Grad student stories, funding opportunities, important dates
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Schaeffer named interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Stephen Schaeffer, professor of biology, will serve as the interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education until Associate Dean Aleksandra Slavkovic returns from sabbatical in January 2022. Schaeffer has a record of excellence in graduate education. He is the inaugural recipient of the Eberly College of Science Distinguished Faculty Mentoring Award and the 2020 Penn State Graduate School Alumni Society Graduate Program Leadership Award for his leadership in graduate efforts in the Department of Biology where, among other efforts, he established the monthly Biology Graduate Student Colloquium that provided a platform for discussing important topics such as mental health resources and financial planning. Schaeffer recently served as the interim Biology Department Head. We wish Steve success in this role.
Masking eases, vaccination incentives
The University is strongly encouraging vaccinations for anyone who can. Getting vaccinated helps protect those who cannot get vaccinated for medical or other reasons, including children under age 12. The University announced plans to transition its masking and physical distancing requirements on June 28 to more closely align with changes recently announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health that relax COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals. Individuals who are vaccinated do not need to wear a mask indoors on campus.
While the situation is improving, more people need to get vaccinated to keep this trend moving in a positive direction, but we will only know that we are moving in a positive direction if students and employees share their vaccination status with the University. The University is preparing mitigation efforts if data indicate that not enough members of our community are vaccinated. If we all do our part, the fall semester will be all it should be.
Lab Bench to Commercialization
Grant application deadline July 9
The Lab Bench to Commercialization (LB2C) Grant Program is a source of competitive funds for researchers with official appointments in the College of Science. Program highlights:
- One year of funding ($15,000-25,000) to support translational research aimed at advancing the commercial potential of an ongoing research project.
- Request for proposals are typically solicitated annually in April/May, with funding cycles beginning July/August.
Researchers who apply for funds should be prepared to take the next steps in translating their intellectual property (IP), including developing strategies for continued development and market commercialization (may include third-party licensing or startups). Successful applications must demonstrate that funding will significantly impact development activities for existing IP and/or research that may be commercialized. Subject inventions may include a tangible product, therapeutic, process/method, software program, or significant improvement of a current market product.
Contact Suzanne Kijewski (sdk5252@psu.edu) for more information.
Copeland recipient of "Risky Science" award
Rachelle Copeland, a graduate student in her seventh year at Penn State in the Chemistry Department’s Graduate Program, has been named the recipient of the 2021 Robert T. Simpson Graduate Student Award for Innovative, “Risky,” Science.
(L-R: Santina Cruz, Dayna Patterson, and Laura Wickham)
Chemistry Student Leadership Awards
The Department of Chemistry announced that graduate students Santina Cruz, Dayna Patterson, and Laura Wickham have been named the winners of the 2021 Department of Chemistry Student Leadership Award.
The Student Leadership Award was designed to recognize graduate students who have proven to be outstanding leaders, either within the research lab or the science community at large.
Student Service Awards in Chemistry
Chemistry graduate students Seong Ik Cheon, Rachelle Copeland, Yasha Duggal, Margaret Gerthoffer, Varun Mandalaparthy, Lily Mawby, Ryan Szukalo, and Eli Wenger have been named winners of the Department of Chemistry Student Service Award.
The Student Service Award was created by the Department of Chemistry to recognize graduate students who have proven to be outstanding examples of dedicated service to either their research lab, student organization, or departmental committee.
Important dates for graduate students
July 5 -- Independence Day (No Classes)
July 6 -- Last date for committee members to approve final thesis/dissertation for SU21 graduation
July 13 -- Red Cross Blood Drive. To make an appointment, go to redcrossblood.org, use the Blood Donor App, or you can email Kristen Robinson at kjg17@psu.edu.
July 21, 9am-11am -- Safer People, Safer Places Foundations. Register
July 29, 1pm-3pm -- Safer People, Safer Places Transgender and Gender Inclusion (The July 21 Safer Places Foundations Course is a prerequisite for this workshop) Register
August 11 -- Deadline for SU21 graduating students to submit a request for a letter of certification to Graduate Enrollment Services (12:00 pm) if graduating SU21
August 16-18 -- Chemistry Career Network and Recruitment fair (Open to all graduate students). Registration closes July 23. More info.
August 23 -- First day of FA21 classes
September 6 -- Labor Day (No Classes)
September 7 -- Deadline to activate intent to graduate for FA21
October 4 -- Deadline to upload a draft of the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation to the eTD for format review if graduating FA21.
October 11 -- Deadline to pass the final doctoral defense for FA21 graduation
November 5 -- Deadline to upload a final thesis or dissertation to the eTD for final review
November 12 -- Deadline for committee member to approve final thesis/dissertation
November 21-27 -- Thanksgiving Holiday (No Classes)
December 10 -- Last day of FA21 classes
December 10 -- Deadline to submit a request for a letter of certification to Graduate Enrollment Services (12:00 pm) if graduating FA21
