Graduate Program in Neuroscience
Program Administration
The Program Director and the student have the major responsibility for determining the student's initial training (usually the first year). Once the student has selected a research advisor, the advisor assumes responsibility for determining the student's further course and research training in consultation with the student's Research Committee. The Director of the Graduate Program updates the program faculty at periodic faculty meetings. The responsibilities of the graduate committees are outlined below:
Executive Committee: This advisory Committee consists of members of the program faculty who will work closely with the Program Director to oversee the administration of the training program. The Executive Committee is charged with overseeing compliance with goals and objectives of the training program. Specifically, the Executive Committee will monitor and evaluate the program objectives and enforce program policies, review trainees' progress, and evaluate long term goals of the program to ensure that the needs of the trainees are met. The Executive Committee will serve as a final review board for appointment of predoctoral trainees fellows. The committee will meet a minimum twice a year.
- Jay Schneider, Ph.D. (Chair)
- Richard Horn, Ph.D.
- Lorraine Iacovitti, Ph.D.
- Sue Menko, Ph.D.
Committee on Admissions: This committee reviews prospective graduate student applications and recommends qualified and promising applicants for admission to the graduate program. The committee on Admissions will also guide recruiting efforts. Advertisement and recruitment to the Neuroscience Graduate Program at TJU will operate through the Admissions Office of the College of Graduate Studies.
- Gregory Gonye, Ph.D. (Chair)
- Lorraine Iacovitti, Ph.D.
- Kanae Iijima-Ando, Ph.D.
- Piera Pasinelli, Ph.D.
Committee on Curriculum: This committee is charged with assisting the program director in reviewing the status of course offerings to ensure that the curriculum is appropriate for the needs of the trainees. The committee will be responsible for soliciting participation of new neuroscience faculty recruits into the curriculum. The committee will attend to yearly evaluation of courses and recommend modifications of existing courses to the Advisory Committee. To this end, the committee will examine the course evaluations provided for every course and report to the Advisory Committee any recommendations for improvement pertaining to the syllabus and course content.
- Manuel Covarrubias, M.D., Ph.D. (Chair)
- Diane Merry, Ph.D.
- Jay Schneider, Ph.D.
- Ji-fang Zhang, Ph.D.
Student Affairs Committee: The Student Affairs Committee and the Program Director meet at the end of each academic semester to review the progress of each trainee in the program. Recommendations with regard to each graduate student may include: (1) continue in good standing, (2) further review by the graduate committee with specific remedial recommendations, or (3) dismiss from the program. Final disposition of each student is the responsibility of the Director of the Graduate Program.
- George Brainard, Ph.D. (Chair)
- Carol Beck, Ph.D.
- Melanie Elliott, Ph.D.
The Graduate Program in Neuroscience is governed by the policies and guidelines of the College of Graduate Studies as outlined in the College of Graduate Studies Catalog, and the program may establish additional program requirements. Several important policies are outlined below:
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Faculty may accept new predoctoral trainees and serve as mentors to these trainees provided the faculty have independent extramural funding. If such a person loses funding while serving as a mentor, they will continue in that capacity through completion of the program for any trainee already in their laboratory. On re-attaining extramural funding, they may again accept a new trainee to study under their guidance.
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The Program and/or the College of Graduate Studies will make every effort to financially support trainees for the first academic year of their training. Once a trainee has chosen a research advisor, it is the research advisor's responsibility to financially support the trainee, including arrangements for stipend and tuition from research grant and/or the advisor's home department resources, throughout the remainder of the trainee's graduate education.
