The School of Graduate Studies and Research at Florida A&M University is hosting their annual Graduate Student Appreciation Week from Monday, April 1 through Friday, April 5 as a part of the National Graduate & Student Professional Week. The purpose of the weeklong celebration is to highlight the contributions of graduate students and recruit potential students.
To kick off the week, students will have a chance to meet the Dean of Graduate Studies David H. Jackson and Assistant Dean Reginald Ellis in the Meek – Eaton Black Archives. Ellis explained the events are something the university looks forward to every year.
“The School of Graduate Studies and Research has been hosting Graduate Student Appreciation Week for several years,” Ellis said. “However, under the leadership of Dr. David H. Jackson, Jr., the Associate Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of Graduate Studies, this week has expanded to the event that it is today.”
Tuesday there will be professional development workshops that will provide professional development opportunities for FAMU’s graduate students and those students who are interested in graduate school.
On Wednesday there will be a poster and three minute thesis competition, providing the whole student body a great opportunity to come and see the level of research that is taking place on the campus. Ellis noted he was looking forward to seeing the various research topics of the students.
“I am excited about the poster and 3MT competition this year,” Ellis said. “We have over sixty graduate students competing in both competitions from disciplines across the campus. We believe in the research that is being conducted by our graduate students here at Florida A&M University.”
Although the week is centered on appreciation for the graduate students, it also offers events that invite undergrads to come out and find out more about furthering their education. There will be a graduate recruitment fair that will take place Thursday in the Grand Ballroom, and a meet and greet GSA and grad affairs on Friday.
Of course, no week dedicated to preparing students for a professional future would be complete without an opportunity to network. A “mix and mingle” will be held in the Galimore Lanes and Billiards at the Rattlers Den to close out the week.
Prospective graduate students are also eager to use the week as opportunity to “sharpen their tools” and network. Alexis Ritchie is an alumna of FAMU’s nursing program and is in the process of applying for the MSN Gerontology program. She expressed she was pleased to hear about the festivities and hoped to make a great impression.
“I’m happy I found out about some of these, like the workshops and the competition,” Ritchie said. “Hopefully some of them give me insight on what it takes to be a graduate student and what kind of work I will have to complete. It also never hurts to network.”
For more information on graduate school at Florida A&M University, visit Famu.edu/gradautestudies