Graduate Student Appreciation Week AND Phi Zeta 2026!

office of research & graduate studies

Graduate Student Events

The faculty and staff of the College of Veterinary Medicine are excited to celebrate our graduate students during Graduate Student Appreciation Week! Our graduate students, whether on campus or participating through distance education, play an essential role in advancing the College’s scholarly, research, and teaching missions. Through long hours in the laboratory, dedication to teaching assignments, and their efforts to publish in top journals and present their work at national and international conferences, they contribute enormously to our academic community. We are proud to recognize their achievements with a week of events in their honor.

Graduate Student Appreciation Week Event Schedule:

Monday, March 30, 2026:

We’ll kick off Graduate Student Appreciation Week with an evening speaker from UF’s Career Connections Center.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026:

Tuesday features three events. We begin with our annual View from the Top panel, featuring speakers from industry, government, and academia. A networking hour with light refreshments will follow. We will conclude the evening by celebrating our graduate students’ accomplishments from the past year, including graduates from Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and Spring 2026.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026:

Phi Zeta – Part One

Phi Zeta is a national honor society dedicated to promoting research and scholarship that improve animal health and well‑being. UF’s Upsilon Chapter was established in 1979. This year’s celebration begins with poster presentations showcasing the latest research from our graduate students and bioscientists.

Thursday, April 1, 2026:

Phi Zeta – Part Two

Poster sessions give way to oral presentations as we host the Top Dog and Best in Show competitions. The day will also feature a keynote address by Dr. Kate Creevy, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding poster and oral presentations, as well as student and faculty award recipients.

Phi Zeta Day One- April 1- Poster Presentations

The Phi Zeta program begins with a Poster presentation reception in the UF IFAS Straughn Center on April 1, from 4.00pm to 6.00pm. This is an opportunity to showcase your research accomplishments over the past year. All faculty, staff, graduate students, post docs, residents, fellows, interns, veterinary students, and research technicians are invited and encouraged to display posters. Students competing for Top Dog or Best in Show can also display a poster on Thursday, but it will not be judged or be eligible for a poster prize.

April 1, 2026: The poster competition will consist of seven categories:

• Undergrads (1^st place only)
• DVM Students (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd place)
• Interns/Residents (1^st,2^nd,3^rd place)
• Graduate Students (1^st,2^nd,3^rd place)
• MS:Residents (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd place)
• Postdoc Fellows (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd place)
• VetMed Research Staff (1^st,2^nd,3^rd place)

Prizes will be awarded to the top 1st, 2^nd, or 3rd place posters in each category as follows:

First Place – $150

Second Place – $125

Third Place – $75

Phi Zeta Day Two- April 2- Oral Presentations and Keynote Speaker

The Top Dog Competition will consist of one representative from each class year (2025, 2026, 2027, 2028). The four selected DVM students will go onto compete in the overall Top Dog competition.

The Best-In-Show Competition will consist of one representative from each department (CDPM, IDI, LACS, PS, SACS). The five selected graduate students will go onto compete in the overall Best in Show competition.

Prizes will be awarded to overall Top Dog and Best-In-Show winners as follows:

• First Place – $1,500
• Second Place – $1,000
• Third Place – $500

Student Awards

Faculty Awards