Dear Graduate Students,
As we begin 2026 together, I want to take a moment to welcome you back and to recognize the dedication, resilience and care you have brought to your studies over the past year. Graduate education is demanding even in the best of times, and many of you have navigated uncertainty, heavy workloads and competing responsibilities with determination and thoughtfulness. Your commitment to your scholarship, your communities and one another does not go unnoticed.
Supporting your success remains at the center of the Graduate School’s work. Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen advising, resources and policies that support your academic progress and well-being. One important effort is the Ph.D. Task Force, which is engaging faculty, staff and students in reimagining aspects of doctoral education to ensure our programs are rigorous and responsive to the realities of today’s academic and professional landscape. Your voices and experiences are essential to this work, and we are grateful to everyone who has shared feedback and participated in these conversations.
As a reminder, the Graduate School offers a range of support for your academic and professional progress. The Office of Graduate Student Success provides guidance and programming to help you navigate your graduate journey, and I encourage you to take advantage of these resources.
As the year continues, I wish you good health, moments of balance and meaningful progress toward your goals. Thank you for the energy, curiosity and care you bring to our graduate community. I hope the remainder of the academic year is a successful and rewarding one for you.
Best wishes,
Joy Williamson-Lott
Dean of the Graduate School
Ph.D. Task Force updates
The Ph.D. Task Force is continuing its work to rethink and strengthen doctoral education at UW, with a focus on improving the Ph.D. experience for current and future students. This work is guided by faculty and university leadership and informed by data, national trends, and, most importantly, input from across campus.
At the January 2026 Town Hall, early themes reflected many issues students regularly raise, including the need for clearer and more consistent Ph.D. funding structures, a shared understanding of what excellence in doctoral education looks like and better alignment between doctoral training and a wide range of career paths. Conversations also highlighted the importance of transferable skills, opportunities to reduce unnecessary structural barriers and the need to balance innovation with existing policies and governance. Recordings and materials from the Town Hall are available on the Task Force website.
As the Task Force develops draft recommendations this spring, continued input from the UW community remains essential. Students are encouraged to review the Town Hall materials, discuss these topics within their programs, and share feedback (either anonymously or by name) through the Task Force website.
As I shared in an earlier email, GPSS would like to invite you to attend one of two sessions to gather your thoughts, reflections and suggestions regarding the future of the PhD at the University of Washington. Two PhD students are on the steering committee: Alexandros Peltekis (Chemistry) and Mukhayyo Azamova (International Studies).
Sessions:
- February 11, 2026, 10:00-11:00 via Zoom
- February 25, 2026, 10:00-11:00 via Zoom
The sessions will be hosted by Alexandros, Mukhayyo, Dean Joy Williamson-Lott and Daniel Pollack, divisional dean of natural sciences, College of Arts & Sciences. We are particularly interested in hearing your reflections on what worked well in your PhD experience, what could have worked better, and what you wish you would have experienced while at the UW to better prepare you for your future after graduation.
Explore Graduate School Programming
Our Office of Graduate Student Success provides numerous opportunities for students to grow, connect and learn. Learn more about our programming.
Our next public lecture
The Graduate School Office of Public Lectures will host George Conway III at Town Hall Seattle. Register for this lecture.