Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of President Cari Moorhead and the other members of the Executive Committee of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS), I am pleased to provide registration information for the 2023 annual meeting of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools in historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire. An early bird conference fee of $300 per person is extended to all individuals from NAGS member institutions.

Additionally, a group room rate of $149/night is available at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside, the site of the conference, with a room cutoff date of March 29, 2023. You may reserve rooms through this online reservation site, or by calling the hotel directly at (603) 431-2300 and mentioning the NAGS conference group rate. A limited number of rooms are available at the group rate for the days immediately prior to and following the meeting for those who would like to extend their stays.

On the morning of April 20 prior to the meeting, participants and their guests may register for an optional 90-minute tour of the Black Heritage Trail. There is no cost for this tour, but registration is required on the conference registration form so we can get a headcount.

The Executive Committee is planning an intriguing meeting with plenary sessions focused on topics such as first-year student success, data analytics in program appraisal, creating inclusive graduate communities, and graduate student supervision. The Executive Committee would also like to invite conference participants to share innovative practices at your institution in a 10-minute flash talk on Saturday morning.  If you have a proposal for a flash talk, please contact me at this email address.

Scott Delcourt
NAGS Secretary-Treasurer

NAGS is pleased to announce the 2023 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. This year, the virtual event will be hosted by the University of New Hampshire. The 3MT competition will feature winners of each NAGS member’s local competitions, with the NAGS winner and runner-up being sent to the next Council of Graduate Schools national competition. Please follow this link for details and instructions.

-Scott

Scott Delcourt
NAGS Secretary-Treasurer

The Executive Committee of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools is pleased to announce the recipients of a number of awards presented at the annual meeting hosted virtually this year by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), live from Québec City, Canada on April 27 and April 28, 2022.

NAGS Dissertation Award: Dr. Amir Hooshiar, Concordia University

NAGS/Proquest Master’s Thesis Award: Mr. Zhikun Chen, Concordia University

Geoffrey Marshall Mentoring Award: Dr. Elaine M. Bukowiecki, Bridgewater State University

NAGS Graduate Teaching Award (doctoral-level): Dr. Philip S. S. Howard, McGill University

NAGS Graduate Teaching Award (master’s-level): Dr. David Hoekstra II, University of Buffalo

Three Minute Thesis Competition:

A total of 31 American and Canadian institutional members of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS), sent a finalist to this NAGS regional final. This participation record shows the growing importance of this competition throughout North America. Sponsored by ProQuest (part of Clarivate), the event was opened by Danielle McCann, Minister of Higher Education, Québec and by Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Chief Executive Officer from INRS.

The competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by students. Developed by The University of Queensland, 3MT cultivates students’ research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, at a level appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

A jury of representatives from all participating institutions was in charge of determining the winner and runner-up. With a number of very interesting topics and performances, the choice was hard to make. The first prize of $500 has been awarded to Emiliano Gutierrez-Popoca, a PhD in English from Brandeis University, Massachusetts. His presentation on Master-Servant Relations in Early Modern Drama has been considered the most comprehensive, engaged and well delivered.

The second place and the prize of $200 has been granted to Matthew Ellis from Yale University, Connecticut. PhD in Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Mr. Ellis also made a wonderful performance on the following topic: Using Stem Cells to Model and Treat Cardiovascular Disease.

Both the first place and the second place winners will represent NAGS at the Council of Graduate Schools final that should be held in December 2022.

Sathya Jagadeesan from the University of New Hampshire, PhD in Chemical Engineering was the People’s choice for his presentation on Storing Green Energy in Rust. He received a $300 award.

Congratulations to all award recipients!

Dear colleagues:

The Executive Committee of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools met recently to discuss the annual meeting which is scheduled to be held from March 31 to April 2. While COVID cases seem to be on the decline in both the U.S. and Canada, the travel restrictions that are currently still in place at the U.S. – Canadian border coupled with travel restrictions within Canada and those still imposed by some universities makes having the annual meeting in March difficult to hold. Therefore, the Executive Committee has decided to hold the 2022 annual meeting virtually on Wednesday, April 27, and Thursday, April 28. The annual 3MT competition will follow on the afternoon of April 28 at 2 pm and will also be held virtually.

We had hoped to meet in person this spring and regret that this action has become necessary.  We plan to meet in person in Portsmouth, NH in Spring 2023. The Executive Committee is working to reformat the 2022 meeting agenda into a one-day virtual format. Meeting details will be forthcoming soon.

Scott Delcourt
NAGS Secretary-Treasurer

NAGS is pleased to announce the 2022 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. This year, the virtual event will be hosted by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). The 3MT competition will feature winners of each NAGS member’s local competitions, with the NAGS winner and runner-up being sent to the next Council of Graduate Schools national competition. Please follow this link for details and instructions.

-Scott

Scott Delcourt
NAGS Secretary-Treasurer

Dear NAGS Colleagues:

This serves as a reminder that the annual meeting of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools will be held virtually on April 9. The meeting will feature 3 plenary sessions, an awards presentation, and a virtual social hour over the course of the day. Individuals at all active institutional members of NAGS may attend the meeting at no additional cost. A program agenda for the meeting can be found here. Individuals may register for the annual meeting by using this short form (Zoom link provided upon submission).

There are also two other events that are open to NAGS institutional members this spring.

Spring 3MT Competition

Friday, April 23, 3:00-5:00 pm

The 2021 NAGS 3MT competition will be held live over Zoom much like the competition in the fall.  Active institutional members of NAGS may register their institutions’ winner here.

NAGS Webinar

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

1:00 – 2:30 pm
Register Here | Zoom Meeting Details

How to Capitalize on Supporting Graduate Student Mental Health

The need to support graduate student mental health has been profiled as our graduate students struggle with the many challenges associated with our present time and circumstances. This session is designed to give Graduate School Deans an understanding of the different determinants of graduate student mental health and to showcase the shared responsibility of being active campus partners. We will also discuss strategies that have been endorsed through the CGS Initiative to Support Graduate Student Mental Health and Wellness. The bulk of our time will be spent sharing and listening to other institutions that have found meaningful ways to support graduate student mental health, including discussions on challenging mentoring situations, destigmatizing help-seeking behavior, the intersectionality of identities as related to graduate student experiences, and more. The goal of this session is to help develop a set of best practice initiatives within our attendees to share with other institutions.

-Scott

Scott Delcourt
NAGS Secretary-Treasurer

Dear NAGS Colleagues:

I hope your spring semester is off to a good start! On behalf of the NAGS Executive Committee, I wanted to provide this update on recent activities.  

1. First, the panel discussion on issues and best practices in developing mentoring relationships is posted on the NAGS website here.

2. A new panel discussion on holistic admissions will be offered in partnership with our colleagues at ETS on Friday, February 19 from 1-2 pm. You may register for the webinar here and obtain the link to the panel discussion on February 19.

Title:  Holistic Admissions: Recruiting and Admitting Diverse Students 

Description:   Recruiting, admitting, and ensuring the success of a diverse and talented cohort of graduate students is one of the most important tasks graduate faculty undertake. In this panel discussion, three experienced former graduate deans will discuss best practices for recruiting underrepresented students, the use of holistic admission approaches to increase diversity, and strategies to promote the success of every student. Each panelist will share their own experiences and provide recommendations for implementing policies and procedures at your institution.

Presenter Information:

Panelist 1: Maureen Grasso, Professor of Textile Sciences and Former Graduate Dean at North Carolina State University, Former Graduate Dean at University of Georgia, and ETS Graduate Education Advisor

Panelist 2: Carlos Grijalva, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Former Graduate Associate Dean at the University of California, Los Angeles, and ETS Graduate Education Advisor

Panelist 3: Steve Matson, Biology Professor, Former Graduate Dean at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and ETS Graduate Education Advisor

Moderator: Matthew Bashi-Kadlubowski, Associate Director, Academic Support Services, Global Higher Education Division, ETS

3. The NAGS Executive Committee is assessing the demand for a spring 3MT competition.  We are pleased to announce that Erica Graham from the University of Albany was named the runner-up at the recent CGS 3MT event. If your institution is interested in participating in a spring 3MT competition and will have a finalist by March 31, please indicate your interest here. 

4. Finally, please SAVE the DATE of April 9, 2021, for the NAGS annual spring meeting which will feature additional panel discussions and an announcement of the 5 NAGS faculty and student award recipients.

– Scott

Scott Delcourt
NAGS Secretary-Treasurer

Colleagues, 

You are invited to join the LIVE (via Zoom) 2020 NAGS 3MT competition, Wednesday, December 9 from 3-5 p.m. EST. Register here to attend. A confirmation email will include the link to join the event.  

Hosted by the University of New Hampshire, the 3MT competition will feature winners of each NAGS member’s own competition, with the winner and runner-up being sent to the upcoming Council of Graduate Schools national competition.

Additionally, we are asking one individual from each NAGS institution to serve as a 3MT judge (one judge per institution). Complete this short form with the contact information for your institution’s judge by 5 p.m. on Monday, December 7. Judges must be present for all 3MT presentations in order to vote for the 3MT winner.

Judging process: 

• Students will present live and votes will be collected from each judge
• Judges will vote for one person only
• 1st and 2nd place winners will be determined by the votes
• A People’s Choice award will be selected through a poll distributed to ALL institutional attendees 

If you have any questions about the 3MT competition or judging process, please email jovana.milosavljevic@unh.edu.

Colleagues, 

Due to scheduling conflicts, the webinar session on mentoring has been rescheduled for Friday, December 18, 2020. Details about the session along with the registration link are listed below. 

In addition, the webinar on hosting virtual graduate research conferences previously scheduled for December 18 will be scheduled for sometime in the near future. 

Issues and Best Practices in Developing Mentoring Relationships

Join us for a facilitated discussion on developing mentoring relationships between students and faculty. Moderated by Dr. Elizabeth Kenney, a panel of deans and administrators will discuss best practices and issues in mentoring from both a student and faculty-based perspective. Discussion items will include what ‘good mentoring’ looks like, tips for students and faculty to establish their mentoring relationship, and advice for deans.

Day: Friday, December 18, 2020
Time: 9:00-10:30am EST
Register at: https://unh.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Vso5dvrfIvFVrv 

Panelists:
Langis Roy, Ph.D.
Dean of Graduate Studies
Professor of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering
Ontario Tech University

Jennifer Aumiller, M.Ed. 
Director, GPILS/OPS Career and Professional Development
Director, Office of Postdoctoral Scholars
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Dovev Levine, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
University of New Hampshire

Moderator:

Elizabeth Kenney, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Center for Research and Creative Activities
Assistant Dean, Research and Graduate Studies
Salem State University

Colleagues,

Here are the fall 2020 webinars we have planned:

• Mentoring on November 20, 2020: facilitated by Elizabeth Kenney, Salem State University and Dovev Levine, University of New Hampshire
  • Best practices in providing support and resources to graduate students and their departments to foster productive mentor-mentee relationships.

• Hosting virtual graduate research conferences + 3MT competitions on December 18, 2020: facilitated by Cari Moorhead and others from UNH
  • Best practices in hosting research conferences and competitions virtually.

November and December webinar events are open to all NAGS institutions (Zoom links will be provided) and the December 2020 3MT competition is open to NAGS institutions that had paid dues in AY 2019-20.