Graduate School

Student-Parent GRADitude hour
2026-04-15 16:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | NY
Join us a the Barn for Student-Parent GRADitude hour! There will be snacks and activities for the kids, and snacks and beer for parents and partners.

Research on Tap: Why You Do What You Do
2026-04-15 16:30 - 18:00 | 148 Stocking Hall, 411 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853
Location: Stocking Hall 148
Registration Required: https://cglink.me/2ee/r2298454
Have you ever wondered what research is being done on the Cornell campus outside of your own department? Want to grab a drink with friends and learn more about the diverse community of researchers working at Cornell? Then join Graduate Women in Science (GWiS), Big Red Brewing and the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE) for Research on Tap to hear flash talks from two invited faculty members presenting on their research!
Once the academic talks are over, the learning doesn’t stop — join us for a guided beer tasting led by Big Red Brewing. Hope to see you there!
Food, alcoholic drinks (21+ only) and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.
Funded by GPSAFC in collaboration with OISE and Big Red Brewing. Open to graduate and professional degree students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Please contact gwiscornell@gmail.com for any accommodations you might require to make this event accessible to you.

GRADitude: Pups & Popcorn
2026-04-17 14:30 - 15:30 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
The Cornell Companions are coming to the Big Red Barn! Stop by for some popcorn & pup time to de-stress and de-compress at the end of your busy week.

GRADitude T.G.I.F.
2026-04-17 16:30 - 19:00 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
We’re giving out free pizza at this Grad Student Appreciation Week edition of Tell Grad’s It’s Friday! First come, first served, so get there early if you want a slice.
Graduate students, Post Docs, Faculty, Staff, and Ph.D.s are welcome to attend with one guest each; all guests must be 23+. Undergraduate students are not allowed to attend.

Language Circle
2026-04-20 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-04-27 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-04 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-11 17:00 - 18:00 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Join us every Monday to learn a new language, brush up on an old one, or get more fluent through conversations with fellow graduate students who study these languages or are native speakers.
This spring, languages include Italian, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, Norwegian, and French. Facilitators will be present for all!

If you are interested in facilitating Spanish, Korean, or any other non-English language, please email bigredbarn@cornell.edu

Thesis and Dissertation Overview
2026-04-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Attend a thesis and dissertation overview via Zoom in advance of the May 1 spring conferral deadline. Bring your questions!
For additional thesis- and dissertation-related instructions, templates, timelines, and a prerecorded video overview similar to this session, see the Thesis and Dissertation webpage.

Knitting at the Barn
2026-04-21 17:30 - 19:00, 2026-04-28 17:30 - 19:00, 2026-05-05 17:30 - 19:00, 2026-05-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Do you love fiber crafts or want to learn? Come to the Barn on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 – 7 p.m.! This event is for both those interested in learning fiber arts and those who want to make steady progress on an existing project. Materials and guidance will be provided if needed.
This event usually occurs at 1-2 tables in the main space or greenhouse area of the Barn; email brb.art.fellow@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the group chat or request accessibility accommodations.

BRB Trivia
2026-04-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-04-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-05 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Trivia is back weekly on Tuesdays 7 PM to 9 PM at the Big Red Barn. Come with a team or show up on your own and see our trivia host, Jacob, to be matched with an existing team. All are welcome!

Beyond Supervision: Effective Mentorship in Undergraduate Research
2026-04-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
Beyond Supervision: Effective Mentorship in Undergraduate Research

Date Option 1: Friday, April 24, 2026 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, by Zoom
Date Option 2: Monday, May 18, 2026 from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, 142 Upson Hall (includes lunch)

Presenters: Colleen McLinn, Ph.D. and Darius Melvin, M.Ed.
Join us for an interactive workshop about best practices for mentoring undergraduate researchers. You will learn evidence-based mentoring techniques and engage with tools that you can use right now to enhance your mentoring practice. This workshop is ideal for the mentors of undergraduate researchers who would like to refine their mentoring practices or who are first time mentors to undergraduate researchers. We are offering two workshop sessions that will include the same content, one on Zoom and one in person (in person includes lunch!). Registration is required and space is limited. Sign-up now!

Sponsored by the Cornell University Graduate School, College of Engineering, and the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS), in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Boyce Thompson Institute. Open to all who will soon be mentoring undergraduate scholars conducting research (in any discipline).

T.G.I.F.
2026-04-24 16:30 - 19:00, 2026-05-01 16:30 - 19:00, 2026-05-08 16:30 - 19:00, 2026-05-15 16:30 - 19:00 | Big Red Barn, 135 Presidents Way, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Tell Grad’s It’s Friday is a Graduate and Professional Student-focused weekly event. Graduate students, Post Docs, Faculty, Staff, and PhDs are welcome to attend with one guest each; all guests must be 23+. Undergraduate students are not allowed to attend.

Exploring Careers in Non-Profits Panel
2026-04-28 20:10 - 21:30 | Online
Interested in working at a nonprofit but not sure what that entails? Come learn from professionals in domestic and international organizations on how they broke into the nonprofit sector, from community foundations and research strategy groups to transitioning into tech roles.
You’ll hear first hand accounts on:

Strategies for breaking into mission-driven work in nonprofit organizations
How to translate academic experience into nonprofit careers
What skills and experiences actually matter

The panel will be held on Tuesday, April 28th from 8:10-9:30 PM EST. Please register here for the zoom link.
Hosted by Beyond Academia – Berkeley

Nurture Your Network
2026-04-30 14:00 - 15:30 | 102 Mann Library, 237 Mann Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Learn why and how to network, conduct informational interviews, and ask practical questions. Incorporate AI tools, a tracking system, and LinkedIn strategies to build reputation and reach.
Workshop outcomes:

Understand why and how to build a network
Leverage the power of LinkedIn to identify and communicate with professionals
Learn to manage a network, and track it with a “Digital Rolodex a/k/a Tres Anillos.”

Networking is a two-way street where you must invest time and energy to nurture and grow it. Being intentional about your interactions can mean the difference between opening and closing doors. You can build something invaluable if you are selective and curate who/what you want to learn more about through informational interviews. AI tools help synthesize information, identify related organizations, and map ideas. A network contributes to collaborative activities such as publishing, presenting, and partnering on projects. We learn about an industry or sector through informational interviews (an opportunity to gather information and share your pitch), do market research, and find areas to collaborate. A genuine connection can organically lead to anything and everything. Integrate Excel with AI to track activities.
Join our in-person only hands-on networking workshop! All disciplines welcome! REGISTER NOW
Event Details
Date and Time: April 30 from 2:00-3:30pm (in-person only)
Campus Location: Provided upon registration, prior to the event
Facilitator: Alumna Melissa Reitkopp ’85
Accommodations: We strive to make our events accessible to all community members. Individuals who would like to request accessibility accommodations should contact gradcareers@cornell.edu. We ask that requests be made at least one week in advance to help ensure they can be met.
About the speaker: Alumna Melissa Reitkopp ’85 is a talent acquisition pro, career coach and community connector who has helped thousands of professionals across non-profit, commercial and government sectors grow their careers and build meaningful networks. She combines recruiter insights with practical tools to help people land jobs they love.
Brought to you through a collaboration between Cornell Alumni Affairs and Development and the Graduate School Office of Career and Professional Development’s Careers Beyond Academia program.

2026 Graduate Excellence & Impact Awards Celebration
2026-05-13 16:00 - 18:00 | G10 Biotechnology Building, 526 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Location: G10 Biotechnology
Register for the event here!
Join the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement and the OISE Student Leadership Council to celebrate graduate and professional degree student award recipients being recognized for excellence and positive impacts in their advancement of efforts around inclusion, mentorship, outreach, and student engagement.
Additionally, we will celebrate faculty, staff, and community member awardees who have made a positive impact through their demonstrated commitment to supporting the well-being, mentoring experiences, and personal and professional development of graduate and professional students who represent the diversity of the Cornell community.

Research Communication Workshop
2026-05-14 14:00 - 16:00 | 102 Mann Library, 237 Mann Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Join this interactive, in-person only workshop. PhD students and postdocs from all disciplines are welcome. Be prepared to discuss your own research!
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this workshop you should:

Be able to introduce yourself in an engaging and memorable way
Recognize and develop strategies to explain jargon or complex topics
Develop skills and confidence to communicate with a variety of audiences
Use different storytelling approaches to communicate your research
Identify one or more outlets to communicate your research
Develop an approach to start your talk and engage your audience immediately

REGISTER NOW
Facilitators:
Cynthia Leifer, Director, Cornell Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Susi Varvayanis, Executive Director, Careers Beyond Academia
Date and time: May 14 from 2:00-4pm
Campus location: will be sent to registrants’ Cornell email prior to the date
Brought to you through a collaboration between the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in the Research and Innovation Division and Careers Beyond Academia in the Office of Career and Professional Development in the Graduate School.

NIH Career Symposium
2026-05-18 - 2026-05-21 | Online
Join the 2026 National Institutes of Health Career Symposium! This online, multi-day event will highlight a broad range of career paths available to biomedical researchers. Panels and workshops throughout the symposium are designed to help postdocs and doctoral students in the life sciences explore new career paths, learn more about a specific career, and prepare for a successful job search. The Career Symposium will take place May 18-21, 2026. Register to attend
Event highlights

Ten panels featuring professionals in a broad range of careers, including pharmaceutical industry, academic careers, science policy, and more!
Workshops to help you:

Navigate a Changing Job Market
Develop Job Search Skills
Plan for a Career Transition

Opportunities to network with professionals and peers

For more information, visit the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education

Beyond Supervision: Effective Mentorship in Undergraduate Research
2026-05-18 11:30 - 13:30 | 142 Upson Hall, 124 Hoy Road, Ithaca, 14853, United States

Ph.D. Hooding Photos Prior to Recognition Ceremony
2026-05-22 15:30 - 17:30 | Atrium, Corson-Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
The Graduate School invites Ph.D. graduates and their advisors to the Corson-Mudd Hall atrium for the opportunity to have a professional photographer capture posed photos acting out the ceremonial hooding prior to the formal Ph.D. Recognition ceremony on May 22, 2026. Photos will be shared with the graduates free of charge in the days following Commencement weekend.
Photographers and photo backdrops will be available between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. in the atrium of Corson-Mudd Hall, on Tower Rd. Photographers will capture posed photos of Ph.D. candidates and their advisors acting out the ceremonial hooding, in which a faculty member places the hood over the shoulders of the graduate to signify their success in completing their graduate program.
Hundreds of Ph.D. candidates will be recognized at the event, so please plan to arrive early to avoid a last-minute rush to take your photos. The photographers and backdrops will not be available following the formal Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony.
Graduates are free to invite their advisors or another committee member to perform the hooding. In addition, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Thomas A. Lewis, will be available from 4:30-5:30 p.m. to hood graduates whose advisors are unable to attend. Graduates should wear their appropriate cap, gown, and hood. Faculty members may wear their regalia, but it is not required.
Graduates and their advisors do not need to RSVP to take advantage of this opportunity. However, candidates must register to attend the ceremony in Barton Hall.
Please contact the Graduate School with any questions about this event: gradschool@cornell.edu

Getting a Faculty Position: Lessons Learned During the Academic Job Search
2026-05-28 15:00 - 16:15 | Zoom
Join us for a live online panel discussion featuring postdoctoral scholars and graduate students who were offered faculty positions this year! Bring your questions about the process and hear from the recent experiences of other Cornellians.
Meets online via Zoom. Register to attend.
Panelists to be Announced.
Sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Career and Professional Development as part of the Academic Job Search Series.
Accommodations: We strive to make our events accessible to all Cornell community members. Individuals who would like to request accessibility accommodations should contact futurefaculty@cornell.edu. We ask that requests be made at least one week in advance to help ensure they can be met.
