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Robby joined the Graduate Division in 2018 and has left an indelible mark on our campus and our graduate student population. Please join us in thanking Robby for all that he has done for our students. We are currently assessing how best to continue the wide variety of services he has provided, and ongoing updates will be provided in the Writing Support section of the GradPost.
On Monday, June 26, Interim Graduate Dean Leila Rupp sent out the following message to campus about the departure of Dr. Robby Nadler:
Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to share the news that Robby Nadler, Director of Academic, Professional, and Technical Graduate Writing Development for the Graduate Division, is leaving the Graduate Division this summer for Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, where he will be a Lecturer in Writing in the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. He has been a tremendous colleague and campus resource since he arrived on our campus and will be sorely missed.
Robby arrived on campus in 2018 as the Graduate Division's first Graduate Writing Specialist and immediately began assessing graduate writing resources and support on our campus. He quickly made the rounds, connecting with students, faculty, and staff to learn more about writing needs. During his first year, Robby interacted with nearly 25% of our graduate student body through 548 hour-long, individual consultations, as well as over 70 workshops and department-specific trainings to 1,500-plus attendees. Those staggering numbers illustrate Robby's unflagging dedication and extraordinary energy for working with our students.
Robby's accomplishments during his time with the Graduate Division are too many to list here, but we do want to note some highlights. He has played a key role on our Fulbright Committee, reviewing students' materials and interviewing applicants to help them improve their application packets. He has been extremely successful in advising our graduate students on other prestigious national grant and fellowship programs, such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the Ford Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. In partnership with Dr. Karen Lunsford, Robby developed a suite of graduate writing courses on topics ranging from introduction to graduate writing expectations to preparing for the academic job market. Robby has also been a key mentor for undergraduates involved in a number of summer research programs that we sponsor. Most recently, he has worked with undergraduates from the Promise Scholars Program on how to apply for and succeed in graduate school. In 2021, Robby was recognized for his herculean efforts with the Margaret T. Getman Service to Students Award.
Please join us in thanking Robby for all that he has done for our students. This summer he will be working in a limited capacity, with a focus on Promise Scholars and our summer research programs. We are currently assessing how best to continue the wide variety of services he has provided. Please see the Writing Support section of the GradPost for ongoing updates.
Sincerely,
Leila J. Rupp, Interim Graduate Dean
Robert Hamm, Assistant Graduate Dean
UCSB Graduate Division