Contact:
Nate Thompson
nthompson@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today reported that initial offers of admission from U.S. graduate schools to prospective international students increased 9% from 2013 to 2014. The new data marks the fourth consecutive year of 9% growth in offers of admission to prospective international graduate students.

The shift in sending countries first reported by the 2013 series of CGS International Graduate Admissions surveys appears to continue. Prospective students from China are submitting fewer applications, and this year the offers of admission to Chinese applicants was stagnant, ending an eight-year run of growth. Applications from and offers of admission to prospective graduate students in India and Brazil are surging, and offers of admission to prospective graduate students from the Middle East continues to be strong.  

Suzanne Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools, commented that “American graduate schools continue to attract students from around the world. We should be excited about the fact that new growth is emerging from a host of different regions and nations. International students are important to the U.S. economy because our workforce will continue to face shortages of graduate-level talent over the next decade. To support our economic competitiveness, we should make it easier—for international graduates who wish to do so—to remain and work in the U.S. after completing their degrees.”

Admissions trends by country

The increase in the overall number of offers of admission to U.S. graduate schools was driven by a 25% increase in initial offers of admission to prospective students from India, following a 27% gain in 2013. Considering that India’s year-to-year numbers have often fluctuated, this continued growth stands out as an important trend affecting U.S. graduate schools.

Furthermore, gains from India helped to offset the sluggish admission numbers from China. For the first time since 2006, offers of admission to prospective students from China failed to increase, as the 2014 figure was unchanged from the prior year. China continues to represent the largest source of prospective international graduate students, comprising 37% of all offers of admission in 2014.

Building on impressive growth of 46% in 2013, the offers of admission to prospective students from Brazil nearly doubled in 2014, with a gain of 98%. Although prospective students from Brazil constitute only 1% of the total offers of admission to prospective international students, the sustained growth is notable.   

Other regions and countries with growth in offers of admission from 2013 to 2014 included the Middle East (9%), Canada (4%), Africa (3%), and Europe (2%). Declines were reported for South Korea (-9%), Taiwan (-6%), and Mexico (-1%).

Admissions trends by field

The survey results show that initial offers of admission increased in all broad fields of study in 2014. The largest increases were in physical & earth sciences (13%) and engineering (11%), followed by ‘other fields’ (7%), business (6%), social sciences & psychology (6%), life sciences (6%), arts & humanities (5%), and education (1%).

Admissions trends by region

Offers of admission by U.S. graduate schools to prospective international students increased in all four major regions of the United States from 2013 to 2014. The Midwest saw the most growth (12%), followed by the West, the South, and the Northeast, with 9%, 9%, and 8% increases respectively.

About the report

Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission is based on the second phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among U.S. member institutions. Data on offers of admission in the report are preliminary; final data will be published in the Phase III report, to be released in November 2014. The Phase II results are typically an early indicator of what international first-time enrollment is likely to be in fall 2014. The 299 institutions responding to the Phase II survey conferred about 66% of the 109,000 graduate degrees awarded to international students in the United States in 2011-12, suggesting that the survey results accurately depict recent trends in the participation of international students in U.S. graduate education. The full report is available online at http://www.cgsnet.org/benchmarking/international-graduate-admissions-survey.

Contact:
Nate Thompson
nthompson@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today announced it has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the professional development needs of graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The award was made through the NSF Directorate of Education and Human Resources (program announcement NSF 13-555).   

Enhanced professional development of STEM graduate students has emerged in recent years as a high priority as evidenced by calls from students, employers, funding agencies, and graduate deans. The CGS pilot study will gather perspectives from stakeholders representing each of these groups to answer four key questions:

1. Beyond research skills, what other professional skills are particularly important for STEM graduates?
2. What STEM workforce skills needs are not currently being met by graduate programs?
3. How can resources and investments be most effectively mobilized to meet that demand through enhanced professional development?, and
4. What structures and learning environments are most effective in responding to the career tracks for PhD and master’s students?

The project will include a survey distributed to 500 CGS member institutions, interviews with industry leaders, a workshop convening a wide array of stakeholders, a publication of project results that includes a framework for future action, and an online searchable database of existing professional development programs for STEM graduate students.

CGS President Suzanne Ortega stated that "master's and PhD students play a vital role across all sectors of the nation's STEM workforce. This project is an important first step in helping universities answer the call for a more strategic approach to their professional development beyond the bench or lab. Ultimately, this project will help position universities to shape quality programs that provide our students with the essential skills they need to succeed in industry, government, and business, as well as academe.”

“This project will help improve our understanding of the professional skills most needed of today's graduate students,” said NSF Assistant Director Joan Ferrini-Mundy, who leads the Education and Human Resources directorate. “Through its large and diverse membership, CGS can leverage project findings to result in model programs and meaningful improvements to graduate education that, in turn, will benefit the national STEM workforce.”

The project will begin in summer 2014 and conclude in late 2015.   

Contact:
Nate Thompson
nthompson@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Shift in Sending Countries Continues as China Slows and India Surges

Washington, DC — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is reporting that the preliminary number of applications from prospective international students to U.S. graduate schools increased 7% in 2014, up from the 2% increase seen in 2013. This year’s encouraging increase is more consistent with the growth trend in international graduate applications seen between 2006 and 2012, after a post-9/11 decrease.

The report, CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications, collects data on all international graduate applications, with detailed information on international applications from seven countries (China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil) and three regions (the Middle East, Africa and Europe). China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada are the top five countries of origin for international graduate students in the United States. Altogether, the seven countries and three regions highlighted in the CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey are home countries to about 86% of all international graduate students in the United States.

The moderate growth in overall international applications was achieved despite a one percent decline in applications from China, the source country of 33% of international graduate students at U.S. institutions. Chinese applicant declines were offset by a 32% increase in applications from India, which accounts for 18% of all international graduate students at U.S. institutions. Applications from Brazil increased by 33% in 2014, following a growth of 25% in 2013. Applications in 2014 also increased from Africa (6%) and the Middle East (7%). Applications from South Korea (-5%) and Taiwan (-4%) decreased for a third straight year, although more slowly than in 2013, when applications from South Korea fell 15% and applications from Taiwan fell by 13%.

CGS President Debra W. Stewart noted the 7% gain is a positive sign for U.S. graduate institutions, which collectively draw as 15% of their overall graduate enrollments from international students. Yet this year’s increase is not necessarily a sign of ongoing stability in international graduate applications and enrollments, she added, especially since a large share of the growth appears to be driven by a single country.

“Historically, our ability to recruit the best and brightest international graduate students has enabled the U.S. to become a leader in ground-breaking research and innovations. International students stimulate the U.S. economy and research enterprise in many important ways, and we must develop policies that encourage strong, stable growth in international graduate applications and enrollments.”

Application trends by field of study

Preliminary increases in applications varied by broad field. The three most popular fields of study—engineering, physical and earth sciences, and business—which together account for 64% of all international students enrolled in U.S. graduate programs, were also the fastest growing, at 14%, 16%, and 7%, respectively. Gains in applications were also found in 2014 in arts and humanities (3%) and other fields (2%). Rates of international applications to social sciences and psychology programs were unchanged from the prior year. Applications in education declined 1% and life sciences fell
6%.

Application trends by institutional characteristics

CGS also analyzed changes in international applications by various institutional characteristics. On average, applications increased 8% among public institutions and by 4% at private, not-for-profit institutions in 2014. Additionally, applications from prospective international graduate students increased 19% on average at master’s-focused institutions and by an average 7% at doctoral institutions in 2014.

Just over half (55%) of responding institutions reported an increase in applications over last year with an average increase of 15%, while 44% reported a decrease, averaging 13%. 

About the report

Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications is based on the first phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among CGS U.S. member institutions. Some responding institutions may continue to receive international applications after the completion of the Phase I report—for this reason the Phase I figures are preliminary.  Final application figures are reported in the Phase II report each August. Final application numbers have traditionally tracked very closely to the preliminary numbers. Analysis from the 2014 Phase I report includes responses from 308 schools, including 88% of the 25 institutions that award the largest number of degrees to international graduate students, and 90% of the top 50 institutions. Collectively, the 308 respondents to this year’s survey award about 67% of the degrees granted to international graduate students in the U.S. The report is available at http://www.cgsnet.org/benchmarking/international-graduate-admissions-survey.

Contact:
Julia Kent
jkent@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791(202) 223-3791

Appointment of Senior Academic Leader for UNC System to Begin July 1

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today announced the appointment of Suzanne Ortega, currently Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for the 17-campus University of North Carolina, as its sixth president. Dr. Ortega has held a diverse range of senior academic leadership positions in higher education and in graduate education specifically, serving as Chair of the CGS Board in 2005 and as Chair of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools in 2003.

Dr. Ortega will assume the chief leadership role at the Council beginning on July 1. Debra W. Stewart, CGS’s President since 2000, announced her plan to step down from the role in October 2013.

“We are delighted that Dr. Ortega has agreed to lead the Council as it furthers its mission to improve and advance graduate education,” said James Wimbush, current Chair of the CGS Board. “Her deep knowledge of graduate education—and understanding of CGS’s diverse membership—will ensure that CGS’s impact continues to grow in the United States and internationally.”

Prior to her appointment at UNC, Dr. Ortega was Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of New Mexico from 2008-2011. She served among the group that CGS most directly represents, graduate deans, while Vice Provost and Graduate Dean at the University of Washington (2005-2008) and also at the University of Missouri-Columbia (2000-2005). An expert in mental health epidemiology, health services, and race and ethnic relations, Dr. Ortega received her PhD in sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Ortega has also led the graduate community through a number of board and committee service positions, including the Executive Board of NASULGC (APLU)’s Council on Research Policy and Graduate Education; the National Academy of Science’s Committee on the Assessment of the Research Doctorate; the CGS-ETS Commission on Pathways through Graduate School and into Careers; and the CGS Advisory Committee on Minorities in Graduate Education.

“For over fifty years, CGS has helped graduate institutions meet the challenges of our nation and local communities,” said Dr. Ortega. “American higher education is at a critical juncture, and I look forward to working with graduate deans, faculty, and students at member institutions to advance best practices and develop and advocate for federal policies that strengthen graduate education and research.” Dr. Ortega added, “Debra Stewart has been an extraordinarily effective leader for CGS, and I am deeply honored to follow her as president.”

Contacts:
Julia Kent, CGS: (202) 223-3791 / jkent@cgs.nche.edu
John McCool, TIAA-CREF: (888) 200-4062 / media@tiaa-cref.org 

The Council of Graduate Schools and TIAA-CREF Collaborate to Deliver GradSense Website to Help Students Make Informed Financial Decisions about Their Education and Careers

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a nonprofit organization devoted to graduate education and research, today launched GradSense, a novel online tool designed to help students plan financially for their education and future careers.

With student debt at historically high levels, students have a limited number of resources for assessing the investment they will be making in an advanced degree. To fill this knowledge gap, CGS collaborated with leading financial services provider TIAA-CREF to design and develop GradSense, which features a Debt to Salary calculator, among other tools.

In developing GradSense, CGS researchers brought together two important pieces of information for the first time – federal data on education debt and federal data on median salaries for specific occupations. While this information is available, it is not easily accessible. Students must sift through these datasets using separate databases, which obscures the relationship between investing in a specific degree to pursue a desired profession. To help students make more informed career decisions, GradSense combines these two pieces of information in a simple-to-use tool, providing students with one screen of data that allows them to more accurately align their choice of degree and field of study with their desired career.

Using GradSense, students enter their degree type, desired field of study and preferred career. The student is then shown the median debt of students pursuing their specific degree, along with the starting, median and expert salary levels expected in their desired career. Together, these two informative data sets can help students better understand the impact of their chosen degree on future earnings.

GradSense is part of the Enhancing Student Financial Education project, an initiative of CGS in collaboration with TIAA-CREF. The program has awarded grants to 15 colleges and universities across the country to develop innovative financial literacy programs that teach students about successful strategies for borrowing, lending and managing personal finances. Lessons and data from each of the 15 university programs and many of the 19 affiliate partner universities will inform the development of new financial education resources for students nationwide.

“The best practices developed through this program – and the GradSense tool – can help prepare our nation's students for lifelong financial well-being,” said Laura Levine, president and CEO of Jump$tart Coalition. “I applaud the commitment of CGS, TIAA-CREF and the participating universities.”

The GradSense website also includes a compound interest calculator that shows students the long-term impact of common spending decisions, advice for repaying student loans, guidance on transitioning from graduate school to a career and tips for evaluating and negotiating job offers. 

“GradSense provides students with crucial financial information that was never easily accessible or available before,” said Debra W. Stewart, president of CGS. “This clear, customized tool empowers students to make more informed decisions about their educational and career pathways.”

“We are extremely proud of our collaboration with the Council of Graduate Schools, and especially pleased to see tangible results and useful tools already emerging from this program,” said Roger W. Ferguson, president and CEO of TIAA-CREF. “This underscores the combined strengths the business and education sectors bring to bear on addressing the student loan debt issue, and when working together, the valuable impact we can have on the financial futures of our nation’s students.”

In addition to the GradSense website, the tool will also be featured on the websites of universities participating in the Enhancing Student Financial Education program, as well as the websites of other CGS member schools. To use GradSense, visit: www.gradsense.org.

Washington, DC — Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) President Debra W. Stewart today released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on January 28, 2014. CGS is the only national organization dedicated solely to the advancement of graduate education and research. The organization draws its institutional members from colleges and universities significantly engaged in graduate education, research, and scholarship culminating in the award of the master's or doctoral degree.

In his 2014 State of the Union message, President Obama expressed his support for strategic investments to spur economic growth and secure the nation’s continued position as a leader in global innovation. The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is encouraged by the president’s call for policies to increase job opportunities, expand our skilled workforce, support basic research, reform immigration, and increase access to education.

We appreciate the president’s recognition that our nation’s prosperity depends on expanded access to educational opportunity. And the evidence suggests that opportunities need to span kindergarten through graduate school. Today access to and support for graduate education is a national imperative. We know that the payoff from graduate education is undeniable in terms of economic growth, innovation and job creation

Many of the skills that U.S. employers are seeking are only gained through advanced learning. Our economy depends on this highly trained talent to compete with other nations, which are investing heavily in graduate education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2022 the U.S. will see an 18.4% increase in jobs requiring a master’s degree and a 16% increase for people with doctoral degrees.

While the president’s remarks focused on the benefits of K-12 and undergraduate education for building the new economy, we urge the administration to give equal attention in his future agenda to policies that support the pipeline of talented U.S. students enrolling in graduate programs. There are immediate and consequential risks if this pipeline falters.

One of these immediate risks is that the U.S. will fall behind in technological innovation. As President Obama emphasized, innovation will play a critical role in economic growth: “The nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.” We commend the president’s acknowledgment that federally-funded research is critical to the “ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones,” and his call for Congress to “undo the damage done by last year’s cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery[…]”Graduate degree holders create start-up companies, patents and jobs in every U.S. state.

At every level of education, it is vital that careers and the requisite skills needed to pursue those careers are clearly shared with students. A number of recent reports on graduate education reform, based on CGS’s Pathways through Graduate School and Into Careers report, have concrete recommendations for universities, business leaders, and policymakers designed to address these challenges and ensure that America grows the highly-skilled talent we need.

CGS also supports President Obama’s call for immigration reform. About 43% of international students studying at our colleges and universities are pursuing graduate degrees. International students who study in the U.S. often want to remain in the U.S. to work in jobs that utilize the knowledge and skills they gained through their graduate studies. Given the challenges and restrictions that international students now face upon receiving their master’s and doctoral degrees, it is in our collective best interest to permit those who want to stay and contribute to our economy following completion of their degrees to do so.

We look forward to working with the Obama Administration to ensure that U.S. graduate schools can continue their vital role in achieving the goal of a creative, innovative, knowledgeable and skilled workforce that is ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century global economy.

Highly marketable degrees offer pathway to STEM careers

Contact:
Julia Kent
jkent@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today released the results of its fourth annual Professional Science Master’s Enrollment and Degrees Survey documenting applications, enrollments, and degrees awarded in Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs. The PSM is an innovative graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.

The 2013 report shows that PSM programs stand out as a bright spot for U.S. institutions in terms of domestic enrollment trends. From 2010 to 2013, first-time enrollment of domestic students rose 19% in PSM programs. For U.S. graduate education as a whole, first-time enrollment of domestic students rose only 1.9% in the five year period between 2007 and 2012, according to the latest CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment and Degrees report. In contrast, first-time enrollment of international graduate students rose markedly from 2010 to 2013 in both PSM programs and in U.S. graduate programs overall.    

Additional studies on the career outcomes of PSM graduates show high levels of student satisfaction and employment rates, which may be contributing to enrollment growth in PSM programs. According to a 2013 CGS survey, 91% of responding PSM graduates were employed in a job related to their field of study, and 68% of those employed full-time reported annual earnings above $50,000.

“Today’s STEM graduate students are seeking degrees that prepare them for success in a wide range of professional settings,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. “The real-world experiences and internships gained by PSM graduates make them highly marketable to employers in all sectors of the economy.”

The CGS study was supported in part by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. From 1997 to 2012, the Sloan Foundation made more than $23 million in grants in support of the PSM degree, including start-up funding for PSM programs at colleges and universities around the country; the founding of the National Professional Master’s Science Association, which provides professional support for PSM faculty and administrators; and a partnership with the Council of Graduate Schools to collect data on PSM programs and to administer a PSM affiliation process that ensures affiliated programs meet the highest standards.   

“The Sloan Foundation is extremely proud to have played a founding role in the creation of the PSM degree,” said Elizabeth Boylan, Program Director of the Sloan Foundation’s programs in STEM Higher Education. “The continued growth of enrollments and the remarkable success graduates have had in the job market marks the PSM degree as one of the most successful innovations in 21^st century higher education.”

This year represents a milestone in PSM development, as CGS will now transition the responsibilities for PSM program recognition to the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI).

“CGS’s expertise and guidance have been keys to a thriving PSM movement since its inception in 1997,” said Jim Sterling, KGI Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The Keck Graduate Institute looks forward to leading PSM programs into the future of professionally-focused science master’s education. Continuing to track the career outcomes of PSM graduates will be part of that commitment.”

The 2013 PSM Enrollment and Degrees report includes data on applications received and accepted for fall 2013, as well as enrollment data for fall 2013 and degrees awarded during the 2012-13 academic year. Data from 85% of all PSM programs worldwide are included. Additionally, the report offers comparisons to data from the previous surveys, documenting growth in applications, admissions, and enrollment over the past four years. Key findings include:

Applications:

• Over 7,000 applications were received for fall 2013 admission and 46% were accepted.
• Between fall 2010 and fall 2013, there was a 59% increase in applications received for admission into PSM programs.

First-Time Enrollment:

• Over 1,900 students were enrolled for the first time in PSM programs in fall 2013.
• Nearly two-thirds of all first-time PSM students were enrolled full-time while the remaining one-third were part-time students.
• 28% of first-time enrollees in U.S.-based PSM programs were temporary residents (i.e., international students).

Total Enrollment:

• Total enrollment in PSM programs has grown 23% since 2010, to exceed 5,800 students in fall 2013.
• Men comprised 53% of all PSM students and women made up 47%.
• Total PSM enrollment in fall 2013 was dominated by four fields of study: computer/information sciences (21%), environmental sciences and natural resources (15%), mathematics and statistics (15%), or biotechnology (14%).

Degrees awarded:

• Institutions responding to the survey awarded 2,038 PSM degrees in academic year 2012/13.
• 54% of PSM degrees awarded by respondents in academic year 2012/13 were awarded to men and 46% to women.
• 18% of graduates of U.S.-based PSM programs were international students.
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 23% of PSM graduates in 2012/13 were underrepresented minorities.

The report is available in pdf format at cgsnet.org and at sciencemasters.com.

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Board of Directors has announced its officers for the 2014 term.

Dr. James Wimbush, Dean of The University Graduate School, Indiana University, became the 2014 CGS Board Chair at the conclusion of the annual meeting. Dr. Wimbush has served as the graduate dean at IU since 2006 and earlier this year was also named Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs. He has been a professor of business administration at IU since 1991. Nationally, Dr. Wimbush has worked to advance graduate education by serving in a variety of leadership positions, including an appointment on the joint Commission on Pathways through Graduate School and Into Careers, appointed by CGS and the Educational Testing Service. As an acknowledged national authority on human resources management, Wimbush has published numerous articles and book chapters related to ethics in employment settings. Dr. Wimbush earned his PhD in management and a master’s degree in human resources management and industrial and labor relations from Virginia Tech.   

“CGS is excited and honored to have Dean Wimbush’s expertise at this critical point in the development of graduate education,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. “His distinguished leadership in a range of areas essential to CGS’s mission—from enhancing U.S. competitiveness through graduate education and research, to promoting diversity in graduate programs—will serve CGS well in 2014.”

The new Chair-elect is Barbara Knuth, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at Cornell University. She will serve in this role in 2014 and will become the board chair at the conclusion of the 2014 Annual Meeting. In her role at Cornell since 2010, Knuth has enhanced the Graduate School’s professional development program to focus on supporting students to work effectively with their graduate committees and to foster transferable skills relevant to academic and non-academic career paths. Since she became dean, all graduate degree programs have articulated specific learning outcomes and have implemented assessment plans focused on program improvement. Knuth joined the Cornell faculty in 1986 as an assistant professor of natural resource policy. She holds a bachelor of philosophy degree in interdisciplinary studies, a bachelor’s in zoology, and a master’s in environmental science from Miami University, and a PhD in fisheries and wildlife sciences from Virginia Tech.

Beginning three-year terms on the board on January 1 are Karen Butler-Purry, Associate Provost for Graduate Studies at Texas A&M, John (Jay) Doering, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba, and Christine Ortiz, Dean for Graduate Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

CGS is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors drawn from member institutions. Board members serve for set terms. Robert Augustine, Dean of the Graduate School at Eastern Illinois University, will remain on CGS’s Executive Committee for one year as immediate past chair.

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools / ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious honor for doctoral dissertations, were presented to Austin Mason and Valorie Salimpoor at an awards ceremony during the CGS 53rd Annual Meeting. Dr. Mason completed his PhD in history at Boston College in 2012. Dr. Salimpoor earned her PhD in psychology at McGill University in 2013.

Bestowed annually since 1982, the awards recognize recent doctoral recipients who have already made unusually significant and original contributions to their fields. ProQuest, an international leader in dissertation archiving, discovery and access, sponsors the awards and an independent committee from the Council of Graduate Schools selects the winners. Two awards are given each year, rotating among four general areas of scholarship. The winners receive a certificate, a $2,000 honorarium, and funds for travel to the awards ceremony.

“The scholars selected to receive the 2013 awards have found new ways to combine research technologies and interdisciplinary fields, making remarkable contributions to their research areas,” said Mary Sauer-Games, ProQuest Vice President of Information Solutions. “ProQuest is honored to highlight their dissertations as exemplary works of doctoral study.”

The 2013 Award in humanities was presented to Dr. Mason for “Listening to the Early Medieval Dead: Religious Practices in Eastern Britain, 400–900 CE.” His interdisciplinary dissertation research uses methodologies from archeology and history along with the technology of geographic information systems (GIS) to reconstruct life in first-millennium Britain. As a prime example of ‘digital humanities’ research, the project uses GIS technology to reinterpret the way graves were sited and positioned in the mortuary rituals of pagans and Christians during the period. Dr. Mason is currently a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Photo caption: The 2013 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards. From left to right: Jeff Welsh, University of Scranton (selection committee member); Jeannine Blackwell, University of Kentucky (selection committee member); Carolyn Hodge, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (selection committee chair); Austin Mason, winner, 2013 Distinguished Dissertation in the Humanities; Noreen Golfman, Memorial University (selection committee member); Charles Caramello, University of Maryland, College Park (selection committee member); Mary Sauer-Games, ProQuest/UMI

Dr. Salimpoor received the 2013 Award in biological and life sciences for her dissertation, “Music, Emotion, and the Reward System: Investigations with (11C) raclopride Positron Emission Tomography (PET), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Psychophysiological Methods.” Her research examines the dopamine response in the context of positive emotional responses to musical passages that elicit “chills.” The project shows the distinct brain circuitry responsible for the anticipation and the experience of the chills, which the brain perceives as pleasure. Dr. Salimpoor is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Rotman Research Institute in Toronto.

Photo caption: The 2013 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards. From left to right: Karen Colley, University of Illinois at Chicago (selection committee member); Steven Matson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (selection committee chair); John Kiss, University of Mississippi (selection committee member); Mary Sauer-Games, ProQuest/UMI. Not pictured, Valorie Salimpoor, winner, 2013 Distinguished Dissertation in the Biological and Life Sciences.

More information about the CGS / ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award is available at www.proquest.com/go/scholars or at www.cgsnet.org.

Contacts:
Julia Kent, CGS
(202) 461-3874
jkent@cgs.nche.edu     

Tom Ewing, ETS     
(609) 683-2058
tewing@ets.org  

Washington, DC – The fifth annual “ETS/CGS Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education: From Admission through Completion” was presented to Florida International University (FIU) during the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). The award is sponsored by CGS and Educational Testing Service (ETS). Dr. Lakshmi Reddi, Dean of the University Graduate School, accepted the award on behalf of FIU.

The award recognizes promising, innovative proposals to enhance student success and degree completion at the master’s or doctoral level, while promoting inclusiveness. The winning institution is selected on the strength of its proposal to meet the award’s goals and to serve as a model for other schools and receives a two-year, $20,000 matching grant.

FIU’s winning proposal establishes a new community of doctoral scholars to support the professional development and timely completion of underrepresented minority (URM) PhD students. Under the title Academy of Graduates for Integrative Learning Experiences (AGILE), the new program brings together the expertise of centers and offices throughout campus, which provide professional training modules, academic planning, and other forms of student support. AGILE emphasizes peer-mentoring, leadership, community service and engagement, and interdisciplinary communication.

The selection committee noted that, as an institution with high URM graduate enrollment, FIU has an opportunity through AGILE to discern problems contributing to minority PhD attrition and evaluate strategies for improving student success.

“Students from URM backgrounds are vital to our community at FIU,” said Lakshmi Reddi, Dean, University Graduate School at Florida International University. “We are excited to support them with a new model for PhD student development that engages a broad group of campus organizations and graduate leaders. Most of all, we are eager to give students themselves greater opportunities to mentor and learn from one another as they explore their leadership potential.”

Photo caption: The 2013 ETS/CGS Award. From left to right: Jackie Briel, ETS; David Payne, ETS; Lakshmi Reddi, Florida International University; Sonja Montas-Hunter, Florida International University; Karen Weddle-West, University of Memphis (selection committee chair); John Ho, The University at Buffalo, SUNY (selection committee member); H. Dele Davies, University of Nebraska Medical Center (selection committee member)

Following the two-year funding period, AGILE will be sustained as a permanent program thanks to the commitment of FIU administration, the University Graduate School, and participating centers and offices.

“Today’s doctoral students represent the best and brightest minds in their fields,” said David G. Payne, Vice President and COO of ETS’s Higher Education Division. “Ensuring the success of minority students throughout the PhD pipeline is essential to achieving an inclusive faculty and graduate community. ETS is pleased to support FIU in this innovative approach to improving degree completion rates for minority doctoral students.”

“CGS recognizes the potential of the AGILE program and we are delighted that FIU will be sharing new promising practices with the graduate community,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. “This program will move us closer to the goal of closing the achievement gap for the benefit of all PhD students.”