The Rackham Centennial Symposium
• 3-5 p.m. Feb. 16, Rackham Building
• 6 p.m. reception in Rackham Assembly Hall
Nearly 200 Rackham students will gather Feb. 16 to mark 100 years of the Graduate School by taking part in The Rackham Centennial Symposium: Michigan Graduate Students In The World.
The event will take place from 3-5 p.m. in the Rackham Building.
“Students will present posters and laptop presentations of research that displays the quality, breadth and diversity of graduate education at Michigan,” says Rackham Assistant Dean John Godfrey.
The symposium, with support from ProQuest, features a panel presentation from 5-6 p.m. led by Rackham Dean Janet Weiss. Leaders of three nationally prominent foundations will join the panel: Mark Cardillo, executive director, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation; Carol Goss, president and CEO, The Skillman Foundation; and Edward Henry, president and CEO, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Rackham graduate students prepare for careers in research, teaching and professional life in many fields. The research that they develop under the guidance of faculty opens new ground to advance knowledge. At the symposium, students will share work that addresses important problems and challenges, and advances fields of knowledge, in science and engineering, the social sciences, and the humanities.
“Advanced degrees carry with them an implicit commitment to make a difference in the world, to discover fresh approaches to entrenched problems, to enlarge the knowledge base, to enhance our understanding of human thought and expression. There are many examples of Michigan graduate students who go on to careers that have an impact in their academic field and in broader public settings” Godfrey says.
“Graduate education has an urgent public purpose as we seek to come to grips with ever more complex problems and issues and to understand a world in rapid transition. The public is invited to take part, and we hope faculty, staff and members of the community are able to see the remarkable talent that is at work in the University. We also want this to be an opportunity for students themselves to recognize and appreciate the scope and quality of the work of their peers.”
Panelists will respond to the student presentations, and speak about the work their foundations. “We hope that the panelists will present their perspectives on urgent issues that the foundations work on, and how graduate students can understand their education and research in the context of these broader challenges,” Godfrey says.
A reception is scheduled at 6 p.m. in the Rackham Assembly Hall to close the event.
