<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear graduate students,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I hope that everyone has had a wonderful summer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At the moment, I am writing at the moment to share some information regarding journal club opportunities.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i>1. Every spring, our faculty has committed to offer a school-wide Plant Sciences Journal Club. All students are strongly encouraged to enroll in this course</i></b>, which will be coordinated by two faculty members each year. This is an excellent and efficient way to fulfill your journal club requirement (2 semesters, MS students; 4 semesters, PhD students), and a fantastic opportunity to broaden your knowledge of key advances in areas of relevance to our school while gaining critical skills in evaluation of the scientific literature. Please consider enrolling in this excellent opportunity starting in spring 2014. The class number will be PLS 695A.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i>2. You also can fulfill your journal club requirement through 'research discussion' courses taught by faculty outside of the Plant Sciences Journal Club. These can be within our school, or outside the school.</i></b> The topics may be more specialized, at times, depending on faculty interests and faculty perceptions of student interests. Within-school options will be offered primarily (when possible) in fall, to provide a curricular balance between spring and fall terms. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i>3. Dr. Judy Brown is kindly offering such a 'research discussion' course this fall, and it is open to all.</i></b> Please contact Georgina if you would like to register for this. It will focus on plant-pathogen-vector interactions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i>4. If you find another 'research discussion' opportunity outside of the school, please let us know that you intend to take it (email Betsy and Georgina, please).</i></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i>5. If you want a research discussion course on a particular topic, and feel that there's sufficient interest from a number of students to make it work, please let us know and nominate plausible faculty to coordinate it </i></b>(ideally after having spoken with said faculty!).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you for your attention, and for your patience as we continue to improve our graduate curricula.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cheers,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Betsy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>