Welcome, newest alumni!
Commencement 2009 was a festive two-day occasion for the Graduate School. At convocation on Sunday, academic prizes were awarded, and three faculty members were honored for outstanding mentorship: Professors Elliott Visconsi, English; Patrick Vaccaro, chemistry; and Scott Boorman, sociology. Provost (and former dean of Yale College and the Graduate School) Peter Salovey ’86PhD delivered a thoughtful and witty speech. University commencement on Old Campus was followed by the Graduate School's diploma ceremony in Woolsey Hall on Monday afternoon, where 223 PhD degrees were awarded. An additional 153 doctorates had been granted in December, bringing the total of new Yale PhDs for the year to 376. Combining spring and fall semesters, 337 MPhil, 271 MA, and 171 MS degrees were awarded this year.
Encouraging graduate education
This summer, for the 15th time, the Yale Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program will bring a group of 19 highly qualified undergraduates to campus for an eight-week taste of graduate school. The program aims to familiarize students, especially underrepresented minority students, with the kind of work they can expect to do in graduate school and after earning a PhD. Participants are immersed in an academic setting and, guided by a faculty mentor, pursue individual research and participate in workshops and panel discussions. Students in the natural sciences learn advanced laboratory methods, while those in the humanities and social sciences have access to the considerable archival resources of Yale's libraries. Yale covers the cost of room and board as well as travel, and provides a stipend to each participant. All SURF students give a final presentation to their peers, submit a written paper, and attend the Leadership Alliance National Symposium to present their research.
Writing better
The campus may be quiet over the summer, but the Graduate Writing Center stays open for business. Under the direction of Elena Kallestinova, tutors regularly meet with students to provide feedback on their writing, workshops teach "Writing Clearly for Non-native English Speakers," and the popular Dissertation Boot Camp provides an interruption-free marathon for students in the writing phase of their dissertations. For the past year, the center has helped graduate students fulfill their writing requirements and become better academic writers by offering individual consultations with tutors, interactive programs, dissertation support groups, peer review writing groups, and panels with invited speakers. Four McDougal Graduate Writing Fellows and four tutors worked in the center with Kallestinova this year, assisting about 960 students.
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