BSOS Buddies Program Provides Support for Soon-to-Be PhDs
Graduate students share how faculty mentorship from the BSOS Buddies Program, now in its fourth year, has helped them
Entering a graduate program can come with a variety of new challenges, demands and less support than what students might have grown used to having in their undergraduate years.
Michael Lebron, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJS) and NSF Graduate Research Fellow, was no exception. When an email popped up during his first week of classes encouraging him to apply to be a part of the BSOS Buddies program, deciding to do so was simple.
The BSOS Buddies program was founded in 2020 by the mental health committee of the BSOS Dean’s Graduate Student Advisory Council (DGSAC). The program was created in an effort to provide better support for first-year Ph.D. students by pairing them with professors who are willing to discuss their personal lives, work-life balance, and navigating academia within a marginalized identity, if applicable.
For Lebron, who now serves as DGSAC chair, the BSOS Buddies program provided a chance to interact and converse with an academic who had started their own family—a major life goal for Lebron.
“It was nice to hear from somebody who has that lived experience,” he said. “It's really helpful for getting an idea of what the future can look like.”
A unique element of the program is that it pairs students with faculty outside of the department they’re currently studying in with the goal being to increase a sense of community and interaction among the graduate programs.
“It gives you a nice support system outside of your immediate program,” Lebron said.
Hong Nhu Thi Bui, a Ph.D. student in the clinical psychology program, said she especially appreciated BSOS Buddies’ ability to help her make connections outside of her program’s department as she began taking classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bui was paired up with former Department of Government and Politics associate professor Stella Rouse, who is now a Center Director and Professor at Arizona State University. Bui said that they discussed the transition into graduate school, different opportunities that she could take advantage of while she was a graduate student, as well as Rouse’s own upbringing and career story.
“We also chatted about our upbringings and some of the challenges we've faced to get to where we are. It was inspiring to hear from her,” Bui said.
The BSOS Buddies program currently has about 32 graduate student participants, with roughly two students paired to one faculty member. Lebron says that DGSAC is looking to continue expanding the program, as both faculty and students are eager to participate.
“As a faculty mentor in the program for the past four years, I can say I have greatly enjoyed and benefited from it,” said Jean McGloin, BSOS’ associate dean of research and graduate education, and CCJS professor. “The students I've been paired with have been just wonderful and I am so grateful to know them, learn from them, and offer support as they start their careers.”
Recruitment for the program occurs during the fall semester. New graduate students should receive information about the program through their department listserv.
“The BSOS Buddies program really helps to ground you. It makes you feel that you’re not so alone or isolated, and faculty are always willing to connect you to resources,” Lebron said. “It can be a very informative experience for our first-year graduate students to participate in.”
To learn more about the BSOS Buddies program, visit bsos.umd.edu/graduate/deans-graduate-student
This story was written by Sofia Appolonio, JOUR '26. The photo is by iStock.
Published on Tue, Apr 2, 2024 - 1:23PM