Build Momentum!

February is about building momentum for the semester ahead. Now is a great time to strengthen your academic strategies, apply your skills beyond the classroom, and engage in experiences that enrich your graduate journey. Explore this month’s GradEssentials events designed to support your success.

Graduate Student Career Services

Career Coaching

Thinking about your next steps? Our graduate career coaches are available for one-on-one appointments on any career-related topic. Sign up for an in-person or Zoom coaching session on MU Connect.

Career Series Workshops

Friday, Feb 10, 1:00–3:00 PM • 111F Townsend Hall (GradHub)
Join the graduate career coaches for workshops focused on career fundamentals. Graduate students from all disciplines are welcome to attend!

• Preparing for the Job Market (1–2 PM)
• Finding and Evaluating Jobs (2–3 PM)

Career Fair Strategies for Grad Students

Thursday, Feb. 26, 3:30–4:30 PM •  111F Townsend Hall (GradHub)
Discover strategies for preparing for upcoming on-campus career fairs, including developing and practicing your elevator pitch.

Register: cglink.me/2ny/r446578

Register for upcoming career fairs and view employers who are attending on Handshake

PhD Career & Job Search Alumni Panels

Mondays, 3:30–4:45 PM • Online (Zoom)

This spring, the Graduate School is offering two complementary panel series to support PhD students exploring both careers beyond academia and the academic job market. Sessions feature Mizzou PhD alumni, postdocs, and early-career faculty sharing insights about their career paths, day-to-day work, and lessons learned after completing the doctorate.

February panels:

• Feb 9 – PhD Career Exploration: Life & Physical Sciences

• Feb 23 – Academic Job Search Series: What I Wish I Knew About Academic Jobs

Additional PhD Career Exploration panels later this spring:

• Social Sciences & Policy (March 2)
• Education & Learning Fields (March 16)
• Humanities & Communication (April 6)
• Data, Computing & Technical Fields (April 27)

Additional Academic Job Search panels will cover:

• Academic Search Committees (March 30)
• Academic Job Talks & Campus Visits (April 13)
• Negotiating Academic Job Offers (April 20)

Demystifying Graduate School - Finding Your Mentors in Graduate School with Associate Dean Enid Schatz

Tuesday, Feb 10, 3:30-4:45 PM  • 111F Townsend Hall (GradHub)

Aim of session is to begin thinking about WHAT you need and WHO will be helpful to have around you during grad school to shape your experience and meet your needs. This will include discussions of how to identify peer, near-peer, faculty and staff mentors who can provide assistance and guidance across a variety of needs.

This session is especially well-suited for students in their first or second year of graduate study, as well as those navigating key milestones such as qualifying exams or the proposal stage.

Register: https://cglink.me/2ny/r444479

AI Foundations for Graduate Research Excellence

Wednesday, Feb 11, 3:30-5:00 PM  • 111F Townsend Hall (GradHub)

This workshop provides graduate students with an accessible yet rigorous introduction to large language model mechanics and advanced prompt engineering—essential skills for modern scholarship. Through intuitive explanations of pattern recognition in text (without heavy mathematics), participants learn practical techniques with immediate research applications, including systematic literature synthesis, reliable code generation for data analysis, and precise research question formulation.

No AI background is required. Students gain actionable expertise in crafting effective prompts for tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and domain‑specific research systems, helping them produce trustworthy results for thesis work, publications, and computational workflows.

Register: https://cglink.me/2ny/r445804

The Writing Center

Graduate Student Writing Support

Book one-on-one Graduate Writing Support in-person and Zoom tutoring appointments for any document you're working on, including coursework, proposals, application materials, and even theses and dissertations, completely free of charge. These appointments are available any time classes are in session. The Online Writery, our asynchronous modality, never closes–submit drafts anytime for written feedback from a Graduate Writing Support tutor.

GradsWrite Groups

GradsWrite writing groups are our structured weekly writing groups for graduate students. Led by a Writing Center facilitator, these community writing groups will run for 2 hours and members will be asked to share weekly goals, celebrate others successes, and receive celebrations on their own at the start of the meetings. The majority of the time will then be spent writing in a group setting.

Meetings will begin in Week 3 and will continue through Week 9.We will run 3 GradsWrite groups this spring: 

• Mondays on Zoom, 9-11 a.m.
• Wednesdays on campus, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Thursdays on campus, 2-4 p.m.

Register for the first meeting on Engage and you will automatically be registered into all meeting times for that group.

GradsLearn Series

The Writing Center, in collaboration Campus Writing Program, will be hosting a 4-part GradsLearn series taking AI and writing as a central theme. Each week, one speaker will present on topics related to graduate research and writing processes. All session will be hosted on Zoom. Register on our Engage page.

• AI and Research with Kimberly Moeller, Feb. 18, 1-2 p.m.
• AI and Your Career with Audra Jenkins, Feb. 24, 3-4 p.m.
• AI and Writing Timelines with Dr. Bailey Boyd, March 4, 3-4 p.m.
• AI and Your Writing Voice with Dr. Christy Goldsmith, March 11, 3-4 p.m.

TA Training Series - Teaching with Confidence: Classroom Presence, Power Dynamics, and Engagement for TAs, GIs, and Postdocs

Friday, Feb 20, 1:00-2:00 PM • 111F Townsend Hall (GradHub)

Whether you're stepping into the classroom for the first time or looking to strengthen your presence in the classroom, this session will give you tools to teach with confidence, authority, and care. We’ll explore strategies for setting boundaries, handling disruptions, and managing classroom dynamics while remaining approachable and student-centered. You’ll learn how to build rapport and foster a safe, respectful environment that supports learners from diverse backgrounds and encourages student engagement. Finally, we'll look at how to adapt these strategies for online classes.

Lunch provided for first 15 attendees.

Register: https://cglink.me/2ny/r445378

Grant Writing

Grants 101: Grants Basics for Beginners

Wednesday, Feb 25, 3:00–4:00 PM • Online (Zoom)

In this online lecture, you will learn the basics of finding external funding for your scholarly and creative work. We will cover introductions to grant vocabulary, the funding process and support resources at Mizzou, and how to begin your search for external funding.

Register: https://cglink.me/2ny/r444302