Graduate Studies Update - February 2018 Newsletter

February 1 | Volume I | Issue 2

From the Director The Graduate Studies Office is looking forward to a productive spring semester. I hope that between your teaching, coursework, research, and work with the community, you can find the time to participate in one or more of the Graduate Studies events listed here. And don’t forget about our call for grants for Advancing Graduate Education, due Friday, March 2.

Workshops & Deadlines Click on a topic below for more info

Friday, February 9 RSEL Full Grant Application Deadline

A way that each of you can contribute to the strategic plan goal of enhancing graduate education is to participate in our 3 Minute Thesis competition this spring. Our panel of judges will include community leaders, making this an excellent opportunity to showcase UWL's graduate programs. See the note below for more details.

Wednesday, February 14 3-Minute Thesis info/prep Session

Tuesday, March 6 Submission Deadline for Celebration of Student Research

Wednesday, March 7 3-Minute Thesis Competition

Please feel free to contact our office with questions about deadlines, our workshops, or anything else related to Graduate Studies.

- Meredith Thomsen, Graduate Studies Director

Event Spotlight- 3 Minute Thesis

Friday, March 9 Application Deadline for Professional Travel Grant

Tuesday, April 10 21st Annual Celebration of Student Research & Creativity

Wednesday, April 18 Debt Management/Insurance info session for Grad Students

Friday, April 27 Recommended submission date for theses, projects, & papers (May Grad) RSEL Grant Final Report Deadline

Wednesday, May 9 Graduate Student Celebration

Friday, May 11 Professional Travel Grant Application Deadline

AN 80,000 WORD THESIS WOULD TAKE 9 HOURS TO PRESENT. YOUR TIME LIMIT.... 3 MINUTES. UWL’s 2nd annual 3MT® Competition will be held March 7th at 6:00pm in 1400 Centennial Hall. 3MT® is a competition that challenges graduate students to condense their research into a brief, engaging presentation and communicate the significance of their projects to a general audience in just 3 minutes, using a single presentation slide. Any graduate student may present a thesis, paper, or project, at any stage of completion.  Get more information and view presentations from around the world, or watch a recording of last year’s event at UWL.  Prizes Available: Winner-$500, 1st Runner Up-$300, 2nd Runner Up-$200, People’s Choice-$300 If you are interested in learning more, join us for a 3MT Information & Prep Session. The session will be held Wednesday, February, 14th from 4:305:30pm in 150 Murphy Library.

Is there a student or student organization you would like to see in our Student Spotlight?

If so, please contact Marcia Taddy at taddy.marc@uwlax.edu

Stay connected, follow Graduate Studies:

Would you like a copy of Vision 2021 – A Strategic Plan for Graduate Education at UWL? Email gradstudies@uwlax.edu to request a hard copy or download a copy from the Graduate Studies website www.uwlax.edu/graduate-studies/

Student Spotlight – by Marcia Taddy, Human Performance Michaela Keller is a graduate student in UWL’s School Psychology program. After earning her undergraduate degree at UWL, she decided to continue her education here due to the program’s strong community connections, and the chance to work with faculty known for staying current with research. Michaela says that another thing that stands out about UWL’s program is that students start working in schools a semester earlier than similar programs, which means students graduate with more real-world experience.

School Psychology graduate students complete a capstone project that lets them put ideas from their classes into practice. Michaela’s project is a collaboration with Head Start, examining how the home literacy environment for young children predicts the acquisition of reading skills when the children become school-age. Michaela uses picture-based assessments designed for children three to five years old to evaluate prereading literacy skills. She also assesses parental involvement, to identify any barriers parents face when teaching their kids at home. She shares ideas about how parents can promote their child’s reading skills with simple things like drawing letters into soap bubbles and conversing about items around the house during everyday activities.

Michaela emphasizes that the easiest way to improve school-readiness is parent education, to improve the home literacy environment. Ultimately, she hopes to raise awareness of resources offered by Head Start and other organizations, and to reinforce the parent’s confidence that they can improve their child’s literacy with simple activities at home.

After graduation, Michaela aspires to become a school psychologist in the Twin Cities. With her training, she will be able to work with students with mental and behavioral issues and trauma-infused backgrounds. Her goal is to improve the academic performance as well as the ultimate well-being of the students she works with.

More immediately, Michaela will present the results of her project in February, at the National Association of School of Psychology’s annual convention in Chicago and at UWL’s Celebration of Student Research and Creativity in April.

Did you miss an event?

Recordings of previously offered, graduate student professional development opportunities are now available for viewing: CLICK HERE University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Graduate Studies 223 Graff Main Hall 1725 State Street La Crosse, WI 54601 USA Phone: 608.785.8124 Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. email: gradstudies@uwlax.edu www.uwlax.edu/graduate-studies

The 2018 Celebration of Student Research and Creativity will be held Tuesday, April 10th, 9:00-12:45 in the Student Union Grandbluffs Room.

The abstract submission window is open until March 6th. Register now!