Graduate Division

Promoting Graduate Education

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UC AGS Conference 2026

UC Riverside welcomes you to the 2026 Advising Graduate Students Conference!

 

Friday, June 26, 2026 at UC Riverside

  • The UC AGS conference brings together graduate program coordinators, graduate faculty advisors, and Graduate Division staff and mentors to discuss best practices and innovations in advising, program management and graduate student support. The conference was established in 2018 through an ongoing collaboration between the Graduate Program/Group Coordinators and Graduate Studies and has demonstrated tremendous success and growth.  

    The theme for 2026 is: Growing R’Grads: Innovative Approaches to Graduate Student Advising

    Questions about the conference? Please contact representatives from the Planning Committee:

  • Schedule

    TIMEDESCRIPTIONPRESENTER(S)LOCATION
    8:00amCheck-in & Breakfastn/aSSC X
    9:00amWelcome RemarksVPDGS, Lidia KosSSC X
    9:15amKeynoteJoi A. Spencer, PhD, Dean of the School of Education, UCRSSC X
     SESSION I  
    10:00amCultivating Mentoring Ecosystems: A Panel on Multi-Layered Graduate Student SupportDaniel Wong, Jaine Park and Jenny Lee, UCLASSC X
    10:00amIntentionally Gather: Strategies to Create Community in an Increasingly Virtual Graduate Student WorldMarina Otte, UC Santa CruzSSC X
    10:00amGraduate Student PanelKara Oswood, UC RiversideSSC X
    11:45amLUNCH SSC X
     SESSION II  
    1:15pmAI for AdvisorsMarcela Cardona, UC BerkeleySSC X
    1:15pmUsing Unbridled Enthusiasm to Challenge Geek and Academic HierarchiesJeremy Parker, UC Santa CruzSSC X
    1:15pmProfessional Development (TBD)Dustin Domingo, UC RiversideSSC X
     SESSION III  
    2:30pmGrowing R'Grads through Shared Solutions: A Low-Tech Roadmap for High Impact AdvisingErika Santoyo, UC RiversideSSC X
    3:45pmClosing Remarks SSC X

  • Registration is now open! Please fill out the registration form by May 1st.

  • Transportation

    Air

    The closest airport to the UCR campus is Ontario International (ONT). There are many direct flights from other California cities. 

    Drive

    The UCR campus is located at 900 University Avenue, Riverside CA 92521. 

    Lodging

    There are several local hotels that offer special UC rates. In downtown Riverside there is the Marriott, Hyatt Place, and the historic Mission Inn. The Ayres Hotel in Moreno Valley is a short drive to campus, is very nice and has good rates. There are also a couple of more basic options close to campus (just avoid the Dynasty Suites, trust us). 

    The complete list of hotels is available on the UCR Procurement website.

  • The deadline to submit proposals is February 20, 2026, 11:59 PST. Please submit the proposal here:  https://forms.gle/dsMANLtVnQJKX9rh8 

     

    Suggested topics are below, and we also welcome submissions in other areas that are related to the conference theme:

     

    • Navigating AI in advising 

     

    • Fostering supportive mentoring relationships

     

    • Repairing professional relationships after conflict 

     

    • Creating cross-campus partnerships to holistically support students

     

    • How do we create community in a virtual world?

     

    • Professional Development: Enhance your current work or prepare for other positions on campus

     

    • Reconnection: How do we reconnect our work and student communities?

     

    • Hybrid Advising: Best practices for advising students both in-person and remotely

  • Interested in volunteering on the planning committee or helping the day of the conference? Fill out the Conference Volunteer Form by March 1, 2026 and someone from the committee will be in touch.