Colleen will be taking over for Jennifer Legault, the outgoing chair, with whom she served as co-chair of the HGSAC during the 2015-2016 academic year, showing tremendous dedication and leadership. The chair is supported by a one-year fellowship, with appointment from August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017, and includes a full stipend and tuition. The chair is responsible for strategic leadership of graduate student professional development activities and oversees planning, implementing, advertising and budgeting. In addition, the chair serves as the liaison between graduate students and the Huck Institutes, including weekly meetings with the Huck Institutes’ Office of Graduate Education.
Jen, reflecting on her term as chair, highlighted several major accomplishments, including supporting 11 invited speakers representing the broad diversity of careers available to Huck IGDP graduates, maintaining the HGSAC website as a resource for Huck graduate students, and maintaining the student-authored blog The Bridge with publication of 50 posts.
Jen shared, “None of this would have been possible without the continued dedication of the HGSAC committee members, support and advice provided by the Huck Institutes’ leadership, and assistance from the various organizations, research centers, and departments across Penn State. Together, we have achieved great things. I am delighted that Colleen has been selected as the new chair of the HGSAC.”
Colleen added, “I am so excited to provide professional development opportunities to the Huck IGDP students, and am grateful to Jen for her mentorship as I begin my role as chair of the HGSAC.”
Peter Hudson, director of the Huck Institutes, shared, “The HGSAC was formed to give a strong voice to our graduate students and to empower them to develop the research and related skills that are necessary for success in their future careers. I am personally grateful for Jen’s service to the Huck Institutes and am looking forward to working with Colleen during her tenure as chair.”
Please join us in congratulating Colleen on her new leadership role!
Jennifer Legault
Chair, HGSAC
Troy Ott
Professor
Associate Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences