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Dear Graduate Students,  

I hope you all have had a wonderful and restorative summer, and I’m excited to welcome you back. For those that I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Scott Adler and I’m the dean of the Graduate School. 

I’ve always liked the start of a new semester. Besides getting to see all of you on campus again, I appreciate the energy that this moment of fresh starts and transitions brings. These first few weeks are valuable not just for getting reacquainted with our beautiful campus, but for refreshing or building new friendships and lasting connections. 

But none of that needs to stop after the first few weeks of classes.

Whether you are brand new to campus or a returning student, I encourage you to participate in a few of the opportunities offered to graduate students to help make this campus not just a place where you do your research and scholarly work, but a community. 

Peer Mentoring 

In the Graduate School, we have a robust peer mentoring program that brings together new and established graduate scholars to provide personal and professional support, encouragement and vital information in areas such as graduate life, living in ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, work-life balance, and advisor-advisee relationships. This program is a great way to connect and build community across disciplines. To get involved, reach out to our graduate program manager.ÌýÌý

For those already participating in the program, be sure to attend the on Sept. 10 to share coffee and a pastry with your mentor/mentee match to kick off the semester. We also strongly encourage any mentors in the program to attend the on Sept. 4. Additionally, there are multiple upcoming mentorship trainings, which are open to all graduate students, including our , in partnership with CTL. 

Professional Development Workshops 

Professional development is a vital element of graduate education. Throughout the year, we offer a variety of professional development workshops that allow you to build your skills in ways that are applicable not only in academia, but in the broader professional world.ÌýÌý

We send out a list of upcoming opportunities every month, they vary widely and can cover everything from career decision-making workshops to writing retreats offered as part of our Grad+ programs. This year, we’re also working with Postdoctoral Affairs to offer IDP, workshops. Besides being a great resource for your Graduate School success, these plans are also increasingly being requested as part of the grant process, so I’d highly recommend anyone interested should join. Additionally, Career Services and the Center for Teaching and Learning also offer valuable workshops and trainings.ÌýÌý

Every year we hold the Three Minute Thesis competition, an academic competition where doctoral students compete against their peers to present their thesis in a clear and compelling way in only three minutes. 3MT participants have access to exclusive training opportunities to hone their research communication skills. The top three competitors are awarded research funding, with the winner getting $1,500 and a chance to represent the university at the regional competition.ÌýÌý

If you are a doctoral student, I highly recommend participating. 

Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG)

GPSG is the student organization that advocates on your behalf at CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ. They not only support initiatives that empower graduate and professional students, but promote academic, professional and socioeconomic well-being. 

I have no doubt that this year will bring some challenges, but there’s no reason for you to go at it alone. We in the Graduate School, along with your advisor and your program’s graduate program assistant, are all here to support you in whatever way we can. 

I’m so excited to be able to welcome you all to campus, and here’s to a fantastic new year. 

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E. Scott Adler 

Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs