From left to right: Ben Slaw, Tessa Lynch-Colameta, Hannah Yi and Sarah Brown
Huge thank you to our outgoing “Formerly Known as Ombudspeople” and, going forward into our Department's future, now known as Directors of Graduate Student Initiatives (DoGSIs): Sarah Brown, Tessa Lynch-Colameta, Ben Slaw, and Hannah Yi.
They were the perfect team of diverse individuals who, with not always identical views, would always find a consensus on how best to go forward on an issue for the betterment of our Chemistry community. They did an incredible job supporting their graduate student peers and the entire department during this unprecedented year in departmental and global affairs.
The “Formerly Known as Ombudspeople” now DoGSIs are involved in a variety of student initiatives in the chemistry department. Here is a summary of just some of the important work that they do for our Department:
Closs Lectures
The Closs Lectures comprise a yearly seminar series that is entirely student-organized and run. Students submit nominations for prominent scientists they would like to invite to campus and the student body votes for who should be invited to campus. The Closs lectureships are entirely student-focused; an invited speaker meets with students throughout their visit to discuss research, teaching, and offer insight into their careers and experiences. Being invited to a Closs lectureship is considered a high honor, and this program continually allows us to invite some of the best scientists in the world to our campus.
Student Leadership and Community Building
As Ombudspeople, we provide chemistry students with the means to pursue a variety of leadership opportunities. Within the department, we support Tiger Talks, a group that organizes monthly opportunities for graduate students to present their research in a low-stress environment, Tigger Talks, a group that organizes informal talks aimed at increasing graduate student camaraderie, and First Year Journal Club, aimed at giving first-year students a chance to critically engage in scientific literature with their peers. Additionally, the Ombudspeople organize a quarterly Wine and Cheese Night to celebrate the end of classes and to foster a strong departmental community. Departmental funds contribute to the organizing budget for all of these groups, as well as provide food and refreshments to encourage students to attend. These groups and others offer students invaluable leadership opportunities within the department and help to build a strong and vibrant departmental community.
Office Hours
One of our roles as Ombudspeople is to provide resources and programming to address our students’ needs. To this end, we hold office hours twice per quarter where we encourage students to talk with us about what they would like to see happen in the department. These office hours have proved invaluable for the Ombudspeople this year, in that many student concerns were brought up that would have otherwise flown under the radar. As a result of these conversations, we have worked with the department to improve resources available to graduate students, including new mental health resources, greater support for students in their first year, and a new program aimed at helping students with conflict mediation. Support from the Department and Departmental endowment funds dedicated to student support, such as the Levy fund, have been critical for ensuring that we can continue to improve the graduate student experience.
Mentoring and Team Building for First Years
Another role of the Ombudspeople is to help build a cohort among first-year students and to connect them with senior students in the department. One way we accomplish this is through the Bad Influence Program, which pairs first-year students up with a senior student mentor. Bad Influences and Influencees are encouraged to meet at least once per quarter to discuss anything from research to life in Chicago outside the lab, and many students report that they have benefitted immensely from these conversations. Additionally, the Ombudspeople organize a First-Year Social Event once per quarter aimed at helping to build a strong cohort within the first-year class. Previous events we have organized include arts and crafts/board game night, a bowling night, and (after COVID) a virtual game night over Zoom. Many people believe these programs are critical to building a strong support network among first years, and would not be possible without contributions from student support funds.
Outdoor wine and cheese in the Searle Quad
Tigger Talk
2019-20 First Year Grad Students Bowling Event