THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

January 2024 Message from Dean Mayo

Dear members of The Graduate School (TGS) community,

Recent temperatures remind us that Winter Quarter has arrived. I hope you all are remaining warm and comfortable. For some graduate students and postdocs, this may be the first time encountering such extreme weather conditions. Please take the appropriate precautions while enjoying the winter season. Frostbite shuttles will also operate on days noted on this webpage.

Winter is also a time of reflection and an opportunity to set intentions for the year ahead. At The Graduate School, we are in the middle of the admissions and recruitment cycle to prepare for new graduate students this fall. We are also planning an array of professional and career development opportunities. A series of “Mentoring Up + Down” workshops will launch in February for postdoctoral scholars and PhD students to learn how to establish effective and productive mentoring relationships. TGS students and postdocs across disciplines may also apply for the Research Communication Training Program (RCTP), designed to enhance communication skills. In addition, PhD students and postdocs can participate in the Winter Career Development Series offered by Northwestern Career Advancement.

January kicks off several unique heritage months and cultural recognition events beginning with Northwestern’s recent commemoration for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. TGS is proud to join the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), and various campus partners and student organizations in celebrating these important moments of solidarity and recognition. As OIDI states on their website, “These observances provide us with an opportunity to delve into the rich historical, cultural, and social dimensions of various identities, while amplifying voices that have often been marginalized.” In today’s world where diversity, equity, and inclusion are facing increasing scrutiny, it is important to provide the space, support, and educational awareness to embrace and affirm these guiding principles.

In February, we look forward to celebrating Black History Month as well as the Lunar New Year, followed by Women’s History Month in March. These are just a few examples of the upcoming cultural programming that will build upon the foundation of support TGS provides through engagement initiatives provided by our Office of Diversity and Inclusion and our Office of Student Life. There is a rich intersectionality of identities among our graduate students and postdocs and many opportunities to come together in recognition and celebration. Many also find community and connection by joining and participating in events and activities hosted by graduate student and postdoctoral organizations. The application deadline to become a new TGS-affiliated graduate student organization is Friday, February 16.

I am delighted Northwestern continues to focus on building a strong culture of belonging where there is a healthy and respective exchange of ideas and perspectives. We will all be better contributors to our shared society as a result.

I wish you well with your Winter Quarter studies and endeavors.

Sincerely,
Kelly

Kelly E. Mayo
Walter and Jennie Bayne Professor of Molecular Biosciences
Dean of The Graduate School and
Associate Provost for Graduate Education

Categories: From the Dean