GradNews

Congratulations December 2020 Graduates!

You've made it!  In just a few days you can take a deep breath and enjoy your well deserved graduate degree.  We are honored that you chose to learn with us and appreciate all the contributions you have made to our community.  We hope that you have enjoyed your experiences at SIUE and look forward to hearing about your future endeavors.  

You are now a part of the SIUE Alumni Association.  To learn more about your alumni benefits, visit their website. 

New Facebook Group for SIUE Graduate Students 

It’s never too early - or too late - to begin making valuable connections at SIUE. Our SIUE Graduate Students Facebook community can help create support networks needed to reach your academic and professional goals. Join our group today! 

• Build relationships with your peers
• Receive answers to your questions from SIUE staff
• Learn about SIUE resources
• Share tips, ideas, advice and personal experiences

Join the community: facebook.com/groups/siuegraduatestudents

New Resource - Online Writing Boot Camp

SIUE students now have access to the ProQuest Online Writing Boot Camp to help you navigate effectively through the process of writing a thesis or dissertation.  The online & interactive Boot Camp modules can be completed at your own pace and are available on demand. 

The Boot Camp includes 3 modules for each stage of the writing process:
Module 1: Getting Started on your Thesis or Dissertation
Module 2: Efficient Discovery & Research Curation
Module 3: Developing a Productive Writing Plan

Access the Online Boot Camp on the Graduate School's Writing Resources website!

Looking for external research funding?   SIUE subscribes to GrantForward, a database to accommodate faculty and student searches for external funding sources. Users have access to over 8,000 federal opportunities and 6,000 foundation opportunities in the arts, medical sciences, education, humanities, social sciences, business, technology, physical sciences, law, and more. Saving searches makes it simple to return to and revise your search terms. In addition, researcher profiles allow one to search the extensive database for qualified collaborators.

Congratulations to all of our Fall 2020 Research Grants for Graduate Students (RGGS) awardees!   View the list of the awardees, their project titles, and more info about how you can apply for RGGS funding next semester on the RGGS website.

When it comes to building your online professional presence, building and maintaining a strong LinkedIn profile is essential! If you're new to LinkedIn or need some tips to expand your profile and maximize your networking potential, read The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Students. 

Follow the SIUE Graduate School LinkedIn feed to stay connected to the SIUE Graduate School community! 

Cultural Organizations at SIUE

There are a myriad of opportunities to connect to cultural-based organizations at SIUE.  A sampling of the cultural organizations on campus include the Black Graduate Student Association, Asian American Association, Gay-Straight Alliance, Global Ambassador Program, Hispanic Student Union, International Student Council, NAACP SIUE Chapter, Muslim Student Association, New Horizons, and Students for Global Outreach.  

Expand your horizons. Check out the cultural organizations on the Get Involved at SIUE website and connect!

Meet the 2020 SIUE Outstanding Teaching Assistant (TA) Award Recipients, Lindani Memani & Huan Van Phan

Lindani Memani is a student in the Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of English Language and Literature. She has been teaching English Composition courses in the first-year writing program since fall 2019. Her innovative and inspiring teaching style has received the highest of praise from her faculty. “Lindani’s teaching is nothing short of amazing - inspiring, structured, student-centered, welcoming, interesting and engaging,” said English Professor Matthew Johnson, PhD, Lindani’s supervisor. “Lindani’s unique ability to establish rapport and a positive classroom environment led to her students openly engaging in a genuine, intellectual, and academic discussion, not just with her as the instructor, but also with each other.”

Huan Phan Van is a student in the School of Engineering’s Engineering Sciences cooperative PhD program with a focus in mechanical engineering. He has served as a TA  in several 300 and 400-level mechanical engineering courses since fall 2019. Nima Lotfi, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and Huan’s supervisor, said, “I remember seeing him spend hours in the lab, beyond his normal office hours, explaining the subject matter to the students who were struggling.”  That dedication to learning aligns with Huan’s own teaching philosophy that “teachers should give their all to be an endless bridge which connects students to knowledge.”

Congratulations to Lindani and Huan! Thank you for your dedication to excellence in teaching and your many contributions to SIUE!


Photo (L-R): Lindani Memani and Huan Van Phan

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