Graduate Program Enhancement Activities

Several activities designed to enhance the course offerings and provide support for graduate students interested in interdisciplinary research and training in Cognitive Science are sponsored by the institute.

A weekly speaker series features interdisciplinary topics. As part of this series, the Teaching Colloquium Series brings invited researchers to campus for a two to three day visit, during which they give two formal presentations. Students are encouraged to attend the presentations, as well as interact with the speaker individually and at a student luncheon. The speakers are selected each year by a committee which includes student affiliates and student members. This selection process is coordinated by an ICS student member.

As a means for fostering communication among the Cognitive Science community on campus, a newsletter is published which features the calendar of speakers and other information of interest. Institute-wide social activities provide a medium for meeting faculty and students in other disciplines.

To encourage student participation in interdisciplinary study and research, the Institute provides funds, administered by a student committee, for students through the student research fund as well as travel funds to attend and present at interdisciplinary conferences.

ICS graduate students generally meet once a year to elect representatives from each department. These representatives serve on the curriculum committee and the student travel and research fund committee and elect one representative to serve on the ICS executive committee.