Student-Led Community Building at IACS

The IACS Student Association (ISA) and the Stony Brook chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) bring a sense of community to students who share an interest in computation. These student-led groups, with support from IACS, play a vital role in grad student wellbeing and academic growth. They offer students space to enhance their academic experience and collaborate across disciplines. They also offer opportunities to take a break from their research and unwind from the stress of everyday student life. While primarily aimed at graduate students, anyone with an interest in computation is welcome to join, and it is not uncommon for undergraduates to attend ISA and SIAM events, especially the Fall semester welcome back event.

“Our goal is to organize both academic and social events so that everyone feels part of the community. We help students in preparing for talks, and encourage multidisciplinary academic engagement,” explained Alina Shabaeva, a second-year PhD linguistics student and ISA’s association’s current president. “By offering a variety of academic and social activities, the group helps IACS students feel connected and supported during their graduate studies,” she added.

The association is led by a group of graduate students from a variety of departments and academic backgrounds. “We each have different roles — we have a Vice President, an event coordinator, a social media manager, and a secretary,” said Shabaeva. “My role is mostly organizational. I handle the planning, scheduling, attending of meetings, and I send out emails to students in IACS about upcoming events. I also make sure our team stays coordinated and within budget for each event,” she added.

Serving both as ISA Vice President and as President of SBU’s SIAM chapter, fourth-year PhD candidate in Computational Chemistry Thomas Knoll spoke about the ISA’s collaborative planning process. “The Association’s purpose is to foster social and collaborative opportunities among IACS students by promoting intergroup collaborations,” he said. He takes the lead on many of the logistics, such as planning guided meditation sessions for wellness events or coordinating activities. “We meet regularly to brainstorm and assign tasks, once an event is planned, we create flyers, organize food, and use RSVP forms to estimate attendance and address dietary restrictions,” he added.

One of the most appreciated aspects of both student associations is the support they receive from IACS. Knoll noted that “IACS provides generous support, an annual budget that can be supplemented when needed. Aside from funding events, IACS also provides the Associations with important resources such as venues and event spaces.” Additionally, students in IACS have access to the SeaWulf cluster and the Ookami testbed to support their research.

Knoll also emphasized the strong collaboration between SIAM and IACS: “We get a great amount of support from IACS. They help sponsor events, provide venues, and assist with advertising. For example, during a special edition of the journal club with Professor Yifan Sun, IACS sponsored lunch to increase participation,” Knoll said.

Fifth-year Chemistry PhD student Caitlin Hetherington, a member of the IACS Student Association, explained what motivated her to join the association in 2023. “I was intrigued by the variety of activities and events the Student Association offered. I wanted to be part of that community and felt I could contribute good ideas and play a central role, which I now do by helping to organize events,” she said.

Speaking about the events and activities, she said, “My favourite activity this year was the wellness event, which included colouring, fidget toys, guided meditation, and face masks. It was very enjoyable. It provides students with opportunities to have fun, relax, and build a community.” Hetherington added “that many of these events are held in seminar and conference rooms within the IACS building or next door in the Laufer lobby”.

One of the events that sums up all the activities of the IACS Student Association is the graduation party, which has become a special IACS post-COVID tradition. The event brings together IACS graduates, including PhD students, master’s students, undergraduates, student assistants, and their families and friends to be celebrated. “Since I joined, the graduation party has been the biggest and most important event that the IACS Student Association organizes yearly. It has the largest budget and takes a lot of planning,” said Knoll.

Speaking about planning the event, Knoll stated that the planning team collects dietary restrictions through an RSVP form and places all orders through campus catering. Food preferences are discussed among the members of the IACS Student Association. Each graduate receives a gift bag containing an IACS mug, an IACS Alumni T-shirt, a notebook, a pen, and a keychain, all packed in a blue IACS bag. “We also make a handmade piñata shaped like a computer, which the graduates take turns hitting—it’s a fun way to laugh at all the time we’ve spent working on computers. There’s also … cake, and a short speech. This year the speech was from the IACS Interim Co-Director— Alan Calder—who congratulated the graduates,” Knoll said. He added, “The party not only marks academic achievements but also strengthens the community spirit that defines the IACS experience.”

Knoll and Shabaeva spoke about the personal growth they’ve experienced through their involvement in the student association. Knoll said the experiences have shaped him both personally and professionally. “Doing a PhD is already a lot of work, but I wouldn’t want to miss out on these experiences. They’ve shaped me as a person and as a leader. The role has helped me build skills in teamwork, conflict resolution, time management, and public speaking,” he said. He added that it’s also been an important outlet, helping him balance the demands of research while forming meaningful connections across campus through event planning and collaboration.

Shabaeva shared a similar perspective on how the role has contributed to her growth. She noted that balancing leadership with academic work can be stressful, especially before events, but it becomes easier with practice. “The position requires a lot of work, but it is very useful and a great learning experience. The role has helped me strengthen skills in time management, communication, coordination, as well as working as a team. Delegating responsibilities and coordinating tasks are essential aspects of this position,” she said

Like any student group, the IACS Associations face challenges, but they manage to get through them with good teamwork and communication. Knoll said that sometimes it's hard when members don’t show up or complete their tasks. “Everyone is a student with competing priorities,” he explained. He tries to keep things running smoothly by encouraging open communication and being flexible.

Shabaeva added that conflicts can happen during planning, but she’s learning how to lead with both confidence and care. “It’s important to work within people’s capacities, be flexible and understanding, but at the same time be assertive in order to successfully achieve our team’s common goal,” she said.

Looking ahead, Hetherington expressed hope that ISA continues to thrive. “It’s an excellent and important resource. I hope it remains active so future students can enjoy the community and events,” she said. Knoll echoed this, highlighting the long-term value: “Being a chemist in this kind of environment is valuable,” he said. “It gives you broad exposure and builds professional and scientific connections across fields.”

For more information about the IACS Student Association, please visit their website.

For more information about SIAM’s SBU chapter, please visit them  on instagram, Linkedin and  read more about them on the SBU engaged website.  

-Aisha Sulemana

 

 

Where can you get a grad party piñata shaped like a computer? At the IACS Student Association crafting party! 

Photo credit: Catherine Feldman

 

IACS Research Day features student lightning talks, with ISA coaching prep available. 

You might recognize some of Catherine Feldman's "stellar" images from the cover of the IACS 2020 Annual Report!

Photo credit: Ann DeGregorio

 

[L to R] Alina Shabaeva, Caitlin Heatherington, and Thomas Knoll: vying for best costume honors at the IACS Student Association Halloween Party (and yes, that is a giant hairy spider on her back)

Photo credit: Ann DeGregorio

 

Thomas Knoll introduces the SIAM team and guest speaker, Professor Yifan Sun

Photo credit: Nandini Goswami