Kicking Off the School Year with Sweetness: Annual Ice Cream Social

The school year started off on a high note with the beloved annual Ice Cream Social! Students, faculty, and staff came together on August 23, 2024 for a fun-filled afternoon of delicious ice cream, laughter, and community building. This event, held on the first Friday of each school year, has become a cherished tradition, offering everyone a chance to connect and celebrate the start of a new chapter. In fact, this year hosted an estimated 150 faculty, staff, and students celebrating the new school year.

A special thank you goes out to our amazing graduate student volunteers, Julia Zhang, Yi Huang, and Michael Lightfoot, who helped make the event such a success. In addition to the ice cream, this year’s social event offered a twist! While past socials concluded with formal introductions of the new graduate students, this year instead featured bingo-style and other trivia games for all participants (whether students, faculty, or staff) to interact and engage with one another. These activities further offered opportunities where participants could win departmental swag, adding to the lively atmosphere.

To relive the memories and check out all the fun moments, view the photos here.