Grad Chronicle: January 2021


Featured Graduate Students
 

Introducing the Division of Graduate Studies' Spring 2021 Interns
 

Haley Corley (she/her) Julie Hild (she/her)

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Graduate Studies Spring 2021 Intern, Haley Corley

Graduate Assistantship: The Leadership Center in the Center for Student Involvement, Kent State University
Career Goal: To work for a university developing their student leadership development programming.
Favorite Quote: "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." – John Steinbeck
Kent Pride: I am new to Kent State this year, but love how the university is so welcoming and that my professors care about my growth as a student!
Hobbies: Reading, dancing, and spending time with my rescue dog

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Graduate Studies Spring 2021 Intern, Julie Hild

Graduate Assistantship: Student Engagement & Campus Programming/Tradition, Baldwin Wallace University 
Career Goal: To work with students as much as possible. I'm interested in student activities, health & wellness programming and DEI&B (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging).
Favorite Quote: "I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful." – Marilyn Monroe
Kent Pride: My cohort. I've met so many great people and been exposed to so many perspectives that have challenged me both as a student and as a person.
Hobbies: Reading, watching Netflix, and spending time with my family – including our cat, Jack.

 

Student Spotlight!

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Student Spotlight: Jiafeng Jin

Kent State University’s graduate student community is home to a talented and diverse group of individuals. Meet Jiafeng Jin, a doctoral student from Shanghai, China, studying applied mathematics
 
After receiving her degree, Jiafeng hopes to pursue a career in academia teaching mathematics at a college or university. “My main goal of teaching mathematics is to aid students in learning and understanding mathematics in a way that builds confidence and a thirst for learning,” she says. Read more about Jiafeng's Kent State experience.

 

Awards and Scholarships

 

Apply for Graduate Awards
 

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Graduate Scholarship Awards

The Division of Graduate Studies provides scholarship opportunities for academically high-achieving graduate students who are currently enrolled at Kent State, and we are now accepting applications and nominations through February 15 for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The following award opportunities are available. To learn more about the award criteria and to apply, please reference the links below:

Additionally, the Division of Graduate Studies is now accepting nominations for the University Fellowship. Graduate students must be nominated by their program or department, and nominations should be submitted to Tiffany Lewis at tlewis59@kent.edu by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15. Nominees will be reviewed by a committee of faculty from varying ranks and disciplines.
 
We encourage you to review the award criteria and application process on our webpage at www.kent.edu/graduatestudies/awards. If you have any additional questions, please contact Tiffany Lewis at tlewis59@kent.edu. We encourage you to apply or seek nomination for one of these opportunities!

 

Graduate Student Senate Awards
 

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Graduate Student Senate Awards

Graduate Student Senate offers a variety of awards to assist graduate students. To learn more and apply for awards, use the links below. Please be aware that the awards are currently under the university-sponsored travel restrictions that has been implemented until further notice.

  • Graduate Student Support Award: This one-time non-competitive award offers eligible graduate students up to $200 to assist with the cost of books and software. Due to COVID-19 and the respective temporary suspension of university sponsored travel, GSS is unable to assist with professional and academic development by providing funding for travel. This award was constructed in an effort to continue to support graduate student success during these trying times.
  • Domestic Travel Award (DTA): This non-competitive award of up to $300 supports graduate students to attend virtual conferences and promotes the professional and academic development of Kent State graduate students. Because of the travel restrictions due to COVID-19, changes have been made to this award to better support graduate students. 
  • Research Award: This competitive award  of up to $2,000 supports research or project-related expenses for Kent State University graduate students.
  • Special Contingency Award: This competitive award offers up to $1,500 of approved student-incurred expenses. The award is offered on a rolling basis, with applications due for review by 11:59 p.m. three weeks prior to any GSS general meeting.
     

Student Events and Programs

 

35th Annual Research Symposium
 

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35th Annual Research Symposium

The Graduate Research Symposium – the largest annual event celebrating graduate student research at Kent State – will be taking place on April 7-8 via Microsoft Teams. The event, which is hosted by Graduate Student Senate, is the perfect opportunity to practice your presentation skills in a conference setting, receive feedback from faculty and fellow students, compete to win cash awards, and network with students who may be conducting similar research. 
 
Paul J. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., the K. Frank Austen Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and senior vice president of research and chief academic officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will be the keynote speaker on April 7 at 4:45 p.m. 
 
Registration is open through Sunday, January 31. We encourage all graduate students from across disciplines to participate. For additional information and updates, please visit the Symposium website. We look forward to seeing all of you present your research in April!

 

Beyond the Professoriate's Free Webinar Series
 

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Beyond the Professoriate's Free Webinar Series

Beyond the Professoriate is hosting a series of free events to support graduate student and postdoctoral professional and career development. Click on the links below to register. Join L. Maren Wood, PhD in this webinar series as she covers various topics related to career opportunities outside of academia.
 
You can view the recorded sessions for seven days. Events begin at 12 p.m. ET and run for 45 minutes. Click the links below to register for the following webinars:
 
February 12: How to find a job you’ll love
February 26: Things to consider if you want to start a business or be a freelancer
March 12: Non-academic career options for STEM PhDs
March 26: Non-academic career options for humanities and social sciences
April 9: Why leaving academia can be harder than it seems
April 23: How I decided to leave academia

 

February Grad Fest
 

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Graduate Student Senate's February Grad Fest


Enhance your Résumé or CV
 

The Division of Graduate Studies is dedicated to preparing you for your career. All graduate students have the opportunity to earn certifications that display a basic understanding of two different areas – Career Planning Essentials and Research Fundamentals. Our Career Planning videos discuss topics including interviews, resumes and LinkedIn, and our Research Fundamentals video library covers seven topics related to graduate student research. 
 
After watching a minimum of three videos in either category, you may complete an assessment to demonstrate your understanding of the content. Upon answering at least 80% of the questions correctly, you will be sent a certificate of completion that you may include on your résumé or CV. More information about the Career Planning Essentials and the Research Fundamentals workshops – as well as the assessments – can be found on our website.

 

Instructing in a Virtual Environment
 

Join the Center for Teaching and Learning’s informal 30-minute virtual Conversation in a Flash on Thursday, January 28 at 11 a.m., and share your remote instruction victories and challenges! The link to join the conversation will become available the day of the event. For more information, please visit the website.

Remember to save the date for Kent State’s Education Elevated Conference on Friday, February 19. This free virtual conference is a great place to showcase what you’ve accomplished and to see what others at Kent State have accomplished in their classrooms while adjusting to a virtual environment.

 

Martin Luther King Celebration Calendar
 

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Martin Luther King Day Celebration Calendar

Don’t forget to check out the Martin Luther King celebration calendar, as there are events scheduled through the end of this week. Click the links below to register or join the virtual events.

Thursday, January 28, 12-2 p.m. – A Time to Break the Silence: MLK to BLM
Thursday, January 28, 1-2:30 p.m. – Understanding Race & Racism
Thursday, January 28 at 4:30 p.m. – Step into My Story
Friday, January 29, 12-2 p.m. – Gandhi, MLK, Advocacy and Social Change

 

Resources

 

Career Advising for Graduate Students
 

Start the new semester off right! The Division of Graduate Studies offers career advising services for all interested grad students. We are here to assist you with whatever you need – from updating your résumé or CV to sharpening your interview skills. The Division of Graduate Studies will continue providing career advising services throughout the semester. Visit our page on Career Advising for Graduate Students to schedule an appointment.

 

TechHelp Spring Semester Training Courses
 

Check out Information Technology’s TechHelp training courses that are available for spring semester. Complete courses to increase your understanding and strengthen your skills with programs including Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Kaltura, Microsoft Teams, Blackboard and NVIVO.

 

Health and Wellness

 

Comprehensive List of Mental Health Resources
 

Managing stress and juggling all of your responsibilities as a graduate student can sometimes feel overwhelming. To view an updated and comprehensive list of Kent State University’s mental health resources, please visit our website.

 

Building Emotional Resilience
 

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Building Emotional Resilience – Online Virtual Group

Beginning February 3, Counseling and Psychological Services will be hosting virtual group meetings – the Art of Coping: Building Emotional Resilience – every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please visit the website to fill out a one-time registration form.

 

Managing Anxiety and Stress in the Midst of a Pandemic
 

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Managing Anxiety and Stress in the Midst of a Pandemic

Tune in for Counseling and Psychological Services’ spring 2021 group programming – Anxiety and Stress During COVID-19. The group is scheduled to meet on Teams every Tuesday from 4-5 p.m. beginning on February 2. To learn more and fill out a one-time registration form, please click here.

 

COVID-19 News and Updates

 

Stay Updated on COVID-19 Procedures
 

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COVID-19 Updates and Resources

In these uncertain times, stay up-to-date with Kent State news, procedures, Flashes Safe Eight and updates regarding COVID-19 such as the academic schedule, remote resources, preventative measures, emergency fundingtesting, and more.

 

Free COVID Testing This Week
 

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Free COVID Testing Event

As widespread testing is an integral part of Kent State’s ongoing strategy to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the university has partnered with the city of Kent to host a large-scale two-day COVID-19 testing event. The Ohio Department of Health’s Ohio Pandemic Testing Team will be at the Kent State Field House (2227 Summit St.) on the Kent campus from noon–4 p.m. on Thursday, January 28 and Friday, January 29.

This testing event is free and open to anyone from the university community including students, faculty, staff, families and the general public, and students living off campus are especially encouraged to take advantage of this testing. Advanced registration for this testing is strong recommended. To register for the event, please click here.

 

Combating Food Insecurity
 

As food insecurity has affected many individuals as a result of COVID-19, here is a link that contains an overview of food resources in Kent.