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September 21, 2021In this issue: Sustainability for graduate students, register for the Three Minute Thesis Competition, and more.
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Tips for Grads: Sustainability for Graduate Students
While it’s true that an overwhelming majority of negative environmental impact points occur at the hands of large corporations, as individuals we still have roles to play in practicing sustainability in our everyday lives. As a 10,000-strong graduate student population, we have the power to be a huge source of waste, or we can contribute to the solution.
Small actions, like using a reusable water bottle and refilling at one of the campus’ filtered water stations, using up old pens instead of buying new ones to commemorate the start of the semester (I am guilty of that one, I’ll be honest), and joining a local Buy/Sell/Trade group on social media to give older materials new lives instead of buying new are all ways we can reduce our waste and contribute to a culture of sustainability at UW and in Madison.
Because this is such a huge and expansive issue, it can feel overwhelming to take up the torch on your own. But you don’t have to. The UW Office of Sustainability is a phenomenal resource for all things, wait for it, sustainability! Here are a few of the many ways you can learn more, implement sustainability into your everyday practices, and get involved on campus:
Learning More
Everyday Practices
Getting Involved
- There are a huge number of student organizations on campus dedicated to various areas of sustainability, like climate change, social justice, food waste, energy, and conservation. Whatever area interests you most, there’s probably a group for that.
- You can use the Sustainability tab on the UW events calendar to keep up with upcoming sustainability happenings around campus, like the upcoming Sustain-a-bash on Friday, September 24.
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.
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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.
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Upcoming Professional Development EventsAll event times and deadlines are listed in Central Time.
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Can you explain your research in 3 minutes? Find out by participating in the 2021-22 3MT®competition! 3MT®is an international research communication competition in which graduate students explain their research to a general audience. Students in research-based master’s and PhD programs from all disciplines are eligible to compete, and prizes will be awarded to the winners. Finalists will be selected at divisional semi-finals hosted on October 28 and November 3; finals will be held on February 18, 2022.
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This workshop, hosted by the UW–Madison Libraries and the Graduate School, guides graduate students through the fellowship application process. The presentation will include information about fellowships available to participants, which fellowships UW–Madison students have received in recent years, and common fellowship proposal elements. This opportunity will help attendees in seeking fellowships and funding for their graduate careers.
This conference is for grad students and postdocs seeking guidance in their academic careers. Over the past year, many have asked staff at Aurora by Beyond the Professoriate questions about coping with burnout and staying motivated after a difficult year. Aurora by Beyond the Professoriate listened closely to these concerns, and built a curriculum to share tools and resources for supporting students and postdocs through a successful academic year ahead. A recording of the event will be available to students who register in advance if they cannot attend live.
Whether you're presenting your research, teaching, or creating a presentation for a job talk, utilizing principles of effective design in presentations is incredibly important as a professional. A well-designed presentation can be the difference between an engaged audience and one that is bored, multitasking, or even scrolling through social media. In this workshop, we will look at the DesignLab's "CAT" of designing presentations, that is the Conceptual, Aesthetic, and Technical aspects of your research/scholarly project. We will discuss how to structure your presentation for your audience, explore common mistakes/errors, and provide you with tools to communicate your desired message clearly and effectively. Light snacks will be provided.
This workshop is designed to help you address the concept of broader impacts in your fellowship application through discussing strategies for writing a successful broader impact plan, hearing from panelists about successful fellowship proposals, and learning about resources on campus focused on effective integration of research and education.
Additional workshops will be offered in this series. The Graduate School recommends that students register for all events in the series. Upcoming workshops:
- Tuesday, Oct 5, 3 - 5 pm: Peer Review Session
This interactive workshop is based on Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement, a comprehensive framework that includes activism, organizing, and community-engaged teaching and research, and other pathways to social change. Laura Livingston, PhD Candidate and Community-Engaged Scholarship Graduate Specialist for the Morgridge Center for Public Service, will introduce the framework, explore the synergies and tensions between pathways, and share avenues for UW-Madison graduate students to promote social change in their academic, personal, and professional roles. Attendees will leave the event with a more complete understanding of community engagement and a plan to promote social change in their communities. This event is co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Professional Development and the Association for Graduate Engaged Scholars (AGES) in the Morgridge Center for Public Service.
Communicating your research to a non-specialist audience is an essential career skill, whether you’re preparing for job interviews, networking at a conference, or just trying to explain to family and friends what you do with your time. This workshop, sponsored by the Writing Center and the Graduate School Office of Professional Development, will help graduate students from all disciplines to prepare an accessible, intriguing three-minute talk about their research. If you’re interested in learning how to craft a concise, general explanation of your research, or if you plan to participate in the 3MT® Three-Minute Thesis competition, this workshop is for you.
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The University of Wisconsin-Madison and JCPenney are once again teaming up to help students build their professional wardrobes--this time with an online option! Save up to an extra 30% off select career apparel, shoes, and accessories to build your professional wardrobe. This event is open to all UW-Madison students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. To receive your Extra 30% off coupon code, text BUCKY to 67292.
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Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring supports instructors and TAs
The new Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring (CTLM) on campus supports UW-Madison instructors at all career stages, including teaching assistants, by offering campus-level professional development, course design, and instructional consulting programs and services. Teaching assistants can take advantage of these opportunities with CTLM:
- Participate in professional development opportunities, including in-person, hybrid, and fully online programs that vary in length from an hour or two to a few weeks or two semesters
- Attend a Fall Course Preparation Session, where you can meet individually with CTLM staff on a range of teaching topics
- Explore a guide to teaching, learning, and mentoring programs offered by CTLM and other campus partners, and find one or more programs to engage with this academic year
- Request a consultation with CTLM staff.
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Fair Play Project seeks graduate student input
The Fair Play Project seeks input from graduate students who are interested in improving graduate student education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). The goal of this project is to develop workshops and curriculum that empowers students with the knowledge and skills to counteract the effects of racial bias and to teach them how to advocate for themselves and others. Graduate students who are interested in helping with the development of these trainings will be provided with a $25 gift card for their time (approximately 1-2 hours during the semester). This project is funded by the NIH-NIGMS: R25GM114002 and R25GM08352. If interested in helping to develop this training, please contact Carissa (Fair Play Project Outreach Coordinator: cnfranz@wisc.edu) and provide her with your name, email address, department, and degree/date of completion.
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- R workshop: Regression Models and Diagnostics
- Data Wrangling in R
- Data Wrangling in Stata
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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 to all students and employees. For more information, see the COVID-19 Response FAQs.
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Upcoming Flu Shot ClinicsUniversity Health Services offers free flu shots to all students and employees. Upcoming flu shot clinics:- Wednesday, Sept 22 | The Nick, Courts 1 & 2 | 8:30 am - noon, and 1 - 4:30 pm
- Wednesday, Sept 22 | Nielsen Tennis Stadium | 8:30 am - noon, and 1 - 4:30 pm
- Thursday, Sept 23 | The Nick, Courts 1 & 2 | 8:30 am - noon, and 1 - 4:30 pm
- Thursday, Sept 23 | Nielsen Tennis Stadium | 6 am - noon
- Tuesday, Sept 28 | Grainger Hall, Room 1266 | 6 am - noon
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.
- SilverCloud. This online, self-guided resource provides treatment options 24 hours a day through evidence-based modules on anxiety, depression, body image, and stress. SilverCloud is designed to help students manage day-to-day stresses and improve resilience.
- 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.
- Healthy Minds Program app. Train your mind to be more focused, calm, and resilient through meditation with the Healthy Minds Program. This program is informed by research from the Center for Healthy Minds at UW–Madison and is free to use.
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| 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.
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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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International Fellowships provide support for women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and who intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career. Applicants must have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree by the application deadline and must have applied to their proposed institutions of study by the time of the application. Recipients are selected for academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. Award amounts vary by the degree being pursued and range from $18,000 to $30,000
The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers six to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research about U.S. Indigenous or non-U.S. cultures and societies. The IDRF program especially welcomes applications from underrepresented institutions. Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $23,000. The fellowship includes participation in an SSRC-funded interdisciplinary workshop upon the completion of IDRF-funded research
The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students (U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents) to pursue part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE laboratory/facility in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission. The SCGSR program provides supplemental funds for graduate awardees to conduct part of their thesis research at a host DOE laboratory/facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist within a defined award period. Collaborating DOE Laboratory Scientists may be from any of the participating DOE national laboratories/facilities. The award period for the proposed research project at DOE laboratories/facilities may range from three to 12 consecutive months.
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