Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University!

 

 

As a part of the Orientation Committee, we are interested in making your transition into graduate school and relocation to the East Lansing area as enjoyable as possible.  The Committee members are students from many areas in chemistry and are in various stage of the graduate program.  Because getting to know people in the department is an important aspect of orientation week, we have planned several opportunities to meet and interact with other graduate students, faculty, and staff.

 

Enclosed is a schedule of activities for orientation week.  Sunday begins orientation week with a pizza party, giving you a chance to meet the orientation committee and the other incoming students.  Also, this will allow you to familiarize yourself with the Chemistry building and on-campus parking before the placement exams on Monday morning.

 

On Monday following the placement exams, you will have a chance to meet members of the Orientation Committee and get a tour of the building.  We will be available to answer any questions and assist you in acquiring building keys, parking passes, student ID’s and any other campus errands you may need help with.  The lunch break gives you another opportunity to get to know your fellow classmates and the orientation committee.  We will be organizing groups to go to local restaurants (you will be responsible for your own meal), or if you would rather bring a lunch there will be a group that will stay at the chemistry building.

 

Tuesday is designed to answer many of the questions you might have about the program requirements and give you an opportunity to learn about the facilities, groups, and benefits associated with being a graduate student in Chemistry.  Also on Tuesday, yearly department photos will be taken for display in the main office and on the department website.  Again, we will be organizing groups for lunch.

 

Wednesday is devoted to advising appointments and course enrollment.  Since each student will have an individual advising appointment with a faculty member in the corresponding area, there will be no group sessions.  Wednesday will be a good day to complete personal errands (i.e. getting a student ID, financial aid) or exploring campus and the local area.   On Wednesday evening, the Younger Chemists Committee has planned a social gathering at a local bar, giving you an opportunity to meet the rest of the current graduate students, faculty, and staff in a relaxed, social atmosphere.

 

On Thursday, you will receive your teaching assignment as well as some general guidelines for teaching.  There will also be a chance to meet with former and current TAs to prepare you for your specific course.  The orientation committee will host a lunch reception with the department faculty members to give you an opportunity to talk to the professors that you may be interested in working with and as another opportunity to get to know the members of the orientation committee. 

 

The formal portion of the week will wrap up on Friday morning with safety training, and the finale of orientation will be a picnic at Patriarche Park in East Lansing on Friday evening.  This picnic is an annual event that is well attended by faculty, current graduate students, and their families.  The afternoon will include food and beverages, fun and games, and a raffle of prizes from local businesses.  Raffle tickets will be available throughout the week from Orientation Committee members, as well as at the reception on Thursday.

 

Please feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions regarding orientation week.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Jamie Curtis                                                        Allison Brown

Orientation Committee Co-Chair                         Orientation Committee Co-Chair                   

(Curtis43@chemistry.msu.edu)                           (Browna66@msu.edu)