Fall Celebration Brings Grad Students Together
The mood was festive as members of the UCSF graduate community flocked to Koret Quad last Friday to enjoy the second annual Fall Celebration, put on by the Graduate Division.
Partygoers munched on hamburgers, hot dogs and San Francisco’s iconic It’s-It ice cream sandwiches as they basked in the sunny weather in the company of fellow students and postdocs from across many programs and campuses.
Students especially enjoyed mingling with colleagues they don’t see on a daily basis. “It’s great seeing friends from other graduate programs,” said Christina Hueschen, a second-year Biomedical Sciences student.
Many also appreciated having the chance to relax and socialize after a day in the lab. “It’s a fun thing to do on a Friday afternoon, to get outside and hang out with friends,” said Ben Heineike, a third-year Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology student.
The afternoon culminated in a raffle drawing, during which excited participants crowded around Elizabeth Watkins, PhD, Dean of the Graduate Division and Vice Chancellor of Student Academic Affairs, to hear her announce the winners of such prime items as gift certificates from Amazon and a free lesson on the climbing wall at Bakar Fitness and Recreation Center.
“The raffle prizes are awesome,” said Evan Markegard, a second-year BMS student.
Dr. Watkins said she was “thrilled” with the turnout for the Fall Celebration. “I was delighted to see so many students, postdocs, faculty and staff enjoying the barbecue,” she said. “This event is meant to build community within the Graduate Division, and I think we did that today.”
To learn more about events in the Graduate Division, visit its newly reconstructed website at http://graduate.ucsf.edu.
