Welcome Address by 2013 Graduate Student Association (GSA) President, Melody Cheng
Dear New Students,
Welcome to Johns Hopkins! I would like to congratulate all of you on your remarkable achievements. You have made one of the most important decisions in your life to come here – an institute full of creative ideas and novel discoveries in biological sciences and medicine. You will pursue your passion for scientific research in a world that is very different from college. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is here and ready to help you strike a balance in your personal and professional lives!
The GSA is the main student organization that represents all master and Ph.D. students who are currently enrolled in 17 programs at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU SOM). We continue to address graduate students’ diverse needs and act as a liaison between students, faculty, and the school. In addition to working with program representatives, advisory committees, and school administration, the GSA will plan a variety of social events throughout the academic year, including the orientation social, happy hours, the multi-school Halloween masquerade, ice skating at Patterson Park, a ski trip to Pennsylvania, free coffee hour and ice cream social, and the annual pirate cruise in Inner Harbor. We also encourage all first-year graduate students to explore student interest groups such as Hopkins Dance, Hopkins Imaging Initiative, JHMI Choral Society, Johns Hopkins Business and Consulting Club (JHBCC), Peer Mentoring Program, Restriction Digest, and The Leadership Initiative for the Environment (LIFE).
The GSA also brings together different academic activities to maximize students’ scientific exposure through the GSA poster session, research lectureships, and the “Teacher of the Year” award speech. We are now working with the Professional Developmental Office (PDO) and the Postdoctoral Association to initiate a “Career Development Program” to connect current students with JHU SOM alumni through seminars and workshops to give advice on successful academic and industrial careers. This professional network will develop into a valuable resource for career planning and job searching, which in turn will benefit students most.
We hope that students interested in GSA-sponsored events and services can come to our monthly meetings, which are held on the second Friday of every month from noon to 1 PM in the Wood Basic Science Building (WBSB) student lounge. You can always stay connected to the GSA on Facebook and get live updates on our key policies and upcoming activities.
Congratulations again! I wish you all the best in your first year as you embark on your exciting adventure at Hopkins!
Sincerely,
Melody Cheng
President, GSA
Welcome to Johns Hopkins! I would like to congratulate all of you on your remarkable achievements. You have made one of the most important decisions in your life to come here – an institute full of creative ideas and novel discoveries in biological sciences and medicine. You will pursue your passion for scientific research in a world that is very different from college. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is here and ready to help you strike a balance in your personal and professional lives!
The GSA is the main student organization that represents all master and Ph.D. students who are currently enrolled in 17 programs at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU SOM). We continue to address graduate students’ diverse needs and act as a liaison between students, faculty, and the school. In addition to working with program representatives, advisory committees, and school administration, the GSA will plan a variety of social events throughout the academic year, including the orientation social, happy hours, the multi-school Halloween masquerade, ice skating at Patterson Park, a ski trip to Pennsylvania, free coffee hour and ice cream social, and the annual pirate cruise in Inner Harbor. We also encourage all first-year graduate students to explore student interest groups such as Hopkins Dance, Hopkins Imaging Initiative, JHMI Choral Society, Johns Hopkins Business and Consulting Club (JHBCC), Peer Mentoring Program, Restriction Digest, and The Leadership Initiative for the Environment (LIFE).
The GSA also brings together different academic activities to maximize students’ scientific exposure through the GSA poster session, research lectureships, and the “Teacher of the Year” award speech. We are now working with the Professional Developmental Office (PDO) and the Postdoctoral Association to initiate a “Career Development Program” to connect current students with JHU SOM alumni through seminars and workshops to give advice on successful academic and industrial careers. This professional network will develop into a valuable resource for career planning and job searching, which in turn will benefit students most.
We hope that students interested in GSA-sponsored events and services can come to our monthly meetings, which are held on the second Friday of every month from noon to 1 PM in the Wood Basic Science Building (WBSB) student lounge. You can always stay connected to the GSA on Facebook and get live updates on our key policies and upcoming activities.
Congratulations again! I wish you all the best in your first year as you embark on your exciting adventure at Hopkins!
Sincerely,
Melody Cheng
President, GSA