Following speaker presentations at the New Graduate Student Orientation, students headed to the Carpenter Sports Building for a resource fair.

Together, their journey begins

Article by Eric Ruth Photos by Evan Krape and Eric Tommer September 11, 2023

New graduate students begin to create the common bonds of success

At first glance, the students who had just arrived in Newark seem to have little in common: Some jetted here from around the world; others rolled in from around the corner. Many are young, but older faces aren’t hard to find in the room. Some seem nervous, quiet; others eager and chatty.

Listening to the murmuring crowd, it’s easy to sense the presence of many languages, joining in a single new sound.

Starting today, these students will be strangers no more. Beginning now, they are all Delaware Blue Hens, individually and together. That unifying moment slips by in a whirl each semester at the University of Delaware’s New Graduate Student Orientation, but it’s a bond that will demand months of nurturing, and an identity that ultimately will last a lifetime.

“You will be transformed in your time with us,” said Lou Rossi, dean of the Graduate College and vice provost for graduate and professional education, in welcoming the 500-plus students at orientation in Trabant University Center. “It may be unpredictable at times ... but one thing is certain. You have been admitted because we know you have what it takes to learn, to grow, to discover and to thrive as a graduate student."

More than 500 students gathered in the Trabant University Center to hear from speakers with crucial tips for making their UD experience the best it can be.

To truly fulfill that promise, they must learn the unique scholarly dynamics of graduate school and embrace a new sense of community, even as they are earning their individual degrees. They will need to reach out, take part and create the collaborative mindset that is so crucial to 21st century college success.

Together, these students will need to embrace the notion that they are here not for themselves, but to be part of a greater academic ideal. The knowledge they create needs to be made in service to others, and to make this world a better place, UD President Dennis Assanis told them.

Help in that journey is nearly always nearby at UD, but the students are also expected to play a supporting role, even as they lean on others.

“Reach out to your mentors,” urged Debra Hess Norris, the keynote speaker at orientation and interim dean of the College of Arts and Science. “They are your champions, as will be many faculty and staff members here. We can work with you to try and figure out how to make your dreams a reality."

College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Debra Hess Norris speaks to new graduate students after delivering the keynote address at New Graduate Student Orientation, held at the Trabant University Center.

For now, that reality seems distant and a bit daunting to some. These have been the late-summer days of seemingly endless paperwork and slightly uncertain footing for the students, who hail from 40 different nations, from Cambodia to Ukraine, and from every inhabited continent except Australia.

“I'm really shy, so having a group of friends I could turn to is really on my mind,” said Ketaki Londhe, a biomedical engineering doctoral candidate originally from India. She and newly found friend Zoe Ketola, a doctoral candidate in energy and environmental policy, found solace in one another as orientation got underway.

“I visited before I came here, and I really like Delaware; it kind of reminds me of home a little bit,” said Ketola, who came to Newark from Michigan and has a dream about making rural people’s access to renewable energy more equitable. “Talking to new people is very hard sometimes, but everybody has been really friendly, and that’s really helpful.”

On this day, the challenge isn’t finding help or friendly faces, but comprehending the broad assortment of support systems UD offers. A resource fair at Carpenter Sports Building let students connect directly with support groups, but far more awaits them: Around campus, there are endless mentoring mechanisms and sports clubs; health resources and helplines; study groups and security safeguards. Somehow, they must internalize a whole new language of lab groups, fellowships and funding. If they are so inclined, they could join UD’s first cricket tournament, a new pickleball league, or even take a shot at the intriguing-but-mystifying concept of “bubble soccer.”

New Blue Hen graduate students pose for a selfie in front of the Carpenter Sports Building during New Graduate Student Orientation.

Taking all of that in is a challenge, even for those already familiar with campus. Years after starting his Blue Hen journey in 1975, Jeff Illes returned to UD to finish his bachelor’s degree in English last spring, and has already set course for a master’s degree, even as he pushes vibrantly into his mid-60s.

“I’m a writer, so I'm very interested in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program because it provides an interdisciplinary approach, with a range of topics that really challenge you intellectually,” said Illes, who writes screenplays, novels and plays. “I'm hoping to bring that stimulus to my writing.”

His friend Jim Hulings, a master’s student in history, is also back at UD after a gap year, but is already dreaming about working in museums. His aspirations are only enhanced by the reliably invigorating enthusiasm of UD’s professors, he said.

Illes quickly agreed.

"I’m amazed by the quality of the professors, the work that they do, and their engagement with the classes,” Illes said of his English professors. “They show such a love for the material they are teaching. That passion, there’s no replacement for that in the classroom. When they’re excited about what they're teaching, it really makes a difference."

Jeff Illes (left) and Jim Hulings were campus acquaintances and classmates in their undergraduate years; both now are starting their journey as master’s degree candidates.