Student Newsletter - March 2023

Welcome to the CCAS Graduate Student Newsletter! Designed to keep you up to date with news and events, policies and processes, and all things for CCAS graduate students!

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive

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March 2023

The Student Services Team is here to advise, guide, and provide you with resources to aid in your success, as well as help you navigate university policies and procedures. Our office is located in Smith 118, and we are open during normal business hours on Monday – Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. You can schedule a virtual, phone, or in-person appointment with your Student Services Coordinator and Career Counselor.

For our March newsletter we have the following topics:

• Upcoming Events
• Completing Your Degree in Spring 2023
• 2023 Commencement Celebration Dates
• ETD Deadlines
• Gelman Library Graduate Study Spaces
• Career Services & Upcoming Career-Related Events
• Funding, Fellowships, Internships & Employment Opportunities

Congratulations to the 2023 GW Bouchet Honor Society Nominees

Please join the CCAS Office of Graduate Studies in congratulating the six 2023 nominees to GW's chapter of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society:

• Vernicia Griffie (Public Policy and Public Administration, CCAS)
• Etai Mizrav (Education Policy, GSEHD)
• Vinaya Murthy (Translational Health Science, SMHS)
• Rachel Nelson (Human Paleobiology, CCAS)
• Simone Sawyer (Social and Behavioral Sciences, SPH)
• Gerald Jae (GJ) Sevillano (American Studies, CCAS)

Named for the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States, the society recognizes and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. The Society, which was chartered jointly by Yale and Howard universities in 2005, now includes 18 chapters at universities around the country. The goal of these chapters is to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for those who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.

Please join the 2023 Bouchet Honor Society Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, March 7, at 4:00 p.m. in the Science and Engineer Hall (SEH), Room B-1220. 

Congratulations to the 2023 3MT Winners

We want to thank all of our participants for presenting their dissertation research at the 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) dissertation competition. You may view all of their videos on the Columbian College YouTube Channel. 

This year's 3MT Winners:

• First Place: Ryan Welch (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, SEAS)
• Second Place: Jacob Medina (Cancer Biology, CCAS)
• Third Place: Nate Harris (Economics, CCAS)
• People's Choice: Anastasia Sarmakeeva (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, SEAS)

Upcoming Events

Spring 2023 Ph.D. ETD Workshop, March 20

Ph.D. Students completing their dissertation in Spring 2023 or in the near future are strongly encouraged to attend an online Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) workshop. Our Student Services team members will review the submission process, formatting requirements, and briefly discuss upcoming deadlines. This workshop will only cover requirements specific to CCAS Ph.D. students. 

Please register in advance to attend this workshop. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Graduate Student Appreciation Week: April 3-7

The Office of Graduate Studies is excited to celebrate Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW). Launched in 1993 by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, GSAW serves to support and acknowledge graduate and professional students. The week recognizes the contributions, impact, and value of graduate and professional students on campuses throughout the United States.

We will have loads of giveaways, prizes, events, food, and the opportunity to shout-out your fellow students! More details can be found on the CCAS GSAW website and will be sent by email over the coming weeks. Make sure to stop by Smith Hall 118 any day during GSAW to pick up CCAS SWAG.

DEI and You: How CCAS is elevating equity, honoring diversity, and leading the way inclusively

Interested in learning more about the College's strategies and goals for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? If so, join us virtually on Wednesday, April 5, at 12 p.m. for an introductory event to our new DEI office. Meet the newly appointed DEI director and DEI manager. They will discuss DEI programming and other activities within the college as well as take your questions live. In addition, hear from a fellow graduate student about why DEI is important for their GW graduate student experience.  Register Here. 

Completing Your Degree in Spring 2023

If you are completing your graduate certificate, Master's degree or Doctoral degree requirements in Spring 2023, you must apply to graduate for Spring 2023. If you have not already applied, you can do so through GWeb. Instructions can be found on the Office of the Registrar's website. If you wish to participate in commencement/celebration activities in May 2023, then you must apply no later than March 15, 2023. To ensure there are no delays or issues, we strongly recommend that you apply much earlier than the deadline. You may apply for graduation as soon as you are registered. 

Completing Your Degree in Summer 2023

If you are completing your degree requirements during the summer semester, but wish to participate in commencement/celebration activities in May 2023, then you must wait until Summer registration opens on March 15, register for Summer, and then apply for Summer 2023 graduation no later than April 1, 2023. Do not apply for Spring graduation if you do not intend to complete your degree requirements until the summer semester.  Doing so will cause delays with your graduation clearance process.

2023 Commencement Week Celebrations

Mark your calendars for the following CCAS and GW Commencement Week events:

ETD Deadlines

PhD Students:

March 3 - Circulate approved, pre-defense dissertation to examination committee members (See CCAS Ph.D. Defense Procedures)

March 9 - Submit the Dissertation Examination Defense Form 

March 24 - Pre-clearance by CCAS - Completed in 2 steps:

1. DegreeMAP reflects all degree requirements completed except the dissertation and dissertation research courses
2. Attended an ETD dissertation formatting/publishing workshop

April 3 - Dissertation defense deadline

April 5 - ETD form due and submitted final, approved, post-defense, electronic dissertation to the ProQuest site

April 12 at 5:00 pm - Final, approved dissertation containing all post-defense revisions and required formatting is approved by University ETD administrator 

Master’s Students:

April 23 - Submit ETD Access Approval Form to [email protected] and upload final, approved thesis to the ProQuest site

April 28 at 5:00 pm - Submit all requested formatting revisions and receive the approval of the University ETD Administrator 

Gelman Library Graduate Student Study Spaces

The Graduate Student Study Room is a quiet study space on the fifth floor of Gelman Library, accessible via a tap of your GWorld card. The Global Resources Center on Gelman's seventh floor is open exclusively to graduate students outside of its staffed hours, also with your GWorld card. Learn more about available study spaces on the Gelman Learning Spaces page 

Career Services & Upcoming Career-Related Events

All CCAS graduate students have access to a dedicated career coach to help with resumes, cover letters, networking, interviewing, and many other areas. (Note: The Trachtenberg School and Data Sciences program have their own dedicated career counselors.) Paul Binkley is available to meet one-on-one by scheduling a time in the online career management system Handshake. More information on the services available to CCAS graduate students can be found on our Career Services website and via email at [email protected]. 

CCAS Graduate Student Resume Madness April 4
CCAS Graduate Student Career Services is holding Resume Madness on Zoom all day April 4. Beginning at 9 a.m. and going until 5 p.m., students can make 15-minute appointments to review resumes and cover letters. If you have a resume or cover letter that you would like us to review in advance (even rough drafts) please send them to [email protected]. If you are planning to apply to a specific position, please send a job description in advance as well.

Sign in to the Appointments section of Handshake to schedule a time to meet with the career counselor during Resume Madness.

Career Spotlight: Graduate Student Career Series

The Graduate Student Career Series is an initiative of the Career Services Council to provide all graduate students with access to career learning programs and workshops from industry specific to general career development topics. Through this collaborative effort, graduate students in all schools across GW have access to workshops that may have once been unavailable.

Below is a list of events to be held in March and April that CCAS graduate students can attend.  Register in Handshake

• Leadership Connect Training
  Hosted by TSPPPA
  March 30, 1-1:30 p.m.
  Learn from their Client Success Manager how to use this searchable service to identify and connect with alumni and key decision makers across all sectors. GW pays for this tool which is accessible in the resource section of Handshake.
   
• Employer Briefing: Tetra Tech
  Hosted by TSPPPA
  April 4, 1-2 p.m.
  Hear from Beth McGovern, Staffing Manager and TSPPPA Alum, and her colleagues about their work, organizational culture and employment opportunities.
  
  Tetra Tech supports global commercial and government clients focused on water, environment, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and international development. They have jobs all around the globe (including hybrid and remote) in environmental services, project and program management, engineering and science.

Other Upcoming Employer-Sponsored Career Events Listed On Handshake
Below is an abbreviated list of virtual events open to all CCAS graduate students that appear on Handshake. Each of the events listed below are linked to their Handshake information page.

To find information on more events, simply access the Events section of Handshake and search by date, employer, or other filters.

Employer Briefing: Climate Reality Project March 29

Hear from the Climate Reality Team about their mission, work, organizational culture and employment opportunities. This virtual event is scheduled for 12:12:45 on March 29. Please RSVP for this event.

Speakers:

• Courtenay Brown, Director of Evaluation
• Jeremy Liskar, (current Trachtenberg Student), Legislative Associate
• Colleen Shea, Policy Advisor
• Sharea Gordon, People & HR Generalist

Summer 2023 Knowledge in Action Career Internship Fund (KACIF)

The GW Career Services Council established the Knowledge in Action Career Internship Fund (KACIF) to encourage GW students to pursue high-quality unpaid internships that foster career exploration and enhance their academic program, while reducing the financial challenges associated with unpaid internships. For summer 2023, the KACIF application will open on April 1 and close on April 30. Applicants must have an internship arranged before they apply to the fund.

Facilitated by the university's Career Services Council and funded through the generous support of alumni, parents, and other donors, KACIF provides grants ranging from $750 to $3,000 to GW undergraduate and graduate students pursuing domestic and international internships that are necessarily unpaid. Interested students can go to the KACIF website to review more information, including eligibility requirements and application instructions.

Professional Head Shots Now Available at the Center for Career Services
All students can now get professional-quality headshots with the new professional headshot booth located in the Center for Career Services on the fifth floor of the University Student Center. A professional headshot is a window into your personal brand. It is often your first impression when featured on your social media profile and is a must-have on sites like LinkedIn. A professional headshot allows you to portray the professional version of yourself to prospective employers and can help you to stand out from other job seekers. For more information and to schedule an appointment to take your professional headshot, visit the Career Services Professional Headshot Booth page. 

Funding, Fellowships, Internships & Employment Opportunities

Below are a number of great opportunities for funding, professional fellowships, internships, and employment. For information on other opportunities funded by CCAS, GW, and outside organizations that are available throughout the year, please visit the Funding Opportunities for Current Graduate Students website or the Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships (OGSAF) website.

Social Science Research Council Just Tech Fellowship

The Social Science Research Council is seeking applicants for its Just Tech Fellowship. The fellowship supports and mobilizes diverse and cross-sector cohorts of researchers and practitioners to imagine and create more just, equitable, and representative technological futures. Fellows will identify and challenge injustices emerging from new technologies, and identify solutions that advance social, political, and economic rights. Fellows receive two-year awards of $100,000 per year, robust supplementary funding packages to subsidize additional expenses, and seed funding to work on collaborative projects with other Just Tech Fellows. The fellowship will provide the space and time necessary for deep reflection, as well as an engaged community and opportunities to facilitate ambitious co-creation. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Summer 2023 Internship with the Government Accountability Office (GAO)

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. GAO accomplishes its mission by providing objective and reliable information and analysis to the Congress, to federal agencies, and to the public, and recommending improvements, when appropriate, on a wide variety of issues to make government work better.

As a GAO intern, graduate students will learn how to conduct federal audits and program evaluations and apply that knowledge as part of a team. They will assist GAO analysts in planning and conducting in-depth reviews of executive and legislative branch programs. Graduate students will collect appropriate data, analyze the data, develop data-based findings and conclusions, and present the information both orally and in writing to diverse audiences.

The anticipated start date for this internship is in May 2023. For more information, visit the announcement on USAJobs.

Graduate Student Fellowships from George Mason University

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has a series of 3 fellowships available for 2023-2024. The deadlines for all three programs is March 15, 2023.

Adam Smith Fellowship: A one-year fellowship program for doctoral students from any university and discipline including economics, philosophy, political science, political economy, or sociology.

Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship: A one-year fellowship program for graduate students from any university and discipline attending master’s, juris doctoral, and doctoral programs in a variety of fields including economics, law, political science, and public policy.

Oskar Morgenstern Fellowship: A one-year program for doctoral students from any university and discipline with training in quantitative methods in a variety of fields including economics, political science, or sociology.

Walter Green Fellowships

For Master's students who intend a career in public service or government and work in a paid job or internship for at least 15 hours a week. The student must be or will be employed in a paid job or paid internship related to their program at GW in the DC Metro Area at the time of application. Academic year fellowships will be up to $6,000 for full-time study and up to $3,000 for part-time study (excluding fees). More information can be found here. Deadline: April 7, 2023

 

Updated March 6, 2023

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive