Graduate Council Minutes: April 14, 2026
Graduate Council Meeting Minutes
April 14, 2026
Location: Virtual (Teams)
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Dr. Dan Boden, who welcomed attendees and
confirmed that a quorum was present.
Roll Call
Members Present: Saad Andalib, Brian Ashburner, Dan Boden, Qian Chen, Scott Crawley, Mai Dao, Mary
Jean Ohns (for Jennifer DeVries), Brian Fink, Bashar Gammoh, David Giovannucci, Dawn
Goldstein, F. Scott Hall, Daniel Hammel, Tyler Hancock, Andrea Kalinoski, Kristen
Keith, Tammy Kinsey, John Laux, Glenn Lipscomb, Scott Molitor, Nagalakshmi Nadiminty,
Megan Petra, Erin Prestwich, Jeanine Refsnider, Patricia Relue, Srinivas Saladi, Zahoor
Shah, Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, Hossein Sojoudi, Kuo-hui Su, Varun Vaidya, Jerry Van
Hoy, Eileen Walsh, Mike Weintraub, Kandace Williams, Qiuying Zhao.
Guests Present: Teri Green, Tara Hanna, Whitney Valencia, and graduate student award recipients and nominators.
Excused: Grace Bochenek, Edward Janak, Barbara Kopp Miller, Beth Schlemper.
Absent: Minxuan Lan.
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Approval of Minutes
A motion to approve the March 31, 2026 meeting minutes was made by Mike Weintraub
and seconded by Dawn Goldstein. The motion carried by chat vote.
Presentations & Discussion Items
Outstanding Graduate Student Awards Recognition
Dr. Dan Boden opened the recognition by thanking faculty members who submitted nominations
and reflecting on the strength and breadth of graduate student work across the university.
He noted that the nomination materials highlighted not only academic excellence, but
also meaningful contributions to research, scholarship, and professional practice
across disciplines.
Dr. Boden emphasized that the Outstanding Graduate Student Awards represent a high level of achievement within graduate education and reflect both student dedication and strong faculty mentorship. The Graduate Council formally recognized the 2025鈥�2026 award recipients on behalf of the Graduate Faculty. Students in attendance were acknowledged for their accomplishments and contributions to their respective fields.
- Certificates of recognition are available for pickup through the College of Graduate
Studies.
鈥� Faculty nominators were recognized for their mentorship and support throughout
the nomination process.
鈥� Dr. Scott Molitor echoed congratulations and underscored the essential role
graduate students play in advancing the university鈥檚 teaching, research, and
service mission.
The following 14 students were recognized:
鈥� Engineering
鈼� Priscilla Aprepary, M.S., Mechanical Engineering
鈼� Shyama Tripathy, M.S., Computer Science & Engineering
- Business and Innovation
鈼� Merit Weidemann, M.S.A., Accounting
鈼� Jin Zhang, M.S.A., Accounting - Health and Human Services
鈼� Alexandra Barnes, M.A., Speech Language Pathology
鈼� Elena Courtney, M.A., Counselor Education: School Psychology
鈼� Tatiana Othman, M.A., School Psychology - Medicine and Life Sciences
鈼� Upasana Shrestha, Ph.D., Medical Microbiology and Immunology - Natural Sciences and Mathematics
鈼� Trupti Devale, Ph.D., Cellular and Molecular Biology
鈼� Silas Fischer, Ph.D., Ecology and Organismal Biology
鈼� Alex Nguyen, Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry - Arts, Social Sciences and Education
鈼� Elizabeth Blakely-White, M.A., Geography
鈼� Greg McClure, M.A., English
鈼� Emily Spotts, Ph.D., Experimental Psychology
Announcements
鈥� Graduate Council Executive Officer elections will take place at the next meeting.
鈥� Members were encouraged to submit nominations or express interest in serving.
鈥� Whitney Valencia was formally announced as a permanent member of the College
of Graduate Studies staff.
Reports
Executive Committee Report 鈥� Dr. Dan Boden
Dr. Boden reported that he and Dr. Mike Weintraub would meet with the Provost,
representing their final opportunity to do so in their current roles this academic
year.
He also reiterated appreciation for faculty participation in the Outstanding Graduate
Student Award nomination process.
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs Report 鈥� Dr. Scott Molitor
Dr. Molitor provided updates on graduate academic policies and operations:
- The 鈥淪imple Syllabus鈥� platform will not be required for graduate courses in Fall 2026,
though its use is encouraged.
鈥� Graduate syllabi will not be publicly posted, as public posting requirements apply
only to undergraduate courses.
鈥� Members were encouraged to consider participation in Graduate Council leadership roles.
Vice President for Research Report 鈥� Dr. F. Scott Hall
Dr. Hall provided an update on research activity and strategic initiatives:
- Research Activity Trends:
鈼� Proposal activity is down 14% and new awards are down 18% compared to the prior
year, largely due to federal funding slowdowns.
鈼� Industry engagement has increased, with higher overall award totals. - Rocket Research Acceleration Program:
鈼� A new internal funding initiative designed to support interdisciplinary collaboration
and strengthen competitiveness for external funding.
鈼� Structured across three tiers鈥擨gnition, Trajectory, and Orbit鈥攚ith milestone-based
funding.
鈼� Total anticipated investment of approximately $1 million. - Research Council Policy Revision:
鈼� Updates will clarify roles and responsibilities, expand representation, and strengthen
the council鈥檚 advisory function to the VPR. - Major Grant Announcement:
鈼� 兔子先生传媒文化作品 received a $19.2 million Department of Energy award, the
largest single research award in institutional history, supporting nuclear workforce
development.
鈼� This award represents the largest amount distributed to a single institution within the
national funding competition.
Graduate Student Association Report 鈥� Saad Andalib
Mr. Andalib reported on the Midwest Graduate Research Symposium held on April 11,
2026:
- Approximately 250 attendees and over 100 presenters participated.
鈥� Appreciation was extended to Graduate Council members and event judges.
鈥� Award winners will be announced at the next meeting.
Committee Reports
Report of the Membership Committee
None.
Curriculum Committee Report
Presented by Dr. Scott Molitor on behalf of the Graduate Council Curriculum Committee.
The committee recommended approval of multiple program and course changes, including:
Program Modifications:
鈥� Consolidation of Psychology PhD concentrations into Clinical and Experimental tracks.
鈥� Addition of a Civil Engineering BS/MS pipeline program.
鈥� Nursing program restructuring under umbrella MSN and DNP degrees with multiple APRN
concentrations.
鈥� Updates to Biology PhD admission pathways.
Course Changes and Additions:
鈥� Updates to student learning outcomes, credit hours, and course descriptions across
disciplines, including:
鈼� Accounting (ACCT 5320)
鈼� Medical Physics (MPHY 6320)
鈼� Physician Assistant courses (PHYA series)
鈼� Public Administration (PSC 6490)
鈼� Public Health (PUBH 5720, 6951, 6952)
- Addition of multiple Nursing (NURS) courses associated with the anesthesia program.
Special Action 鈥� Nurse Anesthetist Program (Program 776):
鈥� Emergency approval process initiated due to Lourdes University closure and teach-out
agreement.
鈥� Expedited approvals required to meet accreditation and state requirements.
鈥� Contributions from HHS and Nursing faculty and leadership were formally acknowledged.
Motion: To approve the Curriculum Committee Report
鈥� Vote: Approved unanimously via chat.
Curriculum & Membership Votes
All curriculum items listed in the committee report were approved as part of a single
motion.
Old Business
None.
New Business
None.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned by Dr. Dan Boden. Members were reminded that the April 28
meeting will serve as both the final meeting of the academic year and the first meeting
of the next cycle.
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