Graduate Monthly Update
October 2009
Dean’s Message:
I am honored to open this issue of Graduate Monthly Update as the new Graduate Dean of UC Irvine. It truly is a great privilege to lead the university’s efforts in establishing and enhancing stellar graduate academic programs and student support services. As Acting Dean for nearly two years, I have been fortunate to work with many talented people who are committed to providing the kind of educational experience that allows our graduates to make meaningful differences in the world. I very much look forward to engaging in further collaborations with the campus community.
As Dean of the Graduate Division, one of my primary goals is to ensure our students receive appropriate services to help them navigate the rigors of graduate education. The shooting incident on Sept. 13 is a somber reminder that we need to be vigilant when it comes to the safety and well-being of our students. As you know, the university offers a wealth of resources to assist graduate students in coping with hardship; the Graduate Resource Center (GRC), for example, hosts a wide range of programs, from work/life balance seminars to fellowship application workshops. Please encourage your students to take advantage of these services, and to ask for help if they’re in need.
In an effort to educate our newest students about their extensive support network at UCI, our first-ever campuswide graduate orientation focused on the importance of wellness and interactivity. Nearly 500 master’s and doctoral students attended the daylong event, which provided helpful information and tips, and promoted connections among students from various disciplines. A news story and photo galleries have been posted on our website; a news brief is available on the Chancellor’s site.
Applications for the very prestigious University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship are now being accepted. This is a national competition that encourages our community of outstanding and diverse Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers within the UC system. Please share the news with your senior graduate students, Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral appointees. More information is available below.
Finally, I would like to remind you that the Graduate Division will hold its annual Graduate Education Workshops for Academic Units beginning Oct. 2. A complete schedule is included in this edition of Graduate Monthly Update. This year, we will bring the workshops to the schools to better accommodate faculty and staff. Please plan to attend for updates about graduate funding, the National Research Council’s survey of doctoral programs, and other important topics.
In this Issue:
- Graduate Dean Announcement
- Admissions
- Workshops for Academic Units
- New Budget Task Force
- Extramural Funding Activities
- UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
- Graduate Resource Center
- GSHIP
- News and Events
- Next Issue: October 1, 2009
- View the previous edition of the Graduate Monthly Update - September 2009
Graduate Dean
- On Sept. 11, Chancellor Michael V. Drake and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Michael Gottfredson announced Frances Leslie's appointment as Dean of the Graduate Division, effective Oct. 1. During her tenure as acting dean, she launched several major programs, including the Graduate Resource Center, among the first of its kind in the country, the UCI Public Impact Fellowship, and the university's Professional Master's Degree Programs Initiative. The official announcement is available here.
Admissions
- The AY 2010-11 admissions cycle officially began Sept. 15, when the online graduate application was made available; students are already beginning to apply to academic programs. Questions concerning admissions policies or procedures should be directed to Joanna Itoh at jitoh@uci.edu or 824-4960, or Ruth Quinnan at rquinnan@uci.edu or 824-5879. Technical questions concerning the online application should be directed to Eric Taggart at etaggart@uci.edu or 824-0536.
Workshops for Academic Units
- During the month of October, the Graduate Division will hold its annual Graduate Education Workshops for Academic Units. Please refer to the workshop schedule for dates, times and locations. This is an opportunity for faculty and staff to receive important updates on graduate education, including:
- funding
- the National Research Council’s Survey of Research-Doctorate Programs
- the new Personal Potential Index (PPI) from the Educational Testing Service for graduate applicants
New Budget Task Force
- The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost has established several task forces to help deal with our current budget situation. The Task Force on Graduate Student Support/Resources and Development of Professional Master's Programs, chaired by Dean Leslie, will focus on how to maximize the campus' graduate student support funds, as well as potential areas for new professional master's degree programs or the expansion of existing programs.
Extramural Funding Activities
- DAAD: The "Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst" (DAAD) is an organization of higher education institutions in Germany that promotes international academic relations by offering exchange programs. Grants provide full funding and are available to enrolled UCI graduate students who want to conduct part of their graduate study and research in Germany. Please visit our website for additional information and internal deadlines: www.grad.uci.edu/finance/daad.htm.
- NSF GRFP Fall Workshops: Beginning Oct. 5, the GRC will host a series of workshops for students interested in applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Workshops will cover all aspects of writing the proposal; all are welcome. More information about the workshops and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is available at www.grad.uci.edu/finance/grfp.
UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
- The University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The program offers postdoctoral research fellowships and faculty mentoring to qualified scholars in all fields whose research, teaching and service will contribute to the diversity and equal opportunity at the University of California. Fellowships are awarded for research conducted under faculty sponsorship on any one of the 10 UC campuses. About 15 to 20 fellowships are awarded each year. The annual award, which may be renewable for one year, provides a salary of $40,000 to $50,000, health/vision/dental benefits, and up to $4,000 for research-related expenses. Applicants must hold or receive a Ph.D. from an accredited university by June 30, 2010. The application deadline is Nov. 2, 2009. More information, including the online application, is available at www.ucop.edu/acadadv/ppfp.
Graduate Resource Center
- Open for Business: The Graduate Resource Center (GRC) is now open in Room C114 of the Student Center (Level 1, next to NACS@StudentCenter computer lab). Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. View the Graduate Division Events Calendar for workshops and events scheduled for October and November. The GRC also has a Facebook site.
- Writing Workshops and Services: The GRC this academic year will provide writing tutorial services and workshops to support all graduate students in three main areas: Academic Writing, Grant and Fellowship Writing, and Writing for Publication. Two peer tutors will be available at the GRC for approximately 20 hours per week. A special series of four NSF Fellowship Application Workshops has been scheduled for the month of October, along with individual NSF grant-writing assistance. More information about these and other GRC programs are available at www.grad.uci.edu/center.
- Orientation: More than 450 new students attended the first-ever campuswide Graduate Student Orientation on Sept. 17. The daylong event included presentations by campus leaders, an introduction to UC Irvine's services and resources for graduate students, tours of the campus, and a social hour at the end of the day. The schedule of events, as well as PowerPoint presentations and electronic copies of handout material, are available at: www.grad.uci.edu/newadmits/orientation.htm.
GSHIP
- The GSHIP transition is complete: All graduate students who are GSHIP subscribers now receive their primary care at the Student Health Center. More information about the transition is available here, and information about the GSHIP plan is available at www.gship.uci.edu.
News and Events
- Schools and departments are encouraged to send news tips and story ideas – or existing stories from your website or publications – to Rizza Barnes for possible inclusion on the Graduate Division website. Please refer to our home page for the latest headlines, or access them here:
- "Inaugural Graduate Orientation connects master's and doctoral students"
- Photo Gallery - Orientation
- Photo Gallery - Panelists
- "Research symposiums cap summer diversity programs"
- Photo Gallery - AGEP Competitive Edge Research Symposium
- Photo Gallery - Summer Research Program Symposium
- Photo Gallery - Summer Research Program Scholars and Mentors
