As we all look forward to our reunion as an in-person campus community...
As we all look forward to our reunion as an in-person campus community...

August 24, 2021

In this issue: Preparing for an in-person campus community, register for Welcome Week events, and more.
Editor's Note: This is the last biweekly issue of GradConnections for the summer. Weekly issues will resume September 7 for the fall semester.

Tips for Grads: Preparing for an in-person campus community

By Olivia Gacka, PhD student
Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness
As we all look forward to our reunion as an in-person campus community, there are a few things to remember about returning to campus and some tips you can keep in mind for reconnecting with other Badgers again or, for some of our second-year graduate students, for the first time!
  • Welcome Week: Check out the myriad of events offered to all graduate students for this year’s Welcome Week. The offerings include workshops on time management, financial aid, enhancing your degree with a certificate, understanding microaggressions & implicit bias, and many more! View the full list of Welcome Week events and register soon.
  • Other Campus Happenings: Be sure to check out the campus events calendar for up-to-date campus events and opportunities to get involved, including the Student Organization Fair on September 14! For a curated list of events especially for graduate students, see the Graduate School’s events calendar.
  • Getting Around: If you’re new to campus or if it’s just been a while, download the University of Wisconsin’s official mobile app for, among other things, a helpful map of campus so you’ll be able to get everywhere, from your classes to the closest available snack.
  • Second-Year Graduate Students: If you are a second-year graduate student, check your inbox for a special invitation to an event specifically geared towards those who didn’t get the usual opportunities to meet other graduate students during their first Welcome Week due to COVID-19.
Recently there have also been updates to our campus’ health and safety plans for COVID-19 in light of the continuing high rate of infection due to the Delta variant. Take a moment to refresh yourself on the most updated safety measures so you’ll be both comfortable and compliant with the university’s policies: 
  • Mask up: Take some time to review the recently instated mask mandates on campus and in Dane County.
  • Testing Protocol: UW is requiring weekly testing for students and employees who have not provided proof of vaccination.
  • MyUHS App: The MyUHS app lets you schedule COVID-19 tests and other appointments, view lab results, and more. Click here to get the MyUHS app.
  • Vaccination: UHS continues to offer COVID-19 vaccination to members of the campus community. The vaccine is highly effective in protecting against serious illness and hospitalization as a result of COVID-19. Read more and schedule your vaccine appointment.
You should have received the Chancellor’s message from August 18 about what to expect this fall. It is essential that you continue to watch your email for messages from the Chancellor’s office with updates as they arise.
 
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.
DiscoverPD: Your guide to professional development
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.

Upcoming Professional Development Events

All event times and deadlines are listed in Central Daylight Time (CDT).
Communicating Effectively for Grad School Success
Monday, August 30 | 12:30 - 1:30 pm
1310 Sterling Hall | Career Development
95% of alumni report that the ability to communicate effectively is amongst their most valuable skills not only in graduate school but beyond as they progress through their professional careers. Whether you're just starting your graduate program or continuing it, this talk by Dr. Shalini Nag will give you practical tips you can begin to apply from Day 1. We will discuss the 5 types of professional relationships you need for grad school success and share in-person and virtual communication tips.
What are graduate certificates, and how can they add value to your graduate degree? In this virtual session, faculty and staff representing several graduate certificate programs (and their equivalent doctoral minors) discuss the multiple benefits that these programs provide to graduate students across campus—including fulfilling breadth requirements, expanding interdisciplinary knowledge, mastering new skills, creating community and networking opportunities, and building cultural competence. Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak with each certificate representative in smaller groups.
Want to make graduate school a time to thrive and not just survive? This workshop will focus on the promotion of psychological well-being in graduate school. Topics covered will arm graduate students with strategies to thrive through the challenges of graduate school, including managing the transition/adjustment process, coping with stress, promoting work/life balance, and establishing habits to maintain or improve mental health.
In this interactive workshop, you will learn tips and techniques for staying on track and managing your time. We’ll cover goal-setting, minimizing distractions and staying focused, and overcoming some of the most common challenges to staying on task. Participants will leave with strategies that they can apply immediately. The strategies we’ll cover are appropriate for students in any discipline.
Understanding and Minimizing the Role of Implicit Bias in Microaggressions
Thursday, September 2 | 12 - 1:15 pm 
Union South, Check "Today in the Union" (TITU) | Inclusion and Diversity | Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness
This interactive talk introduces graduate students to the underlying concepts and language used in the psychological literature to describe implicit or unconscious biases, describes how these processes function as habits of mind, and focuses on how they influence our interactions and can lead to microaggressions. Students will learn effective strategies for minimizing the application of implicit bias and for addressing microaggressions when they commit, witness, or experience them.
Prepare to maximize your time and energy this semester by taking advantage of software available to UW–Madison graduate students that can help streamline your workflow. This workshop, presented by Pete Valeo from Software Training for Students (STS), will introduce you to both basic and advanced software tools, including cloud storage services, notetaking apps, mobile scanners, research tools, task managers, password managers, lifestyle apps, and more.
Financial Aid Session for Graduate Students
September 3 | 11 am - 12 pm
Union South, Check "Today in the Union" (TITU) | 
Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness
This session will include information on the financial aid application process and available funding sources for graduate students.
Welcome Back Reception for 2nd-Year Graduate Students
Monday, September 13 | 4 - 6 pm
Register by September 2
If you started your graduate program during summer term 2020, fall semester 2020, or spring semester 2021, check your inbox for an invitation and link to register for a special welcome back event just for you. The event is free, but space is limited.
Join an Aurora Cohort
Aurora is introducing monthly group webinars, or "cohorts" to help users get the most out of Aurora. Each week, cohort members will receive emails guiding them through the curriculum of Aurora's foundational course, "Know Your Options," and an invitation to attend office hours with a member of the Beyond the Professoriate team. Cohorts start September 1 and registration is required.
Sign up and register for the September or October cohort here through UW–Madison's institutional membership.
Preparing for success on the job market and beyond.
Find a full list of events on the For Future Faculty website.
Scientific Teaching for TAs – course available from WISCIENCE
This 1-credit course, designed especially for newer STEM TAs, will help you gain the skills you need to be effective and efficient in the classroom.
Now enrolling for Fall 2021. Meets Thursdays, 2:30-4:00pm.
Quick Chat with a Department of Energy Program Manager
Wednesday, August 25 | 10 - 11 am
Online
  • Getting Started with Canvas
  • Canvas: Student Assessment Tools
  • Canvas: Gradebook
  • Canvas: Managing Files
  • Holding Optimal Discussions in Your Canvas Course
  • Canvas Tips and Tricks Parts 1 and 2
  • Communicating with Students in a Hybrid World
  • Honorlock Best Practices
  • New to Top Hat
  • Existing Top Hat Users: Refersher, What's New
  • Learner Engagement Analytics Dashboard (LEAD) Demo and Discussion
  • Zoom and Webconferencing Inside and Outside Your Canvas Course
  • Learn@UW-Madison: Open Q&A
  • Data Wrangling in Stata
  • Data Wrangling in Python
  • Data Wrangling in R
Data Carpentry Genomics Workshop
August 25, 27, 30 & September 1, 3 | 9 am - 12:30 pm
Online
Discovery to Product's Open House
Tuesday, September 7 | 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Online
First Annual Biohealth Communication Competition
Prepare a 3-minute video describing your work to a general audience by September 17 for a chance to win a prize and give your presentation live at this year’s Biohealth Summit (October 7) in Madison. For full details, please send an email with “Communication” in the Subject Line to mharrison@bioforward.org.
Wellness

Protect yourself and others from COVID-19

All students, employees, and visitors to campus are required to wear masks when inside campus buildings, unless working alone inside an office or lab with the door closed or while actively eating and drinking. Effective August 30, employees and students who have not shared proof of COVID-19 vaccination with UHS will be required to test weekly on campus. University Health Services continues to offer free COVID-19 vaccines to all students and employees.

UHS services available remotely

University Health Services is committed to supporting you. Many medical, counseling, and wellness services are available by phone and accessible online. Find out more on the UHS Remote Health and Connection webpage.

Mental Health Resources for Grad Students

According to the 2019 Healthy Minds Survey, 93% of UW–Madison graduate students do not think any less of a peer who seeks mental health care, and 89% of UW–Madison graduate students who used mental health care found it helpful.
  • YOU@WISC. This portal has tools and information to help you be well, with modules on stress management, self-care, social support, suicidal thoughts, mindfulness, academic wellness, and more.
  • Individual Counseling. University Health Services offers individual counseling conducted remotely over phone or video, with bilingual mental health providers available in Mandarin or Spanish. Counseling topics can be any issue that causes distress – emotional, psychological, interpersonal, or academic.

For more mental health resources, visit the UHS website on mental health.

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 Graduate and Professional Student Assistance Specialist Elaine Goetz-Berman directly, email egoetz2@wisc.edu.
Funding Opportunities
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.

Campus Employment

Fellowships & Grants

Energy Analysis and Policy Student Scholarship
Applications due by September 10
The Energy Analysis and Policy (EAP) program is pleased to offer a scholarship for students who newly apply to the EAP certificate/doctoral minor program in Summer 2021. EAP has awarded scholarships to three early awardees and will be awarding up to eight more $2,500 scholarships for well-qualified students who apply to the EAP program by September 10. One of the scholarships will be specifically awarded to a student whose graduate studies bring together the fields of energy and health. 


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