how to use phd in signature

How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

—- For more on the the use of Port-Nominal Abbreviations , see that page . —- For more on use of an Honorary Doctorate , see that page . How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

Here are the forms to use when addressing a person addressed as Dr. See the discussion below “How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name 1-2-3-4-5” for more information on who typically does use Dr. as part of their name and who does not.

—- Envelope or address block on letter or email to their office/place of work: ——– (Full Name), (Post-nominal abbreviation for doctorate held). ——– ( Name of office/place of work if  appropriate) ——– (Address)

—- Social/Personal envelope: ——– Dr. (Full Name) ——– (Address)

—- Salutation – for both official & social: ——– Dear Dr. (Surname):  How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”

How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name: 1-2-3-4-5

—- #1) Holders of doctorates who work in academia or research institutions are addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ professionally and socially in a salutation or conversation. Thus, a Ph.D. professor at a college, a Ph.D. in biology doing scientific research, and a Ph.D. principal at an elementary school all use Dr. (Name) and everybody thinks it is normal.

—- NOTE: At some universities it is traditional to address faculty holding of academic doctorates as ‘Mr. (Name)’ or ‘Professor (Name)’ and not to address as ‘Dr. (Name)’. For those outside the academic community it is acceptable to follow the insider’s rule or to address holders of doctorates as ‘Dr. (Name)’ in writing or oral address.

—- #2) Protestant clergy with doctorates are addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ in a salutation or conversation. I specify ‘Protestant’ here because not all clergy is. For example, neither priests – addressed in a salutation or conversation as Father [Name] – nor rabbis – addressed as Rabbi [Name] –  holding doctorates are ever addressed as Dr. [Name] . In a salutation or conversation they stick with Father[Name] and Rabbi [Name].

—- #3) Holders of doctorates who work outside academia or research don’t always prefer to be addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’. in a salutation or conversation. —- —- A) In the USA ‘Dr.’ may be used depending on the work environment and/or when the degree isn’t pertinent to the conversation. E.g., a Ph.D. in finance working at a bank or a Ph.D. in American history working in software development are not likely to insist on being addressed as ‘ Dr. (Name)’ . But always ask for their preference. Use of, or omitting, the honorific can be a sensitive issue to some individuals! —- —- B) And, outside the U.S.A. everyone holding a doctorate will want to be addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ in every instance.

—- #4) In hospitals and healthcare environments historically there was a practice that only physicians (medical doctors, osteopaths, dentists, podiatrists, veterinarians, etc. ) are addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’. This was explained to be out of consideration for the patients who want to know who ‘the doctors’ are and who are nurses and allied healthcare professionals.

—- That made for some unhappy professionals who earned doctorates in hospital administration, pharmacy, physical therapy and nursing, etc. – who felt they too were properly addressed as ‘Dr. (Name)’ . It’s my understanding that today all the holders of doctorates are addressed as Dr. (Name) and hospitals (etc.) have figured out other ways to define which doctor is a physician, which is a physical therapist and which is a nurse anesthetist.

—- #5) All that said, ultimately how one is addressed by others is up to the individual and usually everyone goes along. For example, if you and I meet a woman who identifies herself as ‘Monsignor Alice’ … I think it is unlikely she’s a Roman Catholic Monsignor. And, it’s unusual she has only one name, like Pink, Rhianna, Sting, Cher, or Madonna. But we should directly address her in conversation as ‘Monsignor Alice,’ it’s nice to meet you …’ because that’s what she says her name is. How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

—- But, when she’s out of range, we will all be talking about her.

—- —- – Robert Hickey

Related Healthcare Links -V — — Chiropractor / Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine -V — — Dentist / Doctor of Dentistry -V — — Medical Doctor / Doctor of Medicine -V — — Military Physician / Armed Services -V — — Optometrist / Doctor of Optometry -V — — Osteopath / Doctor of Osteopathy -V — — Podiatrist / Doctor of Podiatry -V — — Veterinarian / Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

More Related Healthcare Links: -V — — Person holding a doctorate -V — — Pharmacist / Doctor of Pharmacy -V — — Psychologist -V — — Therapist

Related Links: —- —- —- Principal —- —- —- Headmaster —- —- —- President College University —- —- —- President of a School —- —- —- Chancellor —- —- —- Professor

When To Use Dr. (Name) and When To Use (Name), Ph.D.?

My daughter is receiving her Ph.D. and will be teaching. I would like to give her a name plate for her desk. Should it be ‘Dr. (Full Name)’ or ‘(Full Name), Ph.D. ‘? ——————- – AP

Dear AP,   How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

‘(Full Name), Ph.D.’ is the official form of her name. You will use it on the envelope, or in the address block of a letter, when you write to her with regard to her professional pursuits. This is the form the university will use when she is listed among the faculty. It is used by the degree holder, when specifying the exact degree is pertinent – like on business cards or in a list of academics.

‘Dr. (Full Name)’ is the social form of her name. You will use it when you write her name on a personal letter’s envelope, e.g., one sent to her home. This is the form everyone will use on the envelope when they send her a birthday or holiday card. It is rarely used by the degree holder since one does not correctly give oneself an honorific. The degree holder – in their signature or when introducing him or herself – just uses their name … no ‘Dr.’ It’s up to the other person to add the ‘Dr.’ E.g., I just introduce myself as ‘Robert Hickey’ – never ‘Mr. Robert Hickey.’

Sometimes you will observe a physician in a healthcare setting introducing him or herself as ‘Dr. (Name)’ – but there it is for the patient’s benefit to know they are the physician in a field of people wearing seemingly identical white coats!

‘Dr. (Surname)’ is the conversational form of her name. Use it both officially and socially in a letter’s salutation as well as in oral conversation.

So, for an office name plate use the official form of her name – (Full Name), Ph.D.

– Robert Hickey

Doctors present the official form of their name to the public:  (Full Name) (Pertinent post-nominals for the service offered).   The social form of their name does not include their degree: Dr. (Full Name).   In both official and social salutations and conversations patients use Dr. (Name).

If My Doctorate is in Music, am I ‘Dr.’?

I hold a DMA, Doctorate in Music, from a Boston university and am a Church Music Director. Please could you advise me as to whether it is acceptable for the church where I work to list me in the service bulletins as: ‘Dr. (First name) + (Last name) ‘? —————- – CJ

Dear CJ: How to Use a Doctorate with your Name It is correct to list yourself in the bulletin using the professional form of your name … (First name) + (Last name), DMA.    It specifies your academic credential in your professional domain.

Among protestant denominations many address their clergy with a doctorate orally and in a salutation as  Dr. (Surname).   If your church is one of those, and it is your preference is to be Dr. (Surnhttps://formsofaddress.info/wp-admin/post.php?post=13983&action=edit#ame), tell everyone that it is your preference to be addressed Dr. (Surname).

Usually academics and researchers who go by Dr. (Surname) professionally – use Dr. (Surname)  socially. But ultimately whether a particular Ph.D. holder is ‘Dr. (Name)’ socially … especially outside of healthcare, academia or research … is at the preference of the bearer. Some insist, some don’t care, others say they answer to anything they are called. Ultimately your name belongs to you and if you want to be Dr. (Surname), then it’s your right to request everyone address you that way.

– Robert Hickey   How to Use a Doctorate with your Name

May I Call Myself Dr. (Name)  if my Degree Is Not Related to the Service I Offer?

I have a Ph.D. and license in counseling. Recently I sent out an announcement for a yoga class I will be teaching. The state of Colorado says I should not teach yoga as   “Dr. (Name)”. How can I convince them I can? ——– – Kevin S., Ph.D., L.P.C., C.M.T., I.K.Y.T.A. ,  Counseling, Yoga Therapy, Integrative Health & Healing

Dear Dr. Kevin, How to Use a Doctorate with your Name

Your Ph.D. is in a field not related to the service you are offering.

A couple of typical practices I observe in the USA come to mind:

Professionals use with their name the degrees pertinent to their profession service. The degrees and certifications are provided for the benefit of the public so the public can quickly evaluate your credentials.

Here’s what I mean by pertinent . A pastor who would be the Reverend (Full Name)  & Pastor (Name) at church on Sundays, would not use the Reverend (Full Name) & Pastor (Name)  when teaching English Monday through Friday, at the local high school. That he or she is the Reverend  might be mentioned in a complete biography or introduction. It just isn’t part of his/her name at school.

So, I can see if you are using ‘Dr. (Name)’ when offering a class in yoga, and your doctorate is not directly to the service you are offering, say a doctorate physical therapy or kinesthetics …. it would be confusing to me … and the state officials must think it is misleading to the public.

– Robert Hickey How to Use a Doctorate with Your Name

Should I Use Dr. or Ph.D. on an Invitation?

If a person holds a Ph.D., should his or her name be ‘Dr. (name)’ a wedding invitation? Or ‘( Name), Ph.D.’ ?  Is this true for the father of the bride?  The groom?  Is the rule for names on wedding invitations and wedding envelopes different that the guidelines for social correspondence? ————– – Beverly Russell, Winchester, Virginia

Dear Ms. Russell: Wedding invitations and their envelopes are social correspondence. Post-nominal abbreviations ( Ph.D. is a post nominal abbreviation) aren’t used on social correspondence:

—- —- DON’T use Ph.D.

—- —- DO use Dr. (Name)

Another question that typically comes up is whether to use Doctor or Dr. (spelled out or abbreviated) on the invitation or on the mailing envelope?

The rule is to spell out everything and not to use abbreviations unless space is an issue.

But, Mr., Mrs., Dr., and Ms. (for which there is no spelled-out version) are typically used on invitations and when addressing invitations in even the most formal circles. I think ‘Doctor (Name)’ looks oh-so-highly precious, but I know some wedding planners who would wrestle me to the mat on that one.

When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?

You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.)  The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them. ___ What I don’t cover on this site are  many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions , etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.

Not Finding Your Answer?

—- #1)    At right  on desktops , at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones , is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.

—- #2)   If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail . I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so  (unless I am traveling.)   Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.

—- #3)   If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question  – but always change all the specifics.

— Robert Hickey 

Recommended Resources:    The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW)  and  Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA)     For more information see the Protocol Resources page.

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How to Correctly Use the Titles Dr. & PhD With a Name

How to Reference a Person With a PhD

When someone has earned a Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D., degree, that person is subsequently referred to as “doctor” in formal speech. The same is true of a person who is a medical doctor, psychologist, dentist or veterinarian. In formal speech, that person should be referred to as “doctor.” However, the rules are different in written form when addressing someone who is called “doctor” in formal speech. In written form, the titles “Dr.” and “Ph.D.” are not interchangeable.

Determine the Type of Doctor

First, you should identify what type of doctor you are addressing. Doctors of medicine and psychology, doctors of dentistry and doctors of veterinary medicine must be addressed differently in comparison to academic doctors who have earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree. Be advised that there are different types of doctoral degrees. A Doctor of Philosophy degree is just one kind of doctoral degree. There’s also, for example, a Doctor of Education doctoral degree and a Doctor of Psychology doctoral degree. The titles associated with the various doctoral degrees are not interchangeable. Only a person who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree should be addressed as Ph.D.

Addressing a Doctor in Writing

Place the title of “Dr.” before the name of a person who is a doctor of medicine or psychology, doctor of dentistry, or doctor of veterinary medicine. For example Dr. George Ross. Always write the word “doctor” in its abbreviated form when it goes before the person’s name. Never write, for example, Doctor George Ross. Do not combine the title of “Dr.” with any other title even if the person could appropriately be addressed by a different title. Never write, for example, “Dr. George Ross, Ph.D.,” even if the person is a medical doctor who has also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Pick one title. Do not use the “Dr.” title when referring to someone who is solely an academic doctor.

Put a comma followed by the title “Ph.D.” after the name of a person who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree. For example Stacey Childs, Ph.D. Do not combine the title of “Ph.D.” with any other title even if the person could appropriately be addressed by a different title. For instance, even if the person being addressed is a doctor of medicine who has also earned a Ph.D., never write, for example, Dr. Stacey Childs, Ph.D. Pick one title. Do not use the “Ph.D.” title when referring to someone who not earned a Doctor of Philosophy doctoral degree.

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Maya Austen began freelance writing in 2009. She has written for many online publications on a wide variety of topics ranging from physical fitness to amateur astronomy. She's also an author and e-book publisher. Austen has a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the New England Institute of Art and currently lives in Boston, Mass.

Signature Guidelines: Home

Guidance for academic signature blocks.

Before You Graduate

When creating an academic e-mail signature block for Walden University, as well as for most professional correspondence, you should only use the academic credential that you have earned after your name. You should not use amended forms of a degree (e.g., PhD-C or PhD(c)) to indicate partial completion of your program, nor should you use ABD (all-but-dissertation). None of these designations are accepted credentials, and using them may confuse others, including prospective employers. These amended forms are not recognized by Walden University either.

While a doctoral student, you can use any other academic credential you have already earned (including a first doctoral degree, if applicable). For e-mail originating from your Walden account, you should include a designation of your status in the academic program in the signature block on the second line (e.g., doctoral student or doctoral candidate). You should not include any references to other positions you hold outside of the university.

Chris C. Cumberbatch, MSW Student, PhD in Social Work Walden University

When you qualify, you should refer to yourself as a "doctoral candidate" in correspondence, instead of being ABD. Candidacy status says that you are an active, advanced student, pursuing the last part of your doctoral degree. ABD is not an actual degree nor is it a credential; it is often used informally by individuals who did not complete their degree after they have stopped being a student. All amended forms of the doctoral degree credential, indicating partial attainment, should be avoided in your signature, as well. The intention to complete and progress toward a degree are different than actually completing one.

Mary Jane Smith, MBA Doctoral Candidate, Doctor of Business Administration Walden University

Definition of Doctoral Candidacy

The status of “doctoral candidate” is defined as an advanced graduate student who has demonstrated mastery of the knowledge of an academic domain or discipline and a readiness to embark on the capstone project.

A Walden University student is considered a doctoral candidate when the following expectations, as prescribed in the Program of Study, have been completed.

• Academic Coursework
• Core Research Courses
• Academic Residencies (except Residency 4 for PhD students)
• Prospectus, approved by the Academic Program Director or designee following successful rubric examination, and on record with the Office of Student Research Administration
• Other specific requirements stipulated by the academic program

Read more about Doctoral Candidacy in the Student Catalog.

After You Graduate

Upon conferral of your degree, however, you should begin using that new credential on your academic and/or professional correspondence, directly after your name. Also, in most situations, you need only list your highest credential, based on an assumption that you also have the degrees leading up to it. You do not need to spell it out, nor do you need to include your academic specialization. No need to include periods in the abbreviation either.  

Joseph J. Johnson, PhD

It is advisable for you to double check the standard in your profession/discipline for the use of “Dr.” as a designation in your e-mail signature. In only a few professional areas is it considered acceptable to use both “Dr.” and your doctoral degree. The preferred convention is to include the degree abbreviation at the end to indicate to everyone that you hold a doctoral degree, and to use Dr. as you would use Mr. or Ms.

An e-mail signature should not be a replacement for your resumé or curriculum vitae, but in some professional contexts, you may choose to include a relevant license or professional credential after your doctoral degree (e.g., LPC, RN). Again, restraint is usually warranted. Even though you have earned them, including an entire alphabet of letters after your name may communicate a level of egocentrism that is not congruent with your intention.

In summary, there are two general rules for academic/professional communications, which includes e-mail signature blocks: (1) only include the degree and credentials that you have earned, and (2) when in doubt about what to include, less is generally more. Specific contexts outside of Walden University may require a different strategy, however, so try to model your signature on professionals at the same level of training in that context.    

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Professional Title Etiquette: When to Use Your Dr. Title

Socially as well as professionally, medical doctors, dentists, and other professionals are addressed by, and introduced with, their titles. People who have earned a Ph.D. or any other academic, nonmedical doctoral degree have the choice of whether to use "Dr." both professionally and socially.  If, when meeting people with doctorates, you're unsure how to address them, "Dr." is always correct.  If they'd rather the title be dropped, they will let you know.

It's more common for women to use the title "Doctor" socially as well as professionally than in the past. When a married woman uses the title "Dr." (either medical or academic) socially, addressing social correspondence to the couple is a little trickier. If her husband is not a doctor, address letters to Dr. Sonia and Mr. Robert Harris. Her name comes first because her professional title "outranks" his social title. If her husband is also a doctor, the address is either The Drs. (Doctors) Harris or Drs. Sonia and Robert Harris (the order of the names doesn't matter).

The Reverend

In introductions and correspondence, many Protestant clergy are referred to as "The Reverend." While business correspondence is addressed to The Reverend James Norris, (D.D., if held), social correspondence is slightly different: The Reverend (Mr./Dr.) and Mrs. James Norris. In conversation, a clergyman or clergywoman is addressed as Dr./Mr./Mrs./Ms./Pastor/Rector/Reverend Norris.

Addressing a husband or wife who are both "Reverends" follows the same format as a husband and wife who are both doctors: The Reverends Norris or The Reverend Mrs./Ms. Patricia Norris and the Reverend Mr. James Norris. If either of the couple also has a doctorate degree, that person's name would go first: The Reverend Dr. James Norris and The Reverend Mrs./Ms. Patricia Norris.

Today "Esquire" is largely confined to business correspondence between attorneys and justices of the peace. An alternative is to write:

Mr. David Bowman

Attorney at Law

using two lines, no indent, and including the titles Mr. or Ms.

When "Esq." or "Esquire" is used, the name is never preceded by Mr., Ms., Mrs., or other titles such as Dr., and is written David Bowman, Esq. "Esquire" isn't used in introductions: "I'd like to introduce attorney David Bowman/Mr. David Bowman/David Bowman." It also isn't used for social correspondence, as when writing to a lawyer and his or her spouse or addressing a social invitation. Mr. and Mrs. David Bowman is the correct form.

Professional Designations

Professional designations such as CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or CLU (Certified Life Underwriter) are only used on business cards or business correspondence. They follow a person's name, and Mr. or Ms. isn't used: Martha Dawes, CPA; Phillip Olner, CLU. If a person has more than one designation, they're listed in the order received: Phillip Olner, CLU, CFP. Socially, use Mr., Ms., or Mrs. without the professional designation: Ms. Martha Dawes.

Other Titles

Every day we run into people who have an official title. The police officer at the desk is Sergeant Flynn; the head of the fire department is Chief Elmore; the club chef is Chef Rossi; the pilot on your plane is Captain Howe; and so forth. When on the job, such people are always addressed by their titles, just as they are when the matter at hand is related to their work. Socially, many don't use their titles, though they may. Sometimes a title sticks: A local judge, for example, who's been called by his title for a number of years, is usually addressed as "Judge" even after his retirement.

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Email signatures for PhD students (content, tips and examples)

A lot of communication in academia occurs via email. Therefore, the power of a concise and effective email signature should not be underestimated. Find out how to create a professional email signature, and what to include, as a PhD student.

Why PhD students should have professional email signatures

Key elements to include in email signatures for phd students, #1 know your audience when creating an email signature, #2 keep your email signature short and simple, #3 include hyperlinks in your email signature instead of long web addresses, #4 should i include a picture in my email signature as a phd student, creating an email signature in outlook, creating an email signature in gmail, making use of email signature templates, 4 examples of email signatures for phd students.

While Zoom, Microsoft Teams and co. become increasingly popular tools of communication, emails remain a key way of communicating in academia.

Therefore, a professional email signature in academia is a must. PhD students are no exception to this rule.

Some PhD students have to ambition to pursue an academic career, while others already know that they want to leave academia. Regardless of their ambitions, PhD students benefit from establishing all-around academic profiles , to be competitive in the (academic and non-academic) job market.

An all-around academic profile includes professional networks and relations with colleagues and partners within and outside of academia. Think of joining an academic network, collaborating with policymakers, working with communities, or partnering with a private enterprise.

When getting in touch with people via email, you should make it as easy as possible for them. A proper email signature reminds them who you are, how to find out more about you, and how to contact you.

A proper email signature establishes credibility and trustworthiness.

People receive many emails every day. Don’t just expect them to remember you. Whether they answer or not may be the result of a split-second decision of how much effort it involves. And it can be annoying to first find relevant information about you.

Don’t take that chance. Instead, help the readers of your emails out by providing them with a proper email signature to establish legitimacy.

The best content of an email signature for PhD students may depend on their unique situations. The PhD student’s current (research) activities, their ambitions, and the purpose of emails all play a role.

For instance, PhD students applying for postdoc positions should include their ORCID IDs in their email signatures. PhD students looking for collaboration with community groups may want to highlight a previous collaborative project in which they were involved.

That said, there are key elements to include in every email signature as a PhD student:

• Your full name. This is a no-brainer. If people easily confuse your first name with your surname, make sure to indicate clearly which one is which.
• Your current function or position. There are many different ways to describe your current role, and they are often context-specific. It could be, for instance, “PhD student”, “PhD candidate”, “Doctoral researcher”, or “Postgraduate student”. Try to figure out what the standardised description is in your context. Furthermore, you can provide some more information by specifying, for instance, that you are a “PhD student in social psychology” or a “Doctoral researcher in archaeology”.
• Your additional function or position if it is relevant to your work. Many PhD students work part-time or have side hustles next to their PhD. If the additional function or position fits the image that you want to convey, then add it to your signature. For instance, you can include that you are a research assistant working on an ongoing project, or a teaching assistant. If you deliver pizzas or babysit next to your PhD to pay the bills, and if it does not directly contribute to your future career ambitions, don’t include it.
• The name of your university, department or lab. Include the name of your university. Some PhD students also include the Faculty in which they are based, or their department or research school.
• Your email address. Yes, you read that right: Include your email address in your email signature. Why? Because sometimes your address can get lost when your email is forwarded. Remember, make it as easy as possible for the reader to find your contact details.
• Optional but recommended: Links to online profiles and accounts. Think of LinkedIn, Twitter, ORCID ID , etcetera. However, only include them if they are used regularly, and for professional purposes! If you have one, you should also include the link to your personal academic website. (For more information, check out the post I wrote on the value of personal academic websites for PhD students !)
• Optional: Credentials. If you want to highlight, for instance, your previous degrees, you can include them after your name.
• Optional: Phone number. If you have an office phone number and are easily reachable via this number, you can include it. You can also include your number, but you do not have to! For instance, if you teach and send a lot of emails to students but don’t want your students to know your private number, it is perfectly fine not to include it in your email signature.

You may also like: The most useful academic social networking sites for PhD students

Tips for creating a convincing email signature as a PhD student

An email signature is part of your ‘personal brand’. This may seem strange to hear in the context of academia. However, think of it as the impression that you want others to have of you!

Therefore, start thinking about your ambitions before creating your email signature.

• Is the goal to present yourself as a scholar with expertise in a specific field?
• Is the goal to establish connections outside of academia for future job opportunities?
• Is the goal to communicate with students and let them know how to contact you and where your office is located?

Think about questions like these when you decide what to include in your email signature.

It can also make sense to create several email signatures for different purposes.

While a nice design is appreciated, don’t go crazy when creating your email signature.

Don’t include too many colours or too many different fonts. Make sure that it looks professional, and not like the artwork of a first-grader.

Furthermore, no one wants to read the long text in an email signature. So make sure that with one look, someone can see all relevant information.

One way to reduce the text in an email signature is with hyperlinks.

Don’t hyperlink every word. For instance, you don’t have to hyperlink the name of your university.

However, if you work as part of a specific project which has a website, you could include a hyperlink. Let’s assume your project is called CLIMATE.

Highlight the word CLIMATE with your cursor, then click on the link symbol:

A popup window will appear where you can include the full hyperlink. Your actual text will look like this:

And if people click on the underlined section, the project website will automatically appear.

Think carefully about whether or not to include a picture in your email signature.

In recent years, a lot of attention has been paid to biases within academia, for instance when it comes to hiring people.

So while it may be encouraged to include a picture in some contexts, in others it may not be appreciated (anymore) if a picture is included.

I think that the trend goes toward not including photos in email signatures. However, if you are unsure, ask some people from your university and your field what they think about it.

How to create an email signature as a PhD student

There are different ways to create email signatures. The easiest way is to make use of the in-built signature function of your email host.

In the web version of Outlook (www.outlook.com), for instance, you can click on ‘s ettings ‘ in the righthand corner.

Then you click on ‘ all settings ‘. A popup window will appear.

Under ‘ compose and reply ‘, you can create your email signature:

You can see that there are many text-editing options, including pictures that can be added, different fonts, colours, alignments etcetera.

If you use Gmail (www.gmail.com), you also click on ‘ settings ‘ in the righthand corner. Next, you click on ‘ see all settings ‘.

After scrolling down for a bit, you will come across ‘ signature ‘. After clicking on ‘ create new ‘, you can give your signature a name and include all relevant information:

The text-editing options, similar to Outlook, include the opportunity to include pictures, different fonts, colours, bullet points, hyperlinks, etcetera.

Templates can be a great way to create nicely designed email signatures, also as a PhD student.

There are numerous websites online that help you to create an email signature. However, many of them cost money!

There are also free options to create email signatures as a PhD student:

• Microsoft Word has free templates: Just create a new document and search for “ email signature s”.
• Canva also has many email signature templates, free of charge!
• Or just browse Google for nice email signatures, and simply recreate the design on your own. It is not that difficult.

In the first example, Jane Doe decided to include her credentials and explains the subject area of her PhD. She also includes her phone number and email address and provides links to her list of publications and her online university profile. Jane’s ORCID ID and social media accounts are shown via symbols, which also include hyperlinks. Thus, readers can simply click on the symbols and reach her profiles.

In the second example, John Doe decided to highlight his position as a doctoral researcher, as well as his additional position as a teaching assistant. He provides the university’s name, the name of the faculty and his particular school. Furthermore, he includes his room number and office hours. It can be assumed that John has a lot of contact with students as a teaching assistant, and therefore decided to include this information in his email signature.

In the third example, Joan Doe decided to include her headshot in her email signature. Overall, she went for a bold design. She is a postgraduate student at a school of fine and performance arts and wants this background to be reflected in her email signature. She also provides a link to her ort website and links to her ongoing projects, publications and her ORCID record.

In the fourth example, James Doe went for a more traditional look and decided to include the university’s logo. He defines his position as ‘PhD student in Sociology’ and indicates his participation in a research project, which is linked to the project’s website. Different to the previous examples, James also included his most recent publications. However, instead of providing the full references which would result in a very long email signature, he opted for a short title and included hyperlinks again.

The four examples are entirely made-up email signatures to showcase different styles and options.

My advice: take some time to create your email signature. Be creative and play around with different styles and information, and find out what email signature fits best to your PhD journey!

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How to display credentials in an email signature.

Less is often more with email signatures . In fact, when you put too much information in a signature, it can get confusing for the recipient and could even make you look desperate. But this doesn’t mean you should omit professional credentials. Your email signature is just one more opportunity for you to make a lasting impression, so don’t waste it.

Degrees, Then Licenses and Certificates

Listing credentials directly after your name is the accepted practice for email signatures. You typically start with your academic degrees and then follow with any licenses or certifications you hold. The Office of Communications and Marketing at NYU provides an example for a medical professional: Sarah Sampson, MS, PhD, RN, CCRN. As you can see, the credentials start with her two degrees, followed by her license as a registered nurse and then her certification as a critical care registered nurse.

Proper Punctuation

The example provided by NYU also demonstrates the proper punctuation for listing your degrees, licenses and certifications. Avoid using periods in your credentials. For example, a Juris Doctor is listed as a JD, not a J.D. A Masters of Science is listed as an MS, not an M.S. Also, use commas to separate all degrees, licenses and certifications from one another.

The Bachelor Conundrum

In most cases, you shouldn’t include a bachelor’s degree as part of your email signature. The same could be said for an associate degree. However, a few exceptions do exist, and it’s up to the individual whether or not to include it after his name. For example, if you hold a specialized bachelor’s degree, such as a Bachelor of Science in nursing, Bachelor of Pharmacy or Bachelor of Laws. In these instances, you can list them after your name as a BSN, a BPharm or an LLB, respectively. Again, note the lack of punctuation.

Including the Rest

After you’ve listed your credentials, use a separate line to note your current position or title, such as Marketing Manager or Director of Operations. On the next line, either list the department or your employer. If your department doesn’t have a name, go right to the employer, such as:

Jon Johnson, MS, MBA Director of Marketing ABC Consultants

Next, tell the recipient how to reach you by phone – on a separate line, of course. But resist the urge to provide every phone number under your name. More than one or two is too many. After providing a phone number, provide your website domain on the next line.

Related Articles

How to use an mba title after your name →.

Example of How to Write a Nursing CV →

How Do I Indicate Professional Certification in a Signature? →

How to Write Down Your Nursing Degrees →

How to place certification initials after a name →.

How to List My Degrees on My Business Cards →

• Fast Company: 5 Common Mistakes You’re Making with Your Email Signature
• NYU Langone – Office of Communications and Marketing: Academic Degrees, Licenses, Credentials

Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Dana Severson has been writing marketing materials for small-to-mid-sized businesses since 2005. Prior to this, Severson worked as a manager of business development for a marketing company, developing targeted marketing campaigns for Big G, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, among others.

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Craft the best PhD student email signature! [My secret weapon]

Email is the cornerstone of academic information exchange. Emails are used to reach out to potential collaborators, purchase equipment for your PhD, and communicate with other PhD students and academics. It is so important that your PhD student email signature contains all the important information in an easy-to-read layout.

The best PhD student email signature includes your full name, current position, the name of your University, Department or research group, email address, your academic credentials, and should include extras like a simple tagline so people know what you do.

Many excellent PhD student email signatures also contain very simple design features that allow the reader to easily pick out the most important information about you. Including columns, icons, punctuation and symbols.

Your email signature can include a photo, logo of the University, and links to other multimedia that builds credibility and trust with the receiver of your email.

This article will go over everything you need to know about crafting the absolute best PhD student email signature possible and will include my secret hack for ensuring you leave the best and most impactful impression.

Key elements for your PhD student email signature

There are many key elements to a successful PhD student email signature.

Obviously, we have all heard of having to include your full name, but have you considered what else you can put into your email signature?

In the table below, we will go through all the most important elements that should be included in your email signature.

Make sure you have everything on this list:

If your university has a style guide for your email signature, consider using this as a starting point for your own.

Using the University’s brand colours and logos will help you remain congruent with your colleagues and the brand of the University in which you are performing your studies.

Design of your PhD student email signature

The design of your email signature should be kept as simple as possible.

Before using any colours first you must consider the layout of your email signature.

The easiest thing to do is to list your details one after another on separate lines. Using simple symbols and punctuation can help people navigate your email signature easily.

For example, you can use ‘|’ to separate information in your email signature.

Here is an example of a very simple email signature that you can build from:

Andy Stapleton, MChem

PhD Student | Department of Physical Sciences | Flinders University

email: [email protected] | tel: +61 8 82017978 | ORCID ID | LinkedIn

This is a really simple way of providing a quick summary of your academic research and contact information.

Also, using columns and colours can start to draw your eye to the important components of your PhD student email signature.

One great resource for email signature design is Canva .

You can browse many options until you find one that stands out to you:

And the best thing is that you can do this completely free!

Examples of PhD student email signatures

Here are some excellent examples of various email signatures that can be used to inspire yours.

You will notice that the examples of PhD student email signatures use design to highlight the most important information.

Arguably, the most important information about you includes your name and where you can be contacted. These are the most important components of every email signature.

However, there is something that not a lot of email signatures use but can really help encourage people to want to know more about your work.

Let’s talk about my secret weapon of adding a simple tagline to your PhD student email signature so that you can maximise the impact of your email signature.

My secret weapon: adding a simple tagline

The formula for creating the perfect PhD student email signature tagline include answering these simple questions and then putting them all together.

The reason it is important to include a simple tagline is because a person’s field of study does not necessarily give anyone an idea of what skills they are building and what the significance of the research really is.

The formula for crafting your tagline is as follows:

who you help + what you help them achieve + how you do it

Let’s talk about each of the components.

1.      Who do you help

Firstly, most people are doing research to help make the world a better place. You may be helping industry, a certain field, or even performing blue sky research.

Examples of who you can help:

• industry – Helping the energy industry, helping the medical industry et cetera
• field or people – helping doctors, helping cancer patients, helping students, helping parents et cetera
• blue sky examples – helping the world, helping science, helping save people from…

Including this as your first part of your tagline means people know exactly who your research benefits the most.

2.      What do you help them achieve

Secondly, you need to include what you help people achieve. This can be what the outcomes of your research will be, and allows people to understand why they should care about your research

Examples include:

• … Create a renewable fuel…
• … Understand the processes of the human body…
• … Making solar panels cheaper…
• … Making health care more affordable…
• … Increasing the survivability of brain cancer…

Including this second part in your tagline will allow people to understand the true outcomes of your PhD research.

3.      How do you do it

Lastly, you will need to include how you do your research. This will provide someone with an insight into your expertise and your skill base.

• … Using custom fibre optics.
• … Using atomic force microscopy.
• … By synthesising new cancer-fighting molecules.
• … Crafting solar paints and inks.

This is an important part to allow people to understand what skills you are likely to gain through your PhD and, whether or not your specific skill set will be something that they will want to approach about four collaborations or further information.

Putting it all together

Placing the three components of the email tagline together means you get examples such as:

• helping the health industry improve patient monitoring using advanced fibre optics
• helping the energy market deliver cheap hydrogen fuel with new catalysts
• helping the solar industry produce more cost-efficient solar cells using solar paint
• Uncovering the most efficient ways to manufacture drugs with flow chemistry

Include this in your PhD student email signature and I guarantee your recipient will understand much more about how you can be valuable to them. It increases the likelihood of them reaching out to you and asking for further information about your PhD and skills.

My very simple email signature could look something like this:

Dr Andy Stapleton MChem, PhD

Producing cost-effective solar cells using nanotechnology and solar paint.

Purpose of a PhD email signature

After crafting your PhD email signature you should ask yourself whether or not your PhD email signature is providing the intended outcome.

Is it simple enough to scan? Does it establish trust in the receiver? Are they able to understand what you do? And does it provide them with enough information to contact you on a number of platforms?

The purpose of an email signature should be to help facilitate the conversation and here are all of the outcomes that you want your PhD student email signature to achieve.

Identify yourself

Obviously, the first thing that a PhD student email signature should achieve is identifying who is sending the email.

Make sure that your name is one of the most obvious things on the email signature. You can do this by bolding the font or by using an accent colour.

Establish trust

Establishing trust in the person sending the email is another very important aspect of a great email signature.

In one glance someone should be able to see the university that you are affiliated with, your expertise, and any supporting information such as your ORCID ID.

Also, if someone was to forward on your email to someone else you want them to be able to see that you have the appropriate credentials to be someone to listen to.

Making sure that you follow any guidelines from your university’s style guide is also an important way of providing a congruent email signature with your colleagues.

Consider using the same colours as outlined in your university style guide to help you match your email signature with the brand of the University you are currently studying at.

Provide contact information

Another important purpose of a PhD student email signature is to provide contact information for further discussion.

Sometimes people like to take their conversations on to other platforms so considering putting in other professional social media such as LinkedIn or research gate.

Do not place the full links in your email signature.

The best way to include your contact information is to embed an icon into the signature and hyperlink to the appropriate platform.

Alternatively, you can use a simple word with a hyperlink. In your email hyperlink using “mailto:” before your email address will allow them to immediately send you an email. For example, mailto: [email protected] as the hyperlink.

Another thing to consider is including a link to a one-page website about your research. Producing a personal academic website is very easy and can be done in as little as an afternoon. Alternatively, you can link to your groups/supervisors/department’s best web page or site.

A personal academic website is a perfect way to provide a short summary of your work and your publications, outputs, and expertise so that it is in one place and easy to find.

Encourage them to find out more about you

adding the tagline will encourage people to want to find out more about you and your research.

One of the missed opportunities of a PhD students email signature is providing the recipient with a short summary of your research.

Using the tagline mentioned above, you will be able to encourage curious recipients of your email to dig deeper into you and your expertise.  

This a fantastic way to start building your personal brand.

Provide simple links

An email signature is a perfect place to put any links to your academic achievements or expertise.

Do not overwhelm your recipient with too many links. Alternatively, you can use a link aggregated service such as linktree for a single button in your email signature that takes them to all of the links to find out more about you.

Wrapping up

This article has covered everything you need to know about producing the perfect PhD student email signature to inform the recipient of who you are, build trust, and spark curiosity in finding a little bit more about who you are.

Simple is always better when producing an email signature and simple colours with icons that link to various social media or contact information is, currently, one of the cleanest and nicest ways to include all the information you need in a PhD student email signature.

Be sure to include a very simple sentence tagline to boost the click-through rates of your links and provide the recipient with the perfect simple summary of exactly what you do. It’s one of the most underutilised opportunities for growing your personal and professional academic brand.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

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Brand Center »

Email Signature

Our email signature provides the contact information of the sender. do not use your email signature to showcase honors or additional marketing.  .

• Customize your signature with your contact information. 
• Create your email signature with the sole purpose of letting people know how to reach you.  
• Remove any contact lines that do not apply to you.  
• Update your address with your entity location. If you work for two or more organizations, default to the organization in your email address.  
• Do not add additional graphics, badges, or awards.   
• Do not add additional statements, taglines, or quotes.   
• Do not add personal social media links.   
• Do not alter the colors used in the email signature (other than for links as directed below). 

Updating your signature

Directions for implementing and customizing your email signature using Outlook for Windows PC

• Open the Outlook desktop app. Use the default Outlook theme to ensure consistency and legibility across all devices.
• Choose File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
• Choose New. Name your new signature “Approved” then choose “OK.”
• Copy and paste the entire email signature on the following page into the email signature window in Outlook. 
• Modify the template by entering your contact information. Change the text and remove “optional” items that you don't need. Do not change spacing, font size, logo, or colors, except email address and URL (see #6).
• Select one email address or URL at a time.
• Choose the applicable button above the body content section that opens the “Edit Hyperlink” dialog.
• Email address: Ensure the “Email Address” tab is selected and “mail to:” precedes your email address (without a space in-between) in the “Email address” field.
• URL: Ensure the “Existing File or Web Page” tab is selected and a working URL is entered into the “Address” field. 
• Selecting email address and any hyperlinks within message area.
• Select the text color dropdown (likely set to “Automatic”).
• Select “More Colors...” button.
• Select “Custom” and enter the HEX value “#007C92” (Lagunita blue). Choose the “Okay” button. 
• Go to “Choose default signature” area on the right. Select “Approved” signature option in “New messages” and “Replies/forwards” boxes. 
• Choose “OK” to save your new signature.

Directions for implementing and customizing your email signature using Mac

• On the Outlook menu, select Preferences. 
• Under  Email, select  Signatures. 
• Select  (+)  to add a new signature. 
• Double-click Untitled. Type a name for the new signature you are creating. 
• Copy and paste the entire email signature on the following page into the email signature window in Outlook.  
• Modify the template by entering your contact information. Change the text and remove “optional” items that you don’t need. Do not change spacing, font size, logo*, or colors, except email address and URL (see #7). 
• Ensure the signature ribbon that contains formatting functions is displayed above message area. If it is not, click “Signature” above the signature name to activate. 
• Select one email address or URL at a time. 
• Choose the applicable button above the body content section that opens the “Edit Hyperlink” dialog. 
• Email address: Ensure the “Email Address” tab is selected and “mail to:” precedes your email address (without a space in-between) in the “Email address” field. 
• URL: Ensure the “Existing File or Web Page” tab is selected and a working URL is entered into the “Address” field.  
• Select email address and any hyperlinks. 
• Select the text color dropdown (likely set to “Automatic”). 
• Select “More Colors...” button. 
• Select “Color Sliders” button at top. 
• Select “RGB Sliders” within the dropdown. 
• Enter the HEX value “#007C92” (Lagunita blue). Choose the “Okay” button.  
• Go to “Choose default signature” area on the right. Select “Approved” signature option in “New messages” and “Replies/forwards” boxes.  
• Choose “OK” to save your new signature. 

 *Logos are available as separate templates. 

Questions about the Stanford School of Medicine brand?  Email us: [email protected]

How To Submit Your Reading Committee Signature Page

Main navigation.

Looking for something else? Visit the Dissertation and Theses page.

If you are a Ph.D., J.S.D., D.M.A., or Engineer student, use this procedure to virtually gather signatures from each reading committee member required for your dissertation or thesis submission.

Upon completion, you will fully satisfy both the title page and reading committee signature page requirements.

Step 1: Obtain Email Approval from Each Reader 

Email each reading committee member to request their approval of your signature page for the dissertation or thesis.  Once you have collected their responses, you will need to upload the email approvals from each reader to the Axess eForms platform.

• You may use this sample request template as your guide.
• Use Stanford email addresses: send your approval requests from your Stanford email, and to your committee's Stanford emails (exception for outside readers). 
• Be sure the to/from email detail is visible in these files. 
• To speed eForm processesing, we recommend that you name each individual file with the reading committee member’s last name. For example,  "email approval_leland.pdf"

Step 2: Confirm Reading Committee in Axess

You will need to confirm the departmentally approved reading committee members are listed correctly in your Dissertation & Thesis Center in Axess, under the section titled "Confirm Reading Committee."  Specifically, 

• Check for duplicate reading committee members
• Check for missing reading committee members
• Check for reading committee members who were removed from your committee but still appear in Axess

If the reading committee is not correctly listed, STOP!  Contact your department Student Services Officer. They will help you with any necessary updates before proceeding to Step 3. 

Step 3: Submitting the eForm

Log into Axess and navigate to the Student eForms portal ( My Academics > Petitions & Forms ) quick link. Next, select "Browse Available Forms", and scroll to the "Reading Committee Signature Page Sign Off", where you will be prompted to upload a saved copy of each email confirmation, as previously outlined in Step 1.

Note: The Reading Committee Signature eForm type will not be available in Axess until the first day of the quarter you plan to submit.

After the forms are processed and accepted, you will be notified in an email. At that time, you can continue submitting the dissertation or thesis in Axess.

To accommodate this processing time, we recommend you submit this form at least 48 hours prior to the dissertation and thesis deadline of the effective quarter. This will allow sufficient time for staff to process and enter forms.

How to tackle the PhD dissertation

Finding time to write can be a challenge for graduate students who often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. Mabel Ho provides some tips to make the process less daunting

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Writing helps you share your work with the wider community. Your scholarship is important and you are making a valuable contribution to the field. While it might be intimidating to face a blank screen, remember, your first draft is not your final draft! The difficult part is getting something on the page to begin with. 

As the adage goes, a good dissertation is a done dissertation, and the goal is for you to find balance in your writing and establish the steps you can take to make the process smoother. Here are some practical strategies for tackling the PhD dissertation.

Write daily

This is a time to have honest conversations with yourself about your writing and work habits. Do you tackle the most challenging work in the morning? Or do you usually start with emails? Knowing your work routine will help you set parameters for the writing process, which includes various elements, from brainstorming ideas to setting outlines and editing. Once you are aware of your energy and focus levels, you’ll be ready to dedicate those times to writing.

While it might be tempting to block a substantial chunk of time to write and assume anything shorter is not useful, that is not the case. Writing daily, whether it’s a paragraph or several pages, keeps you in conversation with your writing practice. If you schedule two hours to write, remember to take a break during that time and reset. You can try:

• The Pomodoro Technique: a time management technique that breaks down your work into intervals
• Taking breaks: go outside for a walk or have a snack so you can come back to your writing rejuvenated
• Focus apps: it is easy to get distracted by devices and lose direction. Here are some app suggestions: Focus Bear (no free version); Forest (free version available); Cold Turkey website blocker (free version available) and Serene (no free version). 

This is a valuable opportunity to hone your time management and task prioritisation skills. Find out what works for you and put systems in place to support your practice. 

• Resources on academic writing for higher education professionals
• Stretch your work further by ‘triple writing’
• What is your academic writing temperament?

Create a community

While writing can be an isolating endeavour, there are ways to start forming a community (in-person or virtual) to help you set goals and stay accountable. There might be someone in your cohort who is also at the writing stage with whom you can set up a weekly check-in. Alternatively, explore your university’s resources and centres because there may be units and departments on campus that offer helpful opportunities, such as a writing week or retreat. Taking advantage of these opportunities helps combat isolation, foster accountability and grow networks. They can even lead to collaborations further down the line.

• Check in with your advisers and mentors. Reach out to your networks to find out about other people’s writing processes and additional resources.
• Don’t be afraid to share your work. Writing requires constant revisions and edits and finding people who you trust with feedback will help you grow as a writer. Plus, you can also read their work and help them with their editing process.
• Your community does not have to be just about writing!  If you enjoy going on hikes or trying new coffee shops, make that part of your weekly habit.  Sharing your work in different environments will help clarify your thoughts and ideas.

Address the why

The PhD dissertation writing process is often lengthy and it is sometimes easy to forget why you started. In these moments, it can be helpful to think back to what got you excited about your research and scholarship in the first place. Remember it is not just the work but also the people who propelled you forward. One idea is to start writing your “acknowledgements” section. Here are questions to get you started:

• Do you want to dedicate your work to someone? 
• What ideas sparked your interest in this journey? 
• Who cheered you on? 

This practice can help build momentum, as well as serve as a good reminder to carve out time to spend with your community. 

You got this!

Writing is a process. Give yourself grace, as you might not feel motivated all the time. Be consistent in your approach and reward yourself along the way. There is no single strategy when it comes to writing or maintaining motivation, so experiment and find out what works for you. 

Suggested readings

• Thriving as a Graduate Writer by Rachel Cayley (2023)
• Destination Dissertation by Sonja K. Foss and William Waters (2015)
• The PhD Writing Handbook by Desmond Thomas (2016).

Mabel Ho is director of professional development and student engagement at Dalhousie University.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,  sign up for the Campus newsletter .

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RIT graduate pursues Ph.D. across time zones

Nastaran Nagshineh, center, defended her Ph.D. thesis at RIT in April. Faculty from RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses served on her thesis committee and include, from left to right, Kathleen Lamkin-Kennard, Steven Weinstein, Nathaniel Barlow, and David Kofke (a professor at the University at Buffalo). Mohamed Samaha participated remotely and appears on the video screen behind the group and alongside Nagshineh’s picture.

Nastaran Nagshineh is one of the first Ph.D. candidates to bridge RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses. Her accomplishment creates a path for future students at the university’s international campuses.

Nagshineh completed her Ph.D. in mathematical modeling while working full time as a mathematics lecturer at RIT Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, teaching as many as five classes a semester. She described her Ph.D. journey as “an exercise in perseverance” due to competing demands and long days. Rochester is eight hours behind Dubai, and the time difference meant many late-night classes and meetings.

“I saw this collaboration as an opportunity, rather than as a challenge, because my primary adviser, Dr. Steven Weinstein (RIT professor of chemical engineering), and my co-adviser, Dr. Mohamed Samaha (RIT Dubai associate professor of mechanical engineering), both have the same area of research interest,” she said. “They both worked toward my success.”

Nagshineh is one of 67 RIT Ph.D. students who defended their thesis this academic year and who will earn their doctorate. RIT awarded 63 Ph.D. degrees in 2023.

In 2020-2021, RIT’s Graduate School met and surpassed the university’s goal of conferring 50 Ph.D. degrees during an academic year. That number will continue to grow as students cycle through the seven new Ph.D. programs that RIT has added since 2017, said Diane Slusarski , dean of RIT’s Graduate School.

Meeting these goals puts RIT on a path toward achieving an “R1,” or research-intensive designation, from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning. RIT is currently ranked as an R2 institution . Many factors go into changing a university’s status, including research investment and maintaining a three-year average of 70 Ph.D. degrees awarded per year, according to Slusarski.

“We have met the goals of the strategic plan, and now we look forward to contributing to the research innovation in the future,” Slusarski said. “We want to help the new programs thrive and win national research awards.”

RIT’s emphasis on high-level research is seen in Nagshineh’s Ph.D. work. She applies mathematical modeling to the field of fluid dynamics. Her research has been published in top-tier journals and has gained notice, said Weinstein, her thesis adviser.

Weinstein describes Nagshineh’s accomplishments as “a testament to a fantastic work ethic and commitment” and is inspirational to younger students at Rochester and Dubai.

“The collaboration between RIT Dubai/Rochester has continued,” he said. “Another paper was submitted a few weeks ago with Mohamed Samaha and Nate Barlow (RIT associate professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics) as co-authors, as well as Cade Reinberger, a younger Ph.D. student in my research group.”

Mathematical modeling is one of RIT’s newer Ph.D. degree programs, and Nagshineh is among its earliest graduates. The program has doubled in size since it began accepting students in 2017, Slusarski said. This past fall, the mathematical modeling program had 35 students, with two graduating this year.

Altogether, RIT has 13 Ph.D. degree programs currently enrolling 438 students, with computing and information sciences accounting for the largest with 117 students. RIT’s other Ph.D. programs include astrophysical sciences and technology , biomedical and chemical engineering , business administration , color science , electrical and computer engineering, imaging science , mechanical and industrial engineering , microsystems engineering , and sustainability .

New programs in cognitive science and physics will launch in the fall.

The growth in RIT graduate education—with more than 3,000 master’s and doctoral students—reflects a demographic change in the student population, Slusarski said. “We have a higher percentage of women in the graduate programs than we have for RIT undergraduate programs.”

RIT’s graduate programs enroll 42 percent women, according to Christie Leone , assistant dean for the Graduate School.

Nagshineh, who also holds an MS in electrical engineering from RIT Dubai, welcomes her role as a mentor to other women students on both campuses.

“As a young woman in an Arabic country, the power of women is often underestimated and undervalued, and I hope to serve as a role model to female students, especially those that question their path,” Nagshineh said.

She plans to continue in her career as a professor and a researcher. “I would like to pursue a research program where I can advise my own students and teach them more deeply.”

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Send automatic replies (out of office) from Outlook

Use automatic (Out of Office) replies from Outlook to tell people you won't be responding right away to their email messages.

Note:  If the steps under this New Outlook tab don't work, you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet. Select the Classic Outlook tab and follow those steps instead.

On the View tab, select    View settings .

Select  Accounts  >  Automatic Replies . 

Select the Turn on automatic replies toggle.

Select Send replies only during a time period , and then enter start and end times.

Under Send automatic replies inside your organization , enter the message to send while you're away. (You can use the formatting options for text alignment, color, and emphasis.)

To set up automatic replies to other people, select  Send replies outside your organization , then add a separate message for that audience.

When you're done, select Save .

Determine email account type

There are two ways to send automatic out-of-office replies. The way you do it depends on the type of email account you have.

Select  File on the left end of the ribbon:

 ... then select the image below that matches your version of Outlook:

If you see the Automatic Replies button, follow the steps below.

If you don't see the Automatic Replies button, follow the steps to use rules to send an out of office message .

How to set up an automatic reply

Select File > Automatic Replies .

In the Automatic Replies box, select Send automatic replies .

Optionally, set a date range for your automatic replies. This will turn off automatic replies at the date and time you enter for the end time. Otherwise, you'll need to turn off automatic replies manually.

Note:  If you don't see Automatic Replies , use Rules and Alerts to set up your out-of-office message.

On the Inside My Organization tab, type the response that you want to send to teammates or colleagues while you are out of the office.

Note:  Sending automatic replies to anyone outside my organization will send your automatic reply to every email, including newsletters, advertisements, and potentially, junk email. If you want to send automatic replies to those outside your organization, we recommend choosing My contacts only .

Select OK to save your settings.

Turn off automatic out-of-office replies

When Outlook is setup to send automatic replies, you'll see a message under the ribbon with this information. Select Turn off to disable automatic out-of-office replies. If you want to modify the dates for your automatic reply or the message sent, use the steps above to modify your settings.

Update your Automatic Replies on the Outlook mobile app

Troubleshooting: i don't see automatic replies.

If you don't see Automatic Replies after selecting File , you're probably using a Gmail, Yahoo, or other POP or IMAP account that doesn't support the Outlook Automatic Replies feature. You can set up a rule that will reply to incoming messages—if you leave Outlook running while you're away. For more information, see use rules to send an out of office message .

At the top of the page, select Settings   > Mail > Automatic replies .

Select the Send replies only during a time period check box, and then enter a start and end time.

If you don't set a time period, your automatic reply remains on until you turn it off by selecting the Automatic replies on toggle.

Select the check box for any of the following options that you're interested in:

Block my calendar for this period

Automatically decline new invitations for events that occur during this period

Decline and cancel my meetings during this period

In the box at the bottom of the window, type a message to send to people during the time you're away.

If you like, you can use the formatting options at the top of the box to change the font and color of the text or customize your message in other ways.

If you want senders outside your organization to get automatic replies, select the check box for Send replies outside your organization .

When you're done, select Save at the top of the window.

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Send automatic out of office replies from Outlook for Mac

Enable automatic out of office replies from Outlook for Android or Outlook for iOS

Use rules to send an out of office message

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How to Use Your iPhone or Android Phone to Sign Documents

Your phone has built-in tools that make it easy to quickly sign a document.

Android phones and iPhones have built-in software options for signing documents.

When you receive an important document that just needs your signature, you can easily take care of that using your phone. Whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone, both include built-in options for adding a quick signature, saving a new copy and sending it off to whomever you need.

While these tools work in a pinch, I wouldn't recommend them if you're marking up a more in-depth document that requires multiple signatures and filling out many text boxes. A more advanced signing tool like DocuSign or Microsoft 365 is better optimized, and frankly, if you're signing something like an apartment lease, you might want to break out a bigger screen like a computer or tablet.

Read more: Best Phone to Buy in 2024

Most documents that need your signature are much shorter and simpler, so if you're dealing with one of those, then Apple's Markup tool and the Google Drive app each include a quick way to get your documents filled out and on their way.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

Sign with Google Drive on Android or iPhone

The Google Drive app -- included on all Android phones and can be downloaded onto an iPhone -- includes markup tools that make it easy to sign a document.

When using Google Drive on Android, you'll first need to open the PDF that you want to sign.

When it's open, depending on the file, you'll either get an Edit option marked with a pencil or an Annotate option marked by a pen with squiggly lines. If you have the Edit option, you can then select Form Filling in order to enter your additional information. If you have only the Annotate option, you can tap it to bring up a pen tool, and you can use that to give a quick signature to your document.

This signature was added using the annotation tool on the Android version of Google Drive.

Unfortunately, Google Drive doesn't consistently detect PDFs that should get the Form Filling option, and if you do need to edit the document to include plain text, you may want to use a more robust alternative service instead. If the above steps did accomplish what you need for your document, you can then tap Save in the top right to save those changes. If you want to make a separate copy with these changes, you can tap the More button marked by three vertical dots and tap Save as .

The iPhone version of Google Drive has less flexibility. After opening a PDF, you'll see a Fill out form option at the bottom indicating whether Google Drive can fill out the form. Otherwise, there's no annotation option to fall back on. Apple has its own built-in tool for signing a document, which can be used instead.

Apple's Markup tool can be used to add signatures and text to documents.

Sign with Apple's Markup tool on iPhone

Apple's Markup tool allows for annotating documents and photos with text, images, emojis and signatures. You can access this tool from across iOS, either directly while viewing a PDF or from Apple's Share menu.

You'll first want to open up the PDF that you want to sign -- whether that PDF is from an email attachment or from a website. Depending on the app you are using to view it, you might already see the Markup tool on the bottom-right corner of the screen, represented by a pen tip within a circle. If you don't, tap the  Share icon marked by a square with an upward-facing arrow, and in the pop-up menu scroll up to find and tap Markup .

After Markup is turned on, you'll first get the option to scribble directly onto the document using a variety of pen tools -- but don't use those to sign the document. Instead, tap the  Signature icon marked by a rectangle with a pencil, which will likely be in the top row of the Markup menu. This will then bring up a + icon into the bottom-right of the screen, and after tapping that you'll either select Add Text Form Box or Add Signature . The former is good for typing in print text, while the latter is for handwriting signatures. 

Text boxes can be moved and resized in the document.

If selecting to add a text box, you'll first be able to move the text box by dragging and resizing it as needed. Then you can tap into the text box to bring up the keyboard for entering text. When you are finished, you can tap outside of the text box to make the keyboard disappear and then tap Done in the top-right to save those changes. 

If you are adding a signature, you'll first use the pop-up menu to sign your name using a finger. That signature can be saved and used again for future documents. After setting up that signature, you can tap Done to move it into a text box in the document. You can then use your finger to drag, drop and resize as needed. 

Whether you are using the text box option or the signature option, you can make additional adjustments with each box by tapping an option icon alongside each box, marked by three dots ( ... ). This pop-up will let you Cut, Copy, Duplicate or Delete the box as needed.

When you are done making your adjustments, you can either select Done to save your changes or use the Share icon to send the amended document to another app like your email or cloud storage.

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Politics | Colorado is close to outlawing all hand-held…

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Politics | Colorado is close to outlawing all hand-held cellphone use behind the wheel after lawmakers pass bill

House and senate strike deal on distracted driving measure; bill heads to governor.

Negotiators faced pressure from law enforcement officials to make sure the ban was enforceable — and from defense attorneys and some lawmakers to include limits so police couldn’t pull over practically anybody.

Transportation officials see distracted driving as a rising peril on the road. Under Senate Bill 65 , drivers would be prohibited from holding their phones to make calls, check messages in traffic, scroll through news postings and social media at stoplights, or seek information on the internet — unless they use a hands-free device.

The measure, backed by the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado State Patrol , passed a House and Senate conference committee Wednesday morning. Each chamber’s members later approved the amended version, ensuring the bill will go to Gov. Jared Polis for his signature.

The bill follows years of attempts by lawmakers to crack down on distracted driving. Current law already bans cell phone use by drivers under the age of 18.

“There’s a massive safety benefit when drivers are keeping their hands on the steering wheel,” Sen. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat and co-sponsor, said in an interview. He pointed to incidents in 2005 and 2007 when, as a regular bicycle commuter in Boston, he was hit twice by drivers who he said had been texting. “The rest of the industrialized world made this change long ago.”

The bill, which covers all electronic devices, initially would have made hand-held use by drivers a primary offense, like failure to wear a seat belt under many states’ laws. That would mean police could stop and cite violators without evidence of inattentiveness, such as swerving out of a lane.

But House lawmakers amended the bill, downgrading the offense so that police could cite violators only after they’ve been stopped for other traffic misbehavior. That change was retained in the conference committee’s compromise.

“The role of the government is to criminalize dangerous activities. … When your hands are free, you are fine,” said Rep. Matt Soper, a Delta Republican, distinguishing electronic devices from how they are used after changes were made.

After a conference committee hearing, James Karbach, legislative policy director for the Colorado Public Defender’s Office, said: “We were worried that the police could use this law to pull over just about anybody, anytime — and not just to enforce this law.”

The amendments reflect a “thoughtful compromise . ….. that decreases the likelihood that we’re going to see profiling,” Colorado Freedom Fund policy director Rebecca Wallace said. The group lobbies for criminal justice reform.

Law enforcement leaders advocated for a stronger approach and proponents pointed to the emergence of seat belt laws that drivers largely ignored — until failing to wear a seat belt became a primary offense in many states, though not Colorado. In the 1990s, a majority of states elevated seat belt laws to that level.

Dealing with distracted driving due to cellphone use is difficult “because a law enforcement officer has to witness a driver manually entering data into the phone,” Colorado State Patrol legislative liaison Mike Honn said. “A hands-free bill makes this cleaner, clearer and more enforceable. … Lives are at stake — mothers, brothers, neighbors and friends.”

In 2018, Colorado lawmakers rejected a ban on hand-held cellphone use while driving. If this bill passes, Colorado would join 27 states with bans.

Yet cellphone use by drivers is becoming more common as traffic congestion increases, with 76% of Colorado drivers reporting that they use their cellphones behind the wheel, according to a 2023 CDOT survey. That was up from 67% in 2022.

Drivers also reported that they engaged in other distracting activities, such as eating and adjusting audio entertainment systems.

Distracted driving in Colorado ranks as the third leading cause of crashes, and a CDOT analysis linked 718 traffic fatalities between 2012 and 2022 to distracted driving. Nationwide, a Cambridge Mobile Telematics analysis concluded that distracted driving had increased by 23% since 2020, causing 420,000 crashes and 1,000 fatalities.

Colorado’s existing law allows regular cellphone use by drivers 18 and older for voice calls. Texting or searching the internet is already illegal.

The new legislation would prohibit all use of cell phones for calls or any other activity — unless drivers use a voice-controlled system that requires, at most, a single key tap or swipe. It makes exceptions for drivers reporting emergencies and for first responders, utility workers during emergencies, government employees handling law enforcement and drivers who have parked their vehicles.

Penalties for violators would range from $75 for a first offense, along with 2 license suspension points, up to $250 for a third offense, along with 4 points. But a ticketed driver who can demonstrate to a court that they subsequently purchased a hands-free system could clear their record and not face penalties.

“Police officers are not going to be out there trying to play ‘Gotcha!’ but they are trying to change behavior,” Hansen said.

“This is not about punishment. It’s about having safer behavior,” he said. “You can still use talk-to-text — the same way you can make a phone call  — because you wouldn’t have that device in your hands. You would just say: ‘Hey, Siri …’ ”

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