The EECS Graduate Student Association has announced elections and a call for officer candidates for the term beginning January 15, 2019.
Elections
The elections will be held on Wednesday, December 5, from 6pm to 7:30pm in room 32-D463 (Star Room). Dinner will be served.
Officer nominations are now open!
We are seeking nominations for the following positions:
Co-President (2)
Treasurer
Vice President, Academics and Diversity
Vice President, Visit Days and Orientation (2)
Vice President, Student Life
Vice President, Publications
All MIT EECS graduate students, including MEng students, are eligible to nominate or be nominated. To secure a nomination, you must be nominated by at least two EECS graduate students; self-nominations are encouraged. Candidates are highly encouraged to submit a short personal statement to be posted on the GSA website prior to the elections.
The EECS GSA is seeking three executive board members for the remainder of the current term (until December 31, 2018).
Interested in joining our executive board? Looking to give back to the larger department community? Consider joining us for the current term. This is also a great opportunity if you are interested in running for any position on the EECS GSA Executve Board in 2019 in order to familiarize yourself with the organization and the roles.
We have openings for the following positions:
Treasurer: Manage the GSA budget and finances
Academic Chair: Help organize academic events, such as faculty dinners, along with the VP Academic
Coffee Hour Chair: Organize the weekly GSA coffee hour
The beginning of another academic year always brings with it the eager shouts of a new cohort of PhD students joining our ranks. Welcome new students!
The EECS GSA hosted a variety of orientation activities to get our fellow students up-to-speed on the MIT PhD experience and Boston living… and hopefully meet a few friends along the way. Check out some photos of our events below.
EECS GSA Orientation activities included a board games and sushi social, a frisbee and cupcakes social, an Insider’s Guide to the PhD, Cambridge pub night, a beach outing, a rock climbing outing, and a How to Communicate in Grad School panel.
Constitution beach outing
One of everyone’s favorite orientation week events is our outing to Constitution Beach in East Boston. Students enjoyed a picnic lunch and a day of games and waves to unwind after a busy first week on campus. If this ends up being the only time you go to the beach in Boston during your entire PhD tenure, then rest assured it can’t get better than this!
Rock climbing
Those forearm muscles look great! Are they from the climbing gym or from mashing code at your keyboard? It didn’t matter to first year students as they scaled the walls at Rock Spot Climbing in South Boston.
New student?
Make sure to follow the EECS GSA for more social and academic events like these.
As MIT EECS graduate students begin to study for final exams, prepare course projects, submit research papers, and write up results in Masters and Doctoral theses, the EECS GSA has held several events to put students in the right mindset.
In March, EECS GSA and EECS REFS cohosted a wellness dinner for students to learn and discuss with each other how they tackle stress and stay fit while keeping up with the demands of research. Speakers included representatives from EECS GSA, EECS REFS, VPR, Physical Education, Community Wellness, and Title IX.
Students enjoyed a healthy meal
Students listened to presentations at the wellness dinner from various Institute groups
Then, we heard from Professor Vivienne Sze at the latest installation of our Faculty Dinner series. Professor Sze shared insights on her unique path to academia, the transition from an industry career to a faculty position, and her advice for graduate students to make the most of their training.
Professor Vivienne Sze (center) chats with students at a Faculty Dinner series event in April 2018.
Then, as graduate student thesis writers rev their engines in advance of Institute deadlines for submitting theses, the EECS GSA held a Thesis Panel featuring Professor Leslie Kolodziejski, Graduate Officer of EECS and Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Phoebe Ayers, EECS Librarian. Though it may have been the 10th time we learned about the specific requirements for earning graduate degrees from the department, this was the time students truly felt the impending deadlines. As a reminder, you can check out a variety of department resources to help you write your thesis:
The digits of π begin with 3.14… and if you’re reading this, you can probably name the next 50 as well. This March 14th, (3/14), EECS GSA hosted a Pi Day celebration featuring over 20 pies from local favorite Petsi Pies. Timeless favorites like Apple, Pumpkin, Banana Cream, and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan were served, as well as gluten-free and vegan choices. After an initial rush in which students maneuvered to get a slice of their favorite pie, the delectable desserts where quickly consumed.
The annual Pi Day celebration brought over fifty students to eat pies from local bakery Petsi Pies.
EECS GSA Co-President Maz Abulnaga (left) and VP Social Farnaz Jahanbakhsh (right) rejoice in the wafting scent of a Apple Pi Pie.
EECS students made a mad rush for the first, decadent slices.
It’s not far into the semester, but we still thought you might be in need of chocolate. The EECS GSA is organizing a tour of the Taza Chocolate factory store on February 20, 2018. Yes, there will be sample tastings!
Sign up at https://goo.gl/forms/GKzPoNTazw8T1Pmy2 if you want to come. Space is limited so make sure you can attend before signing up. (Filling out the form does not guarantee you a spot.)
