Graduate Students Celebrate the Start of a New Academic Year

On August 27, more than 350 graduate students filled the Old Computer Science front lawn for the annual Graduate School Welcome Barbecue, kicking off the academic year over lunch, music and conversations with students, faculty and staff across Stony Brook.

Hosted by the Graduate School in collaboration with theCenter for Inclusive Education (CIE), the event gave new and returning students a chance to connect while learning about campus programs and resources available to support them during the year.

A lunchtime crowd forms as graduate students come together to kick off the academic year.

For Celia Marshik, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate and professional education, the afternoon reflected the sense of community the Graduate School hopes students will carry with them as the semester unfolds.

"It was great to bring students together at the start of the year to connect while enjoying food and music," Marshik said.

Graduate School Dean Celia Marshik joins Wolfie on the Old Computer Science front lawn.

Students also had the opportunity to meet members of the Graduate School team, including Graduate Student Advocate Donal Thomas andGraduate Writing Assistant Emilia Russo.

Thomas serves as a resource for students navigating questions, concerns and challenges during their education, while Russo supports students across disciplines and at different stages of their programs as they develop their writing.

Emilia Russo and Donal Thomas speak with graduate students about available support and resources.

Russo emphasized the importance of making those services visible to students early in the academic year.

"It was wonderful to meet so many new students and to get to share with them the services available to them through the writing center. I know the transition to graduate-level studies can be hard, and I hope they all know that there is support for them making it."

For Francisco Rodríguez, a Graduate School graduate assistant and PhD candidate in history, volunteering at the barbecue offered a chance to reflect on the students who came together that afternoon.

"It was a vibrant expression of the cosmopolitan spirit of our graduate school. Each student at the event represented a different incredible story of overcoming," Rodríguez said.

The barbecue also brought together campus partners representing a range of services and resources available to graduate students, including:

• Center for Civic Justice
• Student Affairs (Graduate Student Community Development)
• Graduate Student Organization (GSO)
• GradMag
• Writing Center
• Career Center
• Center for Inclusive Education
• Student Health, Wellness, & Prevention Services
• TimelyCare

"We are grateful to our campus partners for joining us to share important personal and professional resources available to graduate students," Marshik said.

Campus partners meet with students and share resources from across the university.

The Welcome Barbecue is one of many ways graduate students can stay connected during the academic year. Looking ahead, Marshik highlighted several opportunities for students to come together.

"The Graduate School looks forward to future events that bring our graduate student community together, such as GradConnect andGraduate Student Appreciation Week."

Students can find information about upcoming events, academic and professional development opportunities and other resources through the Graduate School website.

Whether this semester marks the beginning of a graduate program or another step toward a degree, students can look forward to a year of growth, discovery and support across the Stony Brook community.

Here's to a great semester.