Designing and training deep learning models often requires advanced expertise, particularly when defining loss functions, optimizers, and model architectures. This work explored how large language models could lower those barriers by automating the creation of custom loss functions tailored to specific optimization goals. The capstone was presented at the Graduate Poster Exhibition during the 2025… continue reading
Before the semester gathered speed, doctoral candidates were welcomed into the cozy confines of the Graduate School House for a week that brought dissertation writing to the center of campus life. Representing Public Affairs, Computational and Integrative Biology, and Childhood Studies, participants arrived at a stage where dissertation defenses can be measured in weeks and… continue reading
Turning a master’s thesis into a peer-reviewed article marked a milestone in Jeniska Rivera-Galarza’s graduate work. An MA candidate in Psychological Sciences, she described the publication as an honor that prepares her for the next stage of her academic career. The article, co-authored with her thesis advisor, Courtenay Cavanaugh, is published in the Journal of… continue reading
A buried history, a campus in upheaval, and a relationship under strain shape Lux et Lex, a novel in progress as of April 2025. Set at a fictional liberal arts college, the work examined how institutional memory, protest, and personal relationships collide when long-suppressed histories resurface. The novel was presented at the Graduate Poster Exhibition… continue reading
What began as an elective requirement quietly became something more. An unexpected semester in a second-grade inclusion classroom revealed the power of presence, purpose, and responsibility. Now a student in the Teacher Education (MAT) program, Eunice Pay-Bayee carries resilience and lived experience into the classroom, committed to lifting student voices and becoming part of the… continue reading
When stories about place are repeated often enough, they harden into “truth” – even when they are incomplete, flattened, or wrong. Angel Perez, an alum of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and a current student in the Emerging Media (MA) program, is working to interrupt that cycle. At the First-Generation, Lower-Income (FGLI) Consortium… continue reading
