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December Newsletter

Message from the Dean

Greetings!

I hope that you found time to relax with friends and family over Thanksgiving break and are ready for the last few weeks of the fall semester. The colder weather and snow also signal that the holidays and winter break are coming soon!

We are introducing a new feature in this month’s newsletter – the celebration of accomplishments by graduate students and mentors. This month, we highlight Austin Medlin, who received the 2025 IU Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award and is our nominee for the regional Midwest Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award. Congratulations and all the best to Austin.

I also hope that you have begun to explore the resources now available free through the Beyond Graduate School and Beyond the Professoriate platforms. This newsletter highlights one of the resources of Beyond the Professoriate – a series of workshops for doctoral students and postdocs on choosing between an academic and a nonacademic career. Please let us know how helpful these resources are for you.

As part of our ongoing partnership, MoneySmarts continues its series of workshops on practical financial advice and information for graduate students. This month’s offering is on loans and managing credit. See details and registration information below.

Also included are a number of deadlines for external fellowships and internships, including a dissertation fellowship, a summer stint at an Indiana state agency, and a study-abroad opportunity at the University of Hamburg.

This is our final newsletter of the fall, and we look forward to our spring programs, including our annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Please note the dates of the 3MT information sessions this week and next. Look for further information in January about this program and others, including the Preparing Future Faculty Conference offered by the Department of Sociology and the second administration of the gradSERU survey.

And for those of you who are participating in the Winter Commencement on December 19, congratulations, and I look forward to celebrating your accomplishments!

Best,

Warm regards,

David Daleke
Dean, IUB Graduate School

Celebrating Excellence:

Austin Medlin Receives Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award

The IU Graduate School Bloomington proudly recognizes Austin Medlin, a 2024 M.S. graduate in Biostatistics from the School of Public Health, as the recipient of the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award in the Biological and Life Sciences category. His thesis, “(T)rauma vs (t)rauma: Impact of Differential Early Life Traumatic Stress Magnitude on CVD Risk,” was selected for its originality, analytical rigor, and excellence in scholarly writing. Now pursuing his Ph.D. in Health Behavior, Austin continues to exemplify IU’s tradition of research innovation and impact.

Mentor Dr. Misty Hawkins praised Austin’s creativity and independence, noting his exceptional communication skills—qualities that also earned him first place in the 2024 IU Three-Minute Thesis competition. Dr. Ming Li, Associate Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, commended Austin’s initiative and growing record of NIH-funded research and publications.

Each year, the Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award honors one “truly outstanding” thesis from each graduate program, recognizing originality, rigor, and significance. Recipients receive a $1,500 award and represent IU Bloomington in consideration for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award, which includes $750 and up to $500 towards travel expenses to attend the MAGS meeting.

The 2026 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award competition will feature the Social Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering categories. Faculty and graduate students are encouraged to begin identifying potential nominees early and continue IU’s proud tradition of excellence in graduate scholarship. Students who received a master’s degree from the Graduate School Bloomington between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, are eligible for nomination.

The University of Hamburg, one of our international partner institutions, is offering several short-term summer programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. These 1–3 week sessions take place in Hamburg, Germany, and are open to students across a wide range of academic disciplines. Application deadlines vary for each program. Please visit their website for more information about individual programs and to apply!

Interested in Showcasing Your Research in Just Three Minutes?

Join us for an upcoming Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Info Session and learn how to share your work in a clear, concise, and compelling way! IUB's 3MT competition challenges graduate students to present their research to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes using a single static slide. It’s a fantastic opportunity to sharpen your communication skills, gain confidence, and connect with a broader community.

During the info sessions, you’ll discover:

What makes a winning 3MT presentation
Tips for engaging storytelling and visual design
How to prepare for the IU event

Info Session will be held at the following times:

Friday, Dec 5, 10:00 – 10:30 am
Wednesday, Dec 10, 10:00 – 10:30 am
Friday, Dec 12, 3:00 – 3:30 pm

Links to each session are posted on the 3MT Website.

Whether you’re curious about participating or just want to improve your presentation skills, these sessions are for you.

Don’t miss this chance to turn your research into a powerful story!

The Ombuds Office

IU Bloomington Graduate School would like to remind you of the Ombuds Office. The ombudsperson is here to provide support through empathetic listening, resource navigation, option generation, and informal conflict management throughout the year, including the Holiday Season. Please do not hesitate to reach out via email (ombuds@iu.edu) or phone (812-855-4153). Happy Holidays!

Remember, you have career support options with the Grad School

We’re excited to announce that our campus has subscribed to two virtual career training platforms: Beyond Graduate School (the Master’s Career Training Platform) and Beyond the Professoriate (the PhD Career Training Platform).

Master’s students and doctoral students/postdocs can now log in to these platforms and access:

On-demand career trainings to help with your job search
Career libraries with master’s and PhD alumni interviews
Monthly live webinars (and replays) on job search strategies
Workbooks to help you explore career options and strengthen job docs

Both platforms have upcoming events that we encourage you to register to attend. Coming soon...

For DOCTORAL students & postdocs:

📅December 8 - 11, 12 - 12:45pm ET daily: “How to Decide Between an Academic and Nonacademic Career”

PhDs work in every part of the economy – industry, nonprofits, higher education, and government. But what career pathway will be right for YOU? This special workshop series is designed to help doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs evaluate career options and identify next steps in building their career either as faculty or beyond the professoriate. Register to attend or receive the replay: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-how-to-decide/

You can always access Beyond platforms from our Career Resources for Graduate Students webpage. Already watched Beyond modules and still have questions? Visit our webpage to book a one-to-one appointment! We help with everything from career exploration to application documents to interviewing and negotiation.

Writing Tutorial Services (WTS) is pleased to announce that applications for the Spring 2026 Dissertation and Article Writing Groups are now open. These groups have been invaluable in helping graduate students make progress on their dissertations and publish articles in their fields. Thanks to funding by the Bloomington Graduate School and the Office of Research Administration, these groups are offered at no cost to students.

Linked below are full descriptions of the offered writing groups and application instructions.

Dissertation Writing Groups (Foundations & Solidarity)

Journal Article Writing Workshops (Newcomer & Returning)

The deadline for applications to either group is 5:00 PM on Monday, January 5th, 2026. Application selection will be competitive and based on the ability to commit fully to the workshop's program and expectations.

Please contact wts@iu.edu if you have any questions.

We look forward to working with you this upcoming Spring semester!

-Writing Tutorial Services

Upcoming Fellowship Deadlines

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships
Student Application Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025
The Graduate School will forward the application to the student's department for consideration.

Department/School/College Nomination Deadline: Friday, January 9, 2026
Email Nominations to ugsawrd@iu.edu
Department in the College – contact the College Graduate Office ( collgrad@iu.edu ) for information about their nomination process.

The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships are to be awarded only to candidates who have outstanding undergraduate records, have demonstrated a need for financial assistance, are citizens of the United States of America, are enrolled in accredited colleges and universities in the United States, and have received baccalaureate degrees.

Eligible programs of study: humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences (including law, medicine, engineering, architecture, or other formal professional training).

Fellowship benefits: tuition only (no fees) and a stipend of $18,000.

Boren Awards Fellowships
Internal Review Deadline (Optional): January 14, 2026

The Graduate School is happy to review your essays and/or program plans. If you would like us to review your application materials, please email them to ugsawrd@iu.edu by January 14, 2026.

Students apply directly

National Deadline: January 21, 2026

Boren Fellowships fund research and language study proposals by U.S. graduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests.

Awards are determined by the duration of time spent abroad. The maximum award is $25,000 for 25-52 weeks, or up to $12,500 for 12-24 weeks of overseas study. Fellowship recipients may also receive $5,000 for an optional domestic language study program.

Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

Students apply directly

External Deadline: January 16, 2026

This one-year grant is given annually to support a graduate student whose research engages issues at the intersection of faith and giving. It is intended to support the final year of dissertation writing for a doctoral candidate at a U.S. graduate school.

The fellowship includes: 3 award payments totaling $30,000, invitations to special research-focused Lake Institute engagements, the opportunity to take advantage of Lake Institute’s resources and expertise, the opportunity to share your research through our website, and citation in our seminars.

The application page can be found here.

INSPECT Fellowship

Internal Deadline: Monday, January 19, 2026

Informational Seminar - Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Learn more about the INSPECT Fellowship at this Informational Seminar on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.
https://usi.zoom.us/j/99700358312

INSPECT is a fellowship program hosted by the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS) meant to bring together the scientific community and state government while enabling young scientists to be effective participants in public policy.

These fellowships will allow current graduate students in STEM fields to work side-by-side with state officials to help incorporate credible scientific information into state and local policy decisions to promote the long-term health, sustainability, and economic growth of Hoosiers across Indiana. Host offices confirmed for 2026 include The Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Transportation, and the Indiana State Office of Energy Development.

The Graduate School Bloomington will provide a $10,000 stipend for the 10-week summer program. Students must be able to work full-time (40 hours/week) for the entire 10-week program.

Degree Deadlines

Graduate School Degree Deadlines

Wishing everyone a strong finish to the semester and a wonderful holiday season,

The Graduate School

Indiana University
107 S. Indiana Ave
Bloomington, IN 47405

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