Student Newsletter - March 2024

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

March 2024

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 our Career Counselors.

For our March Newsletter, we have the following topics:

Congratulations to the 2024 GW Bouchet Honor Society Nominees!

Please join the CCAS Office of Graduate Studies in congratulating the five 2024 nominees to GW's chapter of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society:

Michael Guy (History, CCAS)
Justus Jobe (Biological Sciences, CCAS)
Claudia Melo (Microbiology & Immunology, CCAS)
Travis Reginal (Public Policy & Administration, CCAS)
Heather Walsh (Nursing, GWSON)

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 2024 Bouchet Honor Society Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, March 5, at 4:00 p.m. in the Science and Engineer Hall (SEH), Room B-1220.

Congratulations to our CCAS Three-Minute Thesis Participants and Winner!

On February 22nd, 2024, a group of twenty-four Ph.D. students from across the University gathered to present their dissertation research in only three minutes. Developed by the University of Queensland, Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. The first GW 3MT competition was held in 2019 and was only open to CCAS Ph.D. students. In 2024, the competition was expanded to include Ph.D. students from across the University.

Despite the steep competition, CCAS’s own Prachi Mahableshwarkar (Cognitive Neuroscience) took home both the second-place and People’s Choice prizes. Please join us in congratulating Prachi on her presentation, Investigating How the Human Brain Understands Spatial Information in Images.

Thank you as well to the other six CCAS students selected to compete in this event: Guannan Zhai (Statistics), Abbey Salvas (Industrial/ Organizational Psychology), Caleb Schmotter (Political Science), Jenna Clements (Cancer Biology), Shatakshi Gupta (Economics), and Darren Dolan (Chemistry). We are so proud to have had this group representing CCAS at the 3MT competition!

Completing Your Degree in Spring or Summer 2024

The full list of graduation application deadlines can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s website. Please also refer to the University Regulations concerning participation in Commencement.

Spring 2024

If you are completing the requirements for your Graduate Certificate, Master’s degree, or Doctoral degree in Spring 2024, please ensure that you have applied to graduate in GWeb. The graduation application deadline for Spring 2024 degree conferral is March 18th, 2024.

Summer 2024

If you are within 9 credits of completing your Master’s degree requirements in Summer 2024, your graduation application deadline will depend on if you plan to participate in the May 2024 Commencement ceremony.

If you intend to participate in this year’s Commencement, the deadline to apply to graduate will be April 1, 2024. Participation in this May’s Commencement is open to students who graduated or will graduate in Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, or Summer 2024, as long as you meet the April 1st graduation application deadline.

Doctoral and graduate certificate students who will complete their program requirements this summer, as well as Master’s students who will complete their program requirements but do not intend to participate in the May 2024 Commencement ceremony, must apply to graduate by July 15th, 2024. If you graduate in Summer 2024 but do not participate in the May 2024 Commencement ceremony, you are welcome to participate in the ceremony in May 2025.

Summer and Fall 2024 Course Registration

Registration for summer sessions will be open in GWeb from March 15th - May 19th, 2024. You are not required to register for summer to maintain your enrollment unless you have been specifically directed to do so by your program. You can refer to the Office of the Registrar's Summer Sessions page for key summer session registration dates.

Fall registration will be open in GWeb from March 28th - August 21st, 2024. All CCAS graduate students are required to register continuously each fall and spring semester until the completion of their program. Refer to the How to Register page for registration instructions and videos.

If you are unsure which classes you should take in a given semester, please reach out to your academic advisor, who you can find listed at the top of your DegreeMAP record.

Notice for New Students Admitted in Spring 2024

If you started your program of study in the Spring 2024 semester, please make sure that you have turned in all official documents and transcripts required as part of the admissions process. Students who are still missing documents will have a hold placed on their account and will not be able to register for the Summer or Fall 2024 semester until those documents are submitted. You can check to see if you have a hold through GWeb by clicking “Student Records & Registration,” "Student Records Information," and then “View Administrative Holds.”

Upcoming Events

Panel Discussion on Protecting the Liberal Art Educational Experience

March 6 at 3:00 PM in the USC Amphitheater

The CCAS Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion invites you to a panel discussion on the topic of Protecting the Liberal Art Educational Experience. This event will feature distinguished panelists from various disciplines who will share their experiences and perspectives on the importance of liberal arts education and its impact on the community.

Our esteemed panelists include the following experts:

Nicole Bartels, Teaching Assistant Professor of Political Science
Cal So, PhD Candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences
André Culbreath, Director of CCAS Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Jennifer Garcia, Alumnus of CCAS (’22) & Cisneros Institute

We believe that a liberal arts education is essential to higher education, and we must work together to ensure its benefits are preserved and promoted. The panelists will explore how a liberal arts education has shaped their careers, contributed to their success, and how we can collectively safeguard this valuable educational experience.

If you are interested in attending, please complete the registration by Tuesday, March 5, 2024, by 11:59 pm. If you have any questions, email [email protected]. We look forward to you attending and learning more about Protecting the Liberal Arts Educational Experience!

Spring 2024 PhD ETD Workshop II

March 7, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Ph.D. students completing their dissertation in Spring 2024 or Summer 2024 are strongly encouraged to attend this online Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) workshop. Our Student Services team members will review the ETD submission process and formatting requirements, as well as discuss procedures and deadlines pertinent to Ph.D. graduation clearance. This workshop will only cover requirements specific to CCAS PhD students. (This is a repeat session. If you attended the session on February 8, there is no need to attend this session.)

GW Spring Break

March 11 - 16, 2024

Classes will not be held between Monday, March 11th and Saturday, March 16th in observance of GW spring break. Our office will still be open during the break to help with any administrative needs, and you will still be able to access on-campus services. We hope you get the opportunity to enjoy this well-deserved break!

Graduate Student Appreciation Week

April 1 - 5, 2024

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.

CCAS Research Showcase

April 16, 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM

The 2024 CCAS Research Showcase will take place on April 16th, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM in the third floor ballrooms of the University Student Center. The CCAS Research Showcase is an opportunity for all graduate and undergraduate students in all CCAS programs to present their work to the broader CCAS community in a poster session. Everyone is encouraged, students, staff, and faculty alike, to come to the Research Showcase, interact with our early-career researchers, and learn more about the diverse and impactful work of our students and their research mentors.

If you're interested in having your research featured in the Showcase, the deadline to submit your abstract is noon on March 8, 2024.

2024 Commencement Celebration Dates

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

Celebration	Date and Time
Doctoral Hooding	Thursday, May 16 at 5:00 PM
Master’s Celebration	Friday, May 17 at 8:30 AM
GW Commencement	Sunday, May 19 at 10:30 AM (Graduates and guests must be seated by 10:15 AM EDT.)

Visit the 2024 Commencement Week Schedule page for more information on Celebration locations and guests allowed per student.

Vote for the 2024 Student Speaker

Please be sure to visit the Commencement Student Speaker Competition website between March 27th and April 5th to cast your vote for the Class of 2024 Student Speaker! The winner you choose will address their classmates, and the GW community at large, during Commencement on the National Mall. Voting will be open to all members of the GW community.

Spring 2024 ETD Deadlines

Please continue to be mindful of upcoming ETD deadlines for Doctoral Students and for Master's students.

The Electronic Theses and Dissertations Submission at GW page also offers some helpful resources for formatting your thesis or dissertation correctly for ProQuest, as well as links to other tools you may find useful.

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. Lockers are also available for rent in this space. A locker that you rent is yours for the entire semester, and the cost is $20/semester.

The Global Resources Center on Gelman's seventh floor is a specialized library service point tailored to the needs of GW’s globally-focused academic programs. Outside of staffed hours, this space is open exclusively to graduate students and is accessible using your GWorld card. Learn more about available study spaces on the Gelman Learning Spaces page.

Career Services & Upcoming Career-Related Events

Resume Madness

Resume Madness is an opportunity to make a 15-minute virtual appointment with Erin Ahart or Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser, Ed.D. on Thursday, March 28th. Discuss your resume, cover letter, or ask a career related question during these back-to-back, lightning-round appointments!

Sign in to the Appointments section of Handshake and select “Resume Madness” to meet with a career counselor during an available time slot. You will receive an email with more information prior to the event. We hope to see you there!

Individual Career Counseling Appointments

Our career counselors are available to discuss your unique career plan and job search strategy. Ask us anything career-related! Schedule an appointment with Erin Ahart or Dr. Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser on Handshake.

Graduate Student Career Series

Check out more career events as part of the Graduate Student Career Series this March! View more information and career resources on our Career Services website. Email [email protected] with questions.

Funding and 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 page.

Paid Internship with National Academy of Social Insurance

Deadline: March 8, 2024

Applications for the 2024 Internship Programs at the National Academy of Social Insurance are open. Graduate students, recent graduates, and qualified upper-division undergraduate students are encouraged to apply for this paid summer internships in public policy.

Students interested in U.S. social insurance and related issues can consider one of the Academy’s nationally competitive internship programs:

Find detailed program descriptions and candidate requirements in the Student Internship section of our website. Whether interns work at organizations in-person, according to the organization’s protocols, or virtually will be determined by official public health guidelines as they are issued in the spring of 2024. Final arrangements will be discussed with each student selected for the program.

Interested students can apply online. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Graduate Student Fellowships from George Mason University

Deadline: March 15, 2024.

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has a series of 3 fellowships available for 2024-2025. The deadline for all three programs is March 15, 2024.

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.

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship

GW Campus Review Deadline: March 17, 2024 at 11:59pm

The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students who conduct research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies (topics focused on Western Europe countries are ineligible) for periods of 6 to 12 months. Students may propose research in multiple countries. Refer to the GW Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships page for more information on eligibility requirements and the application process.

Reductarian Foundation Fellowship

Deadline: April 15, 2024

The Reducetarian Fellowship is for exceptional DC-area students who are eager to create a more sustainable, healthy, and compassionate world. The fellowship includes both a curricular component as well as a summer internship with one of many exciting and impactful partner organizations. Each fellow receives a $7,500 stipend and one-on-one mentorship throughout the year.

Bryce Harlow Fellowship Program

Deadline: April 28, 2024

Since 1985, the Bryce Harlow Foundation has awarded fellowships to highly motivated students in pursuit of a career in professional advocacy through government relations and lobbying. The Foundation considers its Bryce Harlow Fellows to be the future of professional advocacy — those who are committed to practicing the art and science of lobbying with the highest level of integrity. Fellowships are awarded to individuals who work full-time and undertake graduate level studies on a part-time basis. Graduate programs may include, but are not limited to, public policy, law, and business. The $9,000 award will help defray tuition costs and will be paid directly to the university in two installments. Refer to the GW Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships page for more information on eligibility requirements and the application process.

Updated March 1, 2024

Graduate Student Newsletter Archive