Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week
Monday, April 6th - Saturday, April 11th!
Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, sponsored by the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students, is designed to recognize and celebrate the excellence and outstanding contributions and accomplishments of over 14,000 graduate and professional students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
The Office of Graduate Student Life collaborates with campus partners across the university to host a variety of programs and opportunities to show appreciation for our graduate and professional students during the first week of April.
The events and initiatives below are recognized as part of the Rutgers Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week 2026 program coordinated through the Office of Graduate Student Life.
Thank-A-Grad for Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week!
Submit a message to an outstanding graduate or professional student in your life!
Thank-A-Grad is an initiative organized by the Office of Graduate Student Life in the Division of Student Affairs during Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week. Now through April 11th, faculty, staff, and students from across Rutgers-New Brunswick are invited to submit letters of gratitude to recognize the outstanding graduate and professional students in their lives.
RSVP NOW for the Signature Event of the Week!
Knight at the Museum: Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Reception – Wednesday, April 8, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Zimmerli Art Museum (71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick, College Ave Campus)
Register to attend!
Join the Office of Graduate Student Life and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) for the signature event of Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week! You won't want to miss this spectacular evening filled with food, live music, and an opportunity to explore the Zimmerli Art Museum while mingling with your fellow graduate students!
Monday, April 6
Bagels and Backpacks: #GRADitude Breakfast and Giveaway – Monday, April 6, 9:00am – 11:00am
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Drop in to the Graduate Student Lounge to kickoff Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week with yummy bagels, coffee and juice! Free backpacks for the first 20 attendees as a token of our appreciation! Scarlet Arts Rx will also be on hand doing henna (see below)! This event is hosted by the Office of Graduate Student Life.
Ink and Unwind: Henna in the GSL – Monday, April 6, 9:00am – 2:30pm
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Drop by on Monday to kickoff Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week and unwind with some henna. The henna artist can translate your springtime wellness intentions into a free, custom design on your hand! This event is hosted by the Office of Graduate Student Life in collaboration with Scarlet Arts Rx.
SGS/Biomedical and Health Sciences: Graduate Student Appreciation Lunch – Monday, April 6, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Register to attend!
Location: RWJMS Research Tower, Dean's Conference Room 123 (675 Hoes Ln. West, Piscataway, Busch Campus)
In honor of Graduate Student Appreciation Week, come enjoy a relaxing 10 minute chair massage and eat some delicious Efes Mediterranean food! Hosted by the School of Graduate Studies - Biomedical and Health Sciences and sponsored by the Molecular Biosciences GSO, Rutgers Graduate Student Association and the Office of Graduate Student Life.
Tuesday, April 7
Scoop There It Is! Grad Student Ice Cream Social – Tuesday, April 7, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Take a well-deserved break and treat yourself during Graduate Student Appreciation Week! Join the Office of Graduate Student Life for an ice cream social filled with sweet treats, good vibes, and even better company. Stop by the Graduate Student Lounge on Tuesday, April 7 from 12:00pm–2:00pm to build your own ice cream creation, connect with fellow graduate students, and celebrate all the hard work you do. Whether you're looking to unwind, meet new people, or just grab a scoop (or two!), this is the perfect mid-day pick-me-up. No RSVP needed—just bring your sweet tooth!
Plastic Free Life: Sustainable Wellness for Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi, and Arab (APIDA) Graduate Students – Tuesday, April 7, 12:00pm
Register to attend! Limited spots!
Location: Asian American Cultural Center (49 Joyce Kilmer Ave., Piscataway, Livingston Campus)
Asian, Pacific, Islander, Desi and Arab (APIDA) graduate students are invited to join the Asian American Cultural Center and the Office of Graduate Student Life Rutgers for an APIDA Graduate Student Social for plastic-free sustainable wellness program! Join your fellow graduate and professional students at the Asian American Cultural Center to enjoy amazing cultural food, a beeswax candle making and organic tea blending activities led by Scarlet Arts Rx artist and appreciation giveaways. Please contact Naima Chowdhury at naimach@echo.rutgers.edu with any questions.
School of Management and Labor Relations Pizza Networking Event – Tuesday, April 7, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Register to attend! SMLR students only!
Location: Janice H. Levin Building Student Lounge, Room 101 (94 Rockafeller Rd., Piscataway, Livingston Campus)
The School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR) is hosting a networking and giveaway event for all SMLR graduate students. Drop by to meet up with all master level program directors, faculty, staff and network with other SMLR graduate students. Don't miss out on pizza and giveaways! Advance registration encouraged! Please contact Ann Marie Fiorella-Mullen at amf322@smlr.rutgers.edu with any questions.
Wednesday, April 8
Kawaii Portraits in the GSL – Wednesday, April 6, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Graduate students: drop by the Graduate Student Lounge and get a kawaii portrait as a token of appreciation during Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week! This event is hosted by the Office of Graduate Student Life in collaboration with Scarlet Arts Rx.
Knight at the Museum: Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Reception – Wednesday, April 8, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Zimmerli Art Museum (71 Hamilton St., New Brunswick, College Ave Campus)
Register to attend!
Join the Office of Graduate Student Life and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) for the signature event of Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week! You won't want to miss this spectacular evening filled with food, live music, and an opportunity to explore the Zimmerli Art Museum while mingling with your fellow graduate students!
Wellness Wednesday: Graduate Student Mat Pilates with Appreciation Gift – Wednesday, April 8, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Join us to take a pause from your busy week by relaxing your mind and body with your fellow graduate students. Mat Pilates builds strength, flexibility, and stability using controlled, low-impact movements that emphasize core support and proper alignment. It helps improve posture, balance, and body awareness while reducing stress on the joints, making it accessible for a wide range of fitness levels. Mats and blocks are provided, and all skill levels are welcome! Email gradstudentlife@echo.rutgers.edu with any questions. Graduate Student Pilates is hosted by Rutgers Recreation and Office of Graduate Student Life. All graduate students who attend on 4/8 with receive an appreciation gift for Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week!
Thursday, April 9
Mini Rage Piñata + Pizza Party – Thursday, 4/9, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Relax, enjoy some candy, eat some pizza and create mini rage piñatas with Scarlet Arts Rx! These tiny piñatas can be kept on desks and smashed whenever frustration strikes. All supplies, including candy for filling, will be provided. Come destress, eat candy, and feel better! Pizza will be provided.
Create-a-Tote for Graduate Student Appreciation Week – Thursday, April 9, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Lucy Stone Hall, 1st Floor Lobby, Suite A145 (54 Joyce Kilmer Ave., Piscataway, Livingston Campus)
Register to attend!
The Office of Disability Services is hosting a wellness break for graduate and undergraduate students with disabilities and disability allies. Take a moment to step away from your routine to create your own canvas tote using ready-to-press vinyl heat transfers. Before you go, fill your tote with study snacks. Registration is required as supplies and space are limited. Totes, vinyl transfers, and snacks while supplies last. Do you have any questions or accommodation requests specific to this event? Please email dsoffice@echo.rutgers.edu, call 848-202-3111, or visit ODS in Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145 on Livingston Campus.
Friday, April 10
Sense of Self Workshop & Free Gift - Friday, April 10, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Join CAPS CBC Shan Reeves at this mindfulness workshop for graduate students in which you learn to navigate the five senses! Please call 848-932-7884 with any questions. Free, small gift from the Office of Graduate Student Life for anyone who attends, as a thank you for participating
Saturday, April 11
Student Parents & Caregivers at RU Presents: “The Things We Hold” Workshop – Saturday, April 11, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: Graduate Student Lounge (126 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
Register to attend! *Space limited to 12 families*
Join SPCR for the workshop "The Things We Hold" to explore the experiences of working mothers, the multitasking, the invisible labor, and the things we carry in our daily lives. This workshop will be kid-friendly, and participants will create a bag and fill it with the things they carry. Refreshments and beverages are also provided!
“The Things We Hold” is a creative, reflective workshop that invites mothers and children to explore what they carry in their lives, both tangible and invisible. Inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s idea that the first human tool might have been a bag, participants create personalized “carrier bags” filled with objects, memories, feelings, responsibilities, dreams, and routines. Through drawing, writing, decorating, and collaborative conversation, families reflect on what sustains, burdens, or delights them. The process encourages curiosity, empathy, and dialogue, prompting questions like “Who carries this more?” or “Is this heavy or light?” The workshop concludes with a sharing circle and portrait documentation, offering space to acknowledge both the visible and invisible parts of our daily lives, and to consider what we might wish to carry less of.
Other Events, Open to ALL Students
Mini Rage Piñatas: Make 'Em, Stuff 'Em Drop-in Event – Monday, April 6, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: The Hatchery, Downstairs in Alexander Library (169 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration necessary!
Dimension of Wellness: EMOTIONAL
Make and stuff a free mini rage pinata. Break when needed to destress! All supplies and candy supplies! Guided by a Scarlet Arts Rx student teaching artist. Free snacks (take them to go, to eat outside of library) and prizes!
Cross-Cultural Communication Workshop: Building Community, Empowering Supportive Campus Environments – Wednesday, April 8, 8:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Alexander Library (169 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
Register to attend!
Build community and appreciate cross-cultural communication! This year's featured presenter is Dr. Sangeeta Lamba, Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Teaching Excellence at Rutgers Health. Participants will share best practices for creating supportive campus environments for international scholars and earn a digital badge upon completion.
Felt Succulent Drop-in – Tuesday, April 8, 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: The Hatchery, Downstairs in Alexander Library (169 College Ave., New Brunswick, College Ave. Campus)
No registration required!
Create a felt succulent with Scarlet Arts Rx! Contact Pickle Almosd at palmosd@mgsa.rutgers.edu with any questions.
