|
|
|
January 25, 2022In this issue: Last chance to submit to Pet of the Week, make your mark on Madison, and more.
| |
|
Tips for Grads: Make your mark on Madison
Whether you are from Madison, plan to stay here after graduation, or are just here for the duration of your graduate program, you have plenty of opportunities to make this city your own and leave your mark. If you want to spend some of your time contributing to the wider community, making connections with locals, or adding experience to your CV, volunteeryourtime.org is your answer! Monitored by United Way of Dane County, this is your one-stop shop for service and engagement opportunities in Madison. Here are some cool features of VolunteerYourTime.org:
- Customization: The website contains a database for service opportunities in Madison that you can customize based on your interests and availability. And the options for customization are only limited to what you can think of. Only interested in working with animals? You can limit your search based on that. So busy that you can’t commit to anything but a few hours on January 30? You can narrow your search by date. There’s something out there for everyone.
- Competency: Another way to make the most impact is to narrow your search not only by your interests, but also your skills. There are many opportunities on the site that are looking for people with specific skill sets, like social workers, people fluent in other languages, people who are good with kids, and social media masters. You may be sitting on some expertise that a local organization desperately needs!
- COVID friendly: If you’re hoping to engage with the community but aren’t quite feeling up to being face-to-face yet, the site has a feature for letting you know when a service opportunity is virtual, distanced, or otherwise COVID-friendly. They also have a section of the landing page dedicated to tips for staying safe and compliant while volunteering.
VolunteerYourTime.org makes it so easy to find the perfect service opportunity for you in Madison. Whether you’re looking to give your afternoon or every week for a year, empower some kids, donate to an organization wish list, or just don’t know where to start, a browse through this site is well worth your time.
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.
| |
|
DiscoverPD is an innovative tool for UW–Madison graduate students to advance their academic and professional goals. Review the eight facets of professional development, complete a self-assessment, and get a customized report and recommendations.
| |
|
Upcoming Professional Development EventsAll event times and deadlines are listed in Central Time.
| |
|
Save the Date: How to Land and Succeed in Your First Job: The Business of Science
Saturday, Feb 12 | 10 am - noon
Online
Saturday, Feb 19 | 10 am - noon
Online
Saturday, Feb 26 | 9 am - 5 pm
In Person
Join the Graduate School Office of Professional Development for a three-part series with SciPhD that offers practical resources and hands-on training to identify and develop highly valued skills in communication, leadership, negotiation, networking, and more. This series is aimed at graduate students preparing to transition to industry or simply curious about the skills needed for non-academic careers. Participation in all three events is strongly encouraged, but not required. See UW Events Calendar for more details.
| |
|
- Introduction to R
- Introduction to Stata
| |
|
Special Events & Symposia
| |
|
Spring 2022 enrollment deadlines - Friday, Jan 28 - Deadline for students (except Special and Guest) to begin initial Spring term enrollment without $50 late fee
- Wednesday, Feb 2 - Deadline for students to drop a course or withdraw from the university without having the course(s) appear on the transcript (after: will show as a DR grade for individual courses)
- Friday, Feb 4 - Deadline for students to drop a spring term course and receive 100% tuition adjustment
- Friday, Feb 4 - Deadline for students to add, swap, or change section in a spring term course (after: need department permission)
- Friday, Feb 4 - Deadline for students to begin initial spring enrollment (after: $50 late fee, need dept. & academic dean permission)
Spring 2022 tuition and fee payment deadlines - Friday, Feb 4: Student account payments (tuition and segregated fees) due for spring 2022/BadgerPay first installment due
- Friday, March 4: BadgerPay second installment due
- Friday, April 1: BadgerPay third/final installment due
- Friday, April 1 : Graduate student segregated fees deferred due date
Benefits enrollment deadlines
New graduate assistants must enroll in benefits within the first 30 days of your appointment. Find benefits information from the Office of Human Resources Benefits Services.
Grads and undergrads encouraged to attend Three Minute Thesis® Finals
On Friday, February 18, 11 of your fellow graduate students – top contestants from semi-finals – will explain their research to a general audience in three minutes. They will compete for cash prizes and a chance to represent UW–Madison at the regional competition.
We hope to see you there, cheering on these competitors! If you teach or advise undergraduates, encourage them to attend as well. Three Minute Thesis® will showcase groundbreaking research and undergrads who are considering attending graduate school should not miss it! Refreshments will be provided. Registration is not required, but is appreciated.
Charter Street at University opens ahead of scheduleCharter Street between University Avenue and Lathrop is now back on schedule to fully reopen by Tuesday, January 25. Traffic lanes and pedestrian routes will reopen, and Madison Metro Transit will resume regular service the morning of January 25. Nearby construction will continue to impact motor vehicle, bike, and pedestrian traffic through spring 2022. Read more and see a map of construction.
Office of Training Grant Support sets up UW–Madison for success in supporting graduate students and postdoctoral trainees
The Office of Training Grant Support is the campus resource for training grants such as the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award training grant, also known as the T32 Program, administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Health Resources and Services Administration. UW–Madison is currently home to 38 training grant programs that together support 306 trainees.
To further grow its success in securing and administering these grants from NIH, UW–Madison also recently joined Emory University, Georgetown University, and Northwestern University to form the National Training Grant Community of Practice. The organization provides a network of university professionals from 32 institutions with an outlet to discuss NIH guidelines, share resources, network, and establish best practices in training grant administration.
| |
|
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. Employees and students who have not shared proof of COVID-19 vaccination with UHS are required to test weekly on campus. University Health Services continues to offer free COVID-19 vaccines and booster vaccines to all students and employees. Take-home antigen tests are also available for student and employees to pick up on campus. For more information, see the COVID-19 Response FAQs.
| |
UHS services available remotelyUniversity 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 StudentsAccording 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.
- UHS 24-hour Crisis Services. 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. Call the UHS crisis line at 608-265-5600. For situations that are immediately life-threatening, call 911.
- Group Counseling for Graduate Students. University Health Services offers support/theme groups for graduate students, including groups for all graduate students, dissertators, graduate women, and graduate students of color. Support groups are a great way to share experiences around the challenges of grad school with other grad students.
- 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.
| |
| Graduate Student Support and Assistance
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.
| |
|
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.
| |
|
The Future Institute Research Center invites applications for $1,000 research scholarships to be awarded to graduate student researchers. Applicants should be doctoral students whose ongoing or future planned research topic aligns with the Center’s focus, which is post-secondary education transition and college/career success. Research projects focused on teaching/learning and education will also be considered. Scholarship recipients will be invited to participate in the World Future Forum conference in April 2022.
4W Engagement Grants for Emerging Scholars are intended to flexibly support graduate students in any relevant discipline who are engaged in work related to gender and wellbeing. These grants may be used for project expenses or travel related to community-based research or practice, including internships, independent study projects, and pre-dissertation or pre-thesis groundwork. Projects should have a research-to-action focus aimed at enhancing gender equity in Wisconsin or globally. They should also align with 4W’s vision and core values, and employ gender analyses and/or use an intersectional feminist lens to address equity for all.
The Center for the Humanities invites applications for its Public Humanities Fellowships designed to provide advanced graduate students in the humanities with experience outside of academia. This now includes fellowship positions with MYArts (Madison Youth Arts Center), the League of Women Voters of Dane County, CEOs of Tomorrow, and Midwest Environmental Advocates. By placing fellows in partner organizations around Madison, the program facilitates the reciprocal sharing of resources and expertise and highlights the significance of the humanities both on and off campus. A virtual information session will take place February 3 at 12:30 pm.
| |
New! Pet of the Week
Do you have a canine companion, feline friend, bovine buddy, or other animal accompanying you on your journey through grad school? We'd love to see them! If you are interested in having your pet featured in GradConnections, submit this form here and your pet may appear in a future issue this semester. Hurry! Submissions close this Friday.
| |
The cold never bothered me, anyway: Mac enjoys some winter fun with Andrea K. Wegrzynowicz, graduate student in Biochemistry.
| |
|
|
|
|
