Graduate Advising

Graduate students are advised by their faculty mentors. Students should individually consult with faculty academic advisors on a regular basis—not just to pre-register—but also to communicate regularly about progress toward the degree and one’s professional development. Students are free to change advisors at any time prior to preparation for comprehensive examinations, especially as students begin to work with individual faculty in Physics and Astronomy.

For general questions about graduate studies, students may contact the Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Physics and Astronomy:

Allison N. Jaynes, PhD

Director of Graduate Studies

Associate Professor

Department Liaison to CLAS

[email protected]

319-335-3799

Graduate Student Advisory Committee

The GSAC serves as a liaison and advocacy group between the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Students, the faculty, and the department administration. The committee is selected by the Director of Graduate Studies and has class representation from first, second and upper level graduate students. The duties of GSAC are:

provide input to the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee, The Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Coordinator. Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) advises on issues relevant to curriculum, departmental policies and campus opportunities;
serve as a conduit to all graduate students in sharing official departmental information and policy changes; and
support the peer-to-peer mentoring program, GradMAP, by assisting in selecting mentors and reporting to the DGS.

Submit a Confidential Comment to the GSAC