With more than 18,300 applications this year, the NASA astronaut program is extremely competitive, but Zena Cardman hoped her diverse set of experiences including working in the engine room of a boat and several Antarctic expeditions might give her the edge. She was right. Cardman, a doctoral student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State University, was recently named a member of NASA’s 2017 class of astronauts. The 12 men and women were recognized during a ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on June 7.

Cardman’s research in the geosciences focuses on microbe-rock interactions and what those interactions reveal about life on Earth and perhaps life elsewhere. The possibility of life on other planets drives her research interests, including her current work on the alien-like lifeforms found growing on walls of damp, remote caves. “I’m especially interested in life that lives in oddball environments on Earth, the extremophiles,” said Cardman. “For me, that’s a good analogy for environments that might be habitable on another planet.”

In August, Cardman must report to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for training that will include flying jets, learning Russian, taking mock spacewalks, and getting to know her teammates. She’ll be in the candidate-training program for two years before she becomes a full astronaut and qualifies for spaceflight missions. To read more about Zena’s work, visit the Penn State website.

**Photo Credit: NASA

Hironao Okahana, Assistant Vice President, Research & Policy Analysis

The CGS Pressing Issues Survey is an important vehicle for the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) to stay apprised of the key priorities for our member deans. The 2017 survey was administered to all 485 graduate deans or equivalent at CGS member institutions based in the U.S. and Canada via email between February 1 and February 17, 2017. The response rate was 42%, with 205 institutions recording their survey responses. The survey asked a range of questions regarding priorities for graduate deans, graduate schools, and their home institutions for the upcoming twelve months, as well as observations of graduate application trends. This article provides insights into three key areas: graduate application trends, advocacy, and diversity.

Graduate Application Trends

International Application Trends
Nearly one half of graduate deans at U.S. doctoral universities (48%) indicated they are seeing downward changes in international graduate applications this year, compared to the last application cycle. A little over one-third (37%) indicated they are seeing no substantial change. In contrast, only one quarter of U.S. master’s colleges and university graduate deans observed substantial downward changes in international graduate applications. Of those graduate deans who indicated downward changes in international graduate applications, the majority (53%) attributed the shifts to “Other Factors.” Many wrote in concerns related to the current political climate and immigration policies. Though only seven Canadian institutions responded to this survey, all seven graduate deans at these institutions indicated upward changes in international graduate applications with some attributing the increase to recent U.S. policies.

However, at this point, it may be premature to attribute the downward trend of international applications entirely to the recent immigration executive orders. CGS previously reported a 1% growth in international graduate applications between Fall 2015 and Fall 2016 and attributed some of this decline to economic factors. Also, while some may link this to the November election results, the recent immigration executive orders were not issued until the Fall 2017 application cycle was well underway. Much uncertainty remains with pending court cases, and a clearer understanding of the impact on international graduate admissions will be seen in admission yield rates, visa issuance statistics, and matriculation rates for the upcoming Fall semester and beyond. Nevertheless, a chilling effect has been felt across the graduate education community, and CGS remains concerned regarding the potential adverse impact of these policies.

Doctoral & Master’s Application Trends
Overall, the vast majority of graduate deans observed no change (38%) or upward change (36%) in master’s applications. A little over one-fourth of graduate deans (27%) reported a downward change in master’s applications compared to the last application cycle. Though graduate deans at U.S. doctoral universities were more likely to report downward changes in master’s applications (30%) than their counterparts at U.S. master’s colleges and universities (21%). The majority of U.S. doctoral university graduate deans (51%) observed no substantial changes in doctoral applications compared to the last application cycle.

More than three out of four graduate deans (77%) at U.S. master’s colleges and universities indicated they will very likely be providing leadership in graduate enrollment management in the next twelve months. In contrast, only 57% of graduate deans at U.S. doctoral universities plan the same, and nearly one out of ten (9%) indicated they are not likely to provide leadership in this area. The number of graduate program offerings seem to remain on a growth trajectory. More than eight out of ten graduate deans reported their institutions will very likely (57%) or likely (25%) create one or more graduate degree program in the next twelve months. Nearly two out of five (38%) graduate deans indicated their institutions are not likely to eliminate one or more graduate degree program in the next twelve months.

Advocacy and Public Affairs

Compared to other key priorities, such as resource acquisitions and graduate enrollment management, communicating the public benefit of graduate education to broader audiences did not emerge as a top issue for graduate deans. Less than one half of graduate deans surveyed (47%) indicated they are very likely to communicate the public benefits of graduate education to broader audiences, although 35% said they are likely to do so. However, a more striking finding is that over one third of graduate deans at U.S. doctoral universities (35%) and U.S. master’s colleges and universities (34%) reported that their offices are not likely to proactively reach out to their Congressional representatives. This response may be, in part, a result of organizational structures at CGS member institutions. Many, particularly large institutions, have separate external relations/government affairs offices that serve as designated points of contact with policymakers and other external audiences.

However, given the current political climate toward federal funding support for graduate education, humanities, and science, this is a critical time for our community to organize and make its voice heard.  If not able to directly engage legislative representatives, graduate deans can still provide resources on the importance of graduate education to their university officers, who subsequently can use those materials with external stakeholders and policymakers. CGS offers many resources graduate deans can use to engage in advocacy efforts, including examples of advocacy materials developed by their peers. We encourage graduate deans to engage both on-campus and external stakeholders of graduate education. In addition, CGS invites member institutions to share stories about innovative and exceptional graduate students and alumni via #GradImpact. This project provides our community with an opportunity to demonstrate that graduate education matters not only to degree holders, but also to the communities where they live and work.

Diversity and Inclusiveness

Diversity and inclusiveness for graduate students remain one of the top priorities for graduate deans. Nearly two-thirds of graduate deans (65%) indicated they will very likely promote diversity and inclusion in the graduate student body in the next twelve months. Also, eight out of ten indicated that their institutions will very likely (44%) or likely (36%) adopt new student recruitment strategies to enhance diversity and inclusiveness. The sentiment was particularly strong at U.S. doctoral universities, as 72% of graduate deans reported they will very likely promote graduate student diversity in the coming year.

In contrast, less than one third of graduate deans (31%) indicated they will promote diversity and inclusiveness in graduate faculty in the next twelve months, with 18% of them noting they are not likely to do so. This, perhaps, is in part because few graduate deans have direct involvement in faculty recruitment and hiring decisions, as those functions are primarily handled by other units (e.g., individual departments, faculty affairs offices, etc.). However, there are opportunities for graduate deans to actively influence faculty recruitment and hiring practices. Moreover, efforts to facilitate diversity and inclusiveness in the professoriate go hand in hand with our efforts to increase diversity in the graduate student body. For example, with funding support from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Alliances for Graduate Education and Professoriate (AGEP), the Big Ten Academic Alliance, which includes several CGS member graduate deans, has developed case-studies and facilitation guides on unconscious bias during the hiring process. At the upcoming CGS Summer Workshop, there will also be a session on strategies for improving diversity in the STEM professoriate, which will feature some key takeaways from the recent CGS AGEP National Forum.

The full results from the 2017 CGS Pressing Issues Survey will be made available later in the spring. In addition, findings were discussed in a CGS Webinar, “Top Issues and Priorities for Graduate Deans,” on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, and the webinar recording will be available here. We encourage member deans to continue to examine key priorities on their campuses and how they align with those identified by the larger community. We hope that you will let us know how CGS can remain a go-to resource as you seek to address the pressing issues graduate deans face.

After receiving her M.A. and MFA in art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dakota Mace wasn’t ready to leave school. Her work photographing Navajo textiles drove her interest to learn how to weave. Her new skill combined with a desire to better understand her own heritage and an interest in educating the world on the history of Navajo weaving, led Mace to pursue an MFA in design studies in the Human Ecology program.

Mace’s recent exhibition, “We Weave What We See,” focused on the history of Navajo women weavers, and the “connection to weaving and landscape. It was all based on this idea of wanting to translate the understanding of the designs and the motifs used in Navajo weaving, but bringing it more into the fine art world,” Mace explained.

Eventually, Mace wants to become a professor and leader in academia in the Native American community. Her mentor, UW-Madison professor Tom Jones, has inspired her desire to serve as a role model. “There aren’t a lot of Native American professors out there, so bringing the knowledge to the younger generation is what’s most important to me.” To read more about Mace’s work, visit the UW-Madison website. You can view her portfolio at http://www.dakotamace.com.

As a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Josh Gershlak never expected thinking outside the box would lead to growing heart tissue on spinach leaves as a potential treatment for heart disease. But when his casual comparison of a spinach leaf to the structure of an aorta led to cutting-edge tissue engineering research, he realized just how limitless scientific research is.

Gershlak earned an M.S. at Tufts University and then found WPI’s Myocardial Regeneration Lab a good fit to continue his studies. His work in the lab resulted in the decellularization process that launched what’s now known as the Hearts on Spinach research. His unexpected forays into entrepreneurship and innovation coursework gave him new perspectives that led to such creative thinking in the lab.

Gershlak’s internationally renowned work with Professor Glenn Gaudette explores the possibility of using plant materials as a scaffolding framework for specialized tissue regeneration. “It opens up conversations and minds to try and approach our problems in tissue engineering differently,” he says. “Hopefully it allows us as a field to create functional tissues and organs to positively affect people’s lives.” Gershlak says more work and testing needs to be done, but he’s confident enough in the process and in his colleagues to see Hearts on Spinach move from proof of concept to a reality. To read more about Gershlak’s research, visit the WPI website.

**Photo Credit: Matthew J. Burgos, WPI Marketing and Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Julia Kent 

202.461.3874 / jkent@cgs.nche.edu

"At a time when our fastest growing occupations and knowledge-based economy requires more, not fewer, individuals with advanced degrees, the President’s budget overlooks the importance of education as a critical component of America’s competitiveness in a global market. Master’s and doctoral education is the backbone of America’s national security and economic strength: graduate degree holders develop the knowledge and innovations that make America a leader in healthcare, technology, and defense. The President’s budget continues the trend of the past several years by proposing policies that make graduate education less affordable. The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) supports efforts to strengthen and grow America’s economic future, but not at the expense of our master’s and doctoral students. CGS calls upon Congress’ to put forward a budget that makes a strong commitment to education, and does not create barriers for students who seek master’s and doctoral degrees."

"Further, CGS is concerned that the cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation will lead to a serious decline in scientific, technological, and medical breakthroughs. These breakthroughs have strengthened our national defense, economic prosperity, personal wellbeing, and health. They are applied commercially, create jobs, and help businesses grow. Disinvesting in our nation’s science and research enterprise today jeopardizes our ability to attract domestic and international talent to meet the increasing demand for a STEM-educated workforce."

In a previous statement CGS expressed its objections to the proposed elimination of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.

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Patrice Williams, a PhD student in urban and regional planning at Florida State University, grew up in a food desert in South Florida. The closest grocery store with high-quality food at reasonable prices was more than ten miles away, and her medical condition necessitated a healthy diet. Williams’ experience contributed to her decision to pursue a doctorate and study how social, economic, and environmental factors impact the well-being of disadvantaged populations living in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification.

Her tenacity and dedication were recently rewarded through a new program led by Johns Hopkins University and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ms. Williams is one of 40 traditionally underrepresented students who received a grant and became part of the first cohort of Health Policy Research Scholars, a program designed to create a community of diverse leaders to inform and influence policy that advances a culture of health.

Ms. Williams places tremendous importance on improving the well-being of one’s community. To learn more about Patrice and her research, visit the Florida State University website.

**Photo Credit: Bruce Palmer, FSU Photography Services

Lisa Tostanoski, a PhD candidate in bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, was awarded a prestigious Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for her efforts to develop new strategies to combat autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). As one of nine recipients across the country, Tostanoski is the first UMD student to win the highly-competitive prize.

An estimated 2.3 million people are affected by MS and according to Tostanoski, current treatments provided important benefits but, “lack cure-potential, which means patients receive regular, lifelong treatments.” One of Tostanoski’s bioengineered treatments has reversed paralysis in lab mice using an innovative approach that targets specific T-cells and changes them from bad cells to good ones. This is a significant departure from current treatments that suppress the entire immune system.

Ms. Tostanoski’s work has the potential to change the landscape of human health and patient care and transform treatment options for patients with MS, type 1 diabetes, lupus, and more. To learn more about Lisa and her research, visit the University of Maryland website.

**Photo Credit: University of Maryland, College Park

Dustin Mix, a master’s degree recipient in civil engineering and entrepreneurship, and Maria Gibbs, a PhD candidate in civil engineering, partnered at the University of Notre Dame to implement the Venture Founders Program. The program is a partnership between Notre Dame’s ESTEEM master’s program and the city of South Bend’s enFocus fellowship program, which assists aspiring entrepreneurs in developing impactful local ventures.

Mix and Gibbs built the program around a simple principle: talented people will focus their entrepreneurial spirit on positively impacting their local communities, if they are encouraged and supported, understand great ideas often stem from trying to solve a problem, and have access to resources in the earliest stages of a venture. Although this program is still in its infancy, current ESTEEM graduate students are already tackling critical issues: the skills gap, barriers to chronic health treatment, antibiotic resistance, and bridging the gap between limited internet access and digital literacy.

The Notre Dame ESTEEM program is an interdisciplinary program between the College of Engineering, the College of Science, and the Mendoza College of Business; its core values are collaboration and the business of innovation. To learn more about Dustin, Maria, and the Venture Founders Program, visit the University of Notre Dame website.

**Photo Credit: ESTEEM

Graduate Education 2030: Imagining the Future

September 10-12, 2017
Alyeska Resort, Alaska

The 2017 Summit theme, “Graduate Education 2030: Imagining the Future,” revisits an earlier CGS project, Graduate Education 2020, which challenged leading scholars to consider technological, demographic, and global trends shaping graduate education around the world, and to use the best evidence available to predict what the future of graduate education might look like. Now that the year 2020 is within sight, we took the opportunity to reconsider the future these scholars imagined. Looking even farther ahead, to 2030, we invited international leaders in graduate education to describe the global forces transforming graduate education in their countries and regions: How does the nature of graduate education in 2030 differ from what is available in 2017?

The 2017 Global Summit on Graduate Education included leaders of graduate institutions from 16 countries across six continents. Attendees contemplated the potential future(s) of graduate education, and how individually and collectively we might help influence these forces for the benefit of students, universities, and broader communities.

Event Materials:

• Statement of Practical Actions on Influencing the Future of Graduate Education
• Online Proceedings

The 2017 Summit is generously sponsored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

**Photo Credit: Simon Evans

Tim Brown, a philosophy graduate student at the University of Washington, was awarded one of the inaugural National Humanities Without Walls PreDoctoral Fellowship. The Humanities Without Walls consortium includes humanities centers at 15 research universities focused on collaborative research, teaching, and scholarship that require cross-institutional cooperation.

Brown’s transdisciplinary research in neural engineering and the ethics of neuroscience focuses on how deep-brain stimulator systems help people with Parkinson’s Disease and Essential Tremor manage symptoms. According to the UW website, “Devices like these may have the potential to profoundly change the user’s sense of self, feelings of self-control, or even their interpersonal relationships with family and friends.” Through interviews, Brown collects data on users’ experiences, “to challenge philosophical theories about autonomy, self-control, and personal identity.”

Brown’s research is conducted as part of the Neuroethics Thrust within the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE) at the University of Washington. To learn more about Tim and his work, visit the University of Washington website.

**Photo Credit: University of Washington