There are a variety of ways that PSD graduate students can get involved in the work of the division and the School of Pharmacy, can get connected to their peer graduate students in pharmaceutical sciences, and can be involved in the larger campus graduate student population, both professionally and socially:
I. School of Pharmacy Graduate Student Awards & Reception
The School of Pharmacy Graduate Awards & Reception is an annual social event held at Rennebohm Hall each fall that brings together all of the graduate students from the various arms of the School of Pharmacy (PhD students in Pharmaceutical Sciences; MS and PhD students in Health Services Research in Pharmacy; MS students in the Hospital Pharmacy/Residency program). In addition to serving as a social gathering, various graduate student awards are presented at this event, including the TA awards (honoring the best teaching assistants of the previous academic year) and the Zaman-Saroya Award.
II. The UW–Madison Chapter of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison student chapter of AAPS was established in 2002. The mission of AAPS-UW Chapter is to facilitate communication, education, and fellowship between students through exploration of current topics and career paths in pharmaceutical research. AAPS interaction particularly allows graduate students in drug discovery, drug action, and drug delivery to get exposure to research and work outside of their particular research core. AAPS members arrange for seminar presentations by guest speakers drawn from both industry and academia, aiming at hosting one or two major guest speakers every academic year. In addition to these seminars, Roundtables introduce students in an informal way to invited speakers in industry and academia, as well as to new faculty members. An ambition of the chapter is to establish and strengthen interactions with surrounding pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through on-site visits. These trips provide student members the opportunity to observe a variety of research environments. Past trips have included visits to Covance in Madison, 3M Pharmaceuticals in St. Paul, Eli Lilly & Company in Indianapolis, and Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago, Ill. The student chapter hosts monthly meetings to discuss papers from various areas of pharmaceutical research. This journal club was designed to be both informal and interactive to further student participation. AAPS also sponsors regular social events for its members. Please contact the president, Christopher Stevens (cmstevens2@wisc.edu), with any questions
III. Committee Membership
Students take advantage of leadership opportunities through participation on the various PSD and School of Pharmacy Committees. Committee membership provides:
- A student voice in program matters
- Leadership opportunities
- Professional experience
- A variety of commitment levels
- Beneficial contacts to use throughout your education and future career
- Committees that students may participate in include: Safety, Admissions, Recruitment, Graduate Studies, Assessment, Climate and Inclusivity, Professional Development and Wellbeing, and Awards and Citations
- The following will be taken into consideration when choosing student volunteers for committee membership:
- Ability to represent the PSD student body and PSD Program as a whole
- Knowledge of the PSD Program
- Knowledge of PSD students and their concerns
- Diversity of focus group representation
- Prior experience
IV. Recruiting Weekend Poster Session
All graduate students in Pharmaceutical Sciences and much of the Division’s research community participate in a Research Poster Session, typically held on a Friday afternoon in February or March. This poster session allows visiting prospective graduate students to interact with our research community and get a sense of the diverse work done here. Discussions between prospective and current graduate students, scientists, and faculty allow the prospective student to see if their research interests and passions are well matched with existing and future projects. This environment also allows for conversation about Madison and the UW–Madison in general. The PSD Division leadership highly values the involvement of current graduate students at this function and at other events that make up the Recruiting Weekend.
V. UW–Madison Graduate School Getting Involved Website
Leadership, community service, and volunteering opportunities are organized on the UW–Madison Graduate School’s Getting Involved website, and links to university social organizations.
VI. Professional Development
The UW Graduate School’s professional development webpages are an essential resource, featuring planning guides, skills development tools, and career support resources to help you achieve your professional goals.
VII. Grad Connections Weekly
During the academic year, GradConnections is a weekly newsletter that provides useful tips for grads, deadlines and announcements, professional development, and funding opportunities for graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. To subscribe or view past newsletters, visit the Grad Connections page.