WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Claudia Kost receives an Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor award, presented by Graduate Student Council President Pete Morris, last night in the Grand Ballroom in the Student Union Memorial Center.

A barbeque on the mall this afternoon closes the weeklong celebration of Graduate Appreciation Week.

For the fifth straight year at UA, the program has been acknowledging graduate students and their accomplishments.

The week provides an opportunity to highlight the roles graduate students play at the university, said Gary Pivo, dean of the graduate college.

Pete Morris, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, said it is important to recognize that two very distinct communities exist on campus ÷ graduates and undergraduates. Morris noted that this week student government general elections and Graduate Appreciation Week overlapped.

"Sometimes it's easy to overlook the importance of graduate students," Pivo said. "They are a minority on campus."

Last night, Dick Powell, vice president for research, expressed his gratitude to members of the graduate student community.

"We appreciate all that you do to support graduate education," he said.

Graduate Appreciation Week kicked off with an ice cream social on Monday, followed by Tuesday's hot dogs and family movie night.

"There are a lot of families on campus," Morris said. "It's a part of the acknowledgment of diversity."

Wednesday showcased a brown bag forum, part of the programs offered regularly to graduate students throughout the school year. It is a way for students to come together, often to effectively find ways of meeting graduate needs, Morris said.

Last night's awards banquet was the focal point of the week. Over 50 nominees gathered for an evening of dining and recognition. Students and faculty were acknowledged for their efforts within the graduate student community.

The banquet provided the GPSC with an opportunity to publicize the amount of work graduate students do, said Claudia Kost, a German studies teaching assistant who was awarded as the year's Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor.

Attendees cheered as Morris presented Pivo with the Administrator of the Year Award. His position could face elimination under President Pete Likins and Provost George Davis' Focused Excellence plan.

"(The award shows) we've gone in the direction that graduate students wanted us to pursue," he said. "It's a reality check that the graduate college and graduate students are on the same page."

Morris hopes today's barbeque will be a big success. It will give graduate students a chance to enjoy each other's company and get to know their representatives, he said.

The barbeque will be held from 2 p.m. ÷ 5 p.m. on the UA Mall and is free to the graduate and professional community.