GAPSA MONTHLY
UPDATE

Dear Fellow Doctoral and Research Master's Students,

Happy summer season! Whether you are spending the summer conducting research, preparing for qualifying examinations, finalizing your dissertation, or taking a well-deserved break from campus, we hope this message finds you well and recharged for the months ahead. Below, you will find important updates and opportunities to keep you informed and engaged during the summer term.

Ludwig Zhao

President, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
gapsa.president@gapsa.upenn.edu

We are excited to introduce the 2025-2026 GAPSA Executive Board! As the overarching representative body for graduate and professional students across all 12 schools, GAPSA plans campus-wide events, provides funding for individual and groups, and advocates on behalf of the student community.

Interested in leadership experience? Want to get involved on campus? Join us! We are looking for Committee Directors, Deputies, and Members to support student events, advocacy, and fund management. Whether it is your first or tenth time in student government, there is a role for you. Apply here by July 9, 2025.

If you are a PhD or postdoc planning to go on the job market this year, you probably have questions. What kinds of opportunities are available in the current climate? Will I be competitive for them? What should I do if my career plans recently changed? Career Services' PhD Job Search Prep Camp (Aug. 6-13) will address these questions and more, ensuring you have the resources, skills, and confidence to tackle both the academic and non-academic job market.

Visit Career Services website for a full schedule of events. More details will be added as the summer progresses, but registration is open now!

As we continue to navigate an ever-changing landscape, we want to highlight several important resources that provide valuable guidance for our international community from International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)

- Immigration Policy Updates & Resources Website

- U.S. Department of State Visa Screening and Interview Scheduling

- Summer 2025 Resources Page

- Summer Break Travel: Guidance for F-1 Students & J-1 Students and Scholars

Throughout the summer, the Penn Farm supports the weekly distribution of freshly-harvested organic produce at two locations on campus to help address food insecurity. All produce is provided first-come, first-served and available until supplies run out! We encourage you to bring your own produce bags or a container. Please contact individual distribution sites for more information:

- Graduate Student Center: open to all current graduate & professional students; check upcoming dates and times here

- Penn Dental Medicine: open to all PDM affiliates; contact laurelg@pobox.upenn.edu for more information

View Penn Farm's Vegetable ID Guide to see what's currently growing and being harvested at the Penn Farm!

Serving all PhD and research Masters degrees, Research Council (RC) is a space for research student general assembly representatives elected from each of the G12+ schools to bring student concerns and help their peers' academic journey along at Penn. The Council Chair serves as a voice in between these representatives and the various university-wide centers and offices as well as numerous councils across the University. The council also provides Academic Event Funding for events that serve multiple schools at Penn and Individual Travel Grants as a last-resort funding source for students presenting at conferences.

Bi-weekly RC meetings (late August - mid May) are open to the greater Penn student community to attend. The schedule will be posted on the GAPSA website later this summer. For questions on how to get involved please contact the RC Chair, Devin Burris: gapsa.research@gapsa.upenn.edu

Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
Questions? Concerns?
Email gapsa.president@gapsa.upenn.edu

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