Grad student stories, funding opportunities, important dates
Let's be the best we can be!
Dear Eberly College of Science Graduate Students,
Welcome to the 2020-2021 academic year!
I hope this message finds you and yours well! The past six months heightened our senses to some old challenges and brought many new ones to our communities, and to our personal and professional lives. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our family, social and professional interactions, our ways of learning, training, collaborating, performing research, and teaching, it has impacted our sense of well-being.
I want you to know you all are essential members of your graduate programs, the Eberly College of Science, Penn State, and the local community, regardless of whether you are joining us in-person or remotely this fall. We greatly value your contributions, want to celebrate your successes, and be there for you in times of need. In this newsletter, we recognize some of your academic and non-academic achievements, your science and broader community contributions, and provide you with links to some relevant resources to help us navigate these uncertain times.
As we do so, let’s be scientific and kind, inquisitive and understanding, resolute, and respectful. Let’s be the best we can be!
Aleksandra (Seša) Slavković Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Congratulations Masters and PhD Class of 2020
The Eberly College of Science is very proud of those graduate students who earned their masters and PhDs in the August 15, 2020 virtual commencement plan. Now more than ever, it will be the life, physical and mathematical scientists who will be relied upon to solve the problems the world faces today and in the future.
Science Achievement Graduate Fellows 2020-2021
The Penn State Eberly College of Science has selected seven graduate students as Science Achievement Graduate Fellows for 2020–2021. These scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding graduate students seeking a doctoral degree in each of the college’s seven departments who are interested in the advancement of women in the sciences and related fields. Each scholarship is named in honor of an outstanding woman scientist or mathematician who not only made groundbreaking discoveries but also blazed the trail for others who have followed in their footsteps. Fellows in the program will host two distinguished lectures each year in the college, in honor of the women for whom the scholarships are named.
Recipients of the 2020-2021 scholarships are:
Sofia Sheikh, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Stephanie Szarmach, Biology
Erin Reilly, BMB
Heidi Busse, Chemistry
Margaret Brown, Mathematics
James Kennington, Physics
Susan Lloyd, Statistics
RNA World Team
Science Journal Summer 2020
A group of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers bring their own perspectives to understanding the RNA world hypothesis
From Hong Kong to Happy Valley -- an Eberly graduate student's journey to new frontiers
When Yunqing Zhou arrived at Penn State to begin his graduate studies, he had no idea that the experience would potentially change his career trajectory.
Gratified Grad YouTube channel helps graduate and professional students
PhD candidate Latisha Franklin shares tips and tricks to getting through grad school
Franklin's Gratified Grad channel focuses on living a healthy lifestyle to get through graduate school. Subscribe to #TeatimewithLatisha on YouTube or follow this link
Graduate student funding opportunities
This is a continuously updated repository of federal and private funding opportunities that are intended for graduate students. The opportunities are pre-sorted chronologically and alphabetically and can be searched by funding amount and subject matter.
President Barron masks the lion joined by student leaders including Alex Zhao, Graduate and Professional Student Body president.
COVID-19 Updates for Graduate Students
Following a comprehensive planning process involving faculty, staff, and administrators, Penn State has determined that the University can meet or exceed the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s guidelines for colleges and universities to return to campus. For more graduate student COVID-19 information go to https://gradschool.psu.edu/covid19/
New graduate student orientation materials available
New graduate students should complete the Graduate School Orientation. To view the Orientation materials, you may self-enroll in the appropriate course from the list below.
- New Graduate Student Orientation for all domestic, residential graduate students: https://psu.instructure.com/enroll/TM9GXW
- New Graduate Student Orientation for all international, residential graduate students (whether starting in-person or remotely): https://psu.instructure.com/enroll/G7DGDF
- New Graduate Student Orientation for all World Campus graduate students: https://psu.instructure.com/enroll/4LJ6HN
Important dates for graduate students
September 8 -- Last day for a fall graduate to apply for graduation in LionPATH.
October 2 -- Graduate Faculty Recognition Awards deadline
October 5 -- Last day for a fall graduate to upload a draft of the doctoral dissertation for format review.
October 5 -- Last day for a fall graduate to upload a draft of the master’s thesis for format review.
October 5, 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm -- Postdoc workshop (Save the Date).
October 12 -- Last day for a fall graduate to pass final doctoral defense.
November 2 -- Graduate School Student Awards Nominations due
November 13 -- Last day for a fall graduate to upload a final thesis or dissertation for final review.
November 20 -- Residential instruction ends. All campus-based, residential instruction will end, and the remainder of the semester will be delivered remotely.
November 22-28 -- Thanksgiving Holiday.
December 11-- Last day of classes.
December 11-- Deadline for Fall 2020 graduating students to submit a request for a letter of certification to Graduate Enrollment Services.
December 14-18 -- Final Exams.
December 19 -- Graduate School Fall Commencement Ceremony.
Office of Graduate Education
517 Thomas Building
University Park, PA 16802
