BGSA 20th Annual Awards Gala Invites CLA Attendees

The Black Graduate Student Association will hold its 20th Annual BGSA Awards and Recognition Gala on Saturday April 10, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST. The event will be held virtually via Zoom. CLA Administration, Faculty and Grad Students are invited to attend. CLA has 18 “seats” reserved, and asks those who wish to attend to submit their names via email to Mike Hicks, CLA Grants Coordinator (mahicks@purdue.edu – Subject: “BGSA Gala Seats”), by Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 5 PM EST. Spots will be granted on a first-come/first-served basis, until all are filled.

The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) at Purdue University is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit student organization committed to the scholarly pursuit, professional development, service and fellowship of Black graduate and professional students at Purdue. The BGSA upholds its mission through the design and implementation of programs that enhance the Purdue Black student experience through on-campus and local partnerships that positively impact the greater Lafayette community as well as aid in the recruitment, support the transition, and provide academic support towards the graduation for Black graduate students at Purdue.

Departments, organizations, and campus entities are encouraged to support BGSA’s mission to promote scholarly and professional excellence amongst Black graduate students at Purdue University. BGSA recognizes Purdue’s commitment in creating a diverse environment where all students can thrive, and we contribute to that effort by conducting the following programs to enhance the black graduate student experience:

The Purdue BGSA Annual Awards and Recognition Gala:
• Celebrates the altruistic and academic achievements of the Black graduate students at Purdue with the presentation of scholarships
• Recognizes the organizations that support the recruitment, retention and graduation of Black graduate students at Purdue

The Annual Candidate Rite of Passage Ceremony:
• Recognizes and celebrates members who have successfully completed their preliminary examinations to transition from being a doctoral student to a doctoral candidate

The Research Scholarship (NEW!):
• Provides funds for our members to conduct graduate level research crucial to scholarly development

Partnerships:
• Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences to meet needs of the local community (i.e. ample bottled water donations to Flint, MI purchased and transported by members)
• Purdue Office of Civic Engagement and Leadership Development
• Black Student Union
• National Society of Black Engineers
• Students of Purdue Against Racism Coalition
• Ball State Black Graduate Student Association

For additional information about these programs, feel free to reach out to BGSA at bgsa@purdue.edu.