Grad student town hall, COVID-19 Updates, NSF GRFP, and more!
NSF GRFP Awardees
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. The new cohort of NSF GRFP awardees has been announced. The Eberly College of Science is pleased to have six students offered 2020 awards and 10 honorable mentions. The new awardees are:
Gautam Nagaraj, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Anna Brogan, BMB
Sojung Frances Kim, Chemistry
Ananda Nichole Rankin, BMB
Autumn Zender, Physics
Edmundo Jose Torres-Gonzalez, Biology
Meet Alyssa Bienvenu, Current NSF GRFP in Chemistry
Third-year Chemistry PhD candidate
Hometown: New Iberia, Louisiana
Undergraduate Degrees: Chemistry and Mathematics, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Research: I am a theoretical chemist studying the prediction of chemical reaction pathways.
Outreach: I am involved in outreach through Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), primarily as a co-chair for Grad School 101. This program works with visiting undergraduate students who are deciding on their next career steps in STEM fields. I also have a recently formed blog called SciCommons, which aims to teach fundamental science to nonscientists.
Fun Fact: I dance a partnered social dance called west coast swing and volunteer at Centre County PAWS in my free time.
Important dates for graduate students
April 9 -- Graduate School town hall at 4:30 pm at https://liveevents.psu.edu.
April 13 -- NSF Research Proposal Informational Session.
Join the University Fellowships Office and learn more about the 2-page research statement and how to propose a research project that is both exciting and achievable given where you are in your academic studies. 5:00- 6:00 pm via Zoom. Registration is requested but not required. To register or for more information, please contact univfellowships@psu.edu.
April 13 – Final day to vote for Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) leadership for the upcoming year. Voters must have attended at least 3 GWIS events within the last academic year. See emails from Albanie Hendrickson-Stives through the GWIS ListServ for details. Anyone interested in joining GWIS can contact Kathleen Krist (ktk6@psu.edu) to be added to the ListServ. The organization is open to anyone interested in promoting women in STEM.
April 15 -- Elections for the 2020 Graduate and Professional Student Association are being held from 12:01 am on April 15th until 11:59 pm on April 16th through the OrgCentral website https://orgcentral.psu.edu/
April 15 -- A Science Carnival will be held on Zoom on April 15th at 10 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm. Scientists will have 10 minutes to show their favorite science from home and answer questions as groups are shuffled between scientists over the course of an hour. Register for free online. Email studentforSTEM@gmail.com with questions.
April 15 – The BEST (Building Engineering and Science Talent) Symposium is a two-day symposium primarily intended for African American, Hispanic, and Native American U.S. doctoral and postdoctoral scientists to learn more about the exciting science at Dow. The event will be held July 28-30, 2020 in Midland, Michigan. Applications are due April 15, 2020. Email BEST@dow.com with questions.
April 16 -- Applications for the University Park Student Fee Board are due by 11:59 pm. Contact studentfeepsu@gmail.com with questions.
April 20 -- Best Practices for NSF Edits and Revisions Informational Session
Join the University Fellowships Office to discuss best practices and common issues during the application process, as well as strategies for reading and revising your materials when you are on your own. 5:00-6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Registration is requested but not required. To register or for more information, please contact univfellowships@psu.edu.
April 24 – SAGF Lecture Postponed until Fall 2020 TBD
May 1 – Deadline to have all committee members “sign”/submit their electronic approval for theses and dissertations for spring graduation is May 1, 2020. The previous deadline was April 24.
May 9 Virtual Commencement
Other important deadlines for graduate students can be found here.
Register for SC451 Science and Outreach class and communications class.
Do you want to develop valuable science communication skills? Are you passionate about creating impactful outreach based in your area of expertise? Are you working on a grant and need to develop a strong Broader Impacts section? Look no further than the Eberly College of Science's "SC 451: Science Outreach and Communication" course offered this fall!
SC 451 is a one-credit course that meets once a week on Tuesdays from 12:05-1:20 pm. It is designed to be practical, hands-on, and useful particularly for graduate students in STEM-related fields. We will focus on creating outreach activities in small groups and practicing the best methods for communicating science to diverse audiences. We will have expert guest speakers and panel discussions with communications professionals and successful scientists to learn how to make outreach an integral part of your portfolio. All of this aims to prepare you for a future academic and professional career built on closely integrated research and outreach endeavors.
Make sure to register for SC 451!
Biomedical Big Data To Knowledge Predoctoral Training Program Call For Applications
Deadline April 27, 2020
Applications are invited from Penn State graduate students (completing year one) for admission to Penn State Biomedical Big Data to Knowledge (B2D2K) predoctoral training program. B2D2K is co-directed by Drs James Broach, Vasant Honavar and Runze Li and supported by the NRSA Institutional Predoctoral Training Program (T32) by the National Library of Medicine with matching funds provided by Penn State. Trainees will be supported for a period of one year as a part of their doctoral program. Interested students from other PSU biomedical, quantitative, and computational sciences graduate programs can apply for participation in the training program.
Interested individuals should submit a personal statement including background, experience and interest (2 pages), list of courses taken, curriculum vitae and two supporting letters. One of the letters should be from a B2D2K training mentor, before 5 PM April 27th to Dr. Cooduvalli Shashikant (css13@psu.edu).
Keep the Community Connected
Despite being physically separated, the Office of Science Outreach wants to keep our community connected through our love of science, and we need your help! If you are interested in volunteering to help us develop virtual/DIY programs, we'd love to hear your ideas! Sign up here!
Important COVID-19 resources for graduate students
Exceptions and Other Adjustments to Graduate Council Academic Policies and Graduate School Administrative Policies in Response to COVID–19 Outbreak
Version 5 (Revised April 2, 2020)
The link above contains all of the official exceptions made by the graduate school, including changes to remote participation in exams, changes to grading, and benchmark examination time limit extensions.
-Optional Alternative Grading System for all Graduate Students for Spring 2020 (SP20) Courses
-Extensions to Graduate Council Time Limits Due to the COVID-19 Outbreak
-Revised Guidance for Exceptions to In-Person Participation Requirements for Graduate Benchmark Examination
Other Important COVID-19 Resources
The FAQ page is regularly updated with the latest information regarding academics, teaching responsibilities, research progress, and funding.
Graduate Students Serving as Instructors and/or Supporting Courses Offered by Other Instructors gives a large number of resources for graduate students currently serving as TAs, including links for getting assistance from 24-7 technology support online and from the IT service desk.
Additionally, GPSA has a compiled COVID-19 information page that is updated to include pertinent information for graduate students, including information from the Graduate School, health and wellness opportunities, parking and transit updates, and health insurance changes.
The Eberly College of Science has also created a COVID-19 Contingency Resources page with up-to-date information for students, faculty, and staff.
There is also a place where you can recognize the extraordinary efforts of others in the Eberly College of Science.
Submit announcements, events and other information to sciencenews@psu.edu
Health and Wellness
The Penn State Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is covering COVID-19 testing through June 18, 2020. COVID-19 treatment is being covered at 100% through May 31, 2020. Referral restrictions have been lifted through May 12, 2020.
Health Promotion and Wellness & Student Engagement Programs have teamed up to take the Mindful Making series virtual! We hope you will join us during the month of April for activities every Thursday. Below you will find dates, times, and descriptions of each activity. If you're interested, simply click on the link and we'll "see" you there!
April 9, 11:00-12:00 pm | Paper Cranes & Deep Breathing
https://psu.zoom.us/j/687377043
Join Student Engagement Programs and Health Promotion & Wellness for a virtual Mindful Making Workshop! We will be going over the benefits of deep breathing and going through a practice together. We will also be learning how to make paper cranes.
April 16, 5:00-6:00 pm | Heart Mapping & Intuitive Eating
https://psu.zoom.us/j/603537158
Join Student Engagement Programs and Health Promotion & Wellness for a virtual Mindful Making Workshop! We will be working on a creative process called heart mapping where we will create art to capture what matters most. We will also be exploring mindfulness through an intuitive eating activity and discussion.
April 23, 11:00-12:00 pm | Craft & Conversation
https://psu.zoom.us/j/546307722
Join Student Engagement Programs and Health Promotion & Wellness for a virtual Mindful Making Workshop! Crocheting a scarf? Working your way through a coloring book? Grab your craft supplies and join us for some crafting and conversation.
Yoga and Meditation
Health Promotion & Wellness will be offering two virtual yoga & meditation sessions per week starting April 1st. Sima Farage (RYT 200, MBA, CHC, CEE) will guide each class through a blend of yoga and meditation during each one-hour class. The first half-hour of each session will be yoga and the second half-hour will be meditation. Pre-registration is not required--simply click the link and join in!
- Every Wednesday from April 1 through April 29 at 5:15-6:15 pm via Zoom. (Link here to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/4385441023)
- Every Tuesday from April 7 through April 28 at 6:00 to 7:00 pm via Zoom. (Link here to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/298599961)
Office of Graduate Education
517 Thomas Building
University Park, PA 16802
