Yale Summer Academy
The GSAS Yale Summer Academy offers short courses for graduate students on a range of scholarly and professional topics that take advantage of the summer as a good time to pursue professional development. Each course will run for 2, 3, or 4 two-hour sessions, either in person or on Zoom. See below for Summer 2025 offerings. Questions? Contact suzanne.young@yale.edu.
Scholars' Toolkit: Building Research Skills with the Yale Library
Join us for a chance to discover how Yale librarians' expertise can elevate your research skills and support your scholarly journey at Yale. The first session showcases the wide range of library services available to support your research and introduces you to librarians who can make a difference in your academic journey. Session two covers how to do efficient database searching, use citation managers, conduct literature reviews, and build your online scholarly identity. Session three explores how to find support for data projects, using an expansive definition of data that includes archival materials, art objects, and secondary literature, as well as experimental and quantitative data.
These sessions focus on practical advice and hands-on guidance tailored to support your academic success. In person in the McDougal Center (135 Prospect St). June 3, 5, and 10. 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Facilitated by the Yale University Library.
• Mastering the Navigation of Your Campus Library: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298324
• Master the Literature Review and Online Scholarly Identity: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298327
• Mastering Data Discovery at Yale: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298328
Conflict and Negotiation
Being a researcher in STEM isn’t easy. Trying to do your best while working alongside other driven people in highly competitive lab environments can lead to difficult situations. Please join us for a two-part workshop series to help you learn two indispensable skills: managing interpersonal conflict and negotiating for what you want.
The case studies we will use during the series will focus on situations students face in the lab, but the concepts are applicable to students in all fields. Course content is derived from research by Harvard’s longstanding Program on Negotiation, whose faculty have studied conflict resolution strategies in the corporate, non-profit, and government sectors worldwide. Facilitated by John Alvaro, Associate Dean for BBS.
This is a two-part workshop series on the following dates:
• Part I: Wednesday, June 18, 9:00 am – 10:30 am, Hope Rm 216, 315 Cedar St
• Part II: Wednesday, June 25, 9:00 am – 10:45 am, Hope Rm 216
If you can attend on both dates, please register at https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298330.
Summer Writing-in-Residence Dissertation Working Group
Yale’s GSAS Summer Dissertation Writing-in-Residence Group offers a cohort of humanities and social science scholars a six-week program to make substantial progress on their dissertations. Participants will receive faculty mentor support, develop writing strategies, and exchange feedback while building a supportive peer cohort. The program not only advances dissertation work but also helps establish enduring personal writing practices, with participants who complete the program receiving a $500 research grant and continuing to set goals and support each other post-program. The program runs from June 23 to August 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST on Zoom.
Students are expected to participate daily, Monday through Friday, during regular working hours for the duration of the six-week period, except for cases of illness or brief travel to scheduled family or professional events.
The faculty mentor is Nicole Sheriko, Assistant Professor of English.
Application
PhD students who have advanced to candidacy, have an approved dissertation prospectus, and will be using a University Fellowship, rather than teaching, in 2025-26, are eligible for application to the program. Application: 1) a cover letter of no more than one page, detailing where you are in the writing of your dissertation and why you want to participate; 2) a graduate transcript; and, 3) a very brief letter from your dissertation advisor indicating your readiness to participate. All materials, with the exception of the recommendation, must be submitted as a single PDF document to Administrative Assistant Bridget Nixon (bridget.nixon@yale.edu).
Exploring Artificial Intelligence for Teaching, Research, and Productivity
This short course provides structures to develop professional habits and ethics for navigating the rapidly changing landscape of artificial intelligence in graduate teaching and research. Interrupt your ChatGPT-matic slumber with sessions that include explorations of GenAI tools in your discipline, sharing findings with peers, and creating a personal plan for keeping up to date on new developments. How can AI enhance your research, provide creative approaches to teaching, and boost your productivity? Participants should expect to engage with artificial intelligence applications both in sessions and on their own throughout the course. In person in the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Room 120A.
Facilitated by Connie Steel, Program Manager for AI Initiatives in the Provost's Office.
• Session 1 Registration: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298341
• Session 2 Registration: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298327
• Session 3 Registration: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298343
• Session 4 Registration: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298344
Advanced Research Techniques with AI
This two-part workshop series will help participants gain a sophisticated understanding of what is possible in using AI for research. Working with a test case (using AI to build entries in Wikipedia), participants will learn about databases, data storage, retrieval augmented generation (RAG), synthetic data set generation, and fine-tuning an AI model. The controlled research experience will allow participants to understand an entire workflow, which they can investigate further on their own.
Facilitated by Clifford Anderson, Director, Yale Divinity Library, and Timothy Thompson, Manager, Metadata Services Unit in Yale Library.
June 30 & July 2, 10:30 to 12:30 in McDougal Center (135 Prospect St.).
Registration link for both workshops: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298334
Strategies for Career Success Inside and Outside of the Academy
Join us for a short course on strategies for a successful job search. We will begin the course by learning from hiring managers and committee members both inside and outside of the academy about how to stand out in the job search. Based on their insights, we will focus in subsequent sessions on how to tell your professional story to multiple audiences, how to pursue a dual job search inside and outside of the academy, and how to create a professional network that works for you. Sessions will be valuable for PhDs seeking internships and fellowships, as well as jobs. Session on Zoom. Register below for Zoom link.
Facilitated by Hyun Ja Shin and Jacob Gonzalez (Yale Office of Career Strategy) and Suzanne Young (GSAS Professional Development).
• Session 1: From PhD to Hired; How to Stand Out in Any Job Market. Register here: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298337
• Session 2: What is Your Story and How Do You Tell It? Register here: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298338
• Session 3: Where Will Your PhD Take You? Strategies for Job Exploration. Register here: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298339
• Session 4: Making Professional Connections in and Beyond the Academy. Register here: https://cglink.me/2dA/r2298339