GradNews

You're Invited to "Building a Publishing Pipeline: Concrete Strategies for Increasing Your Writing Productivity"

Writing Boot Camp - Spots are Limited!

Could you use a day to set aside to make progress on writing your thesis or final project?  Here's your chance to remove the distractions and commit one or two days to writing in a supportive, quiet space with like-minded graduate students. 
Register today for the Spring 2020 Writing Boot Camp on April 4th & 5th from 9am-3pm in SSC 0200!
Attend Saturday, Sunday, or both - it's up to you!

Are YOU the 2020 Commencement Speaker?

What message of inspiration would you share if you had the opportunity to stand at the podium and address your peers as you celebrate the completion of your graduate degree at commencement?

The Graduate School is currently accepting self-nominations for May 2020 graduates to serve as the student speaker at the spring commencement ceremony!

Eligibility Requirements:
-Must have applied for and satisfy graduation requirements for May 2020
-Be a current graduate student in good academic and disciplinary standing
-Be available to attend the Graduate School Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 8, 2020, at 6:30pm

Apply online today! Within the application you will need to summarize the main points of your intended speech, and to upload a current version of your resume.

*Deadline to apply is Friday, March 13^th!*

Graduate Catalog & Degree Works

The SIUE Graduate Catalog is online and is your resource for:

• Your program's curriculum and graduation requirements
• Course descriptions
• List of Graduate Program Directors and graduate faculty
• Academic policies & procedures
• Archived catalogs from prior academic years

Want to assess your progress towards degree completion?  Degree Works is accessed through CougarNet and is a comprehensive, web-based academic advising and degree audit tool to track your academic progress.  Degree Works reviews your completed and registered coursework against the SIUE Graduate Catalog requirements in order to assist you and your advisor in academic planning. 

Research Grants for Graduate Students
*APPLICATION NOW OPEN*

Are you a master's level student seeking funding to support your research endeavors?  The spring application period for RGGS is open as of March 1st, and the deadline to submit a proposal will be April 1st at 4:30pm.  Students may request up to $500 in funding, and must meet all eligibility and proposal requirements. 

Read all of the details about how to apply on the RGGS website.

Grant Forward Research Funding Database

SIUE subscribes to the funding database Grant Forward, which allows students to search and save funding opportunities and create funding alerts.  Particularly for students interested in pursuing a PhD program following completion of a master's degree at SIUE, the Grant Forward database can be a valuable resource for searching for applicable fellowships and grants. Check it out today! 

Across disciplines and career paths, sharpening your oral communication skills will be crucial to your success.  Your time as a graduate student should facilitate your skill development to be more engaging and confident as you network with colleagues, teach courses, interview for jobs, speak at a staff meeting, or present at conferences.

• Conference or class presentation in your future?  Read Robert Kosara's Common Speaking Mistakes to Avoid to capture and maintain the attention of your audience!
• Networking or interview opportunity coming up?  Develop and practice your elevator pitch to summarize your background and goals.
• Anxiety about public speaking?  Read through the tips from the APA on How to Cope with and Master your Anxiety.
• Ready to crush your next staff meeting?  Forbes breaks it down in 6 Ways to Make a Great Impression in Every Meeting. 

Campus Leadership Opportunities for Graduate Students

Leadership development is a critical component of one’s collegiate experience. Through leadership programs and leadership-adjacent programs, students can be change agents, influencers, managers, and collaborators while on-campus and beyond. The Kimmel Student Involvement Center provides many opportunities for graduate students to engage with and practice leadership such as:

• LEAD Program: A customizable, self-paced program that focuses on a variety of leadership elements. Upon completion, students will have a portfolio of professional experiences and a medal to wear at commencement.
• Free weekly Leadership Lunches
• Monthly Roundtables
• LeaderShape: A four-day, immersive program that challenges participants to lead with integrity while working towards a vision grounded in their deepest values. Applications close March 6th!
• Legacy: A year-long leadership experience for advanced student leaders. Components of this program will include a group capstone project, individual manifesto and leadership development plan, and biweekly meetings on advanced leadership topics.

Upcoming events can be found on GetInvolved (https://getinvolved.siue.edu/organization/sldp) and on our social media page (@siueLEAD). Feel free to contact us at leadership@siue.edu.

Meet Kayla Pruitte, student in Media Studies

Originally from South Carolina, graduate student Kayla Pruitte earned her B.A. in Communications with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from the University of South Carolina Aiken in 2014.  Following graduation, she worked full-time for a legal publishing company as an Editor in Research and Development before deciding to pursue her Master's in Media Studies at SIUE.  She entered the program with a desire to research and analyze how media portrayals of eating disorders add to or negate certain stereotypes, and also to learn how to communicate research to promote conversations around various types of mental illnesses.

Kayla is currently conducting research on eating disorders and mental illness in a way that aligns seamlessly with her study of  media. This March she will present at the International Crisis and Risk Communication conference on her paper titled "Castlewood to Alsana: Image Repair and Renewal of an Eating Disorder Treatment Center," in Orlando, Florida. In April, she will be presenting a paper on the representation of Schizophrenia in an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" at the Central States Communication Conference in Chicago.  Kayla will also share her work with the SIUE campus community in March during the Women and Gender Symposium, where she will be presenting her paper on how the utilization of BMI as a health indicator can be detrimental to mental health.

After completing her master's degree, Kayla plans to continue her work in the field of eating disorders, in a way that allows her to continue to promote outreach, advocacy, research, and education.

Know a deserving student or alum that we should highlight in Cougar Pride?  Contact us at graduateschool@siue.edu to let us know!