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Message from the President


Hello and welcome to the Graduate Association of Biological Sciences (GABS) webpage.  On this site you will find information on current GABS activities and programs, upcoming events, general information about the organization and pictures from seminars, retreats, and graduate student parties.  We regularly update this information with the goal of providing an overall view of life as a biology grad student at USC.

Our commitment to the department:
As an organization, GABS gives graduate students a voice in the department and an active role in departmental decision making.  We currently have graduate student representatives on most departmental committees including graduate and undergraduate curriculum committees, technology committee, and seminar series committee.  In addition we have a faculty liason that attends faculty meetings providing us with a line of communication with the faculty.

Our commitment to each other:
For new graduate students, GABS provides a sense of community and helps them adjust to life in Columbia and the department.  The New Student Mentoring Program makes sure that every new grad student has at least one senior grad student that can help them register for classes, get ready for teaching, manage their time, and anything else that might help smooth the transition and aid to their success.  Monthly GABS meetings are a place for any student problems or concerns to be discussed, solutions proposed, and decisions and announcements of upcoming events made.  The department chair is often in attendance to address problems and suggestions.

Our commitment to science:
Every semester, GABS hosts two scientists from other institutions as speakers in the departmental seminar series.  Students are encouraged to interact with the invited speaker at a sponsored lunch to share research interests and be exposed to a variety of research fields.  In addition to experiencing research done outside of USC, GABS hosts a variety of opportunities for students to experience what is going on within the department.  In the fall there is a weekly seminar series where graduate students present their research to each other in a relaxed setting and a day-long faculty symposium where the faculty present their research to the students.  In the spring GABS hosts a three day retreat at the Baruch facility allowing students in Biology, Marine Science, Public Health and Pharmacy to come together and present in a more formal setting.

Our commitment to the community:
In addition to academic and departmental involvement, GABS strives to give back to the community.  Every Christmas we sponsor two needy families through the Families Helping Families program in Columbia.  Other potential activities include beach sweeps and adopt a highway.  There are also a variety of opportunities for students to reach out to the K-12 community by helping teachers, mentoring students, and judging at science fairs.

I encourage you to check out all the links on our page and look through the photos in the “gallery” to see some of the fun side of being a graduate student in this department.  If you have any questions feel free to email me at dantzler@biol.sc.edu.

Megan Dantzler