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Monday Seminars 2007
Journal Clubs |
The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) serves as a forum for all graduate students in Department of Biological Sciences, including those in the MCDB and EE graduate programs. Monthly meetings are held in which any concerns of graduate students can be addressed, and planning of social functions occurs. In conjunction with the Department, the GSO is trying to increase graduate student involvement in Departmental functions, such as recruitment of new faculty and graduate students. In addition, the GSO works to maintain good intra-departmental relations between graduate students and faculty. The GSO has successfully implemented an invited speaker program, whereby distinguished scientists are invited, and hosted, by the graduate students of the Department. Because eminent scientists find it difficult to refuse an invitation from graduate students, the GSO has beed successful at recruiting top-notch scientists from around the world; previous speakers have included Drs. Susan Linquist, Paul Rainey, John Roth and W. Ford Doolittle.
One of the GSO's major social events is the annual Chinese New Year Celebration. Authentic Chinese food is prepared by our community of Chinese, Taiwanese and Chinese-American students and post-docs, and the celebration is accompanied by slide shows, games and (very often) a dragon dance. Other social functions of the GSO include other Friday Social Hours, and outings such as winter weekend ski trips to Powder Mill, and summer picnics in Schenley Park. The GSO functions largely on money budgeted by the University of Pittsburgh Student Government Board, in addition to money and time donated by the graduate students. Questions regarding GSO can be directed to the currentpresident, Julia van Kessel. |
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