Support for doctoral students

Graduate ombudsperson

In the course of graduate studies, situations sometimes arise where students need advice on some aspect of their activities or interactions with others in the department, yet may not feel that it is appropriate to speak with their advisor or another member of the faculty. While close friends and family members are important resources in such situations, it is also true that their scope of experience might not include working toward a doctoral degree in an engineering school. For this reason, the MSE department relies on a graduate ombudsperson. The ombudsperson is available to consult with students about any situation that affects their work and, where appropriate, offer advice or attempt to resolve a problem. Conversations with the ombudsperson are confidential and the ombudsperson will not communicate information to the department head or other faculty members without the student’s consent.

Bryan Koval is the ombudsperson for our Ph.D. students.