CMS Welcomes New Graduate Student Cohort
The Department of Communication Studies welcomed the new graduate student cohort to UT. There were many events that happened that week to welcome this new group of learners, scholars, and teachers. We had planned activities on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of orientation week, and also built in plenty of time to get one-on-one help so students, staff, and faculty would feel well prepared to get started with the Fall semester.
On Monday, our students joined Rachelle Furness, Director of Moody College’s Center for Advancing Teaching Excellence (CATE), for the New Teaching Assistant (TA) Training. This inclusive teaching workshop was an opportunity for our students to interact with graduate student TA’s from across Moody disciplines and learn about the many teaching resources in the College that will help them succeed in graduate school.
Then on Wednesday, Aug. 20th, our new students joined us in CMA for a full day orientation specifically geared towards the CMS graduate program. During the morning meet and greet, with coffee and a light breakfast, was the first opportunity to meet the Department staff in person! After hearing about the graduate program procedures and policies from Jenn Porras, the Graduate Coordinator, and more about specific academic initiatives by Rene Dailey, the Graduate Advisor, they were welcomed by the Department Chair, Craig Scott. Then the new cohort met with faculty in their area of study over lunch as a chance to discuss specific interests and ideas for future involvement in research.
The afternoon session began with a presentation and introduction by the CommSGC organization leaders Karissa Hernandez and Emaly Aguilar. The introduction then segued to a formal student panel to hear first-hand accounts of current student experiences in the CMS program. The day wrapped up with a cupcake social hour catered by Polkadots bakery.
On Friday, Aug. 22nd, the new cohort attended a variety of the Graduate School’s Orientation sessions and were able to join the Graduate School’s Orientation Canvas Resource page for even more resources, advice, and great videos to help them prepare for what to expect in graduate school at UT.
In addition to the above events, the CMS Graduate Office held office hours all week as well to help students with last minute paperwork, employment and start-up documentation, and any outstanding registration questions that they encountered throughout the week.
Our orientation activities ended with the CMS Fall Kickoff event on Friday August 29th, which featured introductions and welcomes among the new graduate students, returning graduate students, faculty, and staff. Those in attendance celebrated at the 1972 Women's Sports Pub.
The members of the incoming graduate cohort are:
Interpersonal Communication (INP) area
JULIE BALL (PhD)
JEREMY CARROLL (MA)
YANPEI CHEN (PhD)
KENNEDY FREYER (MA)
LAURYN STEED (PhD)
Organizational Communication and Technology (OCT) area
SAMIA EHSAN (PhD)
CATHERINE LI (PhD)
LEO LIN (MA)
TENIOLA ORALUSI (PhD)
KATHERINE SULLIVAN (MA)
Rhetoric, Language, & Political Communication (RLP) area
RALPH ANDERSON (MA)
OCTOBER HEFFNER (PhD)
HARIM LEE (MA)
LEONARD MEMON (PhD)
SHRUTI UKE (PhD)
