So far, I have been tremendously impressed by the quality of graduate students and by the dedication of faculty members and administrators on campus to graduate education. I look forward to working with all stakeholders on campus to continue to build on the strengths of UT Austin to make it among the best places for graduate study.
In my career as a faculty member and graduate administrator, working with graduate students has been the most rewarding part of my job. Graduate students are the leaders of tomorrow and serve a key role in addressing the fundamental challenges of our time. Your discoveries and leadership will be critical to addressing the needs of our planet and society that previous generations have left unresolved.
In the coming months and years, I plan to work in close partnership with graduate students and the graduate education community to identify areas of improvement and to implement solutions. I will be touring campus to speak with graduate students and learn more about your experiences and how the university can support you during your time as a graduate student.
One of my most important responsibilities as graduate dean will be to advocate for the needs of graduate students and to serve as a voice for graduate education on campus. At a large campus like the 40 Acres, graduate students need a champion to ensure that offices and services across campus recognize the unique needs of graduate students and respond with tailored services to help them succeed.
The Graduate School is here to support you during your time as a graduate student and help further your careers as professionals, researchers, scholars and artists. While you will benefit from the academics and services provided by your department, the Graduate School will also play a vital role in supporting you throughout your academic and professional journey. We partner with programs across campus to develop policies to benefit graduate students, offer a range of funding and fellowship opportunities, and provide academic services. We also support career development programming tailored to graduate students and help connect graduate students with health and wellbeing resources.
As the semester begins, I wanted to provide information on some of the resources available to graduate students.
