GSA Newsletter: Aug. 27, 2018
Women in Graduate STEM Fall Mixer
Wednesday, Aug. 29
6-7:30 p.m.
Brix Taphouse
For more information contact Emily Schumacher
(630) 724-7235
WIGS Facebook
The GSA congratulates the Women in Graduate STEM for obtaining student organization status and the ability to obtain student org funding!
This is the first event of the year for the Women in Graduate STEM (WIGS) group on campus. They will be discussing funding allocation, officer appointments, and further plans for this semester over appetizers! All are welcome!
GSA Fantasy Football League
Football season is fast approaching and it’s time to sign up for the GSA fantasy football league (via ESPN.com). League commissioner Jesus “Danny” Garcia Ramos (SES: Sport Administration, Ph.D. program) will be overseeing this year’s competition between graduate students, faculty, and UNC staff. The league is tentatively set for a maximum of 20 teams so contact Danny Garcia as soon as possible to reserve your spot. The GSA League’s fantasy draft party will take place at the end of August, date/time/location TBA.
GSA Grant Cycle 2: Application Opens Sept. 1
Grant applications accepted Sept. 1 – Oct. 19
GSA Grant Website
If you are attending and/or presenting at a conference or beginning a new research project, you may be eligible for GSA grant funding. If you have any questions about eligibility or allowable expenses, contact the GSA Director, david.shimokawa@unco.edu as soon as possible. Applications can be submitted with conference acceptance letters and/or IRB / IACUC approval pending.
If you attended a conference or began a research project during the previous grant application cycle (e.g., cycle 1 of 2018-2019), but missed the GSA grant application deadline, you may now apply funding during grant cycle 2. This waiver only applies to applicants that missed the deadline in grant cycle 1 of 2018-2019.
Graduate students wanting to receive this waiver must contact the GSA Director for approval before submitting an application in grant cycle 2.
GSA Movie Screening: Crazy Rich Asians
Friday, Sept. 7
6 p.m.
Greeley Cinemark Theaters
Ticket Registration Page
The GSA and UNC Asian Pacific American Student Services are teaming up to present a special screening of Crazy Rich Asians at the Greeley Mall Cinemark Theaters. Tickets are free for graduate students, just sign up on this registration page. If you need to purchase a ticket for a non-graduate student, please email gsa@unco.edu for details. Want to know more about why this movie is significant? Read this Washington Post write up on Crazy Rich Asians or view the official movie trailer.
GSA Archery Tag
Date/Time TBA (sometime the week of Sept. 9)
UNC Campus Recreation Center
Doodle Poll for dates/times
The GSA is looking for players for the first game of Archery Tag at UNC. Archery Tag is like paintball, but with bows and padded arrows. Challenge your classmates to this epic game of speed and skill. Sign up for available dates and times on the Doodle Poll. Want to see Archery Tag in action? Watch this Archery Tag video.
Highest Scoring Grant Applications: 2017-2018 Cycle 1 (three-way tie)
In alphabetical order by first name:
- Amber Heidbrink, Chemical Education, Ph.D. student (featured below)
- Emily Phillips, School Psychology, Ph.D. student
- Sachin Nedungadi, Chemical Education, Ph.D. student
We’ll be putting the research project/presentation descriptions for each of these grant winners into upcoming GSA newsletters, so stay tuned!
Principal Investigator: Amber Heidbrink
Presentation Title: Professors' perspectives on metacognition development in their
classrooms Type of Presentation: Solo Presentation
Total GSA Funding Requested: $1,397.50
Presentation Description:
Metacognition, frequently described as “thinking about thinking,” is the ability to
regulate one’s thinking processes and discern the limits of one’s cognitive abilities.
Metacognition is important in improving students’ abilities to problem-solve and gain
conceptual understanding. Students with strong metacognitive skills can successfully
solve problems in areas where they have minimal knowledge or experience. Chemistry
education researchers have developed strategies to improve metacognitive skills, laboratory
curricula that encourages metacognition in students, in-class activities for improving
metacognitive skills, and metacognitive training for instructors and students. Currently,
the field of chemical education is lacking research discussing chemistry professors’
perspectives on their students’ metacognitive abilities. This study aims to fill that
knowledge gap by determining current chemistry professors’ expectations of their students’
metacognitive abilities, and if and how they strive to promote metacognition in their
students. In this study, chemistry professors will be interviewed in a semi-structured
format. The interviews will be transcribed and then analyzed for repetitive ideas
or themes present in multiple professors’ interview transcripts. These themes found
in the interview transcripts will be used to answer the following research questions:
- Do current chemistry professors value their students having metacognitive skills?
- How are current chemistry professors encouraging the development of metacognitive skills in their students?
- What are current chemistry professors’ thoughts, suggestions, strategies for improving metacognition in their students?
In my oral presentation, I will discuss the background of metacognition research in more detail, generally speaking and specifically in chemistry education research. I will discuss the interview method I used for interviewing the chemistry professors. I will also discuss initial results from the study. Expected results from this study include a discussion of chemistry professors’ awareness of metacognitive skills in their students, the level of metacognition expected to succeed in their class, and if and how their curriculum employs and shapes their students’ metacognition. Suggestions for developing chemistry instructors’ capacity to improve and grow their students’ metacognition will be discussed.
GSA Grant Cycle 1 (2018-2019 fiscal year) “Special Recognition”:
While congratulations are in order for all of the UNC graduate students that were awarded GSA grant funding, special recognition goes to the following people:
Top Scoring Grant Applications (three-way tie) Cycle 1:
AmberHeidbrink, Chemical Education, Ph.D. student
25th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education
South Bend, Ind.
Presentation Title: Professors' perspectives on metacognition development in their
classrooms
EmilyPhillips, School Psychology, Ph.D. student
2018 American Psychological Association Annual Convention
San Fransisco, Calif.
Presentation Title: Training Future School Psychology Trainers: A Genealogy
SachinNedungadi, Chemical Education, Ph.D. student
25th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education
South Bend, Ind.
Presentation Title: Organic Reaction Mechanisms Concept Inventory
Grant Winners Researching/Presenting with Undergraduate Understudies:
TylerSherman, Biological Education, Ph.D. student
Researching with undergraduate student Mikaela Cain
Isolation of Viral Nucleic Acids from Modoc-Infected Tissue Samples
Multiple GSA Grant Winners (2018-2019)
None as of August 20, 2018
International Presentations:
MozhdehForghaniarani, Applied Statistics & Research Methods, Ph.D. student
2018 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Signal detection in Brain fMRI using Global Bayes factor for rotation-space random
field
Earliest Scheduled Presentation(s) of Grant Cycle 1:
GurusewakKhalsa, Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. student
2018 International Association for Relationship Research Conference
July 12-16, 2018
Relational and other themes for couples from different cultures and backgrounds: An
empirical study
Sarah Zwetzig, Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. student
2018 International Association for Relationship Research Conference
July 12-16, 2018
Relational Satisfaction, Attachment, and Identity among Lesbian Couples
Latest Scheduled Presentation(s) of Grant Cycle 1:
Ashley Campanella, Chemistry: Research, M.S. student
256th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition
Aug. 19-23, 2018
ATR-FTIR analysis of beer
College with the Most GSA Grant Awards in Cycle 1:
College of Education & Behavioral Sciences, 7 awards
Program with the Most GSA Grant Awards in Cycle 1:
Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. (3)
Students Who Requested the Most Funding in Cycle 1:
Xiaoping Fan, Sport and Exercise Science: Sport Pedagogy, Ph.D. student $1,760.00
Emily Phillips, School Psychology Ph.D. student $1,579.24
Seneca Erwin, Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. student $1,412.77
Deadline to Waive School Insurance is Aug. 31 at 5 p.m.
All Degree Seeking Graduate students with six or more credits (nine credit hours for undergrad students), regardless of the type of class (on campus, off campus, online only) are required to have full coverage health insurance. You will automatically be charged for the UNC Student Health Insurance Plan and the cost will be added to your UNC student bill. That charge this year is $1,265 per semester.
Students have the option to waive out of the plan by completing the online insurance waiver showing proof of comparable coverage prior to the deadline, which is always the 10th day of classes each semester. This year the deadline is Aug. 31, 2018, at 5 p.m. Mountain time. If you waive the insurance plan for Fall semester, the charge for Spring semester will also be waived. If you have questions regarding re-enrollment in the UNC Insurance Plan, contact nicky.weglin@unco.edu or call 970-351-1915.
Remember, late waivers are not accepted so be sure you are aware of this policy and the deadline to waive.
Graduate Assistantship Available: Environmental & Sustainability Studies
More information
Chelsie Romulo, Ph.D. in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program has funding for a GA for one year. Graduate students in the Sociology, Biology Education, Geology Education, or related programs are encouraged to apply.
Position Description Hours: 16/week
Start Date: Aug. 20, 2018 (can be a bit flexible)
Tasking: The primary tasking for this GA will be research related to an IUSE grant proposal designed to inform the development of the ENST undergraduate program here at UNC. The GA will help pilot an assessment of environmental program learning outcomes and curriculum as well as help with the design of interview and survey instruments related to the IUSE grant. Students with interest in STEM education or curriculum development contexts or interview, survey, or content analysis methods would be a good fit for this position. Potential funding after the first year is contingent on the grant award.
Event Photos: GSA Fall Welcome Back Mixer
Photo Gallery
Event Photos: GSA Meetup @ Taste of UNC
Photo Gallery
Special thanks to Daniel Westerlind (Higher Education & Student Affairs Leadership,
M.A.) for coordinating this GSA meetup.
UNC Local Business Fair
Special thanks to Seth Lewis (Jazz D.A. student) for bringing out the UNC Funk Lab
to perform!
Thank you to the various vendors for participating:
- Allstate Insurance: Chris Lucio
- AT&T
- Atlas Church
- Aunt Helen’s Coffee House
- Bear Crawl
- Colorado Eagles
- CrossFit Battle Ready
- Doubletree by Hilton
- Edward Jones Investments: Mark Korolainen
- Empire State Pizza
- Greeley Subaru
- Inta Juice of Greeley
- Jenny’s Malt Shop & Diner
- Michael Thuener
- Mile High Laser Engraving
- Millennium 2
- NoCo Coffee Company
- Qdoba
- Rooster Tattoo
- Sea Life Family Vision Source
- TCBY
- Textbook Brokers
- The Resource Center for Pregnancy and Personal Health
- VASA Fitness
- Walmart
- Wash House Laundromat
- Weld County Garage
GSA Volunteer Positions Available:
Graduate Council GSA Appointee
Meetings once per month, Thursdays 3-5 p.m.
The GSA is currently seeking representatives for the monthly Graduate Council meetings. Graduate Council is a faculty council that acts on behalf of the graduate faculty in the governance of graduate programs at UNC. GSA representatives have full voting rights on this Council and will be entrusted to represent and vote on behalf of the GSA in the best interests of graduate students.
Interested candidates should contact the Assistant Director of Graduate Community & Climate as soon as possible. Meetings begin Aug. 30, 2018.
GSRC Unite Cohort Program
The UNITE Cohort program was created to allow undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to begin or continue conversations in relation to inclusion across a broad range of identities. Specifically, UNITE highlights UNC's diverse community through the following programs: Equity & Inclusion Basics, DREAMer Zone, Vet Zone, Disability Awareness, Straight Facts about LGBTQ+ Life, Sexism 101. Students accomplish the UNITE program by registering for the cohort and then attending the different educational trainings through the Fall 2018-Spring 2019 academic semesters. Students who complete the full series over the academic year will be invited to an end of year celebration and call to action. After applying, mark your calendar for our Opening Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 23, at 2:30 p.m. in the UC, Columbine Suites. Participants can also register for the UNITE cohort (if space is still available) at the opening celebration on Aug. 23.
Folks can learn more about the program (description, learning outcomes, detailed specifics about each training, which department/individual is facilitating each session, contact information, training dates, etc.) at the online page for the UNITE program on the Equity & Inclusion webpage.
