Grad News Forum

Dear Graduate Community,

Greetings from Hanover!

As we approach the end of the calendar year I wanted to take a minute to write to you all about the exciting state of Graduate Studies.

I must say that it has been quite an exciting term. Back in August, I began my tenure as the Dean of Graduate Studies. I have spent much of the fall speaking with students, faculty, staff, and administrators, learning about the important issues that surround graduate education at Dartmouth. I have been afforded the opportunity to witness the incredible diversity of talent and drive in each of our graduate programs. I also cannot emphasize enough how impressive the staff of the Graduate Office is. They do an amazing job taking care of our students and programs!

Looking across the spectrum of Graduate Studies, I’ve been touched by the closeness and sense of community that exists inside of and between our programs. Our resolve was tested this fall, as our community suffered a tragic loss. Mikhail Lomakin, a first year graduate student in physics, died in a devastating accident back in October. Mike, as he liked to be called, came to us from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. He was interested in space plasma physics, and was very excited to embark on his career in research here at Dartmouth. Mike’s passing rocked our small community. But our students found ways to come together, supporting each other during an enormously difficult time. This togetherness has made us all closer, impressing again upon me the value of our small size and our sense of collective strength. These virtues keep us moving forward, together, into the New Year that promises to be transformative.

I am proud to report that graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy have been awarded more than $2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education through the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program, which will fund 17 three-year graduate fellowships. Dartmouth has received nearly $8 million in GAANN awards since 2004, an amazing success rate reflecting very highly on our graduate programs. Our students also continue to have success obtaining highly competitive funding, with six students receiving prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships in 2012.

Our Graduate Student Council continues to be a strong student voice on campus, communicating with the administration about issues surrounding Dartmouth’s graduate community. The GSC Executive Board met with President Folt earlier in the fall to discuss a number of issues facing our students. The Council also took part in the 10^th annual Ivy Summit, held this year at the University of Pennsylvania. The Summit is a meeting of graduate student leaders from across the Ivies. There the GSC had the chance to share ideas and learn new strategies to advance our student resources and handle issues related to graduate student life.

In looking to further our alumni-student relations, we have developed an Externship Program, which will pair current graduate students with graduate alumni. During December, students will spend a day with an alumni host, discussing professional goals, engaging in career-oriented conversations with staff, receiving feedback on their resumes or CVs, and shadowing their host in their day-to-day activities. Most importantly, they will help to develop sustainable links between graduate alumni and graduate students. These links help to ensure that Dartmouth alumni find themselves still engaged with the College, and that students have the opportunity to benefit from our alums’ expertise. I’m delighted that so many graduate alumni have signed up for this experience.

Finally, I wanted to thank the graduate alumni for donating to the Dartmouth Graduate Studies Alumni Fund. Each year, contributions from our Graduate Alumni allow us to fund research grants. This year, the fund has allowed a number of talented students to do all kinds of great work, which you can read about on our online news-blog, The Graduate Forum. Your continued support is greatly appreciated, and I am really excited to see what our students will achieve during the coming year.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season, and all the best for 2013!

Sincerely,

F. Jon Kull

Dean of Graduate Studies at Dartmouth

Dartmouth’s annual Christmas tree lighting celebration is set for 5:15 p.m. Friday, December 7, on the Green.

This year, the Kull family will press the button to light up the giant evergreen. Joining Dean of Graduate Studies Jon Kull ’88 will be his wife, Angela, and their daughters, Layne, 8, and Claire, 6.

For the full article go to Dartmouth Now.

(Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)

Graduate Students and Community:

As the term winds to a close, and winter begins to set in, I wanted to take a minute to address the graduate community. I’ve been settling in to my new position here at Graduate Studies, and I’m enjoying all of the opportunities to interact with and on behalf of our students and programs. To see the work that our students are doing, across the wide spectrum that is Graduate Arts and Sciences, is nothing but inspiring.

Here in the Graduate Office, we are working hard to develop new ways to support and strengthen our community. As the Dartmouth faculty expands, and the Geisel School follows suit, we know that there will be more opportunities for graduate students on campus. More faculty will create opportunities for new graduate research, and we will find ways to leverage those opportunities to improve our support networks for research and funding. We are also working to create a graduate student space on campus, to help attach the wonderful sense of community we have built to a physical location we can call our own. I am excited about the future of Graduate Studies, and our students should be as well.

On a personal note, I encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy the winter here in Hanover. As an undergraduate, I was a member of the Dartmouth Outing Club. We used to snowshoe up Gile Mountain, downhill and cross-country ski at the college facilities, and ice skate out on Occom Pond. Dartmouth provides lots of opportunities to take advantage of the endless recreational activities in the Hanover area. And though it might be cold, Hanover tends to be pretty sunny all winter long. So grab a good jacket and enjoy the sun and the snow!

We hope you can join us next week for Cupcake Wars – I’m looking forward to judging the event. For more information, and to stay up to date on all the goings-on at Graduate Studies, please visit the Graduate Studies website and connect with us through our Facebook page.

I hope you all enjoy the remainder of fall term, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Sincerely,

F. Jon Kull, Dean of Graduate Studies