Fall 2025 Letter from the Dean

Dr. Carolyn Pepper, Interim Dean for the School of Graduate Education 

On behalf of the School of Graduate Education, I am delighted to welcome you all (or welcome you back!) to the University of Wyoming for the Fall 2025 semester.

 

I want to congratulate Nicki Nimlos, winner of our first University level 3 Minute Thesis competition in September! Nicki will go on to represent UW in a regional competition in April. It was a pleasure to watch all our finalists from the College level competitions last spring and to learn about the incredible work our graduate students are doing. We will have College level competitions again this spring, so start thinking now about how to deliver your research findings to a lay audience in a compelling way in just 3 minutes. 

 

We have an exciting year planned for graduate students. Keep an eye out for announcements about activities that we have coming up at the School of Graduate Education. Each month we will feature a topic to help you succeed in graduate school and beyond. Look for topics on health and wellness, like nutrition and sleep, and professional development resources to help you think about your future after graduate school. 

We have also begun to compile a list of tools for you to use in your own professional development. We have a curated list of LinkedIn Learning presentations. If you are struggling with getting motivated to write your thesis or dissertation, check out this webinar series on great Dissertation Success Curriculum series on the NCFDD website.  As a UW grad students, you are automatically a member and can access these resources for free. Here is another resource available on campus. Graduate students often find that their written work, which may have been praised by instructors as an undergraduate, does not fit the professional writing norms for their field. The UW Writing Center employs two GTAs from the English department specifically to work with students on their writing skills. You can make an appointment with Giovanni, Nikki, or Miles for help with technical, business, scientific, or creative writing. Schedule an appointment with the Writting Center today! 

 

I am also delighted to introduce Kendra Cowley, our new Graduate Research & Engagement Librarian. She can guide you to resources targeted for graduate students and researchers. We will be featuring her in our newsletters this year so that she can introduce you to some of the tools available to you. I encourage you to make an appointment with her to get expert advice tailored for your needs. Check out the article on her in this newsletter. 

 

Have a great semester!