upcoming events...

I don't know about you, but things have been crazy at the beginning of this semester. Even more than at the beginning of fall. I'm not sure if it's the delusion that you have some time off (don't tell that to your family that lives hours away and thinks you need to visit them for your entire "break" because, really, what do you really need to be working on, and by the way, when are you going to finish your dissertation...), or that the break is too short so before you even take a breath and decompress from the last semester, here we go again. Perhaps it's the realization that you had dreams of getting a project done, only to not...work...on...anything...at...all. (Sigh.)

So the semester is in full swing. New classes are being taught. New research tests are being run. New literature reviews are being started. New "work" schedules have been created and are (almost) being stuck to. And for me, From Abstract to Contract, the Graduate Student Research and Creative Expression Competition is almost upon us. If you read that and said, "What is From Abstract to Contract?" you just might be living under a rock, or not checking your email, or, a graduate student. What it is, is a chance for you to practice presenting your research with other graduate students all across campus, before you go to a national conference, and maybe even win some cash. It's too late to enter this year, but please come over to Mullins Library on February 8 from 1 - 3pm and see what your colleagues are up to. We have students from engineering to theatrical design, pest management to food safety, nano technology to environment and ecology. It's going to be amazing.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...is that From Abstract to Contract is just the icing on the cake of Graduate Education Week. A week to celebrate, well, you! Graduate Education Week was started to recognize the contributions that University of Arkansas graduate students make, not only to research, but to teaching, service and their community. Graduate students are members of their community in ways that undergraduates rarely are. Many of us are here longer than undergraduates, and have a strong tie to things outside of the university. We have kids in local schools, we participate with local non-profit groups, we're old enough to take our money to certain Dickson Street establishments and (legally) purchase their wares...On that note, here's a flier with some more information about Graduate Education Week. Print it out, post it, pass it around, attend the events. We're celebrating you.

MORE WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT (if you don't already).

FREE FOOD (free really good food)...Now that I have your attention. The Graduate School and International Education puts on multiple free seminars throughout the semester to help you as a graduate student navigate your career. There are seminars for TAs, about stress and time management, seminars about the responsible conduct of research, networking, FINDING A JOB AFTER GRADUATION...(if that caught your attention, you must be getting at least kind of close to finishing...)

And on that note, there are a few selected seminars coming up that you might be interested in attending. To see the full list and to RSVP, go to http://grad.uark.edu/dean/events/index.php. I'll be the one giving the seminars on finding a job after graduation, and Erica Estes from the Career Development Center will be giving the seminar on networking. Definitely worth checking out. And did I mention FREE FOOD?

Mark your calendars:

Topic: Presenting Your Research in a Formal Setting
Description: The From Abstract to Contract graduate student research and creative expression competition hosts this workshop--all are invited to attend!
Who Is This For?: All graduate students
Date: January 28, 2013
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development
Presenter(s): Dr. Ken Vickers
Topic: Applying for Federal Grants
Who Is This For?: All graduate students
Date: February 05, 2013
Time: 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Location: Arkansas Union Rooms 512-514
Presenter(s): Dr. Rick Ulrich
 
Topic: Preparing your thesis/dissertation for submission
Description: Learn all you need so you can submit your thesis or dissertation with little delay.
Who Is This For?: All graduate students
Date: February 06, 2013
Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Location: Arkansas Union Rooms 512-514
Presenter(s): Joni Teddleton and Camille Johnson
 
Topic: Stress/time management, work/life balance
Who Is This For?: New graduate students
Date: February 06, 2013
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: Arkansas Union Rooms 507-509
Presenter(s): Dr. Ed Mink, University Health Center

Topic: Networking at a conference
Date: February 12, 2013
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development
Presenter: Erica Estes, Career Development Center

Topic: Non-traditional jobs for your degree
Date: February 27, 2013
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development
Topic: Applying for academic jobs
Date: March 06, 2013
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development

While I realize that everyone will not be interested in all of these events, if there is something that's of interest to you, check it out. You might learn something new and either way, you get to meet other graduate students, make some good contacts and get a good meal.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, PLEASE RSVP using the website so we can make sure there's enough food to go around: http://grad.uark.edu/dean/events/index.php

I look forward to seeing you all there!

--Dawn

A timely topic...

In the wake of Aaron Swartz's death a few days ago (http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/12/us/new-york-reddit-founder-suicide/index.html), and what was his impending trial for allegedly illegally downloading a massive number of articles from MIT's JStor database, I thought it would be a good time to discuss "open access" of research papers.

Not sure about what "open access" is, or why you, as a graduate student and a researcher should care? Please watch this video posted at PhD Comics (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1533). 

-- Dawn

happy new year

Happy New Year everyone...I hope you've had a good winter break and have accomplished a few of your goals. (Even if some of them had to do with organizing and house cleaning, like mine did. Fewer distractions for research...)

To be honest, I've kept pretty busy this "break." We visited family which is amazing, empowering, comforting and overwhelming all at the same time. I have done some much needed cleaning. I'm working on reclaiming my research space from other clutter...and doing some field test runs and working on my literature review. This is also the awesome time of year where I have to accept that I'm still here, still a graduate student and need to renew some software licenses. Sigh.

So, I thought I would try to find some "New Year's resolutions" for my fellow graduate students. I was hoping the chronicle would come through for me, but I also appreciate the advice that appears on About.com from Tara Kuther, Ph.D. Here's her post on New Year's Resolutions for Grad Students.

I guess the reality is that New Year's resolutions don't often stick, so folks are hesitant to recommend them to graduate students who already have enough on their plates, but I don't think it hurts to make some goals for the new year. Plan your schedule and put it into action, but stay flexible. Things rarely go the way you'd originally enivisioned them...and that's ok. Sometimes it's even for the best...

I hope you all have a healthy, safe, productive new year and at least a few of you leave 2013 with a graduate degree in hand.

-- Dawn