Thesis Advisor

Your advisor should serve as a resource for all issues within the lab. Usually, if your advisor is not able to answer the question, they may be able to direct you to other resources.

Thesis Committee

The Thesis Committee can also serve as a useful resource for resolving issues, especially if they are academic in nature. Students can use their committee as a sounding board if they need technical advice, or a fresh perspective on their research.  Keep in mind that the committee has at least one tenured faculty member on it who is not the advisor.

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS)

As the Neuroscience graduate program is an interdepartmental program, NSGP and the Graduate Partnership Program each have a Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), also called the Program Director. Grievances with faculty members within the department can be raised with the Program Directors. Program Directors can also provide advice on navigating personal (e.g. taking a leave of absence) or academic (e.g. concerns about the preliminary exam) matters.

Dean Harrington

Dean Harrington oversees the Division of Biology & Medicine’s Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS). She provides graduate students and postdocs with advice and support for all aspects of their training. If a student has a departmental issue, they should contact her via email at [email protected].

The Graduate School

The Graduate School has several deans covering different aspects of the Graduate School experience.  Students in need of emergency funding or assistance with personal, medical, or family matters should contact Maria Suarez, associate dean of student support, via email at [email protected]. Students with issues related to diversity and inclusion may wish to contact Marlina Duncan, associate dean of diversity initiatives, [email protected].