Onboarding Program for Directors of Graduate Studies
For Fall 2026, The Graduate School is introducing an onboarding program for new Directors of Graduate Studies. Directors of Graduate Studies are key supporters and contributors to graduate student success. This role can include mentoring, problem-solving, and having difficult conversations, as well as being responsible for knowing and ensuring the program’s compliance with rules and regulations set by the Graduate Faculty Council of The Graduate School.
To support those taking on this new role, The Graduate School invites you to participate in the Directors of Graduate Studies onboarding program. This program is designed to bring faculty in similar roles together, establish connections, provide you with helpful resources for your new role, and create a shared understanding of our goals and opportunities.
Building relationships early is important to the success of any community, and we hope this program, including the initial kickoff sessions outlined below, will provide a foundation for ongoing collaboration and support throughout the academic year.
Virtual Preview Session: Thursday, August 27, 11am – 12pm
Join link (a separate invite will also be sent)
Before the in-person kickoff, we will host a brief virtual preview to introduce our intent, provide an overview of what to expect, answer questions, and take an opportunity to get to know each other.
In-Person Kickoff: Monday, September 14, 12pm – 1:30pm
Babbidge Library Heritage Room (located on Level 4)
Light lunch will be served
Please RSVP by September 3 (RSVP here)
What you can expect from the kickoff:
Explore how to leverage resources, policies and procedures to support the graduate experience and outcomes in collaboration with The Graduate School
Develop interdisciplinary connections and community with your colleagues in graduate leadership positions
Engage in Q&A with a panel of experienced Directors of Graduate Studies representing a variety of disciplines
We look forward to bringing everyone together and seeing a supportive community grow around this work going forward to support our students. Please reach out to graduatedean@uconn.edu with any questions.
Graduate Student Resource Fair
The Graduate School, in partnership with the Graduate Student Senate, invites all graduate students to RSVP and attend the Fall 2026 Graduate Student Resource Fair. The event will be held in the North Reading Room, Wilbur Cross Building, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Resource Fair is designed to connect graduate students with a variety of campus resources that support their academic, professional, and personal success at UConn. Whether you are new to campus or continuing your graduate studies, you will have the opportunity to learn about the many services available to help you thrive throughout your graduate journey. Although the fair will be held on the Storrs campus, graduate students from UConn’s regional campuses who are interested and able to attend are also welcome to join us.
Graduate student Michael Nyarko and Karen Bresciano, Assistant Dean of The Graduate School at the Spring 2026 Graduate Student Resource Fair.
Graduate students on the Storrs campus, especially new graduate students, are encouraged to RSVP and attend. Representatives from the Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) team in The Graduate School, along with more than 15 campus offices and 30+ representatives, will be available to answer your questions and share information about the many resources and services available to support your success at UConn. Additional offices may be added as we get closer to the event.
Browse the participating offices by category below.
Kun Chen Named Academic Director of UConn’s M.S. in Data Science Program
Appointment positions the interdisciplinary program for continued growth and an increasingly AI-driven future
The University of Connecticut is pleased to announce that Kun Chen, Professor of Statistics, has been named Academic Director of UConn’s M.S. in Data Science program.
Chen brings to the position an exceptional record of interdisciplinary scholarship, academic leadership, teaching, and mentorship. A professor in UConn’s Department of Statistics and a research fellow in the Center for Population Health at UConn Health, his research spans statistical learning, machine learning, optimization, health data science, bioinformatics, population health, and healthcare analytics.
An internationally recognized scholar, Chen is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. In 2024, he received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Innovative Scholarship Award, which recognizes outstanding interdisciplinary research addressing significant challenges to knowledge, human well-being, and society. His work exemplifies the collaborative, application-focused approach that is central to UConn’s vision for data science.
As Academic Director, Chen will provide intellectual and strategic leadership for the M.S. in Data Science program. He will work across UConn’s schools and colleges to guide the program’s academic direction, strengthen its curriculum, support faculty collaboration, enhance the student experience, deepen relationships with industry and external partners, and identify new opportunities for growth and innovation.
UConn’s M.S. in Data Science is a 30-credit, career-focused graduate program offered in both an intensive, cohort-based on-campus format and a flexible online format. Drawing on faculty expertise from five schools and colleges—the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, the School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Neag School of Education—the interdisciplinary curriculum prepares students across the full data science lifecycle, including statistical analysis, computing, machine learning, data management, visualization, communication, research design, ethics, and responsible data use. The program culminates in a team-based capstone through which students work collaboratively to address consequential, real-world challenges, often in partnership with industry and organizational collaborators.
Chen’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the field. As data science and artificial intelligence rapidly converge, organizations increasingly need professionals who combine advanced analytical and AI capabilities with strong statistical foundations, ethical judgment, and deep domain expertise.
Under Chen’s leadership, the program will build on its strengths in statistics, computing, machine learning, and applied problem-solving while expanding opportunities at the intersection of data science and artificial intelligence. This next phase will strengthen connections with UConn’s growing AI research and educational ecosystem, deepen industry engagement, expand the program’s national visibility, and prepare graduates to lead in a professional landscape increasingly shaped by generative AI, advanced machine learning, and intelligent decision systems. At the same time, the program will preserve the qualities that distinguish it: its interdisciplinary structure, academic rigor, commitment to responsible practice, and focus on translating technical knowledge into meaningful real-world impact.
Chen succeeds Jeremy Teitelbaum, who has served as Academic Director since 2023 and is stepping down from the role. As the program’s first dedicated director following its launch, Jeremy has led the M.S. in Data Science program through a formative period of growth and development. His leadership has helped establish the program’s academic identity, strengthen its interdisciplinary partnerships, expand enrollment, and build a strong foundation for continued success. We are sincerely grateful for Jeremy’s vision, dedication, and service, and we thank him for the lasting contributions he has made to UConn’s M.S. in Data Science program.
Please join me in thanking Jeremy, and congratulating Kun.
