since 2013. Bill has a master's degree in counseling and higher education from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Funding Opportunities to Support DEI
student in the program
The deadline to apply for the UC-HBCU funding is March 15.








(UC-HBCU program photo from UCOP)
UC Office of the President Requests Proposals for UC-HBCU Initiative
The goal of the UC-HBCU Initiative is to increase the number of scholars from historically Black colleges and universities in UC doctoral programs. Faculty grants are available to support HBCU students conducting summer research with UC faculty, to support departmental efforts to facilitate greater faculty collaboration between UC and HBCU institutions, and to support the recruitment of HBCU graduates to UC's PhD programs.

This year, the Initiative has launched a new, small research grants program. These awards – of up to $50K – may be used for research projects designed to improve inclusion and the experience of UC-HBCU students.

Please see the RFP for more information and be encouraged to apply. Your efforts will bolster our own to create a more inclusive and supportive campus for BIPOC students.
Recognize a Student or Postdoc Mentor
The deadline to nominate individuals for a Mentoring Award is MARCH 19.




(in photo: last year's award winners)
Dean's Awards for Excellence in Mentoring
Nominations for the third annual Dean's Awards for Excellence in Mentoring for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars will open on March 1.

As ever, the Awards are offered to recognize graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who consistently serve as excellent mentors for their colleagues, who may include fellow graduate students and postdocs, staff, and/or undergraduate and high school students visiting from other institutions. The Mentoring Awards are part of the Graduate Division's ongoing efforts to foster a culture of mentoring at UCSF, and to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of the graduate programs. 
Events
January 27, 4 to 5 p.m.
Third DEI-Anti-Racism Town Hall
Please join the Graduate Division for our third quarterly Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Anti-Racism Town Hall.

The discussion will be led by Dean/VC Watkins and Assistant Dean D'Anne Duncan.
May 27, 2 p.m.
2021 Commencement
Save the date for the Graduate Division's PhD and master's programs commencement ceremony, to be held – virtually – on the afternoon of May 27. Dr. Kathy Giacomini (photo at left) will give this year's Commencement Address!

Students who were eligible to graduate in 2020 may also be included in this year's ceremony if they would like to participate, since last year's event was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.