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Graduate School - A Year in Review

The Graduate School had a busy 2023 school year! Highlights include:

  • Welcome Back and End of the Year Ice Cream Socials for all graduate students celebrating new and returning students and those who graduated.
  • 30 students completed the Professional Development Program (PDP) which enhances both personal and professional skills.
    • The PDP received an overhaul during the summer and was rebranded the Graduate Professionalism Academy
  • Completed three fundraising initiatives raising a total of $6,961 to provide funding for graduate student awards, scholarships and travel awards to be used during the next academic year.
    • One Day for State
    • Giving Tuesday
    • 30-day Spring fundraising campaign
  • Due to the generous donations we received, we were able to offer:
    • A new graduate student award, the Distinguished Innovation and Creative Work award, to showcase the outstanding contributions of a graduate student not completing a thesis or dissertation.
    • Two Graduate Student Access Scholarships for those who do not have other sources of funding (assistantships, fellowships, etc.).
    • Supported seven student travel awards to defray the cost of conference or event travel and participation.
  • Hosted six hybrid “What’s the Tea” events to provide students more information and access to the Graduate School staff.
  • Held the 7th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Our winner, Maryam Wahab, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences – food science, later represented Ƶ at the regional Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) competition.
  • Shelby Meeker (Duncan), M.S. agriculture and biosystems engineering graduate and winner of our local Distinguished Master's Thesis Award was nominated and won the Regional Distinguished Master's Thesis Award.
  • Organized, in collaboration with the Ƶ graduate programs, a virtual graduate fair and 6 graduate student forums providing key information to prospective graduate students.
  • Celebrated our deserving students during Graduate Student Appreciation Week (April 3-7).
  • Hosted the inaugural Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day (GRSCAD), boasting 34 poster presenters.

2023 Accolades

3 Minute Thesis Winners

  • Maryam Wahab, Ph.D. biological sciences - food sciences - 1st Place
  • Kritika Gaba, M.S. biological sciences - dairy science - 2nd Place
  • Bhaswati Chowdhury, M.S. biological sciences - dairy science - 3rd Place

Distinguished Master's Thesis Award

  • Shelby Meeker (Duncan), M.S. agricultural and biosystems engineering
    • Won the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Master's Thesis Award

Distinguished Dissertation Award

  • Deepak Joshi, Ph.D. plant science

Joseph F. Nelson Graduate Scholarship (2)

  • Maral Afshinpour, Ph.D. biochemistry
  • Manisha Guha, Ph.D. biological sciences - microbiology

Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award

  • Joscelyne Larson, M.S. mechanical engineering

Distinguished Innovation and Creative Work Award

  • Bree Oatman, M.S. chemistry - chemistry education

Graduate Access Scholarships

  • Alexis Cushman, M.S. counseling and human resource development - clinical mental health counseling
  • Rezanoor Rahman, M.Eng. engineering

Graduate Student Travel Awards

  • Naeem Malik, Ph.D. geospatial sciences and engineering - remote sensing
  • Shahid Khan, Ph.D. geospatial sciences and engineering - remote sensing
  • Rishabh Bahl, Ph.D. pharmaceutical sciences
  • James Van Westen, M.Arch. architecture
  • Astha Neupane, Ph.D. biological sciences - microbiology
  • Zeel Modi, M.S. biological sciences - dairy science
  • Jeffrey Tillery, M.S. wildlife and fisheries sciences - wildlife science
  • 34 poster participants
  • Honorable mention – Caitlyn Sullivan – M.S. animal science
  • 1st Place – Bree Oatman – M.S. chemistry – chemical education
  • Ph.D. - 38
  • D.N.P. - 12
  • Master's - 335
  • Certificates - 20

Total - 405