At 6,219 strong, graduate students represent the largest group of campus community members. And whether through groundbreaking research, teaching and mentoring, or leadership of organizations—and oftentimes all of the above—these students help shape ϳԹ.
Since 2012, the university has annually recognized their contributions to campus with Graduate Student Appreciation Week, six days of events to celebrate graduate students.
The week—which started nationally in 1993 for graduate teaching assistants and expanded in 1995 to include all graduate and professional students—formerly was known on campus as Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week. But in recognition of the unification of Graduate Student Senate and Graduate Professional Council in June 2015, the Office of Student Activities and Leadership changed the name of the week to Graduate Student Appreciation Week.
The week’s events, which ranged from a pizza party on Monday to special departmental gatherings, began April 4 and will conclude tomorrow (April 9) with the Masquerade Ball at the Great Lakes Science Center. Tickets are available online at .
In addition to their own learning in the classroom, "Graduate students also frequently serve as mentors to our undergraduate students—either acting as teaching assistants or when our undergraduate students conduct research,” Chuck Rozek, vice provost and dean of the School of Graduate Studies and associate professor of biology, said. “They are a vital part of the university and most faculty that I know came to ϳԹ to be able to recruit and train graduate students since they contribute to their successful research programs.”
Meet three of those students below.
