Transition = Opportunity

Posted: August 23, 2023

Dear Students, Faculty, Administrators, and Staff,

Welcome, newcomers! Welcome back, familiar faces!

As we Grad Gators gather for the new academic year, we find that the University of Florida is in transition. This semester, we will inaugurate a new president, Dr. Ben Sasse, on November 2. And we await a new provost, while seasoned faculty member Dr. J. Scott Angle ably stewards that important role in the interim.

Transitions sometimes provoke unease, but they need not. Transition is a sign of health: it means that we are dynamic and on the move, rather than static and stuck in a rut. Transitions invite us to rethink preconceived notions and find fresh opportunities for growth amid the changes and challenges they present.

The Graduate School is going through some rather healthy transitions of its own:

• We have a new, improved website online to help you find the information you need in a much more user-friendly way that is easier on the eyes.
• We’ve retooled our student affairs efforts as the Graduate Student Success Center — with the Office of Graduate Professional Development and Office of Graduate Student Support and Engagement within it — to improve student experiences and enhance their scholarly, professional, and personal growth at UF.
• We’ve welcomed Christopher Walker to our staff as GradCare Assistant Director, who will maintain office hours in Grinter Hall to help graduate students identify sources of help for academic, administrative, or health issues.
• We’ve also welcomed Hannah Potter to our staff as Director of Academic Support Services in our Academic Affairs branch, who will coordinate the vital synergy between Data Management and Student Records within the Graduate School.
• We have new initiatives in postdoctoral affairs and recruitment in the works — keep your eyes peeled for news on those fronts.

We hope you’ll join in our enthusiasm for transition. And please keep in mind that the Graduate School is here for you as you settle into campus life and hit the books, so keep in touch with us!

• Explore our programs, services, and resources on our new website: grad.ufl.edu.
• Visit our home base: 106 Grinter Hall.
• Contact us at gradschool@aa.ufl.edu or 352 392 6622.

All the best to all of you, Grad Gators, as we embark on a new academic year to further insight, ingenuity, and innovation for the greater good through graduate education and research at UF!

Go Gators!

Nicole L.P. Stedman, Ph.D.
Associate Provost and Dean
The Graduate School
University of Florida