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Vice Provost for Graduate Education | June 2022 Newsletter

Summer in St. Louis

Dear Students, The summer term is frequently a time of transition and new beginnings. I would like to thank our outgoing GSS and GPC leadership as well as the graduate student representatives to our Board of Trustees for their outstanding leadership and advocacy over the past year. I am very much looking forward to working with the new cohort of graduate student leaders over the coming months. I am also thrilled to welcome Professor Guillermo Rosas to the Provost’s office and I am looking forward to working closely with him on matters related to graduate education and the graduate student experience. One of the key initiatives over the summer involves putting in place the structures surrounding the Doctoral Council (DC) review of PhD programs, slated to commence in the Fall, with the aim of reviewing each PhD program in the University over a 5-year period to ensure that we adopt a cycle of continual improvement. The composition of the DC as well as the DC bylaws are available on the VPGE website; review rubrics will also be published once finalized. Doctoral student feedback will be a critical component of the program review process. I will continue to update you on developments as they arise. I wish you a productive (and dare I say relaxing!) summer and look forward to connecting soon through this newsletter. Warm regards, -Vijay Ramani, vice provost for graduate education

Guillermo Rosas to serve as Faculty Fellow for Graduate and Professional Education Guillermo Rosas is Professor of Political Science in Arts and Sciences. Guillermo’s research focuses on the economic consequences of political regimes and on the effects of political institutions on political elite behavior, especially in Latin America. As a Faculty Fellow in the Office of the Provost, Guillermo will work with the Vice Provost for Graduate Education to gather and analyze PhD program data, develop best practices surrounding doctoral education, and explore opportunities at the intersection of international affairs and graduate education.

Resource Spotlight: WashU Tech Den Do you know about the WashU Tech Den? They provides technology services to the WashU student community, with a focus on graduate, professional and non-residential students. They support students in the use of core technologies, including laptop purchasing guidance, laptop repairs/loaners, network connectivity, email, printing, and software support.

Upcoming Events

Nine Ways from Sundays MFA in Visual Art Thesis Exposition April 9 through July 25 This exhibition features thesis projects by the MFA in Visual Art candidates in the 2022 graduating class of the Sam Fox School’s Graduate School of Art. MFA candidates present artworks in various media, exploring a broad range of themes, including spatial politics, desire and commodity fetishism, technology and the natural world, the Black Imaginary and diasporic cultural identities.  The 2022 MFA in Visual Art candidates are Karina Arreola-Gutierrez, Quinn Antonio Briceño, Joseph Canizales, Noah Greene-Lowe, Erin Johnston, Martin Lammert, Sam Modder, Carlos Salazar-Lermont and Livia Xandersmith. The 2022 MFA in Visual Art Thesis Exhibition is organized by Leslie Markle, curator for public art, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. Learn More

Career Center Bootcamps Tuesdays and Fridays 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. If you’re looking to add some professional development opportunities to your summer, consider a Boot Camp for grad students and postdocs. Camps meet virtually for twice weekly sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.) Academic Materials Boot Camp: Compiling and editing academic job market materials (Three weeks beginning June 14). CAREERlink Non-Academic Job Search Boot Camp: How to conduct a non-academic job search and translate your materials (Three weeks beginning July 12) CAREERlink Creative Career Design: Exploring opportunities with advanced degrees in academia, alt-ac, and in-between (Two weeks beginning August 2) CAREERlink

Opportunities

NSF GRFP Fellowship Writing Workshop Series 2022: Washington University is offering a Fellowship Writing Workshop Series for students who plan to apply for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) in October 2022. Attendees will learn about and practice writing all the relevant elements of a GRFP proposal. More information NIH Event on Resilience Training for Students and Postdocs: We all experience setback and disappointments in school, work and life. In this webinar, learn about seven key elements of resilience with a focus on building habits that promote healthier responses and resilient behaviors in the face of set-back in educational and work environments. June 28 (2 p.m.) - register here. Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship: Microsoft Research is currently accepting nominations and applications for this year’s Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship. The global program identifies and empowers the next generation of exceptional computing-related research talent. Microsoft recognizes the value of diversity in computing and aims to increase the pipeline of talent receiving advanced degrees in computing-related fields to build a stronger and inclusive research community. University nominations are due June 7, 2022. 57 Fun & Unusual Things to Do in the Lou: Here is a list of landmarks and experiences to keep you busy all summer in St. Louis. Get Involved: To learn more about university-wide graduate students groups and their events, visit WUGO. Interested in starting a new graduate student group? Contact Rachel Pepe.

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