Programming and Events

GSEE Weekly Newsletters

Current UW graduate students who self-identified as a racial or ethnic minority on their UW application will receive weekly GSEE emails. New graduate students of color should receive their first GSEE email in mid-October. If you are not on the listserv and would like to be added, please email uwgsee@uw.edu.

GSEE New Student Welcome (past event)

GSEE is thrilled to welcome our incoming Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) graduate students to the University of Washington. 

It can be incredibly challenging to move to a new city/region/country to attend graduate school. We also recognize how jarring it can be to return to life as an academic after many years in the workforce, with the added layer of uncertainty and anxiety that the pandemic has brought with it. GSEE is here for you, to foster community and a sense of belonging in graduate school, as you begin your journey! 

GSEE’s New Student Welcome occurred Wednesday, Aug. 3, 1:30–3 p.m. A virtual meet & greet for incoming BIPOC master’s, Ph.D., and professional students, we hosted a student panel, as well as breakout rooms, to exchange tips and tricks on transitioning to Seattle and the UW. Topics included QTPOC Community, POC Outdoors, Student Activism/Advocacy, Parenting while in Graduate School, Find a Roommate, Free Chat. Please join us next year to see what topics will unfold or be relevant for you! 

Getting Connected—New Student Orientation and Reception (past event)

Note: This was a two-part (two-day) event!

GSEE hosted our biggest community building event of the year! Our virtual Getting Connected Student Panel provided a space for our BIPOC graduate students to learn tips and tricks for succeeding in graduate school from current students. Through our panelists’ unique experiences, perspectives, and insights, incoming graduate students got a taste of grad student life and set the stage for a vibrant first year. Our virtual student panel was held via Zoom Wednesday, Oct. 19, 1–2:30 p.m.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to be back in in-person community with our students. We started the academic year off right with good people, good music (a DJ!), and good food and drinks during the Getting Connected Reception Thursday, Oct. 20, 5:30-8 p.m. at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House at UW Seattle.

GSEE Power Hours

GSEE Power Hours are designed with introspective and professional growth in mind. Master’s and doctoral students of color have an opportunity to be a part of a 1.5-hour interactive discussions surrounding topics that are unique to their academic and professional journeys. Featured UW faculty and community leaders in support of graduate student success lead these discussions with the goal of creating a supportive community. Graduate students of color gather to discuss commonly identified challenges and concerns, share victories and triumphs, and brainstorm creative strategies. Topics range from leadership development, self-care, overcoming the imposter syndrome, countering microaggressions, and negotiating salaries.

As one student noted, graduate school can be a “lonely journey.” Taking some time to connect and talk with others is restoring and rejuvenating. At the Power Hour, “my soul was fed,” she added.

2022-2023 Power Hours

  • Preparing for the Workforce
    Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, 1–2:30 p.m. (via Zoom)

    Our autumn quarter Power Hour, “Preparing for the Workforce,” evolved from the suggestion from some of our graduate students. No matter where you are in your academic program, graduate school is the time to gather resources and information from peers, mentors, and leaders to build your workforce preparation. It will feature a panel of new (some GSEE alumni) and veteran professionals from a variety of disciplines to provide tips and share experiences on preparing for and entering the workforce after graduation. Our guest speakers will be representing the non-profit sector (Gates Foundation), post-doctoral research, fellowships (Washington Sea Grant), North Seattle Community College, industry (Microsoft), the UW, and more. We will be gathering virtually over Zoom with the opportunity to utilize breakout rooms to promote connection in your area(s) of interest.

  • Becoming a Parent/Guardian as an Academic? Wait…When?
    Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, 10:30 a.m.–noon. (In-Person)

    Our first Power Hour of the winter quarter will focus on becoming a parent/guardian while in graduate school, acknowledging the challenges that come with that, and how you can thrive amid navigating all your responsibilities. Guest speakers will include Dr. Ann Ishimaru (associate professor, College of Education), Dr. Suhanthie Motha (associate professor, Department of English), and jas moultrie (doctoral student, Department of Communication).

  • GSEE Fellowships & Awards Information Session
    Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 2-3 p.m. (Zoom)

    GSEE and the Graduate School’s Office of Fellowships & Awards are partnering for this fellowships and awards information session. We will be sharing timelines, details, and eligibility for GSEE’s awards, Graduate School Fellowship opportunities, and other related outside sources for diverse scholars. We will also have time for a Q&A in the latter half of the session. We hope you can join us for a deeper dive into finding funding opportunities for your graduate school journey!

2021-2022 Power Hours

  • Saying Yes and Saying No: How Do You Decide?
    Guest panelists: Dr. Cherry A. Banks, Dr. Barbara Wakimoto, Dr. Miranda Belarde-Lewis
    Tuesday, April 12, 2022
  • Demystifying the Fullbright Program
    Graduate School’s Awards and Fellowships team
    Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Prospective Student Days (past event)

Prospective Student Days (PSDs) [or Virtual Visit Days (VVDs)] are a two-day welcome event for admitted, prospective BIPOC UW graduate students. PSDs or VVDs feature current student and GSEE staff panels and/or opportunities to gather and get to know other prospective, admitted graduate students of color across disciplines.

2023 Prospective Student Days
This year’s Prospective Student Days had two sessions. GSEE hosted a live Q&A session via Zoom with a panel of historically underrepresented graduate students. We also held an in-person reception for admitted prospective students to connect with staff who are dedicated to supporting underserved graduate students at the UW. Whether you decided to attend either event (or both!), we hope that we answered your questions about being a graduate student at the UW.

  • GSEE Prospective Student Days occurred on March 30 and 31, 2023. 
    • Virtual Student Panel via Zoom: March 30, 10–11:15 a.m. 
    • In-Person Reception in the Petersen Room (Allen Library): March 31, noon-2 p.m.

Registration was required for admitted prospective students to attend the events. 

Attention GPAs (Graduate Program Advisors) & GPCs (Graduate Program Coordinators):
Please use this invitation to invite admitted prospective students to participate in GSEE’s 2023 Prospective Student Days.

Spring Soirée

2023 Spring Soirée Announced!
Stay tuned and save the date: Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House at UW Seattle.

2022 Spring Soirée

Our 2022 theme was Blooming Beyond Boundaries, our first in-person graduation celebration since 2019! We are so proud of each of our graduate students for their resilience while moving through the pandemic and life’s many barriers and boundaries, all while being in an environment that was not designed for them. Yet here they were, chasing and accomplishing their dreams!

Staying Connected

Staying Connected are once a month off-campus social mixers hosted by our Graduate Student Advisory Board (GSAB) meant for grad students of color to gather in community while supporting local businesses. If you are interested in meeting new folks, come hangout at this happy hour. This is a no-host gathering. No speakers or name-tags “just a good olé” fashioned way to mingle!

2022-2023 Staying Connected Dates

Autumn Quarter

  • Oct. 28, 5–7:30 p.m.
    Big Time Brewery, U District

Winter Quarter

  • Feb. 10, 5-7 p.m.
    The Octopus Bar

Spring Quarter (dates to be announced)

Real Talk Tuesdays

GSEE and the Center for Communication, Difference, and Equity (CCDE) join together to organize Real Talk Tuesdays (RTT) — a safe space to engage in real talk about issues that impact graduate students of color. Topics rotate every discussion and students are welcome to bring the issues they face as POC graduate students. RTT is held held online and in person in CMU 129. RSVP required.

2022-2023 Real Talk Tuesdays

Autumn Quarter

  • Oct. 25, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Nov. 15 (Families & Relationships Edition), 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Winter Quarter

  • Jan. 17, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Feb. 7 (Families & Relationships Edition), 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Feb. 28, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Spring Quarter – RSVP for Spring RTTs

  • April 11, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • May 2 (Families & Relationships Edition), 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • May 23, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

MLK Day of Service

GSEE invites you to observe and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Each year, we uplift a few community events that aim to provide us with an opportunity to reflect on and rededicate ourselves to our shared commitment to creating a just and equitable future for all.

Thriving in Graduate School Series (TIGS)

GSEE partners with Graduate Student Affairs and the UW Counseling Center for the Thriving in Graduate School Series (TIGS). This series gives graduate students the opportunity to learn from experienced alumni students of color. Guest speakers/facilitators will share their wisdom and strategies for surviving and thriving-within and outside of graduate school.

2022-2023 TIGS

  • Thriving in Grad School: Lessons on Resilience
    Nov. 17, 2022, 2:30–4 p.m. (via Zoom)
    Guest speaker: Dr. Ahna Skop

While GSEE events and programming are geared toward graduate students of color, they are open to all UW graduate students, faculty and staff, especially those interested in supporting and increasing a racially diverse graduate student population.