Grad News Forum

Graduate Student Appreciation Week, commencing April 6, is an annual celebration of the contributions that graduate students bring to Dartmouth. The week combines a wide range of scholarly and social activities.

Graduate students work hard.  Each one knows late nights and early mornings. However, all being said, you will have to look hard to find the graduate student who does not think this is all worthwhile. Graduate students’ dedication to their research and to the education of undergraduates is an invaluable contribution to Dartmouth. The research undertaken in both our PhD and Master’s programs, in both arts and sciences, reinforces Dartmouth as a world-class educational institution. TA-ships see graduate students burning the midnight oil, grading papers and then taking time away from their own work to spend time with students. Those who have done it know how much students benefit from the support of a TA, as a mentor and a role model. Despite the heavy workload and stressful life, graduate student’s community outreach and volunteer work is award-renowned, both in the local community and abroad.

Preparations for the poster session in Alumni Hall on Wednesday 10th April, 5pm-7:30pm.

So every year by the time it gets to spring term, some appreciation is due.

The idea for Graduate Appreciation Week came from the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS). In 1993, NAGPS established Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) as a mechanism to support and appreciate graduate and professional students. Dartmouth proudly sponsors this decade-long tradition.

F. Jon Kull, dean of Graduate Studies, commented on Graduate Appreciation Week:

“I really think it is crucial for the work of graduate students at Dartmouth to be highlighted and appreciated. Being a graduate student is a fantastic thing; it shows a true dedication to learning and advancing in a field or discipline. Dartmouth as an institution is fortunate to have so many enthusiastic and talented graduate students. Their contribution is felt everyday.”

The full range of events can be found here. Keep an eye out for the Graduate Poster Session. The Poster Session displays the best of graduate student talent. There you will see the range of research undertaken and all the hard work paying off. President Carol L. Folt will announce the winners of the Graduate Faculty Mentoring Award at the session. In short, the poster session really brings together many aspects of the graduate student experience.

“Graduate Appreciation Week gives the wider community the opportunity to take stock of their valuable contributions,” says Kull, “The schedule of events shows students they are valued, and the poster session allows their work to be displayed. The poster session is a great opportunity to learn more about Dartmouth Graduate Studies and some of the fantastic things achieved here.”

After the poster session is Pub Night at Molly’s Restaurant and Bar—we all need a break once in a while.

For more information about some of the achievements of Dartmouth’s graduate students, keep posted to the Grad News Forum and our Facebook and Twitter streams.

by Dan Durcan

Members of the GSC Exec Board at the Summit

A couple of weeks ago we wrote you an article on our upcoming trip to the University of Pennsylvania for the 10^th annual Ivy Summit. Well, we went, we had a great time, and we thought we’d share some of our experiences. Each fall, a different Ivy School (plus MIT) hosts the Ivy Summit. These are conferences dedicated to sharing experiences of student governance, as well as focusing on advocacy issues — this year’s focus was on building mental health resources.

In 2011, MIT hosted and, this year, six members of the GSC headed down to Philadelphia to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). We arrived on the 2^nd of November and were immediately welcomed by a UPenn student delegate. Then we met our colleagues from the other Universities and promptly bonded over Japanese food.

On Saturday morning, over a substantial breakfast spread, the State of the Nine addresses were delivered in a room overlooking the skyscrapers of Philadelphia. The State of the Nine is an annual feature of the Summit where each Student Council President delivers a fifteen-minute presentation designed give an overview of graduate life at their school. Topics covered include changes in student welfare, advocacy campaigns, and overviews of social life. Subsequently, the student delegates at Dartmouth were able to learn about the structures of other student governments, as well as what their counterparts at the other schools were doing. All of this will help the GSC facilitate the best possible student experience at Dartmouth.

Following the State of the Nine we split off into groups to discuss more specific topics related to student governance and mental health. Here each college led a tutorial to share expertise. Dartmouth presented on: “Enhancing Graduate Student Participation and Cultivating Agency around Student Initiatives and Activities.” Again, our president, Julia Bradley-Cook, took the lead for Dartmouth, during our tutorial. Here she focused on agency, engagement, and participation.

One of the ideas that surfaced in our discussion was having “student deputies”. These are people who stand on committees or take particular responsibilities advocating for an issue. The advantage of deputies is that it allows people to interact with student governance on their own terms, dedicating their time to what they feel is particularly important. We look forward to implementing these positions soon.

After the morning’s proceedings, we broke for lunch – again, we ate and socialized with other graduate students. Then we went back to tutorials where we continued to share experiences and knowledge with other schools. The other school’s tutorials were as follows:

• Yale: Methods for facilitating conversation/student feedback with administrators
• Columbia: Quality of Life Survey
• Cornell: Emphasizing the Importance of Graduate Student Programming and Space
• Penn: Building Institutional Memory
• Harvard: Tailoring Mental Health Services to Graduate Student Needs
• Princeton: Striving for Balance in an Unbalanced Life
• Brown: Mental Health as “Foreign” to International Students
• MIT: The Power of Student Advocates as Change Agents
• Penn: Self Care as a Means to Protect Mental Health

Speaking on the Summit, Vice President Justin Richardson said: “The Ivy Summit was an excellent opportunity to showcase the great events and programs the Graduate Student Council puts together. It was good to learn from the other schools, to see how they help their student bodies, and what problems they face. I am very thankful to University of Pennsylvania GAPSA for hosting the annual event and am currently in contact with many attendees of the summit.”

That evening, conference delegates proceeded to a Japanese Karaoke Bar. Here we dined and hung out with other students from the Summit. Your social chair, Gilbert Rahme, wowed everyone with his performance of the Backstreet Boy’s “Quit Playing Games with my Heart.” I doubt Philadelphia will ever forget us.”

On Sunday morning we reconvened for a breakfast (the most substantial French toast I have ever seen) and to recap the Summit. Bradley-Cook met with the other Student Body Presidents to give feedback and to strategize for future years. After a long productive couple of days we said our farewells. There was just time to pick up a Philly Cheesesteak before our long journey home.

by Dan Durcan

Photo by David Bendell

Dartmouth Graduate Studies is a proud supporter of the Dartmouth Graduate Veterans Association’s Veterans Day Banquet, which will take place on Friday night. The Graduate Forum has highlighted the group’s commitment to community service and veterans affairs. This article comes to us from the Dartmouth Now. 

In recognition of Veterans Day on November 11, Dartmouth is hosting a slate of lectures, ceremonies, and celebrations to honor military service members over the next week. Among the events are a formal flag retreat ceremony on the Green and a Veterans Day Remembrance Breakfast, which features noted speakers and guests.

For the bulk of this summer, seven undergraduate students from universities around the country have been working in Dartmouth research laboratories, getting a feel for the graduate research experience as they rise towards graduation in their own schools. This opportunity was provided by Dartmouth’s Academic Summer Undergraduate Research Experience – nicknamed the ASURE program.

ASURE was launched this year as a way to introduce exemplary undergraduate students to the Dartmouth graduate research community. The seven inaugural ASURE students were picked from a field of over 250 well-qualified applicants. The students received funding from a combination of sources to pursue their research. This ASURE group has engaged in different labs across the graduate programs, from the Biology labs to the Biomedical Engineering labs at Thayer.

Wynette Williams, an undergrad at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, is working with Professor Thalia Wheatley, exploring facial recognition patterns with advanced imaging software. Joel Dungan, who’s finishing a dual degree program at Colorado College and Columbia University, has been holed up in the Thayer School of Engineering, working to improve medical imaging technology to reduce the chances of false positives. And there are five more students like Wynette and Joel who are getting the opportunity to conduct important research at an extremely high level.

Jordan Noonan, the Director of the ASURE program, explained that the program is modeled on other national programs and programs that used to exist at Dartmouth. “By exposing students to the type of work that Dartmouth graduate students are doing, he says, we hope we can excite them into pursuing an advanced degree – hopefully at Dartmouth.”

The program also has a social coordinator, Jennifer-Lynn Demers, who runs activities programming for the ASURE students and helps them to experience all that a summer in Hanover has to offer. In addition, ASURE students are offered helped with their GRE preparations.

“We’re really excited about the success of the program in its first year,” says Jane Seibel, Assistant Dean of Recruiting and Diversity for Graduate Studies. “ASURE will be a great tool for us to generate interest in our graduate programs at a national level. We’re looking forward to growing the program in its second year.”

For more information on the ASURE program, check out the website here. And for photos and biographies of this year’s ASURE class, head on over to our Flickr page and check out the ASURE set!

Article by Z. Williams

The Graduate Teaching Award is given out annually to the graduate student teaching assistant who best exemplifies the qualities of a college educator.  One of this year’s recipients, April Daigle, is a PhD student in the Chemistry Department.

April Daigle is a 4th year PhD student in Joseph BelBruno’s chemistry lab.  Her main research area is concerned with computational materials science, specifically how molecules interact with gold surfaces and the magnetic properties of nanoparticles.

While at Dartmouth, April was a recipient of a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship in 2009, and the Walter H. Stockmayer Graduate Fellowship last year.  In addition to such academic accolades, Daigle also served as a teaching assistant for the undergraduate courses Honors General Chemistry and Physical Chemistry.

Honors Chemistry is an introductory chemistry class that is traditionally comprised of freshman students each fall, while Physical Chemistry is an upper-level course usually taken by undergraduates in the latter half of their collegiate career.  For Daigle, each class has its own unique perks and opportunities from a teaching standpoint.

“The freshman are new to Dartmouth, and are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” says Daigle. “For the most part, they haven’t found their academic ‘niche’ yet, and there’s lots of natural enthusiasm there.”

In the upper level courses, Daigle points out that most students, though diverse academically, are quite “science-orientated” by the time they enroll in Physical Chemistry.  According to Daigle, this narrowed focus coupled with a smaller class size allows her to interact with these older students on a more intense, one-on-one basis.

“I love this sort of individualized mentorship, which is easier to do when the students know where they’re headed,” says Daigle.  “However, I really enjoy working with both groups.”

In addition to her teaching schedule at Dartmouth, Daigle also tutored local middle-school students in science at the Montshire Museum, and participated in several programs through the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL), Dartmouth’s resource for the professional development of its teachers.  According to Daigle, her passion for teaching was actively encouraged by her advisor, Joseph BelBruno.  No stranger to exemplary teaching himself, BelBruno is a recipient of the 2011 Faculty Mentoring Award through the Graduate Office.

Noting the tendency for some schools to prioritize laboratory research over interaction with undergraduates, Daigle pointed out that Dartmouth’s smaller size and focus on personal instruction greatly appealed to her.  While not every school allows graduate students the opportunity to hone their teaching skills in the way that Dartmouth does, Daigle explains that the quality of the opportunities for PhD students at Dartmouth have allowed her not only to become a more skilled scientist, but also a better educator.

Post-graduation, Daigle plans to parlay her love of science and teaching into a career in academia.  “I knew that I wanted to teach before coming to Dartmouth,” says Daigle. “I wanted to be in a graduate program where this desire would be encouraged and respected.”

by Erin E. O’Flaherty

The Graduate Forum is proud to announce the winners of the Graduate Teaching Awards. The hard working students are Patricia Cahn in the Math department, April Daigle in Chemistry and Morgan Thompson, Biochemistry.

Patricia Cahn recently received a PhD in Mathematics. Patricia came to Dartmouth in the fall of 2007, after completing her Bachelor’s at Smith College, in Northampton, Massachusetts. She earned her Bachelor’s in math, which was her primary field of study for her undergraduate and graduate years. Patricia also played the double bass throughout college, earning a minor in general music.

When Patricia arrived at Dartmouth, she found herself increasingly interested in a specific field of mathematics known as topology. Topology, which involves the study of the deformation of objects in space, was something that she had a knack for.

“I’ve always enjoyed visualizing things in math, especially shapes and their relationships to space.”

Patricia’s thesis work focused on using algebra to “count” crossings of curves on surfaces. This problem is related to a branch of topology called knot theory. One can obtain a mathematical knot by gluing together the ends of a knotted piece of string, and knot theorists are interested in studying when one knot can be gradually deformed into another.

As a  teacher, Patricia showed an exemplary commitment to passing on knowledge and academic excitement. She has been a teaching assistant in five classes during her time at Dartmouth, and has been an instructor for Math 1 (Calculus and Algebra), Math 31 (Topics in Algebra), and Math 32 (The Shape of Space). Patricia admits that her time working with students in Math 32, both as a TA and as an instructor, was especially rewarding. Her “favorite term” at Dartmouth came when she had the opportunity to for Math 32 during her third year, and this led to her being the full instructor for the course this past year.

“That’s really the field I love. To work with students in an advanced math like topology, I felt really fortunate.”

Patricia agreed that her curiosity and passion made those teaching experiences especially enjoyable. Now she’s on her way to share those traits with a new group of students.

This fall, Patricia will start a three-year post doctorate position at the University of Pennsylvania, as a lecturer in their mathematics department. She’ll be running two courses this fall and one this spring, on calculus and differential equations.

“It’s the good teachers I’ve had, both at Smith and Dartmouth, that first got me excited about teaching,” she says.

This early spark seems to have ignited what looks like a wonderful career. We wish Patricia the best of luck next year at UPenn.

Congratulations again Patricia!

On Sunday, June 10, graduating masters and doctoral students from Dartmouth’s Arts and Sciences Graduate Programs took the stage to celebrate Dartmouth’s 2012 Commencement ceremonies. Dartmouth’s Graduate Programs shone under sunny Hanover skies, as 175 students received their advanced degrees. The Grad Forum wishes the best of luck to all those who celebrated this June!

Video by Zach Williams and Dan Durcan 

The Hannah Croasdale Award for academic excellence is awarded annually to the graduating PhD recipient who best exemplifies the qualities of a scholar. This individual possesses personal qualities of intellectual curiosity, dedication, and commitment to the pursuit of new knowledge and to teaching, as well as a sense of social responsibility to the community of scholars. The award recipient is selected by The Dean of Graduate Studies.

Since January, Matt Cain has been conducting postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the guidance of Prof. Dick Schrock. A graduating doctoral student in Chemistry, Matt was selected as one of this year’s recipients of the Hannah Croasdale Award because of the excellence of his thesis research at Dartmouth, as well as his involvement in undergraduate teaching.

At MIT, Matt is researching how dinitrogen (N₂) can be reduced to ammonia (NH₃) through the addition of protons and electrons using a Molybdenum-based catalyst. While Matt has only been conducting this research for six months, the practical applications of reducing dinitrogen into ammonia are far-reaching: in its gaseous state, nitrogen is readily available in the Earth’s atmosphere, and ammonia is one of the basic ingredients in the production of fertilizer. Thus, the long-term goals of Matt’s postdoctoral studies are to find a cheap method to produce basic fertilizers for agriculture using nitrogen as a feedstock, which would help a number of third-world countries grow enough food to feed larger portions of their populations.

“The end goal of my postdoctoral research is to alleviate world hunger by finding a cheap, efficient way to manufacture basic fertilizers,” explains Matt. “While I doubt this large-scale problem will be solved in the foreseeable future, this research is addressing the issue head on, and I have confidence that my efforts will positively impact a number of remote, agrarian communities in the coming years.”

A former member of Prof. David Glueck’s lab, Matt’s doctoral research at Dartmouth addressed some fundamental problems in chemistry.  His doctoral dissertation, titled Cu(I)-Catalyzed P-C Bond Formation and the Synthesis of C₃- and C₁-Symmetric P-Stereogenic Triphosphine Ligands, investigated how copper–a cheap, environmentally-friendly metal—could catalyze the synthesis of chiral ligands, which are used by pharmaceutical companies to manufacture more “pure” drugs with fewer side effects.

“The chemical structures of some prescription drugs give them the potential to effect a patient’s body in more than one way. A famous example of this is the drug Thalidomide, which was prescribed to treat morning sickness in the late 50s. However, by the early 60s, Thalidomide was found to cause birth defects, and was withdrawn from the US market in 1961—years later, a connection between the chemical structure of Thalidomide and these birth defects was discovered. Thus, the graduate research I conducted at Dartmouth seeks to make drugs more pure, and helps reduce the number of potential side effects caused by their use.”

During his time at Dartmouth, Matt worked as a teaching assistant for five classes including several of the school’s general chemistry courses—Chemistry 5, Chemistry 6, Chemistry 10 (an Honors course), as well as Chemistry  64 for two terms.  Like all chemistry graduate students, Matt completed each of the training courses required by his department before setting foot in the classroom.

“I really enjoyed working as a Teaching Assistant,” says Matt. “In the classroom I explained a number of scientific concepts to undergraduates, and helped them conduct research experiments. While I finished my teaching obligations early in my doctoral career, working as a Teaching Assistant really defined my time at Dartmouth.”

Originally from Congers, NY, Matt received a B.S. in Chemistry from SUNY Geneseo in 2007, and started his doctoral studies at Dartmouth the summer after he graduated from Geneseo. As an undergraduate, Matt examined the luminescent properties of hetrobimeallic metal complexes, which are used in the production of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

Congratulations, Matt!

by Wesley Whitaker
photo by Tennile Sunday

The 2012 Senior Class Marshals have officially been announced on Dartmouth Now.

2012 Senior Class Marshal: Michael Hopkins A&S Grad ’12
After graduating from Colgate University in 2002, Hopkins came to Dartmouth to do research in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and worked with Professor David Bucci to advance scientific understanding of exercise-induced mental health benefits. Hopkins also worked as a graduate advisor, mentoring first-year graduate students as well as undergraduates.

Read more about Michael on Dartmouth Flicker.

2012 Senior Class Marshal: Erin O’Flaherty A&S Grad ’12
O’Flaherty came to Dartmouth after earning her bachelor’s degree at Tulane University, and working for filmmaking organizations in New Orleans and New York. “When I was looking at graduate schools, I had a very specific academic interest—cultural response to trauma and disaster—that ran across several disciplines. The MALS program appealed to me because I could tailor my plan of academic study to reflect this interest in a way that was incredibly rewarding and fruitful,” she says.

Read more about Erin on Dartmouth Flicker.

The Student Notebook essay offers insight or opinion from a Dartmouth student or trainee. Marcella Lucas is a Ph.D. student in the Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine. She was president of the Graduate Student Council in 2010-2011 and is now a coordinator of the International Graduate Mentoring Program. She is currently completing her Ph.D. and plans to pursue a career in health-care consulting.

My current research, though, is not going to end up in a scientific journal. Like many Ph.D. students, I am exploring what I might do with the advanced degree I will eventually receive.

Only about 15% of people who earn a Ph.D. in the sciences will become a tenured faculty member. So what happens to the other 85%? What happens to Ph.D. students who decide that academia is not for them? The truth is that their options are endless, but Ph.D. students often underestimate the importance of their degree, how much they have to offer, and the opportunities available to them outside academia.

If you ask Ph.D. candidates what they plan to do after completing their degree, you will likely hear that they are going to look for a postdoctoral position—or “postdoc.” After all, that is traditionally what new Ph.D.’s do. After two or perhaps three postdocs, maybe they will become a junior faculty member and start climbing the academic ladder.

At some point along the way, however, many students realize that they do not want to follow the traditional route and become an academic scientist—and I’m one of them. That’s why as I have pursued my scientific research, I have also worked on professional development. My extracurricular activities over the past few years have enriched my experience at Dartmouth. They have also helped me to understand my strengths and weaknesses and given me better insight into what might make me competitive on the job market.