With Gratitude for Our Graduate Community

Dear CLAS Graduate Students, Faculty and Staff,

Earlier this month, I again had the privilege of hosting our annual Graduate Research Symposium. Listening to our students share their work reminds me why I am so grateful to be part of this community. It’s a community defined not only by intellectual ambition, but by a genuine desire to seek meaning, deepen understanding and make an impact. It feels especially fitting to remember that in this season of gratitude.

What I appreciate most about Villanova is not simply what we accomplish, but how we accomplish it: with care, intention and a shared sense of purpose. Our students are committed to bettering the world around us through their scholarly endeavors and I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank them for bringing curiosity, creativity and passion to their research. I am equally grateful for our faculty and staff, whose steady dedication sustains our programs and makes our students’ successes possible. So much of what you do happens quietly, but its impact is felt in every corner of our graduate community.



As we head into the holiday weekend, I want to express my sincere appreciation for each of you—for your contributions, your generosity of spirit and your continued commitment to our mission. I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a restorative and joyful Thanksgiving.

Warm regards,

Emory H. Woodard IV, PhD

Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Research lies at the heart of Villanova’s mission—and it’s one of the defining elements of the graduate experience in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Graduate students’ pursuit of knowledge deepens understanding across disciplines and drives meaningful change in the world.

On Friday, November 14, 2025, 32 students showcased their creativity, curiosity and scholarly excellence during the annual Graduate Research Symposium in the Villanova Room of the Connelly Center with 3MT-style oral presentations and poster sessions. The symposium celebrates the impactful work of our graduate researchers, many of whom were supported by Summer Research Fellowships—just one of the opportunities that empower Villanova students to elevate their graduate education. READ MORE

When audience members filtered out of the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts after seeing The Language Archive earlier this year, they didn’t just carry away a Playbill—they left their voices behind. For their Theatre capstone project, Alex Thurtle '26 MA created an archive of audience responses to prompts inspired by Julia Cho’s play and authored a pronunciation guide for an invented language within the play. READ MORE about Thurtle's inspired research.

Coming Soon: Call for CONCEPT Papers

Attention student researchers! You'll soon have the opportunity to submit your research to CONCEPT, Villanova’s interdisciplinary journal for graduate students. The official call for papers (and call for peer reviewers) will be emailed to you on Monday, Dec. 1, so please be sure to check your inbox for details and deadlines.

Apply for a Summer Research Fellowship
Graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences may apply for a summer stipend to support their scholarly efforts. Awards are made on a competitive basis in the amount of $4,000 for master's students and $5,000 for doctoral students for work in June, July and August. (Note: Biology and Chemistry students qualify for a $1,000 research prize). A completed application on InfoReady must be submitted no later than February 1. For more information and to apply, click here.

Conference Travel Support

The Office of Graduate Studies encourages graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to apply for funding to attend conferences in which they will present research related to their graduate work. Students interested in receiving a conference travel award should complete the online form found here.

Caritas Cabaret

Join in on an evening of fun, community and giving on Saturday, Dec. 13 in the Villanova Room, Connelly Center, as Villanova faculty and staff take the stage to share their hidden talents, cabaret style, to raise funds for Discovery Pathways, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that empowers youth and adults in underserved communities through outdoor activities and environmental education. Click here for tickets and information.

Career Outcomes Survey

Graduating this December? Complete the Career Outcomes Survey! Information collected in the survey is helpful to Career Center staff in counseling and advising students and alumni, and the results of the survey provide valuable insight for faculty members, students and other community members about the wide range of opportunities available to Villanova students and alumni. Use your Villanova single sign-on to access the survey and it should only take a few minutes to complete. December graduates who send evidence of completing the survey to this email address may pick up a free Villanova lapel pin from the Office of Graduate Studies after Dec. 1.

Applying for NSF-GRFP? CRF Can Help!
The Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF) is pleased to support those applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program by conducting draft reviews and fielding questions. We kindly encourage interested students to review this year’s solicitation to determine eligibility and field-specific deadlines and to book a Handshake appointment with a member of the CRF team. Click here for information or send questions to crf@villanova.edu. 

Degree Works for Graduate Students

Students are encouraged to track and plan their academic progress towards degree completion with Degree Works, an online auditing tool for Villanovans that provides students with an academic roadmap that lays out their required courses, tracks their credits earned and updates their GPA status each semester. To access, search for Degree Works in myNova. For more information, including tutorials and FAQs, please visit the Degree Works information page.