This year, the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education has introduced a pilot program as one more way to strengthen its longstanding commitment to enhancing the quality of graduate student life. This program provides a modest fellowship to a handful of students who serve as Graduate Community Fellows. Working hand in hand with a senior staff person, the Fellow may focus on creating programs for unique constituencies, such as programs for women or international students; and on refining existing programs such as the Graduate Student Life Grants process or the ODGE’s diversity efforts.

Fellows also work together as a cadre, pooling their observations and reflections and advising the dean about the needs of the graduate student community.

Funded in part by the Ike Colbert Fund for Graduate Community, the Graduate Community Fellows program builds on the former dean’s legacy by supporting another innovative program for graduate students and by graduate students. This is yet one more example of how the Institute can support graduate life more broadly and on a permanent, sustained basis.

Dean for Graduate Education Steven R. Lerman
January 2008