GUStO

GUStO helps students run meetings, workshops, and events throughout the school year. If  you have an idea, and/or would like to be involved in planning any of the following events, contact the GUStO officers at clasp-gusto@umich.edu. The following are events that are or have been hosted by GUStO. 

GUStO Town Hall Meetings

GUStO meetings are held approximately once a semester to discuss student concerns, upcoming events, changes to the department, and more, in the form of a town-hall! They are scheduled and facilitated by the co-presidents, and are open to any student. We also host several events in each month that count as 'GUStO Meetings' - you can show up to as many as you want!

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

International Potluck, Holiday Celebrations 

• Held once a year, the international potluck allows students to share food from their home countries and cultures in a potluck format. 

• CLaSP hosts students of many cultures and faiths with various celebrations. GUStO provides funding to support students who would like to share their cultural traditions with the department, typically through snacks or an activity during the department's afternoon coffee break.

Professional Development

Half-Baked : A Seminar Conversation 

• A space to share (unifnished) work, practice presentations, and gain perspectives on your research projects. Whether you are interested in sharing or listening, all are welcome to learn! This is a combination between a journal club and flash talks. People are welcome to join at any given week. 

Student Faculty Lunches 

• Lunchtime conversation with a faculty member to hear about their career and research journeys. 

Flash Talks, Mock Quals, Fellowship Workshop

• Flash Talks are short, 3-5 minute talks. The topics are unrestricted and the formets are rapid fire, improv, or Up-Goer Five. 

• For PhD students who have yet to reach candidacy, the prospect of taking qualifying exams can be quite unnerving. To facilitate the preparation process in CLaSP, GUStO offers a 'mock qual' service. Fellow CLaSP students who have already achieved candidacy serve as mock committee members and provide you with valuable feedback that will help you hone in on topics you need to further study or areas you should address in your research presentation.

• Each fall CLaSP students who have won fellowships such as the NSF's GRFP, NASA's FINESST, and others, share their wisdom, strategies, and timelines with new students. Look out for emails early in the Fall term, or check out the fellowship summary here.

Peer Mentoring Program

• The Peer Mentoring Program occurs in the Fall semester. Incoming graduate students and senior undergraduates are paired in one-to-one or small (<5) groups for two informal lunch or coffee meetings which are paid for by the program. The Peer Mentoring Program seeks to provide incoming and junior graduate students (1 year or less into their program) with peer support within the department, while encouraging senior graduate students (years 2+) and Post-docs to develop mentoring skills.

  • Contact: clasp-mentorship-support@umich.edu

PowerPoint Party

• A PowerPoint party is where attendees craft and give presentations on topics of their choice... literally any topic you want! It's a very informal opportunity to present and hear stories and enjoy snacks.

Student Engagement

Craft Night

• An evening in the CSRB Lobby where GUStO provides canvases and paints for students or you can bring your own crafts.

Game Night

• GUStO provides games and snacks; you provide the players!

Happy Hour ft. GUStO 

• We'll pay for appetizers, you pay for drinks! GUStO reserves tables at one of the many local bars in Ann Arbor for CLaSP students to come together and socialize after classes. Look out for emails from the volunteer organizer, or contact GUStO to organize a bar night yourself.

Philanthropy & Volunteering

• We support FATE, a program for increasing STEM awareness in Detroit schools. If you're interested in this effort, or other volunteering projects we do, please reach out to Tyler Eddy at tjeddy@umich.edu .

Snow Pool

• A fundraiser in which participants purchase bets on when and how deep the first snow of the year will fall on Ann Arbor. Proceeds are donated to charitable organizations in and around Ann Arbor. Look for an email with details in mid-October!

Department

Daily or Weekly

Climate & Space Seminar Series

• The weekly seminar is normally held on Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 PM in the Climate & Space Auditorium (CSRB 2246) during the Fall and Winter semesters. Cookies are provided. The seminars are organized by two faculty members and facilitated by students in the CLaSP Student Seminar course (CLIMATE 749).

• Since September 2015 seminars have been recorded and the full catalog can be watched online here.

Coffee and Tea Time

• Take a break for tea, coffee, hot cocoa, and cookies! Daily from 3:00-3:30 in the 2nd Floor Lounge outside the CSRB auditorium.

Weather Discussion

• Weekly discussions of current weather events (and occasionally, space weather events!) led by Dr. Frank Marsik and CLaSP students. Look out for emails and flyers with the date, time, and location since it changes every semester.

Yearly

CLaSP Welcome Local Retreat 

• CLaSP - GUStO will be hosting a local retreat for all CLaSP grad students (masters, phDs), and their families. Tentative dates are Sept 1st - 4th, 2023 and will be a one-day event.

CLaSP PhD Retreat 

• Every fall CLaSP hosts a retreat for PhD students in the department at UMBS. Tentative dates are Sept 8-10, 2023 and will be a weekend event. 

CLaSP Summer Picnic

• Every August prior to the start of the semester, CLaSP hosts an outdoor picnic in Ann Arbor. Look for an email invitation over the summer for details.