We are writing to inform you of a newly-formed group within the Italian Art Society community, the Graduate Student Committee (GSC). By encouraging and fostering a stronger graduate student presence within the IAS we intend to increase the scope and influence of the larger organization for all of its members. In support of this goal, the primary objectives of the GSC are:

to increase graduate student membership in the IAS and support the retention of members as they transition from graduate school to professional service;
to create and support an active and growing network of IAS graduate students worldwide; to provide more opportunities for graduate students and young scholars to share their research with each other, and to alert them of conferences and publications where they may do so.
In the coming weeks we will begin to establish our online presence—through such tools as a Facebook page and a listserv—in order to create a virtual space to foster the relationships among graduate students. This will be supplemented with the inclusion of useful resources for graduate students, such as lists of funding sources and calls for papers. Our real-world presence will be an extension of our online one, and will encourage the communication of graduate students at home and abroad. We anticipate a community in which graduate students around the world can turn to each other for help and support on issues such as archival and library work to something as simple as meeting for coffee in a new and unfamiliar city.

It is our hope that the Graduate Student Committee will be a lively and supportive community within IAS for new and emerging student-scholars. We therefore encourage all interested individuals who are current or recent graduate students to contact us for more information. Eligible members include the following: anyone currently enrolled in a masters or doctoral program; anyone who has received a master’s degree within the past two years but who has not yet enrolled in a doctoral program; and anyone who has received a PhD within the past two years.

The founding members of the Graduate Student Committee are: David Boffa (davidboffagmail.com); Gilbert Jones (gilbert.jonesgmail.com): Rebekah Perry (rep22pitt.edu); and Lisa Tom (lisa_tombrown.edu)

We welcome any questions or comments and look forward to working with you all as we develop our community!