Graduate students often describe networking as uncomfortable, intimidating, and inauthentic. However, your ability to build and maintain productive relationships with a variety of people is a key component of future career success in both academic and non-academic settings. In this workshop you will learn networking norms and strategies and how to get started developing and maintaining contacts. You will practice how to create conversations with people you don't know and identify effective ways to follow up with contacts in order to sustain mutually beneficial professional relationships. We will discuss the purpose of informational interviews and how to conduct them effectively. The workshop will also explain the importance of, and concrete tools and strategies for, building and maintaining a digital academic presence and networking online. Presented by Matthew Zook, University Research Professor and D GS Geography, and Sarah Lyon, associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Register Here

This workshop will provide an overview of the components of an academic job search (including job announcements, applications materials, job talks and campus visits, negotiations, etc.) and suggestions for writing strong job search documents (CV, cover letter, research statement, teaching statement, Diversity statement, etc.) We will identify short and long term strategies for academic job searches and scholarly productivity during the curing academic hiring “chill”. The workshops will provide a forum for mutual support for graduate students preparing for, or already on, the academic job market and will highlight the importance of self-compassion during the application process. Presented by Dierdra Reber, Associate Professor and DGS Hispanic Studies, Christopher Crawford, Professor and DGS Physics and Astronomy, Kristin Monroe, Associate Professor of Anthropology, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Register Here

Are you just starting your PhD? Or are you in your first few years and COVID-19 has drastically changed your graduate school experience? Are you trying to get back into a groove and continue your research now that things have changed? Join faculty and recent graduates in this panel on making the most of graduate school as we head into a new (and different) academic year. Hosted by Morris Grubbs, Assistant Dean and Director, Office of Graduate Student Professional Enhancement, The Graduate School, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Register Here

Now more than ever, conversations about mental health and self-care are critical. Yet, much of this conversation remains stigmatized and often ignores the specific struggles of graduate/professional students. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the resources available to graduate and professional students at UK, outline possible coping and support strategies, and address frequently asked questions about a problem that researchers have called the mental health “crisis” facing graduate students. Presented by Eladio Bobadilla, Assistant professor of History, Nathan Vanderford, Assistant Professor of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, and Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Please join Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Cristina Alcalde, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization, James Lincoln, Coordinator of Graduate Student Community Enhancement, Alisha Mays, PhD Student in Anthropology, and Leah Vance, PhD Candidate in Higher Education and Policy Studies, for a discussion of the first generation graduate student experience. Our goal is to build community and identify concrete ways that the College can support first generation graduate students.

Register Here

One of the most umportant factors in graduate students' success and in the timely completion of their dissertations is having a supportive advisor and effective, cooperative, and collaborative committee in place. But often, students do not know how to choose an advisor, how to structure committees, or how to navigate the power dynamics involved in these relationships. Please join Eladio Bobadilla, Assistant Professor of History, Dayton Staners, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, and Sara Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for a workshop that will address these topics and provide resources and strategies to help graduate students build strong relationships with a broad range of mentors who will contribute to their long-term success in graduate school and beyond.  

Register Here

Please join Sarah Lyon, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Cristina Alcalde, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization, Bertin Louis, Associate Professor of Anthropology and AAS, and Eladio Bobadilla, Assistant Professor of History, for an open discussion of the College of Arts 8: Sciences 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Plan and Report. Help the College establish short- and long-term priorities and action items so that we can better support BIPOC graduate students.

Register Here