Academics Committee

Chair: Surya Narayanan Hari (shari@caltech.edu)

Meetings: Monthly, contact the chair

Academic issues permeate an overwhelming part of a graduate student’s life. The goal of the Academics Committee is to oversee activities aimed to enhance academic and career interests of graduate students and to help foster an environment in which graduate students can learn to become leaders in their academic fields.

The Academics Committee oversees Academic Bootcamp, the Take a Professor to Lunch Program, GSC Lab Tours, the GSC Teaching and Mentoring Awards, Academic Field Trips, and the Everhart Lecture Series. The committee is also involved in advocating on behalf of graduate students on issues surrounding coursework, degree progress, and library resources.

Current programs

Teaching and Mentoring Awards

The Annual GSC Teaching and Mentoring Awards recognize extraordinary members of the Caltech community who show us the ropes, support us through our exams and thesis defense, and lead us as we begin our careers.

The three award categories are outstanding classroom Teacher, Teaching Assistant, and Mentor.

Please check back here for nomination forms at the end of every (academic-year) quarter.

Everhart Lecture Series

The Everhart Lecture Series is a forum for outstanding graduate students to present their path breaking research in front of the Caltech community. Each year, the three selected awardees present scientific topics to a broad scientific audience while addressing current research issues. Speakers receive a $500 honorarium and recognition at graduation. Selection takes place every fall and lectures are delivered in the Winter and Spring terms.

Take a Professor to Lunch

Take a Professor to Lunch is an ongoing program of the GSC. Our mission is to provide graduate students with an opportunity to meet and socialize with faculty outside of their departments, and to learn from the professors’ experiences. For each lunch, 8-12 students are randomly selected among those who nominate themselves for the event. Monthly lunches take place at the Athenaeum (unless the professor has another preference) and the GSC handles the coordination. To learn more about this program or to nominate a professor for the next lunch, please contact the academics chair.