ASU at Sunset

About

Graduate Insider Blog

 

What it means to be unstoppable

This month’s bold word is “unstoppable” — a reflection on persistence, adaptability and the courage to keep moving forward. Dean Wentz explores how empathy and determination work together to help us adapt today to shape tomorrow, with insights from ASU faculty and a preview of the upcoming Distinguished Lecture featuring Anthony Robles.

All stories

 

A student compares a printed page to a word processing document displayed on a monitor

Finding your flow: Managing the graduate writing process

Graduate writing can feel like a marathon—long, demanding, and full of unexpected detours.

Psychology graduate student Nutifafa Dey is studying how to promote resilience across the lifespan, especially in middle-age and older adults.

Promoting resilience and well-being in Ghana — and across the globe

ASU psychology graduate student Nutifafa Dey is working to understand challenges faced by middle-age and older adults
Faculty members: Associate Professor in School of International Letters and Cultures, Anita Huizar-Hernandez, Professor in School of Life Sciences Jeffrey Jensen, and Professor in Department of Physics Patricia Rankin

From practice to presentation: How to deliver a winning faculty job talk

Giving a job talk can feel like the most high-stakes presentation of your academic job search. It’s not just a research seminar—it’s your opportunity to demonstrate vision, communication skills, and fit within a department.

Mentorship comes in many forms. A student working on a laptop receives feedback from a colleage

Mentoring matters: Mentoring students through impostor syndrome

Graduate education can be an exhilarating journey — but for many students, it also brings moments of self-doubt and uncertainty.

Two hands hold out a knitted heart with a white plus sign stiched onto it

Give hope this holiday season by donating blood

There’s an urgent need for blood, and the ASU community is stepping up to make a difference.

Two students go over deadlines with papers and a laptop

Graduate funding deadlines for Fall

This blog post will explain important funding and award deadlines for the fall 2025 semester. 
Panelists of the 2025 Distinguished Lecture

Distinguished Lecture with Anthony Robles - Panel discussion

Following the 2025 Graduate College Distinguished Lecture with NCAA Champion and motivational speaker Anthony Robles, this dynamic panel discussion brings together voices from across Arizona State University to explore how we overcome obstacles,…

Language books on top of a map with a notebook

Humanities Week: The Critical Language Scholarship

The Critical Language Scholarship Program offers a fully funded, intensive summer abroad to learn a language that can change a life and a career.
Alumni Spotlight: A portrait of Ana Silvia Cervantes Figueroa over a 1839 print from JM Wright and S Smith called The Witches Dance in Tam O Shanter

Witches worldwide, literature and mental health: A conversation with Ana Silvia Cervantes Figueroa

Dr. Ana Silvia Cervantes Figueroa, a Crossing Latinidades Mellon Fellow and ASU alumna, explores feminist reimaginings of the witch archetype in Hispanic literature.
Confidently interviewing in an office

How to feel confident in your next interview

Let’s be honest, interviews can feel nerve-wracking. Your palms sweat, your heart races, and you start to second-guess whether you even remember your own name.

Lunch and Learn recap with Amanda Athey (ASU) and two new faculty members: Dr. Scott Glasser (UNC Greensboro) and Dr. Tanner Knorr (University of Wisconsin–La Crosse)

Surviving (and thriving) through the campus interview: Lessons from two new faculty members

For graduate students heading into the academic job market, the campus interview can feel like both a finish line and an obstacle course.

From the Dean's Desk: Elizabeth Wentz, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate College in front of the Memorial Union

What it means to be unstoppable

This month’s bold word is “unstoppable” — a reflection on persistence, adaptability and the courage to keep moving forward. Dean Wentz explores how empathy and determination work together to help us adapt today to shape tomorrow, with insights from…
Studying maps around the world

Funding your future: How the Boren Awards support language and service abroad

For students who dream of immersing themselves in another culture, mastering a new language, and making a tangible impact through public service, the Boren Awards for International Study opens the door to a world of opportunity.
A laptop computer opens and gives a purple glow

Unlocking research success: Nature Masterclasses now available for the ASU community

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at ASU now have a powerful new resource to elevate their research and publishing skills — Nature Masterclasses On Demand.

Timeline for postdocs

Navigating postdoc professional development: Tools, timelines and support

National Postdoc Appreciation Week is a reminder of the vital role postdoctoral scholars play in advancing research and innovation.

Lunch and Learn recap with Dr. Vikrant Kamble (ASU), Dr. Kevin Trinh (Caltech), and Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips (Southern Methodist University)

Cracking the first-round Zoom interview: Lessons from the academic job market

For graduate students preparing to enter the academic job market, Zoom interviews have quickly become the norm.

Anthony Robles, Shawn Banzhaf, Cassandra Aska and Elizabeth Wentz

Unstoppable: Lessons in Adaptability from Anthony Robles

Join us on October 29 for the Elizabeth A. Wentz Distinguished Lecture Series.
Hand holds up an illuminated icon of a resume

How graduate students can harness AI in the job search

Searching for a job as a graduate student is both exciting and overwhelming. A recent Grad15 session on using AI in the job search (led by Evan Walsh, a career advisor at Harvard Medical School) offered practical strategies to help students navigate…
Luke Boyle in front of an image of informal settlements around Cape Town, South Africa

Reimagining the Smart City: Luke Boyle’s Mellon/ACLS Fellowship research elevates South African voices

Luke Boyle is ASU’s first doctoral student to be selected for the distinguished Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship Program.
From the Dean's Desk: Elizabeth Wentz, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate College in front of the Interdisciplinary building at ASU

Choosing empathy in a world of speed and self-interest

September’s “bold word” of the month is “empathy.” Empathy asks us to step outside ourselves, confront discomfort (our own and others’) and choose understanding and compassion in a world that often values speed and self-interest.
Hand squeezing small foam heart, with drop symbol equation blood plus blood equals love

Together we save lives: Graduate College Blood Drive impact

Thank you, Donors, for your commitment to all patients in Arizona. You made a big difference!
National Postdoc Appreciation Week gold confetti over asu maroon background

National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2025 Recap

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who joined us for National Postdoc Appreciation Week (September 15–19, 2025).

Graduate Student Yasmin Afshar at the Walton Center for Planetary Health

Writing her own story: Yasmin Afshar on finding alignment in scholarship and life

Yasmin shares her powerful story, of how interdisciplinary opportunities, meaningful mentorship and recognition through the Graduate College University Grant have shaped her experience.
a poster session in a ballroom for the ARCS conference

Learn to present your research with confidence

ASU librarians will show you how to write a strong conference proposal, design powerful posters and tell your data’s story — all in free online workshops