Orientation for new graduate students aims to help with acclimation

Graduate students attend a resource fair as part of the New Graduate Student Orientation on Friday (Aug. 18) at Stewart Center. (Photo provided by Shih-Ping Kuo) Download image

On Friday (Aug. 18), 830 new graduate students attended the fall 2017 New Graduate Student Orientation. A photo gallery of the day's events created by the Graduate School is here.  

Students from around the globe converged into Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse for a convocation featuring a variety of topics, including Greater Lafayette and resources provided by the Graduate School and its campus partners. Speakers at the welcome convocation were Linda Mason, interim dean of the Graduate School; Thomas Atkinson, associate dean of the Graduate School; John Dennis, mayor of West Lafayette; Chief John Cox, Purdue University police; Erin Oliver, director of the Office of Institutional Equity; and Tricia Olinger, secretary in the Purdue Graduate School along with Matt Pharris, a PhD student. 

Marcella Martinez Chavez, a PhD student and president of Purdue Graduate Student Government, presided. Lee Gordon, director of graduate admissions, moderated a question-and-answer session for international students. Three breakout sessions were offered: Pete Dunn, professor emeritus and Purdue's research integrity officer from 2003-2015, speaking on responsible research conduct; Cyndi Lynch, director of fellowship and professional development in the Graduate School, speaking on professional development; and Sandi Caldrone, data repository outreach specialist in Purdue Libraries, speaking on research repository outreach.

Students had the opportunity to go to a resource fair in Stewart Center with nearly 50 campus service providers and clubs.