Welcome to the fall issue of Graduate Posts.
I want to personally welcome all our new and existing graduate students to UNMC. The first semester is almost halfway over, and it has been wonderful to see everyone settled on campus.
This year is especially noteworthy as we enrolled a record number of 720 students this fall. This is an increase of 14% over 2022 and an increase of 28% in just two years, making Graduate Studies the third largest student body at UNMC. I was thrilled to welcome many of the new students and their family and friends during the matriculation ceremony in August. I look forward to the fresh ideas and energy these students will bring to our campus.
I also want to highlight several key wellness resources for students this year. First, the Graduate Student Wellness Hub in the Durham Research Center offers a variety of amenities for graduate students to recharge, study or connect with friends. The Wellness Hub also is home to the two new graduate student and postdoc wellness advocates, who are available to support, listen to and address any personal and professional concerns you may have. Join me in welcoming Alice Schumaker, PhD, and David Crouse, PhD, to their new roles.
Second, the renovated McGoogan Library is a quiet place to study and includes napping pods, reflection rooms and massage chairs. Watch a video tour of the library wellness spaces.
Finally, be sure to check out the Center for Healthy Living to access the university gym, take fitness classes or participate in intramural sports.
Starting with this issue of Graduate Posts, we will spotlight some of our extraordinary graduate students. This issue, we are highlighting Wafaa Aldhafiri, a student in the pharmaceutical sciences program. I hope you enjoy learning more about Wafaa and what drew her to UNMC, as well as reading all the stories in this issue.