Students eager to expand their education after graduation attended the Graduate Forum and Information Fair Tuesday.
Barnabas Remington, an anthropology junior and office specialist for the Graduate College, answered questions about the application process, areas of study and opportunities within the college.
"I think it is important to make sure that students are aware of the possibilities within the college," Remington said. "I think this week will help people realize what opportunities are out there."
Tuesday's fair was part of the first "Graduate and Professional Students Appreciation Week."
Governor Jane Hull issued a proclamation in honor of the week, and ASU President Lattie Coor read it during a ceremony Monday.
"President Coor has been extremely supportive and we hope that the new president will be as well," said co-organizer Shelley Rodrigo Blanchard in reference to newly-appointed president Michael Crow.
During Coor's tenure, ASU began offering paid health insurance benefits to qualified graduate students and established the Preparing Future Professionals, a development program for doctoral students interested in nonacademic careers.
In 2001, the National Science Foundation awarded the University its third Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship grant. ASU is one of only six universities to receive as many grants.
Although attendance has been modest, Rodrigo Blanchard is happy with the week's events so far.
"I think it is going well for a first-time event and will take a couple of years before it becomes institutionalized," she said. "Graduate students are also very busy with academics and often teaching."
ASU currently enrolls more than 10,000 students in its graduate degree program and in 2002 ranked among the top 10 schools nationally for the number of doctoral degrees awarded to Latino and Native American students.
There will be a graduate and professional student organizations fair today on Hayden Lawn from 11:30 a.m. - 2p.m. The Black Graduate Students Association, Graduate Women's Association and the Latino/Latina Graduate Student Association will make presentations, along with other organizations.
"We have two objectives for this week," said April Niver, graduate student and vice president of the Graduate Student Association. "We want to get more exposure and create more awareness of the graduate programs."
Graduate and professional students will show off their research accomplishments Thursday at the Graduate Research Expo from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Arizona Ballroom, Room 207 of the Memorial Union.
A picnic at the Tennis Courts from 4 p.m. to 7p.m. on Friday will round out the week's events.
Reach the reporter at meagan.pollnow@asu.edu.
