Dean Rodney Priestley sent his spring message with news and updates from the Graduate School to the University's almost 3,400 graduate students on Monday, February 11. The full text of the message is below.

Dear Graduate Students,

Welcome to the excitement of the spring semester. As we kick off the second half of the academic year, I want to share what the Graduate School has been working on for you and highlight a few upcoming events you won’t want to miss. But first, a few comments about our community.

Recently, President Eisgruber issued his Annual State of the University letter and called on the campus community to “celebrate fresh beginnings and remarkable achievements, rise to meet difficult challenges, and energetically pursue this University’s mission of teaching, research, and service in the year ahead.” I encourage you to read the letter and then visit with President Eisgruber when we host a meeting with graduate students later this semester. (Watch your email for more details.) The University also recently released “Inclusive Princeton,” its annual report “highlighting how Princeton’s commitment to excellence is supported by creating an environment of success and belonging for all members of the University community.” 

I also want to draw your attention to ongoing University guidance about recent executive orders and policy directives from Washington that affect higher education. As President Eisgruber noted in his January 28 email, Princeton is systematically monitoring and assessing the impact on our community. The Office of the Dean for Research has established a website with up-to-date information about executive actions affecting our research community, as well as an email address to send related questions: [email protected]. For international graduate students with immigration-related concerns or questions, the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity has added to its Frequently Asked Questions.

The Graduate School is a community of scholars, full of students from all backgrounds with tremendous talent and potential who bring their diverse academic interests and passions to this institution. That diversity, broadly defined, is a strength of Princeton and our Graduate School. It is also an opportunity for you to engage in the fabric of an intellectually and socially rich community, a tapestry of the hopes and aspirations of your colleagues and their contributions to society.

At the Graduate School, our community is growing and strengthening

This year, we welcomed the first cohorts of doctoral students into two new programs: Bioengineering, and Quantum Science & Engineering. We also launched a new PhD/MD program in Neuroscience in partnership with Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center and a new transcripted graduate certificate in Population Studies. Just this month, the Princeton faculty approved the creation of a Ph.D. in Materials Science. This year, we also continued our participation in many recruiting activities, including hosting our annual signature Prospective PhD Preview event.

Shared governance of the Graduate School is in full swing.

 After a faculty vote in Spring 2024, the Graduate School embarked on a new governance model that includes graduate students. This fall, eight graduate students began their assignments on the four subcommittees that govern the Graduate School, constituting a new “Graduate Student Committee on the Graduate School.” Although graduate students have long participated in University governance through essential bodies such as the Council of the Princeton University Community, this is the first time that students have shared in governance of the Graduate School.

The transition to shared governance has gone smoothly, and I believe it’s made us stronger. As dean, I chair the Graduate School’s Policy and Student Life and Discipline subcommittees. Having students in the discussions and deliberations and ultimately as voters on matters of importance to the School and the student experience has been incredibly beneficial. I have appreciated this opportunity to engage with students in ways that were not previously feasible. More importantly, I have enjoyed working with the students on the committees and getting to know them. If you are interested in learning more about the Graduate School and helping to lead it, I encourage you to consider seeking a position on the Graduate Student Committee of the Graduate School. 

Also to strengthen our community, we’ve tried some new things and expanded existing opportunities:

• A one-year 12 Free Meals Pilot Program at Procter Hall, for all degree-seeking graduate students who are not on a meal plan, started last fall and is continuing this spring. We hope to encourage all students to dine with old and new graduate student friends.
• Princeton “GRAD” sweaters. Through our partnership with the GSG, 1,000 graduate students will receive a GRAD sweater this year to show off their graduate student pride.  
• GRADWell. The Graduate School has launched a monthly workshop and newsletter series designed to enhance health and well-being by exploring topics such as building connections through effective communication, perseverance, stress management, self-care, and self-development.
• Financial Wellness. The Graduate School’s Finance and Administration team continues to offer all graduate students a yearlong curriculum on financial literacy, taxes, retirement planning, and other personal finance topics. The Graduate School’s Financial Wellness Fellows support the program. 
• Academic Affairs Fellows. The Graduate School has launched a new fellows program for graduate students. The Academic Affairs (AA) Fellows help create and support programming that addresses the needs of graduate students related to academic matters.  Collaborating closely with the School’s AA team, the GSG, and other University offices, AA Fellows focus on building programs and support around key milestones in the graduate school journey.
• Professional Development. The Graduate School has launched the GradFUTURES Experiential Hub. This platform allows graduate students to easily search and apply for an array of experiential opportunities offered on- or off-campus with partner organizations in the nonprofit, academic, public, and private sectors. All GradFUTURES experiential opportunities offer flexible part-time, 10-hour/week schedules, substantive mentorship, and meaningful team project experiences. Most do not require work authorization. Applications for summer 2025 fellowships and micro-internships are now open. Check back frequently as new opportunities continue to be added. 

Enhancing faculty-student mentorship

As I mentioned in my fall memo, Professor Hendrik Lorenz of Philosophy is serving as Graduate School Vice Dean this academic year. His focus on mentorship has us working to help faculty better support graduate students and to foster regular conversations between faculty and students about best practices, specific strategies, and tools that are known to be effective for mentors and mentees. We are already facilitating such conversations in workshops for faculty and graduate students in four departments, and we plan to expand this initiative. We are also at work enhancing the Graduate School’s homepage on mentoring and making available field-tested mentorship training to interested faculty and students (more to come on this). 

Promoting a culture of mentorship is integral to fostering a community of scholars. Advising and mentoring are more effective if both parties meet regularly and use proven methods to align expectations, give and receive feedback, and communicate effectively. Much evidence shows that excellent mentorship strongly impacts students’ productivity, degree completion, career outcomes, well-being, and sense of belonging. Our focus on mentorship aims to provide these benefits more widely by making rewarding mentored experiences happen more consistently.

Note that Professor Yael Niv of Neuroscience is teaching a course this spring on “Mentoring Best Practices.” If you are interested in the topic of mentoring, I encourage you to take the course or reach out to Professor Niv for more information. Finally, I want to remind you of the mentoring resources available in the Graduate School, including our graduate alumni mentoring program.

Dean Connections: Community and Conversation @Wyman

To further enrich our community's social and intellectual life, I host numerous events for graduate students at Wyman House, the dean’s residence connected to the Graduate College.

This fall, we expanded our get-togethers:

• G-1 Receptions, including a Meet-and-Greet with the President: During their first semester, all first-year graduate students are invited to a reception in the beautiful Wyman Gardens. This year, President Eisgruber participated in one of those receptions and spoke about the importance of the Graduate School to the University’s preeminence. (Everyone in attendance also shared a favorite piece of advice. President Eisgruber offered, “Learn something new from everyone you meet.” I agree, so I pass his words along to all of you.)
• G2-G5 Receptions: This year, for the first time, we hosted Wyman House receptions for G2–G5 graduate students. These popular events allowed community members to reconnect with colleagues they might not have seen since orientation, and to learn a little about the incredible research you all pursue, whether in the lab, library or field. We will host similar receptions again next year, and we hope you’ll join us. 
• Department and Program Gatherings. We also began offering graduate students the opportunity to host department-specific get-togethers. These events, just for graduate students from a specific department or graduate program, are a great way to discuss (over hors d’oeuvres and a variety of drink selections) topics that interest a particular group of students. I enjoyed these gatherings because they allowed for intimate conversation on a range of timely and timeless topics. If you want to host a department-specific event at Wyman House, please connect with Lily Secora, Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

• High Tables. Perennial and popular gatherings, High Tables are joint intellectual and social events at which graduate students learn about and discuss the scholarship of faculty members over dinner and conversation at the Wyman House. We also invite a few graduate alums to attend each High Table to help foster intergenerational dialogue. This fall, for example, we welcomed to the High Table General Mark Milley, retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a visiting lecturer in the School of Public and International Affairs. High Tables are an opportunity to learn, share, and connect with the community and they are one of my favorite activities. I encourage you to sign up and experience the camaraderie they offer.

   

Mark your calendar for our spring gatherings

 I hope the start of the semester gives you a new impetus to connect with each other, the larger campus community, and with all of us at the Graduate School. This semester, the Graduate School will continue to organize High Tables and other events that foster intellectual and social engagements within our community. I encourage you to read the newsletters and emails from the Graduate School to stay updated on events. For now, let me highlight a few engagements that might be of interest:

• Career Connections Meetup for Graduate Students & Alums, Feb. 22 (Alumni Day.) Co-sponsored with GSG and the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA), this is an opportunity to meet graduate alumni working in fields such as academia, research, finance, consulting, tech, entrepreneurship, and more.
• The annual GradFUTURES Forum professional development conference, March 24-28. With inspiring speakers and panelists, skill-building workshops, and networking opportunities, this conference is designed to help you envision your future with clarity and confidence. 
• High Table: Professor Kathryn Edin of Sociology and SPIA, Date TBD. (Watch your email for the announcement.) Professor Edin will discuss her recent research, and all students in attendance will receive a copy of The Injustice of Place, Professor Edin’s latest book.
• Graduate Student Appreciation Week, Week of April 7: The Graduate School staff and I look forward to celebrating you with fun events throughout the week.
• Public lecture: Adam Grant, April 8, 5 p.m. (Registration details TBD). Renowned organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven straight years. He is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning, rethink assumptions, and live more generous and creative lives. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Public Lectures Committee.
• High Table: Dean of the Faculty and Professor Gene Jarrett of English, Date TBD. (Watch your email for the announcement.). Dean Jarrett will discuss his latest research, and all students in attendance will receive a copy of Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Life and Times of a Caged Bird, Dean Jarrett’s latest book.
• The annual Inclusive Academy Symposium, April 24-25. With dynamic speakers and panelists, workshops and sessions, participants will explore topics related to success and thriving in graduate school and beyond. The conference is open to all current and prospective graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
• Tigerfest, May 3 is a day of fun for all graduate students and their families. Don’t miss the bounce house, lawn games, craft activities and, of course, the food.

And just like that, it will be the end of the academic year!

• “You’ve Earned Your Stripes”, May 22. We look forward to celebrating our graduate students who have completed their Generals this year.
• Princeton Reunions, May 22-25. The APGA invites all graduate students to join them free of charge for a weekend full of memorable events and entertainment.
• Hooding & Recognition Ceremony and the Commencement Ceremony, May 26-27. If you are eligible to participate, make sure you register in our hooding and commencement system. All graduate students were sent an email on Thursday, January 30 with links and instructions.
   

Looking Forward

 As you can see, we have much to look forward to.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during our spring events. (And remember, you can always meet with me during my office hours. Sign up here.)

We’re already looking forward to next year’s celebration of the Graduate School’s 125^th Anniversary,which will showcase the transformational impact of Princeton’s Graduate School through the pioneering scholarship of its students and alumni.

And finally, to our graduate students writing theses or dissertations, completing final course projects, and defending final public oral examinations in anticipation of spring graduation, I look forward to celebrating your hard work and achievements.

As the spring term gets underway, I wish each of you a successful and rewarding semester filled with the excitement of learning and creating new knowledge through your research and scholarship.

Warmly,
Rodney D. Priestley