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Graduate students at Commencement with faculty advisor.

Advocacy Network for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

The Advocacy Network for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars is a team of supportive Cockrell School of Engineering faculty members across various departments who work one-on-one with engineering graduate students and postdocs to provide assistance and advice that they may not feel comfortable getting from their advisors or within their own departments.

  • “I [am pregnant / need to have surgery / have a serious health issue], and I will need to take some off. I can’t afford to be out of work and am nervous about bringing this up with my research supervisor. What resources are available to me, and how should I approach this conversation?”
  • “I have a 20-hour research assistantship, but my PI is insisting I work 40 hours per week. Is this ok? What can I do?”
  • “My advisor expects me to be available 24/7 and answer/monitor email in the evenings or weekends. How do I approach a conversation with them?”
  • “I want to switch research advisors, but I’m not sure how to do this, and I don’t want to burn bridges with my current research advisor. How do I approach this?”
  • “I’m completely lost and feel out of place in my research lab. Maybe [graduate school / a postdoc / research] isn’t for me?
  • “I do not feel like my committee treated me fairly during my qualifying exams. How can I tell? What can I do? What is my next step?”
  • “I think I am ready to graduate, but my advisor seems to be stringing me along and not letting me finish. What should I do?”


Students and postdocs can seek advice from Advocacy Network members related to challenging conversations and situations in the labs, effectively communicating with advisors and principal investigators, accessing campus-wide resources and much more. Our team of advocates is comprised of faculty with expertise and social capital that can be leveraged to help you address a specific problem.

*EID authentication is required to request a meeting with the Advocacy Network for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.

request a meetingRequest a Meeting with an Advocacy Network Representative

Advocacy Network Members

Photo of Brian Evans
Brian Evans
Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • 512-232-1457
  • EER 6.882
Photo of Andrew Dunn
Andrew Dunn
Professor Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • 512-232-2808
  • BME 1.108D
Photo of Michael Cullinan
Michael Cullinan
Associate Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
  • 512-471-0262
  • ETC 4.154
Photo of Maria Juenger
Maria Juenger
Professor Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
  • 512-232-3593, 512-471-7751
  • ECJ 4.736

Additional Resources

  • The UT Graduate School Homepage
  • The UT Postdoc Handbook
  • Graduate Student Mental Health Resources
  • UT Outpost
  • Graduate Student Health Care Assistance Fund
  • Staff Ombuds for Graduate Students
  • Staff Ombuds for Postdocs
Advocacy Network for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
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