This student-organized seminar series was established to honor Dr. Wendell Griffith, a distinguished faculty member who joined the department in 1923. Dr. Griffith pioneered studies of experimental nutrition and was an outstanding teacher. This speaker is specifically chosen and invited by the students.

A day-long retreat held every fall for the core graduate program. It provides an opportunity for older graduate students to share their research with incoming students as well as students from other departments in the core graduate program. Faculty give a short talk about their research to introduce the incoming class to their different research programs available.

The GSA Research Symposium is organized yearly by the graduate students. It features graduate student research in physical, social and biological sciences, as well as business and the humanities. Student research in either a poster or paper format is presented and evaluated by faculty judges. Students from disciplines across the university participate, providing an opportunity to meet students from a variety of departments and schools.

Since the well-being of students is just as important as that of the faculty, students are given a voice in governance and decision making within the department. Student representatives are included in departmental committees dealing with issues concerning graduate curriculum, health and safety, selection of journals for the department reading room, and organization of social events.

Every afternoon at 3:30, the members of the department gather together in the 4th Floor Conference Room to chat over coffee, tea, and cookies. This traditional break in the day draws a crowd for a sociable interlude and discussions ranging from the latest research papers to the outcome of yesterday’s baseball game.

As befits the close-knit community fostered by the department, members of the department meet socially, both formally and informally, on a regular basis during the year. These social events include TGIF’s, a Christmas party, and an annual Halloween ‘Spooky Cookie Contest’ with prizes for the best desserts. The department supports many of these events and students are often the enthusiastic organizers.

Graduate students are automatically members of the Simon Recreation Center. Students have access to a fully-equipped gym with cardio machines, a variety of weight machines and free weights, 6 wooden-floor basketball courts, racquetball and squash courts, a 6-lane 40 meter indoor pool as well as a satellite facility at the Salus Center with weight machines, free weights and cardio machines only a few blocks from the medical school.

The university has a newly upgraded, high-speed internet with access from nearly every room in the medical school. Students with laptops can access the university network from the lab, library or lecture halls. All students are provided with an email account and free modem access from their home.

Students in the department have access to the Medical Center library, which houses a collection of over 100,000 bound volumes and 1,400 current periodical titles. The library has a seating capacity of 218 in general study areas, as well as study carrels designed for instructional audiovisual and multimedia materials.