Graduate Advisor in a different field with zero shared interests?

[brandnewtothis]

Hello GradCafe,

 

I recently got some promising acceptances and I feel so lucky.  But one thing about one of my acceptances confused me.

 

The letter mentioned my graduate advisor, but this person has none of my research interests.  None of the professors that I DID mention that I wanted to work with were mentioned in the letter.

 

I am confused.  Is this a graduate advisor whose function is different from being my advisor (i.e. someone who guides me through my research and my work)?  If so, that makes sense.  If not, I have no idea why they're my advisor.

 

I feel too shy to ask this person directly.

 

Can someone please enlighten me?

 

Thanks,

DD

[Quantum Buckyball]

Graduate advisor is not the same as your research advisor.

Graduate advisor is someone like...the director of graduate studies at your department.

[TakeruK]

I think it's important to ask to make sure you know how your department works. At my school, we don't get a research advisor right away. Instead, we are assigned an academic advisor for the first year. Before we attend, this person answers any questions we might have about the school. At the beginning of the year, they help us plan what courses we would need to take. We can also meet with them later on in the year for any academic reasons (like more questions about what courses to take etc.) So this might be the case for you! If you are not comfortable asking the person directly, maybe you could ask someone else in the department that you have had contact with.