Thank a Graduate Student

Monday, April 6, 2020

Kesicia Dickinson
Doctoral student in Political Science

"Kesicia is so smart, kind, and respectful. She is inclusive and strong and serves as a mentor to our newest students of color. She is constantly empowering other students who feel out of place in the academy and creating space for them to shine. When some students -- especially her more junior peers of color – feel isolated and feel imposter syndrome, she goes out of her way to remind them that they have earned their space in the discipline and reminds them that they have so much to contribute. Our department is trying so hard to build a minority politics initiative, and without Kesicia and her persistence, encouragement, and participation, we would be a much worse group and department. She kills people with kindness, is genuine, constructive, and empowering. I am so proud to have her as a student in the discipline. I have yet to meet someone as inclusive and encouraging as Kesicia."

Kesicia, we are grateful for you!

Kesicia is being recognized by Nazita Lajevardi.


Logan Appenfeller

Logan Appenfeller 
Master’s Student in Entomology

"Logan was able to complete his master's program with two little kids at home, it has been a huge personal and economic sacrifice for him and his family to be a busy grad student and to support on a grad stipend a family of 4 people. He also had to move his family far away from their relatives who are in Kansas, thus they had little help with the kids. He inspired me in overcoming hardships to reach a goal in life. Logan wanted to continue onto a PhD but the financial hardship became insurmountable, thus he decided to graduate with a Master's degree. He is one of the brightest individuals I have ever met, and I can only hope that he will have the opportunity to come back to grad school and get a PhD. My lab will always be open to him. Logan's first published manuscript from his graduate research was so well written that it was featured on the homepage of PLoS ONE and he was recently offered a job with USDA-NIFA in Kansas City. While Logan is a non-traditional grad student, he is a truly outstanding individual."

Logan, we are grateful for you! 

Logan is being recognized by Zsofia Szendrei.


CITE Doctoral Students 
Teacher Education 

"I have so many graduate students that I would love to recognize and I cannot pick specific ones out of the bunch so I am sending my recognition to all of them The CITE students in our department have so many reasons to be recognized. To name a few are high functioning, caring, mentoring, supportive, humble, loving, productive, etc. This year's graduating class specifically get a hats off because in their 1st year in graduate school, they lost one of their peers and it was a devastating experience to say the least not only for them but for our entire department. The positive thing that came from this horrible experience is the coming together of our department to hold each other up and to keep each other going and moving forward in their journey. They became closer to one another, to successive new cohorts coming in, to faculty, to staff and basically everyone modeling what a totally rounded human being is supposed to be. You can be a decent human being and also be some of the smartest people on the planet and for that I am so proud and appreciative of our entire CITE members. I thank them for the lessons and am proud to be part of their lives. I love them all so very much!!!"

CITE students, we are grateful for you!

The CITE students are being recognized by Terry Edwards.


Morteza Sarparast

Morteza Sarparast 
Doctoral student in Chemistry

"Morteza switched labs, and my lab is very different from what he was doing. In a matter of months, he has become an expert in C. elegans neurons. His tenacity and perseverance are amazing! He is also very supportive in the lab, helping with lab chores and mentoring students. Thank you Morteza, keep up the good work!"

Morteza, we are grateful for you!

Morteza is being recognized by Jamie Alan.


Katherine Wood
Doctoral Student in Forestry 

"A significant portion of our department's grad student body do not have cars and so are dependent on public transportation to get around, many of these are international students far from their families. As the COVID-19 situation became more and more alarming, Katherine generously reached out to all of them to offer to do their grocery shopping for them so they could avoid exposing themselves to infection on public transportation. I thought this was incredibly thoughtful and generous and exemplifies the kind of solidarity we need in our community to get through this. I was really impressed and moved by Katherine doing this."

Katherine, we are grateful for you!

Katherine is being recognized by David Rothstein.