A few things to bring to your attention:
- Monday, Jan 20th is Martin Luther King Jr Day and there will be no
classes. There will be a number of events all next week to
commemorate the legacy of Dr King so check those out here.
- Need a portable tire inflator? A clothes steamer? A step ladder?
The Library of Things is a collection of non-traditional materials
including gadgets, tools, games, electronics and more - all
available to check out for free with your GVSU ID for a one-time
project. Check out the collection and all the Things you can borrow
here!
- Dates for the Graduate School's Thesis workshops have been
released so students taking EGR 695 OR EGR 693, please make plans to
attend at least one of these mandatory workshops. Details and
registration information can be found here.
- If you'd like some motivation and dedicated time to work on your
Thesis or Project, consider attending the Writing Center's Thesis
Boost immersive writing workshop on Feb 22nd & 23rd. Many of
your seniors have found the experience rewarding and have got a head
start on their thesis or project write up during that weekend. There
is a $50 fee that will be covered by the Graduate School if you
attend the entire session so it's a win-win. Find out more here.
- Last but not least - bundle up because it's going to get COLD out
there next week! Wear multiple layers, cover your face, hands, and
ears to retain heat, and don't stay outdoors for more than 30
minutes to limit your exposure to cold temperatures.
Stay warm Lakers!
Samhita Rhodes
January 18, 2025
Welcome to Winter 25 semester! Just a few things for you to begin the semester:
-
My Winter 25 office hours are from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on
Mondays and 9:00 – 10:30 am on Wednesday in-person (KEN 253)
so please stop by if you have any questions or just to say
hello. If you need help outside of office hours please stop by and
knock on the door – I’m happy to chat if I’m not in class or in a
meeting! I’m also available outside of office hours via zoom if necessary.
- Friday, January 10th at 5:00 pm is the deadline to add
or drop classes without penalty! After that there will be a fee and
extra paperwork!
- Students beginning a thesis or project this semester i.e. those
signed up for their first EGR 695 or EGR 693 credits –
- the Graduate School will be holding workshops that go through
the capstone process in detail so please sign up for one of
them. Attendance at one of these is mandatory and they are super
informative too. Information can be found here.
- You must have the Thesis/Project Committee form reviewed and
approved by the engineering Graduate Committee. You will fill
this out with your Thesis/Project advisor, get your committee
signatures, and send it to me. The graduate committee will
review it and when it’s approved I will submit the EGR 695 forms
on your behalf to the Graduate School (EGR 693 are kept in the
School of Engineering). Form is two pages and can be found in
the Student Resources section.
- Students getting ready to finish up your EGR 695 or EGR 693 this
semester – congratulations! A few things to keep in mind:
- Watch the deadline
dates for defending and submitting your Thesis (EGR 695) to
the Graduate School. These are the same dates to defend and
submit your Project (EGR 693) to the School of Engineering.
- Follow these guidelines
when writing your Thesis/Project – use the appropriate title
page template (MSE
Student Resources), watch formatting, make sure all the
sections are included and complete etc.
- All Theses ONLY are publicly defended so you MUST work with
Allyson Albrecht to schedule a date, reserve a room, and send
out the announcement at least 1 week BEFORE you
plan on defending.
- After your defense you will address any questions or concerns
your committee brings up and get their signatures on the
appropriate final approval forms (see attached) before
submitting to the Dean (EGR 695) or me (EGR 693). Once all the
signatures are in, your advisor will update the grades for ALL
your EGR 695/693 credits from X to PS or PD indicating
successful completion.
- International students please note the following:
- You must be signed up for 9 credits unless you are in your
last semester OR you are taking your culminating experience
credits i.e. EGR 693/ EGR 695, or EGR 686 OR you are doing
experiential learning credits (EGR 699 Experiential Learning 1
credit or EGR 685 Graduate Practicum).
- Of those 9 credits, 6 must be in-person and 3 may be online. A
hybrid class is counted as in-person if it meets in person at
least 25% of the time i.e. 4 weeks in a standard 16 week semester.
- Remember, there are a number of student support centers on campus
you all have access to – writing center, career center, counseling
center etc. So check them out here.
- The engineering graduate committee consists of Dr Heidi Jiao, Dr
Nabeeh Kandalaft, Dr Farid Jafari, Dr Abishek Balsamy-Kamaraj, and
myself so feel free to reach out to any of us with questions. We
meet every week on Monday from 9 am – 10 am.
Samhita Rhodes
January 8, 2025