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August 20, 2019In this issue: Welcome Week Keynote with Fatimah Williams, Career Pathways report, and more.
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Tips for Grads: CommunicationBy Kirby Livingston, PhD student
Graduate students often struggle to effectively communicate their scholarship to general audiences. In the past decade, the art of storytelling has emerged as a promising framework for communicating research or scholarship to any audience. Story captures the human experience and engages people in a way that few other forms of communication can, leading to better understanding and retention of your message. Here are some tips for utilizing storytelling when you communicate your work.
Setting: To bring your story to life you need to actively take your audience to a particular time and place. By providing rich contextual information, you can transport your audience to any moment in the past, present or future.
Characters: After the stage is set, it’s time to introduce your characters. Depending on your discipline, these characters may be people, animals, objects, or molecules. Stick with one or two main characters so that your audience can “get to know” them. When describing your characters, use “high level” descriptions and allow your audience to fill in the details themselves.
Plot: Your plot doesn’t need to be long or intricate, but it should have a challenge, a choice, and an outcome. The most powerful plots often focus on “inflection points” – critical moments that have significant and lasting implications within the context of the story.
Moral: Since it is based on scholarship, your story will do more than just entertain your audience. You will likely be trying to make a point, define a problem, or offer a solution. In a short story or anecdote, it may be most effective to simply state the moral or lesson, rather than relying on your audience to read between the lines.
GradConnections Weekly is looking for fresh perspectives on the graduate student experience.
If you have advice, counsel, or tips for UW grad students, you’re invited to write a guest column for “Tips for Grads.”
If you’re interested, check out our infographic for details and email gspd@grad.wisc.edu to let us know.
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| DiscoverPD is an innovative tool for UW–Madison graduate students to advance their academic and professional goals. Review the nine facets of professional development, complete a self-assessment, and get a customized report and recommendations.
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| | Welcome Week Events for Graduate Students
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In this presentation for new and returning graduate students, Fatimah Williams, founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track, will introduce you to holistic strategies and tools for strategic goal-setting and planning so you can achieve your vision of success in graduate school and beyond.
Learning objectives:
- Prioritize responsibilities so that productivity is not sacrificed.
- Understand the presenter’s 7 Domains of Professional Development: Academic, Network, Leadership, Career, Funding, Personal, and Well-Being.
- Develop strategies to enjoy yourself while working toward your goals.
- Reception with refreshments and time to speak with Fatimah Williams will follow.
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| | Upcoming Professional Development Events
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Join Latino Professionals Association president, Nicole Sandoval, and the Multicultural Graduate Network (MGN) to learn how to craft a winning elevator pitch. Sandoval was named one of Madison InBusiness Magazine's "40 Under 40" in 2019, and she will share her expertise in community outreach, fundraising and creating cross-organizational partnerships. If you want to be ready when networking or funding opportunities present themselves, and feel more confident presenting yourself and your work, this workshop is for you!
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| This week's Social Science Computing Cooperative (SSCC) courses:
- Data Wrangling in Python
- Data Wrangling in R
- Data Wrangling in Stata
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Special Events & Symposia
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| Save the Date: Graduate School Degree DashRun, walk, or roll your way into a new semester! Join fellow graduate students, faculty, staff, and family members for the 4th Annual Degree Dash on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, hosted by the UW–Madison Graduate School. Set your goal for 5.41 miles for the Doctoral Derby (8:00 am start) or for 1.94 miles for the Master's Mile (8:30 am start). Race distances are based on approximate average time to degree. After the race, mingle and enjoy free food and giveaways. Registration here for this free event is required and open now! First results published from Career Pathways study
The Graduate School published its first data brief for UW–Madison student and alumni data from the Understanding PhD Career Pathways for Program Improvement project, a national initiative led by the Council of Graduate Schools. This brief focuses on current students’ career preferences and how they align with alumni employment. The findings underscore the importance of thinking about graduate education as not only training for academic and faculty careers, but also as a way to develop scholars and leaders for jobs outside of the academy. Read the first UW–Madison Career Pathways data brief here. Register for the 2nd Annual Science Policy Symposium
The second annual Science Policy Symposium, organized by Catalyst for Science Policy (CaSP), centers around the theme: Leveraging Science and Technology to Benefit Marginalized Populations. This theme will serve to educate attendees on social issues they may not have been aware of and will connect them with relevant advocacy initiatives. Early bird registration is now open and ends Aug. 30. View the schedule and register here for this Nov. 2, two-day event symposium.
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Mental Health Resources for Grad StudentsSilverCloud. SilverCloud is a self-guided mental health resource that provides treatment options 24 hours a day, no referral from a mental health or medical provider needed. It includes evidence-based learning modules on anxiety, depression, body image, and stress, designed to help students manage day-to-day stresses and improve resilience.
24-hour Crisis Services. UHS provides a 24-hour mental health crisis help line. On-call crisis counselors can help address your most pressing concerns, address your safety, and help you connect with follow-up service needs. It’s available every day, including weekends, holidays, and semester breaks. If you are concerned for your own well-being or the well-being of someone you know, call the UHS crisis line at 608-265-5600. For situations that are immediately life-threatening, call 911.
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The Dean of Students Office provides resources to students struggling with a variety of issues, and can be your go-to spot for assistance as a graduate student. To contact the Dean of Students Office's Graduate Student Assistance Specialist Elaine Goetz-Berman directly, email egoetz2@wisc.edu.
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Please note: Some graduate students may be ineligible to hold graduate assistantship appointments. Be sure to check with your graduate program coordinator about your eligibility before applying.
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Application due March 10, 2020
The Dan David Prize awards scholarships to doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, carrying out research in one of the selected fields (cultural preservation and revival, gender equality, artificial intelligence) for the current year. Registered doctoral and post-doctoral researchers who study at recognized universities throughout the world, and whose research has been approved, are eligible to apply. Ten scholarships of $15,000 are awarded. More details on the scholarship, access to the online application and recommendation form can be found on the Dan David Prize website.
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Follow us on social media to connect with more opportunities and resources:
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