The Graduate School Public Service Awards recognize the accomplishments of Yale graduate students engaged in outreach and service to the broader community, both locally and globally. The Graduate School confers the awards each year at Convocation.
The Graduate School Public Scholar Award recognizes research and activism conducted by a Yale graduate student that engages and betters the world at large. The public scholar is involved in activism, public policy-making and/or in public discourse based upon his/her research. The student’s academic work is motivated by a broad concern for public welfare and the research directly and concretely serves society. The student also engages in outreach to inform the public about his/her research or to encourage policy-makers to consider the findings. Turning research into public advocacy, activism and social change is the basis for this award.
The Graduate School Disciplinary Outreach Service Award recognizes a graduate school student who uses specific knowledge of his/her own discipline as the basis for voluntary service in the local community. Making knowledge and skills from one’s discipline relevant and useful to those in need in the community is the hallmark of this award.
The Graduate School Community Service Award honors a graduate student’s volunteer work in the local community while enrolled at Yale. The student is a dedicated and effective agent for positive change who volunteers with local community organizations, encourages other students to do the same, and may even have started a non-profit or charity. The community service need not be directly related to the student’s academic work. Committed sustained service to those in need is the benchmark for this award.
The Graduate School Public Service Awards application is available each year from February 15-April 1.
