Gradstravaganza 2021

UPDATE: Due to the inclement weather on Saturday, August 21, the Gradstravaganza Picnic will be moving to Johnson Center Ground Floor. Check-in will be outside of Dewberry Hall in the Johnson Center. In accordance with Mason's current mask policy, masks must be worn by all individuals while indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status. You may remove your mask while you are actively eating or drinking, but you must put it back on at all other times.

Join us for the Gradstravaganza 2021 Picnic from 12-3pm on Mason Pond Lawn! At the picnic there will be FREE boxed lunches with a variety of choices, a FREE Mason Graduate Student t-shirt, crafts, games provided by Mason Recreation, and more! Seating will not be provided, so be sure to bring your own picnic blanket or chairs to sit comfortably.

To attend the picnic, you must bring your Mason ID and completed Mason COVID Health Check. This is a family friendly event and you are welcome to bring guests who are not Mason students; any non-Mason guests must also fill out the Mason COVID Health Check. Although pets are not allowed on campus, service animals are welcomed to this event. As per Mason's current official masking and vaccination requirements, any attendee who is not vaccinated is required to wear a mask and socially distance. (Official masking guidelines subject to change as per Mason's guidelines). If you are vaccinated and feel most comfortable wearing a mask and physically distancing, we support you and encourage you to do so. There will be a limited number of free graduate student t-shirts and free boxed lunches, including some vegetarian and gluten-free options. If you have more specific dietary restrictions or needs, we encourage you to bring your own lunch/food. Registration is required to attend the picnic.

Free printable weekend parking permits for Lot K can be obtained via Parking Services. Additionally, hourly parking can be purchased at Rappahannock River Parking Deck. Please be mindful that there will be move-in traffic and road closures this weekend as new Patriots are moving in on campus. More information & permits can be found at https://transportation.gmu.edu/parking-services/

***Please note that the rain location for the Gradstravaganza Picnic is Dewberry Hall, on the ground floor of the Johnson Center.***

All new and continuing Mason graduate students are invited to Gradstravaganza, Mason's annual graduate student welcome event! This year, Graduate Student Life is bringing back Gradstravaganza as a two-day event, including a fully virtual lineup of mini-workshops & educational sessions on Friday, August 20 from 9am-4pm and our Gradstravaganza picnic in-person on Saturday, August 21 from 12-3pm! Brought to you by Graduate Student Life, the Office of the Provost, the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA).

Friday's lineup includes mini-workshops highlighting strategies for success in graduate school, special sessions for Graduate Assistants (GRAs, GTAs, and GPAs), opportunities to meet and connect with fellow Mason graduate students, and more! Saturday's picnic includes FREE food, t-shirts, games, giveaways, and more! Be sure to bring your Mason ID and your Mason COVID Health Check.

Welcome to Gradstravaganza! Join us for opening remarks to welcome you to the start of the new academic year. Steven Zhou, President of the Graduate and Professional Student Association, and Dr. Laurence Bray, Associate Provost for Graduate Education, will offer their words of welcome. We will then hear keynote remarks from Dr. Andre Marshall, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact at George Mason University and President of the George Mason Research Foundation. Dr. Marshall joined Mason in July and will share his vision for how graduate students can contribute to and benefit from Mason's rising research, innovation, and economic agenda.

Wondering what to expect during your master's program? Whether you are a part- time or full-time student, come learn strategies to make the most of your master's degree experience at Mason.

Presented by Dr. Julie Choe Kim, Director of Graduate Student Life

Attending this session will count towards your completion of the required online training titled, "Building Supportive Communities: Clery Act and Title IX" on the Mason Leaps website. Attendees will receive a certificate after the session to acknowledge their completion. This training will review the university's Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct policy. We will review prohibited conduct, an employee's responsibility for reporting, how to file a report with the office, and resources available to students and staff.

Presented by Emily Gleason, Investigator, Title IX Office

Are you faced with large writing projects (such as a paper, thesis, or dissertation), but have trouble making progress? Join us to discuss frequent barriers to writing and strategies for overcoming them to achieve your writing goals.

Presented by Jenny Goransson, Graduate Writing Coordinator, Writing Center

Are you wondering what to expect during a doctoral program? Although specific requirements will vary by graduate program, this session will provide an overview of the key benchmarks of a doctoral program and will highlight available resources to help you make the most of your journey.

Presented by Dr. Julie Owen, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies in the School of Intergrative Studies and past Faculty Fellow for Prov 701: Preparring for Careers in the Academy

As a graduate student, you are juggling multiple academic demands along with other priorities, including work, family, wellness, and more, all within a limited schedule. In this session, find out the top ten strategies for managing your time to meet the demands of graduate student life.

Presented by Vicki Dominick, Associate Director for Learning Services

Your faculty advisor or mentor is a key part of your success in your graduate program and your intended future career. Find out strategies for how to make the most of this important relationship.

Presented by Dr. Parag Chitnis, Assistant Professor, Bioengineering

Attending this session will count towards your completion of the required online training titled, "Building Supportive Communities: Clery Act and Title IX" on the Mason Leaps website. Attendees will receive a certificate after the session to acknowledge their completion. This training will review the university's Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct policy. We will review prohibited conduct, an employee's responsibility for reporting, how to file a report with the office, and resources available to students and staff.

Presented by Emily Gleason, Investigator, Title IX Office

Finding a job on campus can be both time-consuming and confusing. This session is structured to help graduate students learn the different on-campus employment opportunities: student employment, university employment, and graduate assistantships (graduate professional, teaching, and research assistantships). Come find out what kinds of jobs are out there and how to find them.

Presenters TBA.

Although balancing the demands of graduate school and your personal life can be challenging, there are effective, evidence-based strategies for strengthening resilience. This workshop will provide you with tangible skills that you can use to manage stress and thrive both in school and in your personal life.

Presented by Alexander Harrison, LPC, Coordinator of Clinical Services, Counseling and Psychological Services

This presentation goes over a general understanding of financial well-being and then leads into a discussion on how graduate students can finance their education at Mason. We will also go into more detail on how students can apply for all financial aid options including federal aid, private loans, scholarships, and assistantships. Information is then given about the difference in FAFSA years. Lastly, more information is provided for clarification about how COVID-19 impacts interest on student loans.

Presented by Shannon Osborne, Assistant Director for Financial Well-Being

Graduate school provides an opportunity not only to build your knowledge, but also to build your network of professional contacts and colleagues. Whether you want to expand your existing network or build a new network from the ground up, we've got tips to help you maximize the connections you'll make during your time at Mason.

Presented by Kristin Leonato, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives, University Career Services

Attending this session will count towards your completion of the required online training titled, "Building Supportive Communities: Clery Act and Title IX" on the Mason Leaps website. Attendees will receive a certificate after the session to acknowledge their completion. This training will review the university's Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct policy. We will review prohibited conduct, an employee's responsibility for reporting, how to file a report with the office, and resources available to students and staff.

Presented by Emily Gleason, Investigator, Title IX Office

What better way to meet your fellow graduate students than through speed networking? This 30-minute speed networking session will allow you to introduce yourself and get to know several Mason graduate students across disciplines & programs. We will provide guiding questions to help steer the conversation, but feel free to bring questions of your own! You may join this session at any time and will be able to hop into the next round of speed networking.

Cultivating a community of support is an essential task for all graduate students; connections with fellow students, faculty, and the broader campus community, as well as support from a personal network of family and friends, contribute to graduate student success and well-being. However, finding this community of support can be a challenge, made even more daunting amid a global pandemic. Join us for a panel discussion to hear how 5 current Mason graduate students from a range of backgrounds and identities have navigated finding their communities and support systems here at Mason before, during, and (hopefully) after the virtual world of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) is rich professional experience, but it can also be a daunting challenge. In this session, learn tips for engaging students and giving feedback online, face-to-face classroom management strategies, working with your faculty advisor, creating a teaching persona, and more.

Presented by Dr. E. Shelley Reid, Director for Teaching Excellence at the Stearns Center for Teaching & Learning

This is a session designed for graduate students currently holding a Graduate Research Assistantship, so that they may learn strategies for navigating their GRA position and their academics.

Presented by Dr. Christopher DiTeresi, Associate Director for Research Integrity, and Dr. Rebecca Hartley, Assistant Vice President for Research Integrity

This is a session designed for graduate students currently holding a Graduate Professional Assistantship, so that they may learn strategies for navigating their academics and their GPA position, professionalism in the workplace, professional communication, and leading meetings.

Presented by Dr. Julie Choe Kim, Director of Graduate Student Life