Graduate students are more than their science. They influence the trajectories of our research groups and institutions in a multitude of ways. And yet, when we look around after our Ph.D. students leave, all we have left are their theses sitting on a shelf and the science they contain (and maybe an empty Cointreau bottle or two). To remedy this, Professor Brandi Cossairt is working on collecting audio interviews of graduate students following their Ph.D. defenses prior to them leaving the UW. In this way, graduate students can leave a record of their stories for subsequent generations of students to learn from and be inspired by.
Since August 2021, Brandi has interviewed thirteen students from five different research groups. Documenting students’ stories for posterity “is really special” to Brandi. She invites her own students, and others she meets, to participate.
“For my own students,” says Brandi, “it's just really nice to have some time to debrief after graduation and hear their reflections on grad school. For students that I did not work with directly, it is eye-opening to hear how these students got to where they are. I really enjoy listening to what they have to say and trying to get them to explore their thoughts more deeply.”
Brandi consults a script of questions for each 20-minute interview, but each conversation meanders along its own path based on what a student shares. Common themes include students’ initial interests in chemistry, their academic journeys, memorable moments, and future plans. Brandi asks about the grad school application process and why they chose the UW. Students share their experiences in graduate school, including extracurricular activities, and present their “elevator pitch” for their research. As the conversation goes on, they may touch on challenges, dark moments, how they persevered or found a new perspective, or lessons learned beyond academics. Some discuss regrets, or unexpected opportunities that were pivotal to where they are now. Many offer advice to future students considering pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry.
A memorable part of grad school for Madison Monahan ‘22, besides research, was mentoring new grad students during her last two years.
“You get to see the side of grad school you forget about: where they come in and they’re excited and so enthused, and I enjoyed helping them direct that path and make that transition smoother from being excited…to focusing that energy and learning how to do all the techniques.”
Madison’s advice for students starting grad school is to “Find what you’re really passionate about, your little cubby…and do whatever you can to stay in that area because having something that you’re excited to go do on the daily is what will get you through all the other hard bumps and stumbles.”
Tyler Milstein ’22 encourages students to “Take it one day at a time...and be open to learning new things too.”
Check out these alumni stories by visiting the UW Chemistry Grad Student Oral History Project. If you'd like to share your own UW story, even if it's been years since you graduated, we welcome you to record and submit an MP3 file. Reach out to us at chemdept@uw.edu or connect directly with Brandi Cossairt for questions or to schedule an interview. We’ll also accept oral histories on video to feature on our YouTube channel. Join us in expanding this project and enriching our community with the story of your Husky experience!