The Graduate Center Office of Fellowships (formerly the Office of Fellowships and Community Engagement) provides information and assistance to graduate students to help them become more successful in their search for funding outside of the UA.
Shelley Hawthorne Smith, Associate Director – Shelley Hawthorne Smith, Assistant Professor of Graduate Writing in the UA Graduate College, finished her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona prior to spending a few years teaching at community colleges and serving in Peace Corps South Africa. She returned to the University of Arizona for a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English. Hawthorne Smith is committed to supporting graduate students in their development as writers.
Bethany Kasprzyk, Graduate Assistant – Bethany Kasprzyk supports writing, fellowship, and community engagement programming with the Office of Fellowships. She is a candidate for the Master of Public Administration and hopes to pursue a career in local government. Bethany attended the University of Texas at Dallas for her undergraduate degree in Economics, with minors in Public Affairs and Criminology. Her role in the Graduate Center is to facilitate graduate writing support programs and develop communication and outreach materials.
Each year, the Office of Fellowships works directly with 200 – 250 graduate students applying for fellowships. Approximately 80% of the NSF GRFPs awarded to students at the UA have been supported through this office. Additionally, the office provides educational opportunities for all graduate students at the UA through workshops and newsletters. The office is dedicated to the success of all graduate students in developing their grant writing skills.
