Sherry Melecki, graduate coordinator at the School of Social Work, has been named the 2015 Outstanding Graduate Coordinator by The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School. This university-wide award recognizes distinguished service in support of the graduate adviser and other faculty in the administration of a graduate program. An award of $3,000 is presented to the recipient.
“Sherry has helped our recruitment by keeping close track of applicants in the review process and helping the faculty become acquainted with each applicant’s strengths and weaknesses. Sherry also provides a caring and supportive relationship with each individual PhD student that is admitted to the School of Social Work program,” said School of Social Work dean Luis H. Zayas.
Melecki plans all orientation activities for the incoming cohort, assists in planning of student colloquia, tracks each student’s grades in required classes, as well as other milestones such as when they have their comps, enter candidacy, defend their dissertation proposal, etc. She also assists in helping prepare students for the job market and goes beyond her duties in providing feedback on their writing and further guides the students in their discovery of potential funding opportunities. Melecki has been instrumental in the continuous improvement of the doctoral program.