UNC Charlotte’s Graduate Life Fellows program enters its eighth year this fall with the selection of seven fellows — including four from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences — who will build community on campus with programming, events, workshops and outreach participation for graduate students.
The fellows organize graduate-level leadership building opportunities through collaboration with faculty, staff and graduate student organizations and other campus offices. Previous examples of these leadership activities involve a graduate student etiquette dinner, a women’s professional business panel, a stress-reduction and wellness event, and a crafts and community event which benefited the Ronald McDonald House. Other examples of organized events include recreational outings to local corn mazes, the White Water Rafting Center and the Betchler Museum.
‘Research suggests that an increased sense of graduate community results in increased graduate student degree completion rates,” said Katherine Hall-Hertel, assosciate dean of the Graduate School and director of the Center for Graduate Life. “In an effort intended to build our graduate community, the GLFs are in the Center for Graduate Life on a daily basis, offering peer advice and acting as a sounding board to help in areas not necessarily covered by students’ advisors, programs or colleges.”
The incoming Graduate Life Fellows from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are Meika Berlan – doctoral student, Public Policy; Myasia Burns – master’s degree student, Communication Studies; Gabriela Patricia Lopez de Arcia – master’s degree student, Latin and American Studies; and Kristen Reynolds – master’s degree student, English. Other fellows are Scott Barber – master’s degree student, Architecture; Dahlia Shvets – master’s degree student, Bioinformatics; and Emily Teague-Palmieri, Counselor Education and Supervision.
“I chose to become a GLF so I could contribute to the university in a meaningful way,” Berlan said. “I’ve had a positive experience at UNC Charlotte as a Ph.D. student, and I wanted to work to ensure that other graduate students also benefited from their graduate experience. As a GLF I hope to foster an inclusive and engaged graduate community, while also providing opportunities for graduate students to learn and grow as both students and professionals.”
Selected from almost 50 applicants, the fellows are selected based on their existing set of leadership skills. “I know this will be a chance to grow in my professional development, but also to provide networking and learning experiences for all fellow graduate students,” Lopez de Arcia said.
UNC Charlotte is the first and only institution in the UNC system to offer a dedicated program like the Graduate Life Fellows to its graduate student body. The fellows work with all graduate students and offer guidance through first-hand experience, peer mentorship and a wealth of knowledge about campus and Charlotte. Learn more: http://gradlife.uncc.edu
