Shop Talks

Think of this Shop Talks session as a mini-orientation or orientation refresher! Ashley Carrington, Student Development Specialist II at The Graduate College, goes over several resources available through The Graduate College and the university, including career prep services, library tools, graduate student organizations, funding opportunities, and more. Tips from Ashley and other graduate students also shared at the end of this presentation that can help you succeed in your graduate studies.

Presented by: Ashley Carrington, Student Development Specialist II for Retention Initiatives, The Graduate College

This workshop will provide attendees with a brief overview of the scholarly publishing process, as well as tips and tricks for a successful publishing venture. We will discuss strategies and practices that are considered “common knowledge” for veterans of the publishing world, but are often learned the hard way by novices.

Presented by: Alexa Hight, Assistant Director, Research and Data Services, University Libraries
 

This Shop Talk is part of a series that introduces graduate students to the grant-writing process. This session will cover grant seeking and sponsored research. If you are wondering what a grant is, how to find one, and what role graduate student researchers play in the university’s grant submissions, this session is for you!

This session is part one of a four-part Grant Writing series. All four parts will be held consecutively through the week June 2, 2025 - June 5, 2025. If you attend all four parts, you will qualify to earn the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Participation in the Grant Writing Series. Earning this certificate of participation is a great way to highlight your knowledge in grant writing and you can add this achievement to your resume, CV, and professional profiles. If you attend all four sessions, The Graduate College will reach out to you and mail your certificate. This certificate is separate from the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Completion (www.gradcollege.txstate.edu…), but attending the Grant Writing series sessions does count towards earning the Certificate of Completion.


Presented by: Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz, External Funding Coordinator, The Graduate College

This Shop Talk is part of a series that introduces graduate students to the grant-writing process. This session will provide a step-by-step guide to the grant writing process, from planning to submission. If you are thinking about applying for grant funding and wondering how to get started, how long it will take, and what steps are involved, this session is for you!

This session is part two of a four-part Grant Writing series. All four parts will be held consecutively through the week June 2, 2025 - June 5, 2025. If you attend all four parts, you will qualify to earn the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Participation in the Grant Writing Series. Earning this certificate of participation is a great way to highlight your knowledge in grant writing and you can add this achievement to your resume, CV, and professional profiles. If you attend all four sessions, The Graduate College will reach out to you and mail your certificate. This certificate is separate from the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Completion (www.gradcollege.txstate.edu…), but attending the Grant Writing series sessions does count towards earning the Certificate of Completion.

Presented by: Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz, External Funding Coordinator, The Graduate College

This Shop Talk is part of a series that introduces graduate students to the grant-writing process. This session will focus on how to write applications for funding. Attendees will gain an understanding of the genre, purpose, and audience of grants, as well as the stages of the writing process. If you are applying for funding – through a grant, scholarship, or fellowship – and wondering what funders are looking for and how to sell your idea, this session is for you!

This session is part three of a four-part Grant Writing series. All four parts will be held consecutively through the week June 2, 2025 - June 5, 2025. If you attend all four parts, you will qualify to earn the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Participation in the Grant Writing Series. Earning this certificate of participation is a great way to highlight your knowledge in grant writing and you can add this achievement to your resume, CV, and professional profiles. If you attend all four sessions, The Graduate College will reach out to you and mail your certificate. This certificate is separate from the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Completion (www.gradcollege.txstate.edu…), but attending the Grant Writing series sessions does count towards earning the Certificate of Completion

Presented by: Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz, External Funding Coordinator, The Graduate College

This Shop Talk is part of a series that introduces graduate students to the grant-writing process. This session will focus on the funding request at the heart of a grant proposal – budgets and budget justifications. Attendees will learn about the categories of allowable expenses, direct and indirect costs, and common formats for budgets. If you want to learn how to craft well-researched, persuasive requests for funding, this session is for you!
This session is part four of a four-part Grant Writing series. All four parts will be held consecutively through the week June 2, 2025 - June 5, 2025. If you attend all four parts, you will qualify to earn the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Participation in the Grant Writing Series. Earning this certificate of participation is a great way to highlight your knowledge in grant writing and you can add this achievement to your resume, CV, and professional profiles. If you attend all four sessions, The Graduate College will reach out to you and mail your certificate. This certificate is separate from the Grad College Shop Talks Certificate of Completion (www.gradcollege.txstate.edu…), but attending the Grant Writing series sessions does count towards earning the Certificate of Completion.

Presented by: Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz, External Funding Coordinator, The Graduate College

Preparing for a job interview is a necessary step to ensure success during the interview itself. Knowing what to research, how to prepare for tough questions, and making a great first impression are all integral parts of the preparation. This Shop Talks session will cover tips for best practices in job interviews and strategies to stay calm and confident during the process.

Presented by: Sherry Yang, Career Counselor, Career Services

This workshop combines reflection activities with practical strategies to increase your confidence as a writer and improve your writing productivity. The session will challenge common writing myths and address typical pitfalls that often hold writers back, such as waiting for inspiration, “binge writing,” all-or-nothing thinking, and more. Participants will identify their own attitudes and beliefs about writing, learn techniques to shift their writing mindset, and practice exercises to build writing stamina and promote positive writing experiences. Participants will also have the opportunity to build their own writing community by signing up to join a writing group. We recommend bringing materials to type or write with to this session!

Presented by: Dr. Joanna Collins, Associate Director, University Writing Center

Designed for doctoral or master’s students writing a thesis or dissertation (or planning to!), this Shop Talks session focuses on important elements and strategies for successfully submitting the thesis/dissertation. One of our Degree Audit Specialists at The Graduate College, discusses helpful resources and information, required formatting, common mistakes and what reviewers are checking for when they look over your document. We encourage you to also check out the Thesis & Dissertation Information page on The Graduate College’s website to see the resources that are covered in this session.

Presented by: Austin Hoeft, Degree Audit Specialist, The Graduate College

Letters of recommendation are a routine component of applications for funding, employment, and graduate degree programs. However, requesting and obtaining recommendations can be stressful and confusing for many students because they do not understand the appropriate approach to the process. This Shop Talk will provide tips and best practices for requesting and securing outstanding letters of recommendation, as well as fostering strong relationships with faculty for future references.

Presented by: Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz and Dr. Brian Smith, External Funding Coordinators, The Graduate College
 

Learn how you can use materials for research, in teaching, and for publication without violating copyright, and learn how to preserve your own copyrights. In this session you will be introduced to the exceptions to the Copyright Act that can help you, as well as learn how to request permissions to use copyrighted materials.

Presented by: Stephanie Towery, Head of Scholarly Resources, University Libraries &
Margaret Vaverek, Librarian, Scholarly Resources Dept, University Libraries

At this workshop, Arlene Salazar, librarian for the College of Education, will cover search tips that can help when searching library databases. No matter what discipline you’re in, these search tips will help you conduct more effective searches. The workshop will also cover related library services and resources, as well as citation management tools & software that you can consider incorporating into your research to help keep you organized.

Presented by: Arlene Salazar, Librarian, University Libraries

Wondering how to attend to your mental well-being in graduate school? This Shop Talks session will address factors that impact mental well-being in graduate school (e.g., work-life balance), as well as briefly cover skills for coping with common mental health concerns faced by graduate students (e.g., anxiety).

Presented by: Dr. Alyssa Fernandez, Psychologist, Counseling Center

Goal setting and motivation are two major factors needed for career success. In this session, we will discuss how to set sustainable and attainable goals and how to maintain motivation through the career planning and management process. Skills gained in this Shop Talks session can be applied to other academic and personal aspects of your life.

Presented by: Sherry Yang, Career Counselor, Career Services

This virtual workshop will equip you with the communication tools you need to effectively engage with professors, peers, and advisors. Learn how to craft professional emails, navigate office hours with ease, and handle advisor relationships with confidence. We’ll also cover best practices for collaborating with classmates, ensuring you make a positive impression in all your academic interactions. Join us to sharpen your skills in professional communication and build the confidence to handle any situation that comes your way!

Presented by: Ashley Carrington, Student Development Specialist II for Retention Initiatives, The Graduate College

Learn the secrets of successful graduate students. In just one hour, you will understand advanced search queries, effective research, database tricks, and library services you never knew existed.

This workshop covers finding unique databases, identifying important articles through citation analysis, using citation management tools, exploring a topic with knowledge graphs, and locating opportunities for publishing your scholarship and building your research identity.

Presented by: Audrey Stewart, Assistant Director, University Libraries