Community Edition Fall 2025

Dear friends of the Graduate School,

As another year comes to a close, I've been reflecting on this past year, which has not been without its challenges both for graduate students and the higher education landscape. From funding cuts to uncertainty about what the future holds for international students, there are many questions—and not a lot of answers.

The Graduate School, though, is rising to meet the moment as best we can. Between taking a targeted approach to graduate student recruitment to rolling out new programs that are addressing urgent, societal needs like those featured in this community edition, I’m confident that we’re well-positioned to not just survive but thrive.

That positioning wouldn’t be possible without the alumni and donors who support us every day, showing us what’s possible when you invest in graduate education. We’ve featured one such long-time supporter in this issue, Beverly Sears, whose namesake grant has funded the research, scholarship and creative work of thousands of graduate students over the years.

We’re also pleased to announce that, come spring, we’ll be formally introducing the Dean’s Alumni Fund from the Graduate School. More information will be available soon, but for now I encourage everyone to save the date for on March 31, as well as Jan. 29 for our annual Three Minute Thesis final competition.Ìý

We hope you enjoy these stories that we’ve picked out, and that you connect with us through , , or , or on our website.Ìý

Sincerely,Ìý

Scott Adler

Dean of the Graduate School
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs
Professor of Political Science