Becoming a Resilient Graduate Student Series

              

    Introduction to the Series

    Navigating school, the career exploration process, research environments, and the stress of life can seem overwhelming and lead us to doubt ourselves just when we need confidence the most. The goal of this series is to help you develop the resilience you need to navigate challenging situations in school, work and life. The series will consist of six recorded videos, each followed by a small group discussion the following week. The videos will highlight emotional intelligence competencies needed for academic success and for thriving in graduate school and future careers. We will discuss the cultivation of skills to help you realize resilience and identify and deal with obstacles that get in your way.  The small group discussion is at a set day and time and students must plan to attend each of these. The recordings and group discussions in the series are:

    •  Unit I. An Introduction to Resilience and Wellness
    • Unit II. Exploring our Self-Talk: Cognitive Distortions and Imposter Fears
    • Unit III. Emotions and Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
    • Unit IV. Self-Advocacy and Assertiveness for Graduate Students
    • Unit V. Developing Feedback Resilience
    • Unit VI. Managing Up to Maximize Mentoring Relationships

     

    While the program was designed for scientists, all graduate students are invited to participate. 

     

    Fall 2023 Resilient Graduate Student Series

    The series will require students to watch a recorded video and complete a reflection in advance of each session. 

    Sessions will be held remotely through Microsoft Teams on Thursdays, from 2:30-3:30pm. 

    Session Date Topic Description
    1 9/14/2023 An Introduction to Resilience and Wellness

    We all experience setback and disappointments in science, work and life. In this webinar we will look at seven key elements of resilience with a focus on building habits that promote healthier responses and resilient behaviors in the face of set-back in educational and work environments.
    2 10/5/2023 Exploring our Self-Talk: Cognitive Distortions and Imposter Fears

    We tell ourselves stories about what is happening to us and around us. In this webinar we will explore how our self-talk is generated and look at ways our self-talk can either help us be more resilient or how it can hurt us and hold us back. We will look at two important elements of our self-talk, cognitive distortions and imposter fears and explore ways to recognize internal messages and input from others that distorts our views of our abilities and accomplishments.
    3 10/19/2023 Emotions and Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

    Emotions can play a critical role in how we communicate, navigate relationships, and manage conflict. In this webinar we will discuss Emotional Intelligence and emotions and how they influence our resilience as scientists.
    4 11/2/2023 Self-Advocacy and Assertiveness for Scientists

    We all need to develop the skills needed to be assertive and to advocate for ourselves, especially in hierarchical environments where we sometimes feel we do not have a voice. In this webinar, we will discuss how to set boundaries, communicate expectations, ask for feedback and discuss difficult issues with friends, mentors, colleagues and supervisors.
    5 11/16/2023 Developing Feedback Resilience

    We all need feedback to grow and learn but we often become defensive and are unable to learn from the feedback we receive, even if it is delivered well. In this webinar, we will talk about why receiving feedback is so difficult and explore ways to stay calm and engaged when receiving feedback. We will also talk about giving feedback in a calm and assertive way so that our voice can be heard.
    6 11/30/2023 Managing Up to Maximize Mentoring Relationships

    We all need mentors to support and encourage us throughout our educational and career journey. In this webinar, we will talk about the mentoring relationship in research environments with a focus on improving your relationship with your PI, finding mentors and on improving communication and interpersonal interactions. The webinar will help clarify what you need from your supervisors and mentors and address how to get what you need from these important interactions.


    Spring 2023 Resilient Graduate Student Series Schedule


    If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Dr. Michelle Rodems or 502-852-3110.