Speakers - Guests
Special Guests
Dr. Peter K. Dorhout - Vice President for Research
Dr. Peter K. Dorhout serves as Professor of Chemistry and Vice President for Research at Iowa State University and an Ames National Laboratory Affiliate. Prior to coming to Iowa State, he served five years as Vice President for Research following four years as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Kansas State University. He has served as the Interim Provost at Colorado State University-Pueblo (2011), preceded by 20 years at Colorado State University-Fort Collins as Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Assistant Vice President for Research, and Professor of Chemistry. He served as a collaborator at Los Alamos National Laboratory 1987-2011. He is a past chair of the Chemistry Section for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has led professional organizations and foundations as a member of the Boards of Directors for the American Chemical Society, where he was the 2018 President, the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Iowa State University Research Park, the Iowa Innovation Council, the Science Center of Iowa, and the Mid-Iowa Council Scouting BSA Executive Board.
He is a recognized expert in solid state and nuclear materials science and environmental chemistry. He has had active research programs in solid-state f-element and radiochemistry, and nanomaterials science. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and reviews while presenting over 130 international and national invited lectures on his chemistry and related topics, including laboratory safety. Dr. Dorhout earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served as a postdoctoral scientist at Ames National Lab at Iowa State. His list of professional awards includes Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, A. P. Sloan Foundation Fellow, National Science Foundation CAREER Fellow, and the ACS-ExxonMobil Faculty Award in Solid State Chemistry.
He can be reached at: dorhout@iastate.edu
Panelists
William Graves - Dean of the Graduate College
William R. Graves (Bill), serves as Dean of the Graduate College, a position he has held since 2017. He was Associate Dean of the Graduate College from 2010-2017 and has been a Professor at Iowa State since 1992. He was elected to the university’s Graduate Council before his administrative service in the Graduate College began.
Graves earned a doctorate at Purdue University after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Iowa State. He was assistant professor at the University of Maryland before joining the Iowa State faculty, and he been a visiting scholar at the University of Delaware and Stanford University. Graves has published over 100 scholarly papers and co-authored a book. His research centers on the reproductive biology, physiology, and ecology of rare plants. He has served as major professor for numerous graduate students, directed two Iowa State graduate programs, and taught graduate and undergraduate courses.
Raised near Chicago, Graves believes that graduate education opens doors, builds bridges, solves problems, and enriches the world.
Elena Cotos- Associate Dean of the Graduate College
Dr. Elena Cotos is an Associate Dean of the Graduate College. She provides leadership for the professional development programs offered through the Graduate College. She has served the Graduate College in different capacities since 2009, devising innovative support programming for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Dr. Cotos is the founding Director of the Center for Communication Excellence (CCE), which was created in 2015. Since becoming an Associate Dean last year, she has been working on systematizing and integrating professional-development opportunities and resources provided by the CCE, the Graduate Career Services Office, the Preparing Future Faculty Program, the Emerging Leaders Academy, and the multi-institutional network known as the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. She works to ensure that all graduate students and postdocs at ISU have access to varied opportunities for professional growth and are equipped with the ‘power skills’ needed to accomplish their academic, career, and personal goals. In addition to her role in the Graduate College, Dr. Cotos holds an Associate Professor appointment in the English Department. She takes pride in the fact that she is the first graduate of the department’s PhD program in Applied Linguistics and Technology. Much of her research in this field has been translated to the CCE’s programing focused on scientific writing and English for academic purposes.
Christine Cain - GPSS President
Christine Cain (she/her) is a 4th year Ph.D. student in Higher Education. She has her bachelor's degree in English, creative writing, and business administration from Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Christine also has a master's degree in higher and postsecondary education from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, NY. Her doctoral research is focused on rural college students, college access issues, and how place/space informs student career and educational decision-making. Christine has been a Senator in GPSS for the School of Education since 2020. Originally from Sheldon, Iowa, the Ph.D. brought Christine back to her home state. Christine is a major foodie and is always cooking for friends and family, eating, or exploring new restaurants. In her free time, she loves to socialize, travel, get outside, play boardgames, and will read any mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction she can get her hands on.
She can be reached at: gpsspresident@iastate.edu
Karen M. Kedrowski - Director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
Dr. Karen M. Kedrowski is Director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics and the Whitaker-Lindgren Faculty Fellow and Professor of Political Science at Iowa State University. Dr. Kedrowski earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she majored in Political Science, French, and History. She then earned her Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma, Norman. Her research agenda focuses primarily on women and politics and civic engagement. She is the author or coauthor of four books and more than 60 book chapters, book reviews, journal articles, encyclopedia entries, and blog posts. She also leads Iowa State’s voter engagement efforts, which have earned several national recognitions. In addition, Dr. Kedrowski is frequently interviewed by local, regional, national, and international news organizations.
Presenters
Dr. Abram Anders - Student Innovation Center
Abram Anders is the Associate Director of Student Innovation Center and Associate Professor of English. His research interests include academic innovation, business and professional communication, communication and writing pedagogy, generative artificial intelligence, human-centered design. Dr. Anders is an award-winning researcher and teacher. Most recently, he was recognized with the 2023 Dean’s Arts and Humanities Innovation Award at Iowa State University and the 2022 Outstanding Article in the International Journal of Business Communication Award.
Dr. Emily Dux Speltz - Post Doctoral Researcher
Emily Dux Speltz earned her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Technology at Iowa State University in December 2023. She currently works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of English at Iowa State. Her research interests center around the applications of writing-process research to computer-assisted writing pedagogy. She is also interested in helping undergraduate and graduate students develop AI literacies and the ability to critically evaluate AI-generated output.
Email: endux@iastate.edu
Karin Lawton-Dunn - Graduate Career Services
Karin Lawton-Dunn (she/her) has been a Sr. Career Services Specialist with the Graduate College Career Services Office since 2015 and has worked in higher education for 35+ years. Karin enjoys coaching graduate students and postdocs on the many facets of career planning. She has an extensive understanding of international students and the challenges they face in a career search.
Karin is passionate about guiding graduate students and postdocs in developing the many skills necessary to succeed in their future careers. Karin can be reached directly at kldunn@iastate.edu. To schedule a one-on-one Career Coaching session, please visit https://booking.appointy.com/en-US/dwcisu/bookings/service.
Student Organizations
Good Earth Student Farm
Good Earth Student Farm is a student-run organization where students, faculty, staff, and members of the local community can grow their own sustainable, naturally grown produce to aid in reducing food insecurity. Our harvest is also shared with The S.H.O.P. food pantry on campus.
Graduate Student Voices
Members of Graduate Student Voices at Iowa State University, recognize that it is our right to organize for the benefit and protection of our workforce. Members of the community of graduate students, graduate student employees, and graduate student professional workers have the right to fair and humane working conditions.
Black Graduate Student Association
The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of student life at ISU, while promoting academic excellence, mentoring, professional guidance, social support and scholarly advancement of undergraduate students, graduate students, and other members of the ISU community of African descent and other nationalities
ISU Services and Departments
Printing Services
The mission of Printing Services is to identify and efficiently provide Iowa State University’s core printing needs, offering services that contribute to the success of Iowa State.
Center for Communication Excellence
The Center for Communication Excellence offers communication support to graduate students and postdocs from adjusting to life as a graduate student through job applications. How could improving your communication skills help you achieve your goals?
CCE can help through individual feedback, network-enhancing groups, expert-led seminars, thesis/dissertation programming, and the AcComP certification track.
Recreation Services
Recreation Services offers the freedom of individuality through a wide range of diverse programs, activities, and facilities. Recreation Services strives to make everyone feel right at home, whether a first-timer or a regular user. However you play, it is Your Rec Your Way!
The Iowa State Creamery offers ice cream, ice cream sandwiches (Grabbers), cheese curds, aged Cheddar cheese, gift certificates, and workshops. All food products and gift certificates are available for pickup in the ISU Creamery retail store and available for shipping.
International Students and Scholars Office
The International Students and Scholars Office at Iowa State University is to facilitate the seamless integration and success of international employees, scholars, and students by providing expert services, guidance on immigration compliance, and comprehensive support around unique international challenges.