The Grad Digest: Nov. 13, 2019

The Rice Grad Digest: It's a Cake Walk.
Updates and opportunities from the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Announcements  |  Funding & Fellowships  |  Opportunities @ Rice
GRADitude Week
Beyond the Hedges  |  Events @ Rice   |  Take a Break  |  News

Spring 2020 Registration
Spring registration for grad students will begin Nov. 18. There is a new registration system for graduate students, please see the guide for assistance navigating. More. The last day to register for spring courses without being charged a late registration fee is Nov. 22.

Registration holds
Check your registration holds and attend to them before next week! Students can check for holds on your account in Esther. If you have a Preventing Sexual Harassment (SH) hold or a Responsible Conduct of Research (RC) hold, instructions to complete the training can be found here. If you have a Previous Transcript (PT) hold or a Past Time Boundary (TB) hold check in with your graduate administrator for assistance. All holds managed by GPS will be lifted daily at approximately 4 p.m. during registration week, please ensure you complete your requirements before the registration period ends. For all other holds, click here.

Thesis Submission Hours
Thesis submission hours for December 2019 degree conferral are as follows - please plan accordingly:
Nov. 18 - Dec. 5: 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 6: 8:30 a.m. - noon

December Commencement
For August and December graduates who are unable or do not wish to return for the May convocation ceremony, Rice will now hold a single, combined December convocation ceremony for all students eligible to walk across the stage. This ceremony will be held Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. in Stude Concert Hall, Alice Pratt Brown Hall. Additional information can be found on the December Convocation website. The website will be updated frequently and open for registration as the date draws nearer. Please note that if you participate in the Dec. 9 convocation, you are not eligible to participate in the May 15 ceremonies. You are, however, welcome to join the plenary ceremony on May 16. If you have additional questions, email or call 713-348-2112.

Regalia for December commencement
You can pre-order regalia for December commencement at the link here through November 17. Doctoral students MUST pre-order their rental regalia by November 17 to guarantee delivery before the ceremony. If you are planning to participate in May, you can wait until spring to order regalia. More information can be found on the site here. Questions? Email 1545mgr@follett.com.

NASA FINESST Pre-proposal Teleconference
Dec. 2, noon- 1:30 p.m., proposals due Feb. 4
NASA will be holding a pre-proposal teleconference for those interested in applying for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) solicitation, Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINNEST). Potential proposers may call 1-888-324-3185 (toll free in the U.S.) and use Participant Passcode 8018549. More.

Ford & NDSEG Fellowships
Ford: Dec. 10 or 12; NDSEG: Dec. 6
Interested in applying to the Ford and/or the NDSEG? Check your eligibility at these links: Ford or NDSEG. If you are eligible and interested, please email Dr. Kim Gonzalez Hohlt saying which one(s) you are interested in!

Monday: Seuss Your Science
All day Nov. 18, on a World Wide Web near you.
We want to see you get creative with your research, course project, prospectus - whatever you're working on at Rice, make it rhyme and share it on social with the hashtag #seussyourscience and tag @RiceGradSchool (Twitter and Instagram) or @RiceGradStudies (Facebook) for the chance to earn prizes from the GPS Office!

TACO-bout it Tuesday
Nov. 19, 2 - 4 p.m.
Want a FREE taco from Torchy's? It's your moment to shine - TACO-bout why you chose Rice for grad school or give a shoutout to someone on campus. Use the hashtag #RiceGRADitudeweek and tag @RiceGradSchool (Twitter and Instagram) or @RiceGradStudies (Facebook). Then head to the GPS Office in 323 Allen Center to grab your tasty taco reward! There are only 100 tacos, so get tweeting! (P.S. - there will be queso.)

Tuesday: Networking for Results
Nov. 19, 3 p.m., Keck 100
The ability to communicate clearly about your research will be critical for your future ability to get jobs and funding. This workshop will teach skills for refining what you want to say - and how to say it! Previous students have used these skills to land jobs at institutions such as NASA and Facebook! RSVP and more information here.

Wednesday: Coffee and Cards with GPS
Nov. 20, 1 - 4 p.m., Allen Center 323
Come by for your afternoon pick-me-up - and perk up someone in your life who's been helpful to you on your grad school journey! We'll have coffee, donuts and postcards so you can enjoy a sweet treat and write a sweet message to those important people in your life you want to thank. GPS will mail the cards for you!

Thursday: GRADitude Fest & Cake Walk
Nov. 21, 4 - 6 p.m.
It's time for CAKE! Come to the Grad Commons for GRADitude Fest and Cake Walk - cheer on our fellowship award winners as they claim their cakes. The Grad Studies Office will have pizza, drinks and photo booth fun for all! Come help us ring out the week in style!
 

 

FUN FACT FRIDAY!
Friday, Nov. 22, all day
It's FUN FACT FRIDAY and the last event of GRADitude Week 2019! Share with us a fun fact about you and/or your time at Rice using #RiceGRADitude Week  and tag @RiceGradSchool (Twitter and Instagram) or @RiceGradStudies (Facebook). Then head to the GPS Office in 323 Allen Center from 1-4 to claim a wordy reward! (Wordy rewards are limited, so tweet and tweet early!)

 

Panel: International Student Employment in the U.S.
Thurs., Nov. 14, 6 - 8 p.m., McMurtry Auditorium
International students & postdocs: please register for this panel, hosted by CCD, OISS RISA, DINL, and the GSA! Alumni, employers, and staff will help you: discover effective tips and strategies for navigating the U.S. job market; visualize how the process differs from job-hunting in other countries; determine how to maximize your chances of landing a job in the U.S. Learn more & RSVP.

International Education Week
Nov. 18 - 22
IEW is a way to celebrate our international students and scholars who come from all around the globe, and many other globalization initiatives across the university, helping to make Rice an internationally diverse and culturally rich campus! There are many events happening this week, including a dance break, Espresso Yourself, a Fondren tour, International Cooking Gathering, various language tables, professional development for grad students, and more! Click here to find an event!

IGNITE Session: Professional Development & Networking for International Graduate Students, Hosted by OISS
Thurs., Nov. 21, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Farnsworth
IGNITE stands for “International Graduate News/Information/Training/Education” and these 1-hour sessions present graduate international HOT TOPICS that allow you to equip and empower during your lunch hour. Free pizza will be provided.

Grad Focus: Interview Prep Workshop
Friday, Nov. 22, 12 - 1 p.m., Huff House
Are you a current graduate student and have been curious about how to articulate your skills for positions in academia or industry? Learn and practice how to prepare for and to best articulate your skills and experiences at an interview. Lunch provided. RSVP here.

Student Support Specialist open office hours!
Nov. 21, Allen Center 323 A
Grad students, if you have a sensitive issue or concern to discuss, come see Pia Byrd, GPS’ graduate student support specialist, during her open office hours. Can’t make her office hours? Email her to set up a specific time to meet.

Beyond the Professoriate Webinar: 3 tips to help you find your post-Ph.D. career
Nov. 14, 12:00 p.m.
Join Beyond the Professoriate co-founder L. Maren Wood, Ph.D., for this 30 min webinar to learn three proven strategies for exploring career options in academia and beyond the professoriate. More.

VersatilePhD Webinar: Demystifying the Private Sector
Nov. 14, 12:30 p.m.
Considering a career in industry? Join us to learn how you should prepare for a private sector job and how employers may perceive your Ph.D. More importantly, learn how you can use your superb education as an advantage in the search process! Join us for this webinar to explore a variety of pathways to success! More. Haven't setup your VPhD account yet? Click here.

Thanksgiving Shuttle Schedule
Nov. 27 and Dec. 1
Thank you to Rice Transportation! They are arranging shuttle service to Hobby airport for Thanksgiving. Reservations are not required but you must arrive on time. For more information, click here.

November SEA Lunch Series
Nov. 15, noon, DBH 180
The Shared Equipment Authority invites you to our November SEA lunch series presented by Dr. Larry Alemany and Dr. Quinn Kleerekoper. They will be discussing our NMR facilities, instrumentation and applications. Pizza provided.

CLIC Workshop: Narrative and Identity
Nov. 20, 12:50 - 1:50 p.m.
This workshop will showcase how stories that we tell help us to present who we are (i.e., construct our identity) paying a special attention to the role of workplace narratives in presenting our professional identities. More.

Sensing the Future: Workshop on Quantum Sensing
Dec. 9 - 10
This is the third in a trio of visionary, cross-disciplinary meetings at Rice that focus on the future of sensing technology. Scientists and engineers from academia, government and industry meet to identify the grand challenges that could potentially be met by next-generation sensing technologies, and the fundamental scientific capabilities that will be needed to address those challenges. More.

Lunar Soundscapes
Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m., Moody Center
Inspired by the moon and the lunar landing, Associate Conductor for the Shepherd School of Music Jerry Hou will lead Shepherd School musicians in a performance of Night of the Four Moons, composed by George Crumb, and We Choose to Go to the Moon, composed by Robert Honstein. Free! More.

Panel discussion with famed filmmaker Euzan Palcy
Nov. 15, 4:30 p.m., HUMA 117
Born and raised in Martinique, award-winning filmmaker Euzhan Palcy has directed such luminaries as Marlon Brando, Donald Sutherland, and Susan Sarandon. More.

Fall Jazz Festival
Nov. 15, 7-10 p.m., Gladu Band Hall
The Rice University Jazz Big Band and Jazz Combo are ready to entertain! Join them for a cool night of hot tunes. Free admission!

Even 'Goldilocks' expolanets need a well-behaved star
Rice graduate student Alison Farrish and her research adviser, solar physicist David Alexander, led their group's first study to characterize the "space weather" environment of stars other than our own to see how it would affect the magnetic activity around an exoplanet. It's the first step in a National Science Foundation-funded project to explore the magnetic fields around the planets themselves. "It's impossible with current technology to determine whether an exoplanet has a protective magnetic field or not, so this paper focuses on what is known as the asterospheric magnetic field," Farrish said. "This is the interplanetary extension of the stellar magnetic field with which the exoplanet would interact." Read more.

Stalled weather patterns will get bigger due to climate change
Climate change will increase the size of stalled high-pressure weather systems called "blocking events" that have already produced some of the 21st century's deadliest heat waves, according to a Rice University study led by grad student Ebrahim Nabizadeh and faculty member Pedram Hassanzadeh. Atmospheric blocking events are middle-latitude, high-pressure systems that stay in place for days or even weeks. Depending upon when and where they develop, blocking events can cause droughts or downpours and heat waves or cold spells. Read more.