Happy New Years! I hope that each of you and your families had an enjoyable holidays. I anticipate that like me you reflected on your successes during 2016 and recalled the individuals who supported you both personally and professionally this year and throughout your career – your family, mentors, and colleagues.
I know that I am grateful for supportive K-State colleagues, my family, and many mentors, including my major professor and undergraduate advisor, who were influential in my career successes. If you have not done so, I encourage you send these individuals a note or call them to let them know how much you appreciate their support. The Graduate School can assist in helping you reconnect with your mentor. Another way to honor them is through a gift to the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign that will support other graduate students.
During the Graduate School December Commencement, we recognized more than 200 master’s and 80 doctorate students who completed their graduate degrees. President Richard Myers presented the commencement address. The Graduate School team, their mentors, and graduate faculty extend congratulations to each of the graduates and wishes them continued success. Distinguished Graduate Faculty Awards were presented to Dr. Zongzhu Lin, Professor of Mathematics, and Dr. Timothy Keane,Professor of Landscape and Regional and Community Planning. Drs. Vara Prasad, Professor of Agronomy, and Bharat Ratra, Professor of Physics, were recognized as the 2016-2017 University Distinguished Professors.
K-State’s Graduate School nominees for the Midwest Association of Graduate School Excellence in Teaching Award are Ms. Allyson Koziol, a master’s student in English, and Ms. Amanda Marten, a doctoral student in Psychology. We are excited to have Allyson and Amanda represent the K-State’s outstanding graduate teaching assistants who contribution to the teaching mission at K-State and contribute to our undergraduate students’ successful completion of their degrees.
The latest edition of the Graduate Student Council’s Notable Achievement Newsletter highlights the accomplishments of graduate students. Please take time to read about these students’ successes and see how they are contributing to K-State success.
In closing, I am excited to share that sometime spring semester the Graduate School will be relocating to Eisenhower. The Graduate School office will be the space formerly occupied by the College of Arts and Sciences main office. We’ll have a designed room to provide professional development workshops, a conference area, and other student service areas. The most exciting aspect of the move is that majority of third floor will be renovated for graduate student collaborative spaces and offices for the Graduate Student Council, Fulbright Fellows, and the Postdoc Association. Even though not as idea of space as we would have dreamed for a graduate student life center, it is a good beginning to create a designated space to enhance collaboration and cross disciplinary exchange of ideas. More information and photos will be shared in future issues of the newsletter. If you’d be interested in helping purchase furniture, computers, and other items for the collaborative graduate student space, I’d be excited to visit with you.
As we begin a new year, please remember to share your successes and stay connected with your mentors, graduate program, and the Graduate School.