Student Development

Urban Institute Seeking Gambrell Faculty Fellows Applicants

The Urban Institute is seeking applications for the Gambrell Faculty Fellowship. The Fellowship Program funds short-term research projects (up to 18 months) examining issues related to economic mobility in the Charlotte region.

This year, the Gambrell Faculty Fellows program will fund up to six projects with grants up to $15,000 each.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Urban Institute.

CGLL Launches New Student Mentor Initiative

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) is pleased to announce a new mentor/mentee program for doctoral students called Niner Doctoral Collective.

Funded through HERFF funds from the Division of Student Affairs, the Niner Doctoral Collective is intended to connect doctoral students who began their program during the pandemic with more advanced doctoral students in an effort to provide connections and community.  We know that many graduate students felt isolated and lonely during the lockdowns due to Covid19.  We hope that by facilitating these mentor/mentee relationships, doctoral students will find new support systems and may come to understand the “hidden” curriculum of doctoral education. 

If you get questions about this initiative, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Jill Huerta, Executive Director of the CGLL.  More information is available from the CGLL website.

Ventureprise Spring 2022 Virtual Cohort Applications Due Feb. 5

Faculty and students are encourage to apply to participate in the Spring 2022 Ventureprise Launch National Science Foundation I-Corps Virtual Cohort. The program, which starts Feb. 8, provides up to $5000 for a research or business idea, plus commercialization training and new NSF funding.

The second stage is a six-month, $50,000 NSF I-Corps Teams grant. Applications are currently open and are reviewed as they are submitted.

More information and the application form can be found on the NSF I-Corps webpage. For questions, please contact Devin Collins or Laura Smailes.

URC Committee Enrolling Judges for 2022 Event

The organizing committee for the Undergraduate Research Conference, Apr. 21-22, is seeking faculty, staff, and doctoral students to serve as judges for the URC 2022.

Judges will review posters and/or oral (recorded) presentations.

For more information and to register as a judge, please complete the URC 2022 Judges Recruitment Form  by 5 p.m. Mar. 4.

Graduate Research Symposium Abstracts Accepted Through Jan. 21

The annual Graduate Research Symposium (GRS), set for March, is an interdisciplinary graduate student-run conference that showcases astounding research of graduate and professional students.

The GRS planning committee is accepting abstracts for its 2022 event through Jan. 21.  For more information and to submit, please visit the Graduate and Professional Student Government website.

Personal Finance Course Registration is Live

Financial Literacy: Personal FinanceGRAD 6000/8000 |CRN 27835| 2.0 credits | 5:00-6:40 pm | Thur | Instructor: Dr. Brad Yeckley

Offered through the Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL), this course provides students with a guided tour through financial concepts to build knowledge and skill to make the right financial decisions. Key focus areas include earning, saving, spending, borrowing and protecting.

For questions and more information, please contact Jill Huerta.

CGLL Offers 8-Week Effective Speaking Course

GRAD 6000/8000 CRN 27683/27684 offers grad students a 2-credit opportunity to master oral communication — one of the most important skills in the workplace.  The course, held face-to face Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5:45 the second half of spring semester, provides a step-by-step approach to improve presentation skills and confidence in speaking roles. 

For more information, visit the Center for Graduate Life and Learning or contact Dr. Jill Huerta,  jhuerta2@uncc.edu.

Collaborative Training Program Yields Rapid Research Dissemination

The Paper Chase program, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, is focused on developing skills to more effectively communicate about research.

Faculty will learn a team approach to writing, while mentoring to a publishable manuscript. Deadline to register is Jan. 5 through the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Session Helps Students with Common Interview Questions

In this CGLL course Nov. 11 at 4 p.m., students can learn how to prepare and practice answers to commonly asked interview questions.  Facilitated by Karen Arrington, Assistant Director and Career Coach at the University Career Center. The session will be held in Cone 268.

To register, please visit the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

Registration Open for GRAD Courses

GRAD courses administered by the Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) are available for registration.
The courses, including Academic Writing and Intrapreneurship for Non-Business Majors, address important subjects important to career success.
For more information please visit the CGLL.

Finalists Named in 3MT Competition

Finalists selected for the 2021 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) final competition Nov. came from a wide range of programs.

The finals competition, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Rowe Auditorium (130), will include:
  • Roshanak Ashrafi, Infrastructure & Environmental Systems
  • David Brown, Bioinformatics
  • Varsha Godakhini, Nanoscale Science
  • Shanique Lee, Curriculum and Instruction
  • Jeanne-Marie Linker, Bioinformatics
  • Rittika Mallik, Bioinformatics
  • Keith Murphy, Health Services Research
  • Amanda Sargent, Organizational Science
  • Kelsey Sikon, Civil Engineering
  • Samantha Taylor, Bioinformatics
  • Farida Yasmin, Biology

The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT), hosted by the Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL), is an international academic competition that challenges graduate students to describe their research in three minutes or less, using only one static slide. 3MT allows our graduate students to practice communicating the importance of their work to policy makers, potential funders, and the media.

For more information, please visit the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

October A2I Sessions Planned at CGLL

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning kicked off their Fall Accelerate to Industry (A2i) series on October 1 with an informative interactive presentation on professional communication from industry partner JELD-WEN. There are two more sessions scheduled:
Friday, October 15, 2021
Graduate students can register here for zoom link
11:00-12:30
While teleworking has been around for a while, the need for so many people to work remotely during the pandemic has vastly expanded its use. As students graduate and enter the workforce, they will likely face many workplace options including face-to-face, remote, and hybrid environments. Each one has its own challenges, etiquette, and opportunities. All graduate students are invited to join professional development specialist, Kim Harris for an interactive session that will teach them how to figure out which environment will best support their professional success and how to navigate and thrive in each of these settings.
Friday, October 22, 2021
11:00-12:30
Graduate students can register here for zoom link
By Application Only
 

We’ve all heard the expression, “feedback is a gift,” but it’s a gift that can be difficult to give and difficult to receive. When we receive feedback, it’s easy to become defensive and stubborn or insecure. When we need to give feedback, we may feel hesitant to criticize a team member who has worked hard on a deliverable. Yet, figuring out how to use feedback to improve ourselves and our teams is one of the most important keys to professional success. This Accelerate to Industry(A2i) session, run by our industry partner, Tresata will be a  90-minute interactive workshop, in which participants will learn how to have honest discussions about improvement without damaging important relationships.

There will be a presentation and then practice in small-group breakout rooms where participants will receive (you guessed it) feedback from Tresata leaders. We will provide Tresata with a resume book of attendees after the event. Space is limited and an application with a resume upload is required. Applications are due by October 19. 

How to Conduct the Job Search for International Students

The job search is tricky for everyone, but even more so for international students. This session offers specific insights and tips on how to approach and navigate the job search.  Food will be served!

To register, please visit the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

CGLL Hosts Teaching Workshops

Each semester the CGLL’s Faculty Associate for Graduate Teaching, Dr. Judith Krauss offers a professional development series in teaching to help students  build critical skills. These workshops are helpful for graduate students who plan to recruit for tenure-track academic positions, those who will pursue teaching positions at the university level, and those who wish to be more effective as Teaching Assistants. Dr. Krauss is an invaluable resource for graduate students with questions about teaching and can be contacted at jkrauss@uncc.edu.This Fall, the virtual series will include the two workshops described below.
October 13, 2021 4:00-5:00
Register here for zoom link
Virtually all graduate students who apply for a position that involves teaching will need to prepare a statement of teaching philosophy. Faculty Associate for Graduate Teaching Dr. Judith Krauss, will guide graduate students through the process of creating this important document. Participants will be encouraged to share best practices they’ve encountered as students and explore their personal beliefs about effective classroom practices.
October 26, 2021 12:00-1:00
Register here for zoom link
Graduate students going on the academic job market in the near future will likely be asked to provide a teaching demonstration. Dr. Judith Krauss, Faculty Associate for Graduate Teaching will offer concrete guidelines for conducting an effective teaching demonstration for a variety of audiences, including multi-disciplinary hiring committees and student committees. Q&A will be encouraged.

NCCGS Fall Conference is Virtual and Free

The 2021 North Carolina Conference of Graduate Schools (NCCGS) all virtual annual conference will be held Oct. 28 and 29 from 9 a.m.-Noon with no registration nor fee required.
Sessions include Engaging Graduate Students in Wellness
and Campus Activities, Mindfulness versus the Anxious Brain, Graduate Student Organizations’ Best Practices and more. Faculty, students and staff are encouraged to attend.

The full conference agenda with links to each session is available for download For more information, please visit the NCCGS conference site.

 

CGLL to Host JELD-WEN on Professional Communications

Students can learn how to develop and improve effective communication in the workplace from a JELD-WEN subject matter expert Oct. 1. The session, part of the Accelerate to Industry (A2I) series, runs from 11-12:30 via Zoom.

As part of the session, participants can practice skills in breakout rooms with a JELD-WEN representative.

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning will provide JELD-WEN with a resume book of those in attendance.

More information and a link to apply is available from the Center for Graduate Life and Learning.

Nominations Open for Outstanding Master's Thesis

Faculty may nominate students for the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award through Oct. 8, 2021.

The Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award is a part of the Graduate School’s focus on enhancing research skills.

Nomination information, fields of competition and more is available from the Graduate School.

If you have questions, please contact Julie Green, jhgreen@uncc.edu, Graduate Student Services and Fellowship Specialist.

CGLL Offers Support for Dissertation Work

The Center for Graduate Life and Learning (CGLL) offers dissertation support to UNC Charlotte students at all stages of the dissertation process.

Through the CGLL, writers can learn tailored strategies for managing the dissertation process, as well as how to:

  • Plan, draft, revise, and edit their dissertation writing
  • Work more effectively with dissertation chairs and committee members
  • Create strong writing habits and set reasonable writing goals
  • Manage their time and be more productive
  • Deal with barriers to writing, such as writer’s block and procrastination

Students may email Dr. Lisa Russell-Pinson, lpinson@uncc.edu, Assistant Teaching Professor of Writing in the Graduate School, to schedule an appointment.

Dissertation Writing Group
Wednesdays 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The Dissertation Writing Group (DWG) meets Wednesdays, 10-12:30 p.m. and provides a supportive, virtual forum to help dissertation writers:

  • Form or refine productive writing and work habits
  • Break isolation and build community
  • Take advantage of structured writing time

The first DWG session begins Wednesday, Sept. 29.  The group is facilitated by Dr. Lisa Russell-Pinson, Assistant Teaching Professor of Writing in the Graduate School.

To be eligible to participate in this group, writers must be doctoral students who are actively working on their dissertation and able to commit to attending each 2.5-hour session for eight weeks.

Please visit the DWG registration site to join this group.

Research & Econ. Dev. Announces Change in F&A Distribution

New F&A distribution guidelines announced recently by Research and Economic Development include funds for colleges and centers to help support strategic research initiatives.

Starting with FY2022 (July 1 2021-June 30, 2022) receipts, 4% of the generated F&A will be returned to the investigator’s college. If the project is also affiliated with a center or institute, these funds will be split evenly  (50/50) between the college and the center/institute. Over time, the plan is to increase the allocation to faculty/staff and departments.

The original announcement from Dr. Rick Tankersley, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, is available for download.  Also available for download is the full policy statement.

 

Ventureprise Launches Student-Focused Campaign

With a goal to engage many students across all colleges, Ventureprise is looking to work with faculty, staff and campus organizations to highlight student opportunities, ideas and research. This semester’s 49er Impact will include panels, workshops, mentoring and conclude with a pitch competition during Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 8-12. We aim to provide students with experiences, professional development and co-curricular activities in a variety of forms. We are looking for faculty and campus support in a few ways; check out the ways you can be involved and have students sign up through September 23. Email Laura Smailes, lsmailes@uncc.edu, with any questions or recommendations.