Chance to add to your CV, quarantine comedy, important updates & more!
Chance to add to your CV, quarantine comedy, important updates & more!

International Grad Students, Post-Docs, and their trusty supporters:

Thank you all so much for your responses to the survey last month. We have some resources and events in the works for you now, including art therapy and a guided meditation just for international graduates.
Also, the Graduate Writers' Room is back, happily hosted by yours truly! See details for this and more events below. 
Congratulations to Olga from the Classics Department for her much deserved nomination as our April Stellar Scholar Spotlight -- don't miss her story below. So far we've had Classics, Chemistry, and Religious Studies represented in the Stellar Scholar Spotlight -- make your department next and nominate someone to make their day!
Happy reading, and don't forget to scroll all the way down for your free smiles (and hidden clicks, did you find them all last time?).
Workshops & Events for
International Graduate Students

May 12  @ Noon - 1:30pm

Guided Self-Care Meditation for International Graduate Students
Details coming soon! 

More Events 

   Daily Guided Meditations (for all UCSB)
Monday through Friday @ various times

Tuesdays, 9am to Noon, starting 4/28 through the end of the quarter

More events for graduate students can always be found here.

April's Stellar Scholar: Olga Faccani! 

Why are you pursuing classical literature?
My passion for Classical literature started while I was a high school student in Italy, my home country. I remember the excitement of reading ancient Greek or Latin texts and observing how certain themes, concepts, and sentiments transcend their historical time and speak to our present concerns and values. That same passion animates both my current research as a graduate student in the department of Classics and my work with The Odyssey Project, a collaborative theater process between incarcerated youth from a juvenile detention facility in the Santa Barbara area and undergraduate students from UCSB. 
What are you particularly proud of or what have you worked particularly hard on during your time at UCSB?
I am proud of the support of my family and friends back home, who continue to be my greatest advocates. I am also grateful to be able to count on amazing colleagues in my department, who helped me overcome challenging times and were there to support me on several occasions. As a first-generation college student and international student, I am aware of the importance of having a support system, and, as an educator, I try to be available to my students to help them in their academic and personal growth.
Do you have any advice for other graduate students?
Graduate school can be really hard at times, and opening up about stressful challenges and fears to colleagues and friends can alleviate the pressure of coursework and research. I cannot think of a single graduate student who has never experienced imposter syndrome, or who has never had a bad week and felt like giving up. Sharing my fears and doubts with more experienced colleagues, and seeing how they also struggled with similar issues and could provide advice and support, was immensely helpful to normalize my challenges and feel hopeful I could overcome them.  
Here's what Olga's nominator had to say about her: "She is not only a brilliant classicist but also a very bright public humanities scholar and an awarded teacher at our university! And she is a first generation scholar and international! She is a bright mind and a gem!" 
Congratulations Olga!
Nominate someone here for the Scholar Spotlight today -- it's super quick and easy, and you'll make their day!

We Need YOU to Submit

Your

Time Zone Tales!


1. What is a common stereotype or misunderstanding about your country that you’d like to clear up?

2. Do you have any cultural tips for traveling in or interacting with people in your country? Any foods or activities peculiar to the country you'd like to share?

3. Do you have a funny/weird/sweet story about not knowing those rules or norms? 

Submit your very short answers here today! We want to hear from you and help represent your wonderful countries to the rest of the UCSB community. 
Stories are usually kept anonymous but can be author credited so you can add your contribution as a "Community Service" bullet point on your CV. 

Graduate Writers' Room is Back!

Sign up once here to receive access all quarter long. Every Tuesday from 9am to noon. Share your writing goals in the chat and feel supported working "alongside" other graduate students.

Graduate Student Survey 

Don't forget to take this short survey and let the Graduate Division know how we can best support you. (This is a general survey for all graduate students separate from the international student survey sent out last month!) 
Take the survey by April 30 (today!) HERE.

In case you missed it...

We published an excellent asynchronous resource here on the GradPost for how to TA in an online environment. The talk covers a series of different online tools like Nectir, Zoom, and more, their pros and cons, functionality, and how to use them in a virtual classrom, including ideas for synchronous and asynchronous activities.

Here are helpful guidelines from OISS on how to handle stimulus payments. If you have further questions, you should reach out to an accountant of your choice.


While we're thinking about COVID-19, check out the Grad Div's FAQs here for info on library services, online teaching, financial help, and more.

Carefully Curated Quarantine Comedy

Connect with the    International Peer Advisor or the GSRC!
Need ideas or resources to help support your international graduate students? 
Want to talk to someone who understands the difficulties of navigating a scholarly education abroad?
Looking to connect with other globally-minded UCSB community members? 

Reach out to Julia McClenon, the International Graduate Peer Advisor! 
Julia will be holding remote office hours and can connect with you via Zoom.
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