Rising Doctoral Institute

Penn State is committed to providing access to programs and opportunities to all qualified students without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

The Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI) at Penn State consists of a three-day workshop followed by monthly meetings to ease the transition to graduate school for incoming master’s and doctoral students in STEM. Our goal is to help prepare students to successfully navigate their degree programs and provide a network of support at Penn State. Incoming graduate students who identify from backgrounds considered underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math are strongly encouraged to participate.

Workshop Outline

Three-day Workshop Topics

• Building Your Penn State Network: Meet with STEM college administrators, staff, graduate student leaders, and RDI alumni
• Penn State and college academic and community resources for graduate students
• Adviser relationships and managing expectations
• Mental health resources, disability resources, and communicating needs
• Mentorship opportunities

Monthly Meeting Topics

• Navigating Penn State/local landscape/cultural capital
• Finding balance
• Understanding the roles and responsibilities of a mentee
• Finding and managing funding
• Graduate writing and presenting
• Wellness and reflection