During Visiting Days, prospective students learn 'We're doing first-class research here'

Prospective students admitted to Yale’s chemistry Ph.D. program visited New Haven to learn about the Chemistry Department during Visiting Days on Feb. 27 & 28 and Mar. 6 & 7.

A total of 64 prospective graduate students experienced a two-day tour of chemistry research and facilities, as well as a peek at campus life, to inform their decision to accept or decline their admissions offer.

“Visiting Days is what made me decide to come to Yale. It sealed the deal,” said Tyler Myers, Visiting Day Volunteer Student Host and 5th-year graduate student from the Miller Lab.

Myers was one of many student volunteers who worked alongside administrative staff and a faculty committee to orchestrate this grand open house, which consisted of a poster session on Thursday evening and a graduate program presentation, tours of research facilities and labs, faculty meetings, a Q&A session, campus walking tours, and social activities downtown on Friday.

With such a packed itinerary, event planning started six months out and required an all-hands-on-deck approach.

“Our students take on volunteer roles,” said Lisa Hines, operations manager and event lead organizer. “They can be liaisons, hosts, poster presenters, lab tour guides, walking tour guides, and Q&A panelists, and many have multiple jobs.”

Hines and fellow organizers Bucket Borrego and Maggie Simonsen met with faculty and student volunteers in the months leading up and managed everything, from food and flights to hosts and hotels.

To ensure the incoming graduate students made the best use of their short time on campus, they learned about their research interests and background. This helped them build out a more personalized schedule and also helped inform volunteer liaisons, like Annie Tyler.

“Being a liaison is a fun experience,” said Tyler, a 3rd-year graduate student from the Newhouse Group. “I matched hosts with visitors who are interested in their division. I also helped moderate the Q&A panel, talking about how to choose a grad school and what they should prioritize. Being able to help them on their journey is a rewarding experience.” 

“Doing a really interactive, engaged poster session as its own event the night prior to the full day gives you the opportunity to get a sense of all the amazing research done at Yale,” said Myers. “It’s an evening dedicated to graduate students sharing their research, and it gives you a primer on what you can expect professors to be talking about and allows you to prepare questions to ask them.”

Poster presentation topics spanned the seven research areas offered at Yale Chemistry and their application to address real-world challenges.

Marcus Vinicius Pinto Pereira, Jr., a 4th-year graduate student from the Miller Lab, who has been a liaison for the past three years, was a host and a poster presenter this year.

“It starts with you talking about your research, what’s on your poster, but then students ask about your lab culture and starting research in your group,” he said. “The presentation is a broader vision of how to do research in the Yale Chemistry Department. The students are looking at you like, ‘this could be me.’      

It was nice because I had just published the paper on my research on asymmetric hydrogen atom transfer catalysis. So, I went to the poster session a bit happier than usual with such good news. The article got into JACS, which is a big journal. So, it showed students we’re doing first-class research here.”

“The energy the poster session creates really sets the stage for Friday,” said Hines.

The next day, the prospective students learned about the academic program from a presentation by the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor J. Patrick Loria.

They met with faculty – their future Pls – to learn how their cutting-edge research addresses today’s biggest challenges, like utilizing sustainable energy sources, targeted medications, and quantum technologies.

Volunteer graduate students lead groups of guests through the various labs where they conduct research in the three chemistry buildings on Science Hill.

The tours continued through three of the four main research core facilities. Research support staff explained how their highly specialized services and equipment make conducting innovative chemistry research possible.

After exploring Chemistry, the students walked down Prospect Street to get a feel for the campus.

Thank you to staff and all volunteers who helped show prospective students that Yale is a fantastic place to live and develop as an independent scientist. We thank Ed Ginter for his invaluable day-of logistical help and staff members Kara Swenson, Michelle Swanson, Michelle Ferrara, Carole Velleca, Robin Demato, and Sarah Kraus for their assistance. A special thanks goes to student liaisons Kedang Chen, Eddie Knab, Ashleigh Purvis, Annie Tyler, and Jerry Xu.