Dear Graduate Students,
As the campus fills once again with energy, with new beginnings, fresh notebooks, and the familiar rhythm of fall, I want to personally welcome you , or welcome you back, to Illinois.
Whether you're just starting your graduate experience or returning with fresh perspective, I want you to know that you are part of a community that believes in your potential and is here to support your success. At the same time, I recognize that this is a complex and uncertain moment. The landscape of higher education is shifting. Federal funding for research is under pressure, international students are facing new hurdles, and the value of advanced education is being questioned in ways that can feel unsettling. Many of you are navigating these challenges while balancing research, teaching, and life outside the classroom.
And yet, in the face of these challenges, I am continually inspired by you, by your ideas, by your persistence, and by your willingness to do the hard, necessary work of discovery and creation. Graduate students are the heart of this institution’s research, teaching, and innovation, and your presence here makes the University of Illinois stronger, smarter, and more vibrant.
This season always stirs something in me. It brings back memories of my own time as a graduate student, when I wasn’t quite sure where the path would lead, but I knew I was standing on the edge of something transformative. Graduate study changed the course of my life. It opened doors I hadn’t known existed. It challenged me to think more deeply, to write more clearly, and to see myself not just as a student, but as a scholar. Perhaps most importantly, it introduced me to a new way of thinking about my own potential and my place in the world. That journey shaped everything that came after in my life and career.
My hope for you this year is that you find joy and purpose in your work, that you make meaningful connections, and that you take pride in every step you take, both large and small, toward your goals. Please remember that the Graduate College is here to support you, to advocate for you, and to help you make the most of this chapter of your life.
With warmest wishes for a fulfilling and successful year ahead,
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, PhD
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign