Posted on by chameleo

January 24-30, 2011

1. WEEKLY SERVICES IN THE GLC

  • Career services walk-in advising: Wednesdays, 1:30-5:00pm, GLC Study Room
  • Walk-in counseling: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room (across from G)
  • Writing support: Thursdays, 1:00-6:00pm, Video Conference Room

2. WINTER BREAK 2010 IN PHOTOS – DISPLAYS IN THE GLC AND ON FACEBOOK
Photos depicting how your fellow graduate students spent their winter break are on the display in the GLC in the long corridor leading to the Graduate School and on the digital sign board in the lobby; they can also be viewed on the Grad School’s Facebook page. Thanks to all the students who submitted photos!

3. PEACE CORPS INFO SESSION
Monday, Jan 24, 6:00-7:00pm, GLC Room F
This is an opportunity to speak with a former Peace Corps volunteer about her volunteer experience.  Peace Corps volunteers serve in over 70 countries around the globe in various program areas including health, education, the environment, agriculture, and business.  This session includes information on serving in the Peace Corps and the application process.  For questions please contact Corrie Kramer .

4. LUNCH WITH THE DEAN
Tuesday, Jan 25 and Thursday, Feb 3, 12:00-1:00pm, GLC Room C
Meet Graduate School Dean Dr. Karen DePauw and several graduate student leaders at this free lunch and learn about the latest in graduate education. Share your perspectives in a casual setting. Please only sign up for one of the sessions:
Sign up for lunch on January 25
Sign up for lunch on February 3

5. GSA DELEGATE MEETING
Tuesday, Jan 25, 5:30-7:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
Not sure what the GSA does? Want to join? Ready to get back into the swing of pertinent graduate student issues? Then join new and returning graduate students  to get a better understanding of governance at VT, join committees/groups that are working on graduate student issues ranging from fees and health care, to child care, and be exposed to the great programming GSA has planned for the Spring semester. Dinner provided. Email the GSA with any questions.

6. WRITING A WINNING RESUME
Wednesday, Jan 26, 5:30pm, GLC Room F
If you are planning an industry, government, or non-tenure track educational job search, having a well polished resume is the most critical step toward getting an interview. Learn how to present yourself most effectively on paper to prospective employers.

7. COFFEE AND CONVERSATION
Thursday, Jan 27, 5:00-6:00pm, GLC Student Lounge
Meet other graduate students and enjoy refreshments and good conversation along with graduate student leaders who will answer any questions on your mind. Although this event is primarily targeted to new students, returning students are welcome as well!

8. QUEER GRADS AND ALLIES WEEKLY MEETING
Thursdays, 6:30-8:00pm, GLC Room C
Queer Grads and Allies (QG&A) is a registered Graduate Student Organization that provides resources, support, events, and activities for graduate students at Virginia Tech, both queer and allied. The meeting alternates weekly between formal meetings in GLC Room C and going downtown for dinner and drinks. The first formal meeting is this Thursday at 6:30 with Dean DePauw. Check out the group’s website, or email Catherine Cotrupi, cotrupi@vt.edu, for more information.

9. GSA WELCOME BACK HAPPY HOUR
Friday, Jan 28, 5:00-7:00pm, GLC Student Lounge
Come out to GSA’s first happy hour of the semester! The cost is $5.00 per person (cash) at the door for 2 beers and snacks ($2 for snacks only). There will be a “beer tasting” menu as well. All graduate students, post-docs, and faculty members are welcome. Must be 21 and over to attend; valid I.D. required for entry. Please direct any questions to Amanda Cronin Rumore – arumore@vt.edu

10. SVSDS 80’S NIGHT SWING DANCE
Friday, Jan 28, 7:30-8:30pm (lessons), 8:30pm-12:00am (dance), Y Ctr, 1000 N Main
SVSDS and Solely Swing are inviting all graduate students to attend this fun dance event with an 80’s theme.  Admission: Free if this is your first time to SVSDS, $3 for SVSDS members, $5 for nonmembers. This message is posted on behalf of grad student Matthew Bays.

11. REGISTER NOW FOR FIN 5284: FREE MARKETS AND INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
This is a general-interest no-prerequisites course for graduate students who seek exposure to various viewpoints on the role that free markets can and do play in promoting individual freedoms and enhancing social welfare. The course explores the strengths and weaknesses of capitalism by critically evaluating the relationship between the economic efficiency achieved by capitalism and the attainment of social welfare objectives. The course also examines the economic and social welfare implications of current issues that could include globalization, price controls, income inequality, outsourcing, corporate pricing power through monopoly/oligopoly, and government regulation of the economy. Instructor: Dr. Douglas Patterson. Contact the finance department in 1016 Pamplin (231-5904) if you wish to force-add the course.

12. PAYROLL DEDUCTION OF COMP FEES FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
It is not too late to enroll in payroll deduction of your comp fees if you are on a graduate assistantship! Graduate students on assistantship appointment may pay their comprehensive, technology and capital fees through payroll deduction during the fall and spring semesters. To be eligible for this program, students must commit to paying the full-time comprehensive, technology and capital fees through payroll deduction. Enrollment is managed through Hokie SPA and students must sign up _each_ semester in which they wish to take advantage of this opportunity. Details >>.

13. GRAD BOV REP APPLICATIONS NOW ACCEPTED – 2nd posting
Application for the 2011-2012 graduate representative to the Board of Visitors is now open for graduate students. The Board of Visitors, appointed by the Governor of Virginia, is the official governing body of Virginia Tech. Every year, a graduate student representative sits on the board as a non-voting member to represent graduate student issues to the university’s highest decision making body. For more information on the position and the board, please visit the BOV website and the homepage of the BOV grad rep. For application details and materials, please e-mail Deepu George, or download it here.

14. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS 2011
A number of prestigious awards are granted to graduate students each year, carrying a monetary prize ($500-$1000 each) and award certificate. Consider applying or discuss the possibility of your nomination by your advisor/department for any of the following awards that will be given out during our annual awards banquet on March 24, 2011:

  • Outstanding Dissertation in (a) math, sciences and engineering, and (b) in social sciences and humanities
  • Graduate Student Teaching Excellence
  • Graduate Student Service Excellence
  • Graduate Man and Woman of the Year
  • Outstanding master’s and doctoral student in each college

Additional information on the specifics and requirements for each award.  Nomination/Application deadline is February 4, 2011.

15. GLC RESIDENT FELLOW POSITIONS OPEN FOR 2011-12 – 1st posting
Residence Life and the Graduate School are seeking motivated graduate students to live in the GLC and take on Residence Life and programming duties. An ideal candidate would have previous Residence Life and/or event planning experience. Compensation includes a free room in the GLC, a monthly stipend and a partial tuition waiver. Application materials must be turned in to the Graduate Student Services office (110 GLC – Lauren Surface) by 5:00PM on Friday, Feb 18, 2011.  For more information, contact Katie Martin at 231-5691,  or Lauren Surface at 231-9561. Download the application here.

16. WAGE POSITION OPENING – 1st posting
Dr. Matusovich in the Department of Engineering Education is looking for help transcribing interviews from three on-going projects. Wage rate: $11/hr.  Work can be done remotely and requires access to a computer with internet access and MS Word, and a private location or the use of headphones such that no one else can hear the files being transcribed. Schedule and hours are flexible. Work in early Feb will be light (approx. 5 hrs/week); work from late Feb through Jun will be about 10-15 hrs/week for 2-3 transcribers. Previous transcription experience (either interviews or focus groups) is preferred but not required.  Any hired transcribers must sign a confidentiality agreement. To apply, please email Dr. Matusovich by Jan 31.  Please indicate any previous experience you have, approximate hrs/week you would be interested in working and the rough timeline (now through June) you would be available.

17. GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP OPENING FOR SPRING 2011- 3rd posting
University ADA Services is seeking a graduate assistant for spring 2011. Position may be renewed for next year, so candidates not graduating in May 2011 and candidates with interest or experience in disability services will enjoy preference in the screening process. GA duties include: coordination of workshops and conferences on accessibility and other ADA-related topics; maintenance and distribution of compliance documents; assistance to visitors needing accommodations; coordination and implementation of physical access projects; review and writing of reports; review of policies and procedures; preparation of research and information for ADA website; technical assistance to facilities personnel; contributions to ADA Today newsletter and other duties assigned. If interested, send resume and cover letter or inquiries to adainfo@vt.edu. Application review to begin immediately, position open until filled.  

17. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR RESEARCH STUDY – 1st posting
Volunteers needed for a study examining how diet influences muscle metabolism. Participants must be: Between the ages of 18-40; not currently taking any medications; non-smokers; without any major medical problems; willing to eat a high fat diet for 5 days. Participants will receive extensive health information and may receive up to $150 to compensate for their time.  If you meet the above requirements and are interested in participating in this study, contact John Pownall at the Human Integrative Physiology Laboratory at Virginia Tech at 231-8299.

18. SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS SOUGHT FOR STUDY – 1st posting
VT researchers are conducting a study to identify how information systems development team members define success. Anyone with software development experience is sought to participate. The survey is estimated to take about 30 minutes to complete.  The information you provide will be used to develop the Theoretical Model of Information Systems Development Success.  If you are interested in participating, please complete the questionnaire. Contact Lucian Zelazny at lzelazny@vt.edu with any questions.

20. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR BIOMECHANICS STUDY – 2nd posting
Participants are sought for a study investigating the effects of flexion and lifting on the biomechanics and neuromuscular control of the human torso.  The study consists of five separate experimental sessions (each lasting approx. 1 hour) and one screening session. Participants will be compensated $10/hour.  To qualify, you must be female between 18-29, and do exercise regularly at least 2-3 times per week. For more information or to inquire about participation, please contact Nima.

20. RESEARCH SUBJECTS WANTED FOR HNFE STUDY – 2nd posting
Participants are sought for a study to determine whether daily consumption of corn oil/omega-3 fat will influence muscle soreness, damage and inflammation that occurs after weight training. Must consume supplement for 45 days, perform strenuous weight training bout, go through several weeks of weight training program developed by the researchers, and provide seven blood samples over 45 days. Eligibility: must be healthy males (non-smokers, no orthopedic limitations to exercise; no chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bleeding, or inflammatory diseases); 18-28; schedule compatible with testing and training. Benefits:  development of personal weight training program by experienced professionals, financial compensation up to $175. If interested, contact vthnfe@gmail.com for more information.

21. STUDY PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT – 3rd posting
Participants are sought for a study to compare navigation techniques in 3D immersive virtual environments. 60 students will take part in the experiment to evaluate a navigation technique in an immersive virtual environment (i.e. CAVE). Participants will navigate the virtual maze with either a traditional interface (i.e. joystick or a wand device) or a new interface (in which you use your own body). Due to the tasks that may require some physical activities, participants should not have any difficulty with moving their body (head, arm/hand/finger and leg/foot), including turning upper body. The experiment will take approximately 90 minutes, including filling out questionnaires and taking short breaks. Must be over 17. Location: CAVE lab (3050 Torgersen Hall). See time table for available dates and times. If you are interested or have any further questions, please email hideaway@vt.edu. Feel free to forward this email to your friends.

23. VOLUNTEER CULTURE TUTORS SOUGHT – 2nd posting
Graduate student Xiaochen Zhang, instructor of an undergraduate course (HUM1924 Modern Asian Culture), is looking for Culture Tutors (CTs) to help undergraduates in the course explore Modern Asian Culture. Graduate students who are from Asia and are enrolled on the Blacksburg campus for the fall semester are encouraged to apply for the position. CTs will be invited to one session in the semester and to interact with students. CTs are welcome to assist the course instructor advise the groups that will research the CTs’ own cultures. The course instructor will meet with the CTs in the second or the third week of the semester for a Q&A session. If you are interested, please complete this survey. If you have any questions, contact Xiaochen Zhang.

24. EBONY AFFAIR TICKETS ON SALE – 3rd posting
Saturday, Feb 19, 7:00pm, Custom Catering Center
The 14th Annual Ebony Affair: "Reflections of Our Legacy: Honoring
Torchbearers of the Past Present and Future" will take place in February, but early bird tickets are on sale now for $10. The ticket price will go up to $15 soon! Price includes dinner, program, social hour, red carpet photo-ops and gift bag.  Tickets may be purchased online. For more information contact Kenya King.

25. EBONY AFFAIR DIVERSITY AWARD NOMINATIONS – 3rd posting
Have you or someone at Virginia Tech or in the NRV community exemplified support for diversity, acceptance, positivity to you? If yes, nominate them (or yourself) for The Ebony Affairs’ Annual Diversity Award. Awards are available to VT graduate students, undergraduates, faculty/staff members, and members of the community. Submit your nomination online . For more information contact Kenya King.

26. UPCOMING EVENTS:

GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM PANELIST TRAINING
Do you think upholding academic integrity at Virginia Tech is important? If so, then you may want to serve as a panelist for the Graduate Honor System.  The GHS is looking for both faculty and students to join a volunteer team of panelists who serve on investigative and judicial panels and may hold information sessions/orientations to academic departments about the GHS.  To learn more about the GHS, visit http://ghs.grads.vt.edu/. To become a panelist, you must attend a one hour training session.  The next training sessions will be:

  • Tuesday, Feb 1,  6:00-7:00pm, Video Conference Room (39) in the GLC
  • Monday, Feb 7,  8:00-9:00am, Video Conference Room (39) in the GLC
  • Wednesday, Feb 9,  12:00-1:00pm, Video Conference Room (39) in the GLC

Please complete this survey to indicate which training session you would attend.

SHORT COURSES IN STATISTICS FOR NON-STAT MAJORS
The Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA) provides a series of evening short courses to help graduate students use statistics in their research. The focus of these two-hour courses is on teaching practical statistical techniques for analyzing or collecting data. See LISA for instructions on how to register and to learn more. Refreshments are provided at the end of each short course. All courses are from 4:00-6:00pm in Fralin Auditorium, except Feb 7-8 in 3080 Torg.
Spring 2011 Schedule:

  • Tuesday, Feb 1: Basic Principles of Experimental Design
  • Monday & Tuesday, Feb 7-8: Using JMP for Statistical Analysis Parts I & II* (it is suggested though not required that you attend both sessions)
  • Tuesday, Feb 15: Regression
  • Monday & Tuesday, Feb 21-22: Intro to SAS* (these two sessions are the same)
  • Tuesday, Mar 1: Analyzing Non-Normal Data Using Generalized Linear Models
  • Monday & Tuesday, Mar 14-15: Bayesian Methods for Regression in R* (these two sessions are the same)

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: GRAD SCHOOL CONNECT LUNCHEON
Wednesday, Feb 2, 12-1:30pm, Room C in the GLC
This free luncheon offers an opportunity for students to gather to create relationships that foster community and have dialogue that celebrates Black History Month. Sponsored by the Graduate School’s Office of Recruitment and Diversity. For more information contact Jen MacDonald, jmacdona@vt.edu. Please register here  to help organizers plan for the food.

DIALOGUE WITH THE DEAN I.
Wednesday, Feb 2, 5:30-7:00pm, GLC Room C
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Assembly, this event provides an opportunity to discuss graduate student life matters and university policy over dinner with Dean DePauw. Bring up issues that matter to you most! Space is limited, so please register here if you plan to attend.   Questions? Contact: Amanda Cronin Rumore, VP of Programs (arumore@vt.edu).

LUNCH WITH THE DEAN
Thursday, Feb 3, 12:00-1:00pm, GLC Room C
Meet Graduate School Dean Dr. Karen DePauw and several graduate student leaders at this free lunch and learn about the latest in graduate education. Share your perspectives in a casual setting. Sign up here.

GRADUATE SCHOLARS SOCIETY INFO MEETING AND LUNCH
Friday, Feb 4, 12:00pm, GLC Room B
Do you want to change the world?  Ever wonder what stirs someone’s curiosity?  Discuss these and other topics with your fellow graduate students and some faculty members involved in the Graduate Scholar Society (GSS). During this info session you can learn more about the GSS and the topics of discussion for the spring semester. Lunch will be provided. Learn more about GSS. Please register online for one of the discussion groups and/or the info session.