Committed to Caring Reception

Committed to Caring Reception

Four people attending Committed to Caring Reception
Left to right: Jesse Kroll, recipient; Ian Waitz; Warren Seeing, recipient; and Harry Tuller, recipient

On April 14, Ian Waitz hosted a reception to celebrate the two most recent cohorts of Committed to Caring faculty, who were selected for the positive impact they have made in the lives of graduate students. Provost Cindy Barnhart was pleased to attend and speak to the importance of quality advising.

Paula do Vale Pereira, a graduate student from Aeronautics and Astronautics, shared a moving personal story about her own experience with advising. When she first came to MIT, the advisor she was paired with was a terrible match, and she experienced an extremely challenging time both academically and personally. Through persistent efforts, she was finally able to change advisors – and once in a supportive environment, she began to thrive. Since then, she has excelled academically and has contributed enormously to the MIT community through the GSC and other avenues. Her efforts contributed to the Institute’s recent policy of guaranteed transitional funding for those who are changing advisors, and she sits on the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Advising and Mentoring charged by the Provost and Chancellor. She’s a wonderful example of the positive impact a supportive advisor can have!

Dean Blanche Staton closed the program with words of praise for each recipient, and each honoree also received a small gift. The celebrants enjoyed mingling and refreshments, and connecting with one another in the common purpose of supporting students.

— Heather Konar, OGE