Our Purpose
The MSE Graduate Student Advisory Group (GSAG) acts as the voice of the MSE graduate student body. We manage the MSE graduate student lounge in MRDC, organize the incoming student recruitment weekend every spring, and host a variety community events to connect graduate students with each other and faculty. To improve the graduate student experiment, we hold semesterly town halls where students can communicate any issues that are impacting their stipend, classes, teaching opportunities, and community involvement.
Task Forces
GSAG is organized into four task forces that each seek to improve a specific aspect of the graduate experience.
Stipend
The stipend task force seeks to ensure that all graduate students receive a livable wage that is competitive with other graduate institutions. We compile information on the cost of living in Atlanta and how satisfied students are with their current salary. We also work with the department to ensure that expected stipend increases are communicated clearly to the student body. If you are unsure of your stipend, think your stipend does not reflect the current department rate, or have any other questions, please feel free to reach out.
Members: Hari Sridhara, Andrew Johnson, Vanessa Chen
Teaching Assistantship
The Teaching Assistantship (TA) task force seeks to make all teaching experiences for graduate students informative and applicable for their future careers in industry or academia. We advocate on behalf of graduate students to improve the value of the TA system and encourage active teaching opportunities. We work with faculty to clearly establish & standardize TA expectations across all courses in the department and collect information from graduate students on what needs improvement. Please contact us if you have any questions about being assigned to a TA position or carrying out your TA duties.
Members: Hari Sridhara, Connor Davel, Vanessa Chen
Community Events
The community events task force fosters connections between students, faculty, and staff. We help organize the recruitment weekend for incoming students every Spring semester and host town hall meetings in the Spring and Fall. We also organize fun events, such as pumpkin carving in the Fall and the occasional Coffee & Donuts social. Please check the Events tab for a list of past and upcoming events if you would like to become more involved in the department.
Members: Jack Lawton, Isabella Stepanek, Amanda Conde Del Moral
Core Courses
Every incoming PhD student is required to take core courses to complete their graduation requirements, and many MS students end up taking similar coursework. The core courses task force connects incoming graduate students with resources on how to best prepare for their classes. We also communicate graduate student experiences to the department to ensure that the curriculum best represents the knowledge that students need to succeed in their future careers. If you are an incoming student, check the resources tab for information on how best to prepare over the summer.
Members: Danae A. Chipoco Haro
If you need help with any other questions, or are unsure who to contact, please email us at msegsag@gatech.edu.
Get Involved
We are constantly looking for new members who are passionate about any of the above tasks forces and want to get more involved in the MSE department. If you are interested in joining, please send an email to msegsag@gatech.edu with a short description of what you would like to change about the MSE department.