Nearly 600 grad students join week of appreciation

April 30, 2026

Published in: Affinity, School of Graduate Studies

Events across campus foster connection, interdisciplinary collaboration and recognition of UND’s graduate community

Group of students in Brick & Barley pub smile for photographer. — UND graduate students gathered at Brick & Barley in downtown Grand Forks as part of Graduate Student Appreciation Week at UND. Photo by Carley Swanson-Garro/UND School of Graduate Studies.

By Madison Dame

At the University of North Dakota, Graduate Student Appreciation Week – April 7-10 – was a week full of events, giveaways and hearty appreciation, plus a little interdisciplinary networking.

“With more than 3,500 graduate students representing the United States and some 69 other countries, our graduate community plays a vital role in advancing the University’s research, creative activity and clinical practice,” said Soojung Kim, dean of the UND School of Graduate Studies.

“Graduate Student Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognize their hard work and dedication as they drive innovation, generate new knowledge and serve their communities. We are incredibly proud of their commitment to growth and lifelong learning.”

A total of 598 graduate students took part in the week’s events, which focused on helping the students connect and interact with each other and faculty.

“The week lets graduate students know that the university cares about them,” said Julie Bean, director of Graduate Student Engagement and the Gershman Graduate Center. “And we do care about them. But it also gives them an opportunity just to take a break and connect with other students and share how things are going in their classes and in their lives.”

And the grad students agree.

“I think it’s nice because it makes you feel appreciated, first of all,” said Imelda Mashalia, a master’s degree student in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics. “And I think it’s also really nice to come and see other people and just interact with them as a student.”

Brad Rundquist, dean of the UND College of Arts and Sciences, finds the week important for both himself and the students. The event is a great opportunity for faculty members and UND administrators alike to talk with grad students, learn about their experiences and connect with them personally, he said.

There were events and prizes all week, including an ice cream social, Brick & Barley dinner social, Taco Thursday and Breakfast Burritos. Each event had its own surprises, and every day, a free coffee, hot chocolate or chai tea was available at the Gershman Graduate Center’s Starbucks machine.

Vouchers for free admission to any movie at River Cinema 15 in East Grand Forks were available during the week. And Grand Prize drawings for participants led to giveaways of such graduate-student lifestyle staples as an Amazon Kindle, a Keurig K-Mini Single Serve Coffee Maker and a Black & Decker combination Waffle Iron, Grill and Sandwich Press.

Graduate students partake of a taco bar at Gershman Graduate Center. — As part of Graduate Student Appreciation Week at UND, a taco bar was set up in the Gershman Graduate Center. Photo by Julie Bean/UND School of Graduate Studies.

Fun with a purpose

Mashalia talked about how much fun she had at the Brick and Barley social. And not only were get-togethers enjoyable, they also were a great way to meet people in other disciplines — a few of whom might prove to be potential research collaborators, she said.

Bean agreed. “These events are truly interdisciplinary, because they do help the students engage with people who are outside of their programs,” she said.

UND offers more than 170 graduate degrees and certificate programs, and seeing that variety of programming represented at the events was also remarkable, Rundquist said.

UND’s online graduate students also had the chance to take part in Graduate Student Appreciation Week festivities, either by attending in person or taking part in online contests and celebrations.

“We do have some online students who are in the region and come to these things, so that’s exciting,” Bean said. “I actually had a student yesterday who said, ‘I never get to campus, and so this is why I’m coming every day this week.’”

Dean Rundquist noted his appreciation for Dean Kim and her leadership with events such as this one for the Graduate School.

“Recognizing the important work that graduate students do and what they bring to the University of North Dakota – just to take a minute, stop and recognize that and celebrate it – that’s why this week is so important,” he said.