GradPathways Institute: Nurturing the Whole You

The seasons shape our lives. Just like a thunderous downpour provides the perfect background for a foreboding film scene, a sun-dappled spring morning feels like a new beginning. 

Like the weather, our academic year cycles through important changes shaped by the ten-week pace and the requirements and opportunities of fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters.

GradPathways Institute (GPI) is the branch of Graduate Studies focused on professional development and wellness. We are following the rhythms of nature and the academic cycle, creating ecosystems of programming. With these cycles in mind, GradPathways wants to help all graduate students and postdoctoral scholars by nurturing the “whole you.”

The many options for professional development, academic enrichment and self-care on campus and beyond can be overwhelming. GPI is here to help guide you in supportive and holistic ways. We provide a series of possibilities to support your academic, professional and personal development — all curated by peers and experts who effectively balance the demands of academia without burning out. Academic self-care is unique, and looks different for everyone. Our programming reflects that.

Upcoming Programming, Curated to Support Success

The pressure of the Fall Quarter — the start of a new academic year — is real, especially for people new to campus. Getting oriented, making new friends, sticking to important deadlines — it’s a lot. That’s why we focus on Academic and Professional Development during the Fall Quarter. We know that the transition from summer to the academic grind can be tough, and we are here to support graduate students and postdocs with that. Graduate Studies’ first big event is the Graduate Student Resource Fair (Sept. 15), a one-stop-shop for campus resources, services and community-building opportunities. Next is the GPI Open House (Sept. 30), offering free lunch, professional headshots, meditation and more resources. We also have Postdoc Appreciation Week, training for the academic job market, thesis and dissertation day — in a nutshell, something for all graduate students and postdocs at every stage of their academic careers.

The winter season provides a welcome relief from the scorching heat but can also feel gloomy and dreary at times. That’s why the Winter Quarter’s focus is Wellness and Resilience. As the middle of the university year, the Winter Quarter is a great time to prioritize self-care to ensure resilience through the rest of the academic year. At GPI, we approach wellness broadly — not just in terms of physical or mental health, but also financial wellbeing, as we know that finances can be one of the biggest stressors in student and academic life. We offer workshops on financial wellness, neurodiversity, and we have a special event where Provost and Executive Vice-Chancellor Mary Croughan will deliver the keynote talk “Cultivating Leadership as a Woman in Academia.”

Things start brightening up in spring. It’s when students look towards graduation and wrapping up the academic year. In the spirit of embracing the post-graduation job hunt, our Spring Quarter programming will focus on Diverse Careers. Graduate Student Appreciation Week is where we give back to our students, and we have several surprises in store. Later in the Spring Quarter, we offer Professional Development Day, which comes with free headshots and exciting speakers. Because the job market is constantly fluctuating, we want to help grad students and postdocs stay informed by meeting field-defining leaders who are making an impact.

At GradPathways Institute, we are the hub for graduate education programming and opportunities that nurture the “whole you.” While our focus is on academic and professional development, we recognize that the “whole you” includes unique social, financial and emotional needs. The demands of graduate school and academia don’t make it easy to prioritize self-care. But nurturing is not frivolous — it improves quality of life and helps prevent burnout. By carving out the time to rejuvenate, students and postdocs alike can improve their ability to work more innovatively and effectively. 

By looking to the rhythm of the seasons, the beauty of our ecosystem and the pulse of the academic year, we can recharge and build resilience together. 

Grad Student Resources

Feeling confused about resources for grad students or just want to chat with a peer? Come to coffee and peer chat/support hour with PhD student Brent Horning, our new outreach coordinator. Wednesdays 2-3pm in Walker Hall starting 9/23 in the Lewin room #1212, right off the Commons area.