1. WEEKLY SERVICES IN THE GLC
- Career services walk-in advising: not available in the GLC for rest of Spring 2011; please visit the Career Services Center on weekdays 12:00-3:00pm
- Walk-in counseling: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room (across from G)
- Writing support/consultations: Thursdays, 1:00-6:00pm, Video Conference Room (don’t wait until your paper is due, get assistance now!)
2. FROM GANDHI, TO DR. KING, TO VIRGINIA TECH
Tuesday, Apr 5, 7:00-8:30pm, Commonwealth Ballroom in Squires
The ASPECT/PGG Speaker Series (managed by graduate students) is proud to present the Ut Prosim Month Keynote Speaker Dr. Clayborne Carson, internationally renowned scholar and founding director of the MLK Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Dr. Carson will give a powerful talk tracing the legacy of Gandhi and MLK through the twentieth century and up to the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2007. This presentation has been collaboratively envisioned by graduate students in conversation with Dr. Carson as a unique opportunity to place the history of Virginia Tech within the context of over a century of critical thought on violence and its alternatives in the modern world. Contact Jordan Hill if you have questions or need more info.
3. L2ORK – WORLD’S FIRST LINUX LAPTOP ORCHESTRA
Saturday, Apr 9, 7:00pm and 8:00pm, Squires Recital Salon
Graduate student Shernita Lee invites you to L2Ork’s special concert and hands-on experience to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Roanoke, VA. Performers, instead of playing traditional instruments, use networked laptops, wiimotes, nunchuks, and hemispherical speakers fashioned out of IKEA wooden salad bowls. At 7:00pm meet the orchestra, see the instruments and concert; 8:00pm concert only. Tickets for each showing are $5 for the general public or $3 for VT students (including children) and can be purchased at the at the Squires Box Office 1 hour in advance. You are welcome to make a larger donation if you wish! Contact Shernita with any questions.
4. JANET LOWE CAMERON SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW ACCEPTED – 1st posting
The Peacock-Harper Culinary History Collection Committee awards an annual scholarship of $1000 in honor of Janet Lowe Cameron, a pioneer with the Virginia Cooperative Extension service at Virginia Tech. The Peacock-Harper Culinary Collection is one of the unique Special Collections housed at the University Library. Applicants’ scholarly pursuits should encompass topics related to material in this collection, such as the history of foods, human nutrition or food culture. Applications must include a statement of how the Collection’s resources will be used in the student’s research. Download application here. Deadline is May 31. Award will be presented prior to the start of the Fall Semester.
5. 2011 DUNCAN 5K RACE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Race director and DVM student Dan Hay invites graduate students to register for the annual Bob Duncan Memorial 5K race/walk on the VT cross country course. The race will take place on May 7, 11:00am. See more>>.
6. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPLARY INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH & ESSAY AWARDS
The newly formed interdisciplinary research honor society, Iota Delta Rho (IDR), is giving out four awards: two awards for Exemplary Interdisciplinary Research, and two awards for Exemplary Interdisciplinary Research Essay of the Year, acknowledging the most exemplary interdisciplinary research taking place at Virginia Tech in the 2010-11 academic year, as well as recognizing the best academic essay that details the process of interdisciplinary research that IDR seeks to promote at Virginia Tech. One member and one non-member of the IDR Honor Society will be chosen for each award. Each award winner will receive a certificate and $250. All applications should be emailed to Aly Tawfik by Apr 8. More information>>.
7. LAVENDER CEREMONY – 2nd posting
The LGBT Caucus at VT is sponsoring the Third Annual Lavender Commencement Ceremony, which will be held May 12, 11:00am in Old Dominion Ballroom of Squires to recognize lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual students and their allies from all majors, both graduate and undergraduate, who earned their degrees this spring. Participating students will be awarded a unique rainbow cord that can be worn with academic regalia. A reception will follow the ceremony. If you’re graduating, email Tami Grossman if you’d like to participate in this ceremony. Typically, the person graduating has a mentor/friend give a short speech about them. More information about the rest of the ceremony to follow.
8. CALL FOR GRDP REVIEWERS – 2nd posting
The Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) is looking for candidates to serve as reviewers for the Graduate Research and Development Program (GRDP). The GRDP provides monetary support for degree-contingent research conducted by graduate students. Reviewers are responsible for assessing research proposals in their research area or related fields, using specific rubrics provided to them. The proposals are about 2-4 pages in length. This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in applying to the GRDP to learn about the process and also for those who would like to be involved with the GSA. If you are interested please fill out this survey. Please contact Ranjana Mehta, GRDP Chair, if you have any questions.
9. CALL FOR GSA PROGRAM CHAIR APPLICATIONS – 2nd posting
Are you looking to serve the graduate student community and gain valuable leadership experience? Applications are accepted for the following positions: Website Director, Research Symposium Chair, Graduate and Professional School Day Chair, Graduate Research and Development Program Chair, Travel Fund Program Chair, GSA Events Chair, and GSA Historian. Please view the GSA website for a full description of each position. Please contact the current chairs with any questions specific to the position. The deadline for application submission (letter of interest, resume/CV, and goals for 2011-2012) is Friday, April 8, 2011. Interviews will be conducted the following week. Please direct any questions to Swetha Kumar.
10. GSA CABINET POSITIONS 2011-12 – 3rd posting
The GSA Cabinet is a branch of the Graduate Student Assembly that represents graduate students in the university governance structure. Cabinet members report directly to the VP of Membership of the GSA and sit on university commissions and committees or are members of the GSA committees. Cabinet members are expected to attend the regularly scheduled meetings of those commissions or committees (usually once or twice a month), one delegate meeting per semester and the GSA cabinet meetings that fit their schedule. They also keep the graduate community abreast of committee/commissions activities by providing cabinet summaries on the GSA website. Graduate students interested in serving on the cabinet should visit the Cabinet section of the GSA website, and click on the Cabinet Positions for 2011-2012. The handout lists all of the Cabinet positions and provides links to those webpages available. You may also search the name of any committee/commission on the GSA website to bring up cabinet summaries from current cabinet members that get more current information regarding topics covered in those committees and commissions. You may fill out the Cabinet Interest Survey to nominate yourself for up to three commissions/committees. The deadline to apply: Apr 18, 2011, or until all positions are filled. Contact current VP of Membership, Jonathan Moore, with questions.
11. CITIZEN SCHOLAR APPLICATIONS INVITED – 3rd posting
Have you used your research to benefit society in any way? If so, consider applying for the Citizen Scholar award. If not, consider designing a Citizen Scholar project! Program requirements are described on the CSE website. Applications are due April 28th. For more information, email Eric Hodges.
12. GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS – WIN A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO AMAZON – 1st posting
Help a fellow VT student with her research and get a chance to win one of several $50 gift cards: GTAs who teach undergraduate-level courses, recitations or labs in the spring 2011 semester are invited to participate in a short survey on classroom incivility and disruptive behaviors. Classroom incivility has been cited as a growing problem in higher education, and researchers are interested in the severity and frequency of disruptive behaviors in classes taught by VT graduate students. All interested GTAs must complete a very brief eligibility screener before completing the survey. If you meet eligibility criteria upon completing the screener, you will be contacted via email with a link to the classroom incivility survey, which will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Those who complete the incivility survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of four $50 gift cards to Amazon.com. Your survey responses will be anonymous and completely confidential. If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Frey in the Department of Psychology, or Dr. Shelli Fowler, Director of the Graduate Education Development Institute (GEDI).
13. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR MUSCLE CONDITION STUDY – 1st posting
Participate in a study aimed at testing muscle condition in sedentary adults. Participants will complete a 2-hour quiet sitting task while their back muscle activities will be measured using artificial muscle stimulation method. Must be in no current or recent history (1 year) of physical disorders affecting the shoulder, knee, or lower back, exercise on a regular basis (2 ~ 3 times per week), and between the ages 18-64. Each experiment session will last 2 to 3 hours (Total 1 session plus a one hour preliminary session) and participants will be compensated $10/hour with a $10 bonus after completing all sessions. For more information, please contact Bo Chen.
14. PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH ABOUT USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE CIVIC PARTICIPATION – 1st posting
A VT graduate student in urban affairs and planning is conducting a preliminary survey to gauge community interest about the use of technology as a tool to increase civic participation. Results of this study will inform a more in depth study in the future. The survey takes 5-10 minutes to fill out, and it is anonymous. The results will be compiled in a final research paper to satisfy requirements for a course this semester. The survey is available here. If you have any questions, you may contact Cullen Meves.
15. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR BIOMECHANICS STUDY – 3rd 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 six separate experimental sessions (each lasting approximately 2 hours) and participants will be compensated $10/hour. To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18-29, have a lean body, and regularly exercise at least 2-3 times per week. For more information or to inquire about participation, please contact Khoirul.
16. INVITATION TO COMPLETE HARASSMENT SURVEY – 3rd posting
A PhD student in the Sociology Department invites you to participate in an online survey gathering information regarding Virginia Tech student’s experiences and perceptions of workplace harassment. The online survey is brief (will only take 5-7 minutes), voluntary, and anonymous, and is open to any and all Virginia Tech students. Please participate by completing the survey.
17. ROWING COACH POSITION AVAILABLE – EXPERIENCED ROWERS NEEDED – 3rd posting
The VT Crew Club will need additional coaches for next fall season and beyond. Candidates must have prior rowing experience, preferably collegiate rowing, but competitive high school rowing also acceptable. Prior coaching experience not required. This is a volunteer position, but all expenses (gas, travel costs, etc.) are covered by the team. Practices are held daily at nearby Claytor Lake during the fall and spring seasons, and in the team’s erg room in War Memorial Gym for winter conditioning. The weekend/travel commitment is for three to four regattas per season (fall and spring). It is a very rewarding experience, helping a motivated group of undergradutes compete and succeed at a high level of rowing. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact the current Novice Men’s Coach (next year’s Head Coach), graduate student Meghan McNulty.
18. UPCOMING EVENTS:
AAUW: "POWERFUL PRESENCE" BROWNBAG LUNCH: USING SOCIAL MEDIA
Monday, Apr 11, 12:00-1:00pm, Hillcrest Hall Dining Room (Room 143)
Many of us have heard of and probably have accounts with one or more social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Youtube. The question is: are we utilizing these powerful platforms to their fullest potential? Do we know how? Aimee Brenner of the Faculty Development Institute will discuss the technical aspects of utilizing social media sites to promote scholarly ideas, research, and professional information, as well as how to combine the forces of several sites to maximize the exposure of these ideas. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on how to apply these principles to our own disciplines to aid in accomplishing our professional goals. For more information, visit the AAUW chapter’s Facebook pages.
SEX, VIOLENCE AND THE MEDIA
Tuesday, Apr 12, 5:00-6:00pm, GLC Room F
Watch a brief film presented by the VT Women’s Center, and join a discussion on the subject. This event is co-sponsored by the GLC Fellows and the Women’s Center. This interactive, multimedia presentation takes a look at representations of gender, sex, and college students in popular culture and the media. Through images, music, and videos, participants are shown how these aspects of popular culture are related to gender-based violence. Women’s Center staff will lead participants in activities and discussions on the power of popular culture in our lives and its impact, both positive and negative, on our view of gender based violence. Please register here. Contact your GLC Fellow, Nicole Engel at nme001@vt.edu with any questions.
PRESENTATION AND BOOK SIGNING WITH JORGE CHAM, CREATOR OF PHD COMICS
Wednesday, Apr 13, 7:30pm, GLC Auditorium
The Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) invites you to “The Power of Procrastination,” presented by Jorge Cham, creator of the popular comic strip “Piled Higher and Deeper” (“PhD Comics”). Refreshments and book signing will immediately follow the lecture. This event is FREE and open to the public – please invite your friends and colleagues! More information about Jorge and PhD Comics >>. Please direct any questions to Amanda Rumore, GSA V.P of Programs. [This is a real program, not an April Fool’s joke.]
SACNAS CHAPTER INTEREST MEETING
Monday, Apr 18, 6:00-8:00pm, GLC Room G
A group of graduate students are interested in starting a SACNAS chapter at VT. SACNAS is a society of scientists dedicated to advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in science. It is a national nonprofit organization of individuals and organizations interested in quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research, teaching, leadership, and policy. If you are interested in the organization or in helping start a VT chapter, please attend this meeting. Free pizza and drinks will be served.
IDR DAY
Tuesday, Apr 19, 5:00-9:30pm, The Inn at Virginia Tech
The Interdisciplinary Research Honor Society (IDR) is sponsoring the very first Interdisciplinary Research Day at Virginia Tech. Enjoy an evening of exciting discussions about transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity. Dr. Paul Knox (University Distinguished Professor & Senior Fellow for International Advancement) will give a presentation about “Transdisciplinary Research: Wicked Problems and Zombie Institutions.” Then the audience will subdivide into groups and attempt to tackle modern-day wicked problems by using creativity and interdisciplinarity. Dinner is provided. Registration is FREE but required due to limited spaces. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. Event program and registration>>