Dean’s Office

Seeking Nominations for Harshini V. de Silva Mentoring Award

Categories: Dean's Office

The Graduate School currently seeks nominations for the annual competition for the 2020 Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award.  Recognizing the full-time member of the graduate faculty who evinces outstanding graduate mentoring, nominations should come from a chair of the academic department.  This award was established in memory of Dr. Harshini de Silva, an associate professor of biology, who was noted for her dedication to the academic and professional development of graduate students.

The award, consisting of a crystal obelisk, a framed citation, and a cash prize, will be presented in the spring semester at a ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, the Dean of the Graduate School and University officers.

Information on this year’s competition can be found in the Graduate School.  The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm November 1st, 2019.

Support Graduate Education via #NinerNationGives

Categories: Dean's Office

UNC Charlotte’s annual 49 hours of fundraising #NinerNationGives begins Wednesday, September 18th.  This is your opportunity to directly support graduate students through the Graduate School’s two funds:

These two programs benefit our graduate students by providing them funding, professional development, career training, cross-disciplinary community development and more.  The first 49 donors to a Graduate School fund, will be entered into a drawing to win a hand-made Niner quilt.  The portal is open so give today at #NinerNationGives

Seeking Nominations for First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal

Categories: Dean's Office

The Graduate School currently seeks nominations for the 2020 First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal.  Recognizing outstanding scholarship, creativity and/or research among senior full-time faculty members, nominations may come from any UNC Charlotte faculty member.  The First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal has been awarded since 1988 with last year’s honoree being Dr. Steven Rogelberg, UNC Charlotte Chancellor’s Professor, Psychological Science and Management, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

The award, consisting of a cash prize, framed citation, and a medal, will be presented in the spring semester at a ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, officials of First Citizens Bank, the Dean of the Graduate School and University officers.

Information on this year’s competition can be found in the Graduate School.  The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm November 8th, 2019.

2019 Graduate Education Summit Announced

Categories: Dean's Office

Hosted by the Graduate School
Friday, September 13, 2019 – 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Halton Reading Room, Atkins Library

Join senior leadership of the Graduate School for discussion topics including:

  • GPD Recognition Award
  • The Graduate School’s role, new staff, structure
  • Resources to manage programs and promote student success
  • New policies and procedures
  • Funding Task Force Report and Funding Committee.

Please RSVP to attend. Download the Agenda.  Light refreshments will be served.  Please contact Christi Skerlak, Executive Assistant to the Dean at cskerlak@uncc.edu if you have any questions.

Dean Reynolds Featured in CGS Research Integrity Webcast

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) will host a webcast Aug. 7 on emerging best practices for improving institutional culture and research integrity.  The webcast highlights information from three graduate deans, including Tom Reynolds, Associate Provost and Dean of The Graduate School at UNC Charlotte.

Reynolds joins John Klingensmith, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Duke University Graduate School and Judith Stoddart, Senior Associate Dean at Michigan State’s Graduate School to share strategies under way to strengthen research culture on campus.  Their comments were recorded at a recent CGS conference.

The webcast will air Aug. 7, 2-3 p.m. EDT.  Visit CGS to register.

Austin, Burmeister Dissertations Awarded

The 2019 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award goes to Lauren Austin, Public Policy and Amanda Burmeister, Biological Sciences.

This award is presented each year by the Graduate School to recognize outstanding research and scholarship by a doctoral student at UNC Charlotte.

For more information, check out the News on the Graduate School’s website.

 

Graduate School Remains in Cato Hall

 

With the move of Undergraduate Admissions to the Gage Undergraduate Admissions Center, we remind you that the Graduate School and the Office of Graduate Admissions remain in Cato Hall on the second floor.  As before, the office handles admissions, matriculation, graduation and administration of graduate education at UNC Charlotte.  Please direct all Graduate School inquiries to our office.  (704) 687-5503 graduateschool.uncc.edu | gradadmissions.uncc.edu 

Reynolds Antique Microscope Collection on Display in Atkins

Categories: Dean's Office

With the help of History master’s student Laura Burgess, Dean Tom Reynolds’ antique and vintage collection of microscopes are currently on display in the J. Murrey Atkins Library.  Focusing on the 19th century English genre, these early microscopy pieces are set to the stories of early scientific discovery.  Read more about Beyond the Scope and visit the exhibit on the main floor of the Library this summer.

Stipends to Increase for Grad School Assistantships

In response to the Graduate Student Funding Task Force Report, the Chancellor provided $1.2 million for graduate assistantship support for the 2019-20 academic year. With direction from Academic Affairs and implemented by the Graduate School, these funds are being used to increase the stipends of the graduate assistantships held centrally by the Graduate School.
Graduate School staff have been meeting with faculty and students over the past couple of weeks to answer questions on this initiative and we have developed this FAQ page based on these meetings that has been posted onlineThis page will be updated regularly and we hope you will refer to it when questions arise. Your feedback is also encouraged and you are welcome to email me with either a question or comment.

Graduate Student Funding Task Force Report Available

The Graduate Student Funding Task Force Report is completed and can be accessed at https://graduateschool.uncc.edu/deans-office/about-deans-office

As you may be aware, the Graduate Student Funding Task Force was assembled to examine the current state of graduate student funding at UNC Charlotte and develop recommendations to improve, sustain and scale resources which will meet the needs of our graduate student population both today and moving forward. The Graduate School will work toward developing priorities and strategies to implement key recommendations from the Report.

Dean Introduces New Leadership Award

The Thomas L. Reynolds Leadership Award program honoring excellence in graduate program administration will launch in spring 2019.

The award will be presented to a Graduate Program Director or Graduate Program Coordinator selected by a committee of Graduate School staff, Graduate Council, Graduate and Professional Student Government and previous winners.

In launching the award, Dean Reynolds said, “In addition to managing enrollment, Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators track and manage their students while implementing programs and services to promote their success. Doing this well deserves recognition and praise.”

The award will be made annually.  The winner will receive $1000, an engraved plaque, and his or her name will be engraved on a perpetual trophy.

For more information on award criteria, please download the Information Sheet.  To submit a nomination, please use the Reynolds Leadership Award Google Form.

Online Form Available for Reporting Research Misconduct

UNC Charlotte’s Research Integrity Office (RIO) now has a confidential web-based form available to submit reports of research misconduct.

Headed by Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Tom Reynolds, the RIO is responsible for investigating allegations of plagiarism, falsification, and fabrication of research materials.

“Fortunately, we see few cases of suspected misconduct,” Reynolds said.  “And the ones we investigate we often can resolve without damaging the reputation of our researchers or hampering progress of the research. Still, we must be vigilant to avoid even the appearance of misconduct.”

University Policy 309 defines misconduct as fabricating or falsifying data, plagiarizing work, or failing to follow accepted practices in proposing, performing, reviewing or reporting on research.

Use the RIO form to submit questions about research misconduct or examples of misconduct that you have observed.  Reports filed with the RIO are held in strict confidence.

Support Graduate Students via Giving Green

Categories: Dean's Office

A donation to the Graduate School via Giving Green can directly support your graduate students!  The Thomas L. Reynolds Graduate Student Research Award recipients, (pictured below), were the direct beneficiaries of donations to that fund by faculty and staff. And many of your graduate students also attend professional development workshops in the Center for Graduate Life.  These opportunities would not be possible without donations from our generous faculty and staff supporters.  Please pledge today!

The 2018-19 recipients (in alphabetical order): 

Cecily Basquin, Ph. D., Health Psychology
Laura Burgess, MA, History
Amanda Good, M.Ed., Child and Family Studies
Marie Hayes, Ph.D., Clinical Health Psychology
Joshua Huot, Ph.D, Biological Sciences
Bin Kong, Ph.D., Computing and Info. Systems
Sean Krysak, M.S., Kinesiology
Neha Mittal, Ph.D., Biological Sciences
Emre Palta, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
JoEllen Pope, Ph.D., Public Policy
Lydia Roos, Ph.D., Health Psychology
Mubin Tarannum, Ph.D., Nanoscale Science

 

Support Graduate Students through #NinerNationGives

Categories: Dean's Office

Please give today to make a difference in supporting the graduate students at UNC Charlotte.  This year’s campaign benefits the Center for Graduate Life and the Reynolds Graduate Student Research Awards.  Plus, all donations made to the Graduate School will be entered into a drawing to win the UNC Charlotte themed quilt, created by Claudia Reynolds.

Make Big Things Happen for Graduate Students http://ninernationgives.uncc.edu/GraduateSchool

49er Proud

Approximately 82” X 82”; machine pieced and machine quilted.

 

Graduate Education Summit Rescheduled for Oct. 11

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the Agenda for their upcoming Graduate Education Summit being held October 11 from 9:00 – 10:30 am in the Popp Martin Student Union 340.

Topics covered include,

  • Program “fitness” report availability
  • Connect Advising tool
  • Funding system update
  • New GPD Recognition Award

and much more.  Download a copy of the planned Agenda, and be sure to RSVP via your Google Calendar invite.  For questions please contact Christi Skerlak, Executive Assistant to the Dean.

Faculty Award Nominations Sought

Nominations for the prestigious First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal and Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor faculty awards are being accepted until November.

Nominations for the de Silva award come from departmental chairs; nominations for the First Citizens Bank award may come from any UNC Charlotte faculty member.

Details on these faculty awards are located on the Graduate School’s Faculty Awards page.

Misconduct Case Takes Toll on Research Program

Earlier this year, important cancer research findings were retracted and the lead researcher was forced out of his job at Ohio State University after an investigation discovered evidence of falsified data in eight papers spanning as many years.*

At UNC Charlotte we have solid policies governing the conduct of researchers and an educational program to ensure research teams understand those policies.  We also have instituted a Research Integrity Office to coordinate investigations into cases of possible research misconduct.

Headed by Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Tom Reynolds, the Office is responsible for investigating allegations of plagiarism, falsification, and fabrication of research materials.

“Fortunately, we see few cases of suspected misconduct,” Reynolds said.  “And the ones we investigate we often can resolve without damaging the reputation of our researchers or hampering progress of the research. Still, we must be vigilant to avoid even the appearance of misconduct.”

Information on how to safely and confidentially raise questions or report possible research misconduct is located on the Graduate School’s website.

* https://news.osu.edu/news/2018/03/30/misconduct-investigation/

NAS Report: STEM in the 21st Century Out May 29

Categories: Dean's Office

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will release its report, Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century May 29, 1:30-3.

The event will be held live at Keck Center, Rm 100, 500 5th St., NW in Washington D.C., and can be viewed via live webcast live. More information and registration to attend in person or via the webcast is available at this link.

Mukherjee Awarded First Citizens Medal

Categories: Dean's Office

Pinku Mukherjee, Professor of Biological Sciences, was awarded the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal April 11 at the Harris Alumni Center at Johnson Glen.

First Citizens Bank Award 2018

The First Citizens Medal is UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious faculty award for excellence in research.

Mukherjee, who also is chair of the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, is a leader in transforming how cancer is diagnosed and treated. Her innovative approaches more accurately detect breast cancer early, and she is developing targeted therapy and imaging for pancreatic, ovarian and colon cancers.

Read more at the Graduate School’s home page under recent news.

Wang Receives 2018 de Silva Award

Categories: Dean's Office

Dr. Chuang Wang, professor of educational research and director of the Doctorate in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation, received the 2018 Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award Mar. 29.

Read the full story on the Graduate School’s Faculty Spotlight page.