The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) updated their website with the assistance of Jack Polifka, systems analyst in the Graduate College and former GPSS senator from 2014 to 2015. 

The GPSS website revisions over the past six months have made the website more user-friendly.

The website shares Iowa State graduate student academic stories regarding their hometown, research interests and why they chose them, advice for future students and extracurriculars that have been a foundation for their experience at Iowa State. 

Found under the archive link on ISUGradStories, any graduate student can participate. The purpose is to get to know graduate students by introducing themselves academically and professionally. Graduate student profiles and further information can be found online at www.gpss.iastate.edu. 

The GPSS website is also undergoing changes on the research page for academic and personal resources and said it is open to ideas. 

The Iowa State Child Care Task Force’s focus is on child care services for graduate students on a personal level and encourages feedback about the process to better the program. 

Grammarly is also a major resource that is available to all graduate students who sign up by the end of the semester. It is located at https://www.gpss.iastate.edu/students/resources. More resources will become available as soon as the website is revised. 

A GPSS newsletter is sent out monthly as well to discuss what GPSS is doing and where it is moving for a higher level administration to help GPSS senators and those outside of the senate to keep up to date on important projects.

Additionally, graduate students have made major accomplishments over the past few months. The Three Minute Thesis Contest has its final competition 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Gallery of the Memorial Union, where the final eight contestants will be competing.

The Three Minute Thesis competition challenges Iowa State graduate students to present their research to a non-specialist audience. Participants are allowed three minutes and one static slide to convey their message.

There will by a livestream on the Iowa State Graduate College’s Facebook page. 

The GPSS field day will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Southwest Sports Complex, where members will play various games.

The fall social is open to all graduate students for bowling and pizza from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Perfect Games. 

For more information on GPSS and its senators go to www.gpss.iastate.edu. The next GPSS meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.