Florida A&M University’s School of Graduate Studies and Research held its graduate student appreciation week for the 2022 academic year earlier this week. It kicked off with a few professional development workshops as well as an opportunity to meet the interim dean, Reginald K. Ellis, with a bowling event at Galimore lanes.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Provost announced a correction regarding the newly appointed permanent dean, Michael Abazinge. The university had previously said his start date would be July 1. Now it will April 1.
The incoming dean and associate provost is a FAMU alum. He graduated with the class of 1981 and has several accolades, extending from being associate director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME). He has also been a part of creating several programs for several graduate courses and programs.
“I see myself as someone who has been in the trenches in graduate education,” he said. “In this role, I want to collaborate with students, advisers and deans to increase the number of graduate degrees awarded each year. What excites me is being involved in training our students to power our new workforce and future leaders.”
Maurice Edington, the provost and vice president of academic affairs, also issued a statement.
“I am quite pleased that we had a number of outstanding internal candidates. Dr. Abazinge’s distinguished record of success in the areas of scientific research, graduate education, grantsmanship and administrative leadership made him ideally suited for this important role,” Edington said in a release.
Some recent FAMU grads are starting to pursue new endeavors regarding their studies by continuing with grad school.
FAMU alumna, Janay Shuler said FAMU has pushed her into deciding to go grad school and. She added she is looking forward to the most from this new journey.
“Graduating from FAMU was a huge accomplishment and coming from a generation of Rattlers I found that I wanted to continue that legacy,” Shuler said. “Surprisingly as I got my class schedule, and as I get closer to the first day of class, I’m not as nervous as I thought. I feel actually over prepared and very excited more than anything.”
The graduate appreciation week concluded with a graduate recruitment fair held in the Grand Ballroom where most schools and colleges were represented. An initiative offered by the graduate school is the Graduate Feeders Scholars Program which provides opportunities for students that are interested in grad school to have their tuition paid for.
For more information on the School of Graduate Studies and Research email gradstudies@famu.edu