Graduate School Newsletter

March 2026

Important Announcements

Message from the Dean

Dear graduate students,

One concern that has arisen from graduate students who are on the MSU campus is what to do in case of emergency—whether that emergency is in the classroom with a student who has fainted or if it is an unwelcome visitor in the classroom. At a meeting last week, the MSU deans and vice provosts had the chance to ask the MSU police chief, Mike Stanley, questions about handling emergencies. Since it hard to remember what to do in an emergency, he gave us only one instruction: Call 911. If the situation is not an emergency, the number to use for help is 994-2121.

In other news, the Graduate School is sponsoring a campus wide 3-Minute Thesis Competition, where students provide a three-minute talk about their research using everyday language, illustrated with only one PowerPoint slide. The campus-wide competition will be on April 23, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. in Inspiration Hall in the Norm Asbjornson Hall. Several colleges are having college-wide contests and some departments are hosting their own contests. If you would like to participate, please see your advisor or graduate coordinator.

Finally, a celebration of the first year of the Crawford graduate student projects will be held on April 16 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Room 008 of Romney Hall. The scholarship awards are $10,000 each year for some type of work on wildlife habitat. The event will showcase the projects of over 40 graduate students. Food and music will accompany a showcase of poster presentations from these scholars. Please come! Watch for more information and an RSVP for the event.

Take care and enjoy the downhill slide to the end of the semester!

Best wishes,

Deborah Haynes, Ph.D.

Dean of the Graduate School

Wellness Week Raffle Winners

Congratulations to our Wellness Week raffle winners! These students completed the Daily Wellness Challenge Tracker during Wellness Week. If your name is below, please stop by 104 Montana Hall to collect your prize.

Claire Charvet

Corinne Neustadter

Lucy Wood

Meg Pandiscio

Moriah Schutt

Nichole Pieper

Nicole Kamarat

Olivia DeBoer

Samanthi Wijerathna

Shanika Kothalawalage

Shramana Ghosh

Messages from Graduate Student Leadership Council

Strategic Planning: GSLC encourages all graduate students to get involved with shaping the future of Montana State University by getting involved with the Strategic Planning process. The next graduate student planning meeting will be held on March 10th at 4:15pm. You can also share feedback using the survey on the strategic plan website (here) or by contacting GSLC directly.

Housing council: University Student Housing is launching the Apartments Community Collaborative, and members are needed! For those of you living in University Student Apartments, are you interested in joining monthly meetings to share your experiences, identify issues, and contribute to discussions about priorities and improvements? If you are interested in joining this advisory group, please email the Housing office (housing@montana.edu) or reach out to GSLC directly.

Feedback: As always, reach out to GSLC with questions, comments, concerns or to get more involved with graduate student leadership. Keep an eye on your inbox for a graduate student survey that will be sent out this month to assess graduate student wellbeing and success. We will use results from this survey to better understand the issues facing graduate students and how the university may be able to best support graduate education moving forward. https://www.montana.edu/gradschool/gslc.html

Spring Graduate Professional Development Series

This series is offered by The Extreme Biofilms National Research Traineeship (NRT) Program and The Graduate School. Attend two NRT-hosted workshops and apply for up to a $1,500 Seed Grant. Use the funds to attend a conference, participate in a technical workshop, or pursue emerging research.

March 10, 12-1:30pm, Ballroom B: From Meetings to Mentors: Building Connections that Matter
March 26, 11:30am-1pm, SUB Alumni Legacy Lounge: Job Search 2.0. LinkedIn and ChatGPT Secrets Revealed with Jeremy Schifeling (Hybrid/in-person and online option)
April 3, 12-1:30pm, SUB 233: Essential Tools for Effective Technical Writing with Jennifer Brown
April 14, 12-1:30pm,SUB Ballroom B: Leadership Essentials for Emerging Scholars

Please see the GradCat 360 Calendar for further information and scheduling updates.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Full List of Grad School Dates & Deadlines

March 16-20: Spring Break (no classes, offices open)
March 25: Priority Registration Opens for Summer/Fall 2026.
April 3: University Day (no classes, offices open)
April 24: Last day for comprehensive exam or defense if graduating spring 2026

Funding & Fellowships

Identify Scholarships and Research Funding for Your Graduate Education!

The University of Illinois has an excellent Fellowship Finder featuring awards that are open to grad students from any university. It features several filters to aid your search.

The National Research Council postdoctoral program is used by federal agencies across the country to support postdoc searches. This is a great place to look when you are close to finishing your PhD and the salaries are quite good. Quarterly application deadlines.

2026 Ivan Doig Research Awards and Fellowship

The Ivan Doig Center for the Study of the Lands & Peoples of the North American West is pleased to announce the call for applications for the Ivan Doig Summer Dissertation Fellowship and the Graduate Student Research Award. Applications are open MSU CLS students studying the North American West and who are Doig Center Affiliates. For more information or to apply, visit the Doig Center Website.

Dept. of History and Philosophy 2026 Summer Internship

The Department of History and Philosophy is pleased to announce that we have TWO summer internships at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge, MT. Home to an early ranching magnate and in continual family ranching until the 1970s, this national park site interprets the transformation of cattle ranching in the American West from 19th c. open-range ranching to 20th c. scientific management. The 3-month internship pays $17.20 an hour and includes stipends for housing and travel. Applications are due March 25th. For application details contact: micahchang@montana.edu

For more funding opportunities, visit MSU’s Research Funding Opportunities and the MSU Graduate School's Funding and Fellowships webpage.

Workshops & Events

Graduate Wellness Champions - Spring Applications Open

The Graduate School is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. To support the well-being of graduate students, department-level initiatives are key – both in running local well-being events, but also to help change culture and practices. A $500 fellowship ($250 per semester) is available for graduate student wellness champions who will advocate and organize well-being events in their departments. This fellowship is to support the student for organizational work during the academic year. For more information, please visit the GradCat Wellness Champion Program website.

NSF ART Introduction to Research Translation

Did you know that university research can have a tremendous impact in helping create a better world? Did you know that 77% of projects that aim to create impact from research deeply involve graduate students' work?

You too can be one of those changemakers. Check out and apply for this four-hour program that's meant to help you explore possibilities. Those who complete the program are eligible to receive a $200 scholarship, and additional support when they are ready to take their idea/project to impact.

ETD Drop-In Hours

The Graduate Formatting Advisor is offering Drop-In Sessions throughout the spring semester hosted in the Writing Center in Romney 207. You can get help on your thesis formatting Monday 12-1pm and Thursdays 6-7pm. For more information, or to join online, visit the ETD Website.

Indigenous Research Celebration April 8-10

American Indian & Alaska Native Student Success is hosting the 3rd annual Indigenous Research Celebration. RSVP now to access a resource fair, student poster presentations, paid internships, networking opportunities, and presentations from indigenous speakers.

Email zoe.pratte@montana.edu for more information or to RSVP.

MSU Writing Center

Our graduate writing groups meet weekly and offer participants accountability, support, and feedback. The Writing Center provides the facilitator and the space.

The Writing Center also hosts HumaniTEAs Thursday Writers' Roundtables for graduate students in English, American Studies, History, Architecture, and Art. RSVP here.

You can also drop in to the Wilson Hall WC for FOCUS Friday every Friday from 9am to 12pm.

https://www.montana.edu/writingcenter/graduate-students/graduate-writer-support.html

Professional Development: GradCat 360

GradCat 360 is a comprehensive professional development program for graduate students at Montana State University. It is a series of programs and events designed by the Graduate School and departments across campus that center around nine focus areas. These areas are tailored to help students cultivate a unified set of skills and knowledge for educational success and professional preparation.

Check out our GradCat 360 Event Calendar, specifically curated for Graduate Students. We are constantly updating the GradCat 360 calendar with workshops and events that are uniquely useful for Graduate Students.