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Letter from the Dean: Spring 2025

Dear Graduate Students, Faculty, and Friends of the University of Memphis Graduate School Community,

The University of Memphis is committed to a successful outcome for every student. The graduate school is fulfilling that commitment each day by assisting our graduate programs in recruitment, retention, graduation, and placement of our graduate students.  

Our focus on student success is paying off. This spring we will award 722 Master’s and Specialists degrees, 87 Doctoral degrees, and 155 graduate certificates. Congratulations to all our graduates and their families! 

Here are a few of the many things we did this year to provide opportunities for our students to succeed: 

  • Established and awarded 10 Dissertation Completion Grants Awarded to doctoral students.  
  • Established a research grant competition that will award 10 small research grants to doctoral students pursuing dissertation research. 
  • Our Mastering Graduate School Workshop Series provides professional development on topics such as resume building, mentoring, and successful study habits.  
  • Welcomed our first cohort of Weil Graduate Fellows, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Burton Weil.  
  • Revised our Graduate Teaching Effectiveness course which prepares graduate students to be successful instructors in undergraduate classrooms.   

In this newsletter we will be highlighting our award-winning students. The students we honor this year have excelled across disciplines — producing innovative research, serving their communities, and demonstrating academic excellence at the highest level. Their achievements are not just personal milestones; they are a testament to what is possible when talent is nurtured, opportunity is created, and determination is met with support. I am deeply proud of our award winners and of the entire graduate community at the University of Memphis. They remind us of the enduring power of knowledge, discovery, and service. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to our students. I hope you enjoy learning more about this year's honorees and the work that makes the University of Memphis a place where graduate students thrive. 

Warm regards,

Dr. Deborah Tollefsen

Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
University of Memphis

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