Last year, CEE debuted a new graduate admissions process and admitted a cohort of outstanding students directly to our PhD program. For their first year at Stanford, these students will be supported by the department, giving them the opportunity to rotate between different faculty labs to discover their best research fit. The department is now focusing on two new initiatives to support this incoming cohort of PhD students and help them settle into their program.
First, the CEE Student Services Team, in collaboration with a group of current CEE PhD students, will host regular programming and events to bring the cohort together on a consistent basis throughout the academic year. Programming will include off-campus excursions, lunches with department faculty, student-run seminars, and other informal social gatherings. This programming will build on and complement other community-building efforts for first-year PhD students that are happening at the school level within the Doerr School of Sustainability.
Second, all new PhD students will be assigned a graduate student mentor to provide support and guidance during the first year of their program. Mentors and mentees will meet at least once a quarter to discuss adjusting to the academic and personal aspects of being a PhD student at Stanford. The CEE Student Services Team will also be hosting a Mentor/Mentee Mixer event in early October to kick off the program and help facilitate introductions.
These initiatives aim to foster a strong sense of community and support among the incoming cohort of PhD students, ensuring their successful integration into the program and helping them thrive at Stanford.
