Fall Commencement Held for First Time in Years
The University held its first fall commencement in many years this past December. Students receiving degrees from bachelor's to Ph.D. all walked in this fall ceremony. 160 graduate students and 500 undergraduate students participated in the newly reinstated event.
Assuring Water Quality
Photo: Katherine Knierim working in Jack's Cave in Madison County, Arkansas. This researcher is downloading data from a carbon dioxide analyzer, which measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in the cave atmosphere. During her master’s thesis Knierim and her colleagues learned that the composition of the cave atmosphere changed seasonally, which affected the isotopic composition of the dissolved carbon in the cave.
Katherine Knierim, a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Dynamics, was recently awarded a Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Doctoral Fellowship from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The STAR grant will provide $37,000 per year in tuition, stipend and expenses to Ms. Knierim, for three years of doctoral study. “I feel so honored to have received this fellowship. It will allow me to focus on my research and write my dissertation, which will help me out immensely.”
Graduate School and International Education Staff SHINE!
Mike Waldie (left), senior foreign student advisor in International Students and Scholars, was named Employee of the Year, and DeDe Long (right), director of the Office of Study Abroad, received outstanding recognition this fall.
Building the Future
A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently for the restoration and an addition to historic Ozark Hall. The project, which will update all of the building’s systems and technology, will take two years to complete and will cost about $27.1 million. When completed, Ozark Hall, which was placed on the National Register for Historic Buildings in 1992, will house the department of Geosciences, the Honors College and the Graduate School and International Education. “This renovation and addition to Ozark Hall will update one of our most historic buildings, and provide an outstanding home for us,” said Todd Shields, dean of the Graduate School and International Education. “It will incorporate technology, work spaces and a high-quality environment that will serve our graduate students and be a source of pride to us all.”
Graduate Education Week
Monday, February 6 - Friday, February 10, 2012
Celebrating graduate student contributions in research, teaching and service Seminars – presentations – From Abstract to Contract poster competition with 170 exhibits! Join us as we celebrate all the ways our graduate students enhance the University of Arkansas. For more information, click here.
Graduate Student Poster Competition
Additional funding from the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Economic Development and the Graduate School and International Education have increased the funding for this year’s graduate student poster competition. Along with contributions from the Career Development Center, this will allow the Graduate School and International Education to expand this research exhibition and competition and increase participation from a broader group of students.
Registration for the competition is open until Thursday, December 1, 2011. Registration information and other details are available here. The competition will be held on Friday, February 10, 2012 in the Arkansas Union. ALL graduate students are encouraged to participate. First prizes of $200 and second prizes of $100 will be awarded in categories of up to eight participants, increasing all participants’ chances of winning. For more information contact Diane Cook, director of graduate student activities, at 479-575-2350 or DLCOOK@uark.edu
Graduate School and International Education Engaged in Strategic Planning
Since July, 2011 the staff of the newly formed Graduate School and International Education have been working on a strategic plan that will lead to new formulas for success, efficiencies across units, and most importantly, a vision and mission statement for the organization. After a 1-day retreat in July, teams began meeting to consider specific areas of potential growth and collaboration. The process is expected to be completed in spring 2012.
