1. WEEKLY SERVICES IN THE GLC
- Career advising: Wednesdays 2:00-5:00pm, GLC Lobby
- Cook Counseling (walk in, no appointment needed): Thursdays and Fridays 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room
- GLC Café: 3:30-5:00 every Thursdays, Reading Room
- Statistical consulting by LISA: Weekdays, 1:00-3:00pm, GLC Videoconference Room; find out each consultant’s software expertise here: http://www.lisa.stat.vt.edu/?q=walk_in
- Writing Center support for grads: Thursdays 4:00-6:00pm, GLC Videoconference Room (additional hours are available in the Library)
2. ETD WORKSHOPS
Tuesday, Apr 16, 2:00-3:00pm, GLC Room F
The Graduate School will hold four ETD workshops in the next two weeks. Once the workshops conclude, there will be staff available in 120 to answer more specific questions. (Please have your ETD on a flash drive if you would like a Graduate School staff to review it). Other workshop dates:
– Thursday, Apr 18, 2:00-3:00pm, GLC Room F
– Monday, Apr 22, 11:00am-12:00pm, GLC Room F
– Wednesday, Apr 24, 11:00am-12:00pm, GLC Room F
If you have any questions, contact Jodi Cromer, jodilynn@vt.edu or call 540-231-8636.
3. SOME POOR, SOME RICH, SAME CLASSROOM: TEACHING INCLUSIVE OF CLASS AND POVERTY
Tuesday, Apr 16, 7:00-9:00pm, GLC Room C
What if the lecture simply does not work the same for students depending on their economic backgrounds? Often, educators attempt to apply creative teaching methods without understanding some of the ways that poverty, wealth, and class will impact culture and styles of learning. In this session participants will review different cultural influences resulting from poverty and socio-economic backgrounds, and workshop methods for re-making curriculum and teaching practices in response to these concerns. Contact Christian Matheis for more information.
4. INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH DAY
Wednesday, Apr 17, 5:00-9:00pm, The Inn at Virginia Tech
The Interdisciplinary Research Honor Society (IDR) invites you to its 3rd IDR Day, co-hosted by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF), and the Department of Biological Sciences. IDR Day marks the induction of new honor society members and promotes interactive dialogue between scholars of all disciplines and levels (from undergraduate students to Emeritus Professors) in brainstorming interdisciplinary answers to complex questions. Enjoy an evening of exciting roundtable discussion focused on providing integrative solutions for cancer issues (e.g. scientific, ethical, social) to ACS and VBCF representatives. Each roundtable will receive a multi-faceted question and sufficient background information to facilitate input from diverse disciplines. This is an excellent opportunity to network and explore beyond the boundaries of your discipline. Dinner is provided. Registration is free but required due to limited space. Event program and registration>>.
5. VT VOICE TOWN HALL FORUM
Wednesday, Apr 17, 7:30pm, Squires Old Dominion Ballroom
What would you do to improve your experience at Virginia Tech? See improvements in services at Schiffert Health Center? Improve relations between cadets, civilians, and/or international students? Discuss student conduct policies or shorten lines in dining halls? Or, help create a more diverse and inclusive campus environment? Division of Student Affairs administrators and members of the VT Board of Visitors invite all students to discuss concerns and find ways to better serve undergraduate and graduate students. Food, drinks, and raffle prizes will be provided throughout the evening! Make your voice heard and RSVP >>.
6. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, Apr 18, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
The GLC Café is offered throughout the year with free coffee, tea, maybe hot chocolate, and definitely cookies in the company of your graduate-student and Grad-School colleagues.
7. ETD WEBINAR
Friday, Apr 19, 12:00-2:00pm, from your remote desktop
The Graduate School will have its first ever ETD Webinar (a web-conferencing and eLearning environment in real time). Webinar participants will need a computer with Internet access, microphone and speakers to fully participate. This webinar is especially useful for those students who are not able to attend the ETD workshops in Blacksburg. Participants will gain first-hand knowledge in what the Graduate School looks for when reviewing an ETD; common mistakes and errors; formatting templates; and a brief Q&A. If you would like to be included in this webinar workshop, you must register by contacting Jodi at jodilynn@vt.edu. Space is limited, so sign up early. If you have any questions, please contact Jodi Cromer, jodilynn@vt.edu.
8. MAKING NEW PLANTS!
Friday, Apr 19, 1:00pm, Hahn Horticultural Garden
Learn how to make new plants by various propagation techniques: Stephanie Huckestein, instructor for the Indoor Plants course and education & outreach coordinator for the VT Hahn Horticulture Garden will cover the basics of plant propagation. You will learn how to start new plants from stem cuttings, various types of leaf cuttings, and division. The workshop will include hands-on propagation of several indoor plants that participants will take home. Growing plants indoors has benefits beyond "looking nice"; plants increase the level of oxygen and moisture in the air, filter toxins, reduce allergens, and they are just a fun hobby. You must sign up for this event>>.
9. DIVERSITY SALON
Friday, Apr 19, 6:00-8:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
All students are invited to partake in international flavor at the Diversity Salon. This event will feature international cultures with a display of clothing and samplings of traditional foods. The focus of the event is to engage people in conversation about why cultures dress and eat the way they do. Please contact the host, diversity scholar Jaser Mahasneh, at jaser@vt.edu if you’d like to have a table to display your culture.
10. USDA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SEMINAR
Friday, Apr 19, 12:00–1:00pm, Litton Reaves, Room 1890
You are invited for an informative seminar on the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program led by Dr. Lee Meyer, Professor and Extension Specialist from the University of Kentucky, and learn more about the research, outreach, and professional development opportunities associated with this federal program. Dr. Meyer serves as one of Kentucky’s SARE Coordinators and the Southern SARE program’s Regional Liaison for the Land Grant System. For more information on the USDA Southern SARE program, visit: http://www.southernsare.org/. Light refreshments will be provided. Open-floor discussion with Lee Meyer from 1-1:30pm. This seminar is co-hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Cooperative Extension, in conjunction with the ALS 5234G Advanced Concepts in Community Food Systems course.
11. UPCOMING GRADUATE SCHOOL DEADLINES:
– Apr 19: deadline for PhD/EdD students to submit their ETD if they wish to participate in the Spring 2013 commencement ceremony. ETDs are submitted through the Electronic Signature System.
12. MONTHLY CHALLENGE: CREATIVITY ON CAMPUS — SUBMISSIONS NEEDED
Looking for a place to express your imagination? VT’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) has an exciting monthly challenge called "Creativity on Campus", which asks students who are interested in science, engineering, art, and design to submit their original work. Submissions can come in all shapes and sizes, from drawings to research designs, paintings to pictures, songs to videos — nearly anything is eligible. The winner of the contest each month will receive a $50 Amazon gift card, as well as a news feature on ICAT’s webpage. To learn more about "Creativity on Campus", please visit http://www.icat.vt.edu/ConC/index.html, or email to creativity@vt.edu.
13. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR OBESITY EPIDEMIC CONVERENCE – 3rd posting
The VT Fralin Life Science Institute and the Fralin Translational Obesity Research Center are hosting a new conference, entitled “How Can Translational Research Solve the Obesity Epidemic?” The conference on Jun 17-18, 2013 in Blacksburg provides a platform to highlight current areas of research where translational approaches could move the field forward to help solve the obesity epidemic. Abstract submissions are due Apr 30 for those interested in presenting their research on the subject. For more information on the conference, target audience, and abstract submission, visit the conference webpage at http://www.cpe.vt.edu/tor/, or contact the faculty sponsor, Dr. Matt Hulver at hulvermw@vt.edu.
14. GSA CALL FOR NEW EXEC OFFICERS FOR 2013-2014 – 2nd posting
If you are interested in becoming the next GSA (Graduate Student Assembly) President, VP of Membership, VP of programs, Secretary, or Treasurer, send a maximum 2-page application letter to shaimaa@vt.edu. The letter should include: (1) educational qualification; (2) positions held with GSA or any other organizations (if applicable); (3) contributions to those positions (if applicable); (4) vision for the position(s) you are interested in. Applications letters will be posted on the GSA website and shared with delegates. In preparation for the application, please read carefully the GSA structure and goals. The annual officer/executive board elections will be held at the Apr 18 delegate meeting in the GLC Multipurpose Room from 5:30-7:00pm. If you have any questions, contact: Shaimaa Abdallah, GSA President (shaimaa@vt.edu ).
15. GRAD ASSISTANT POSITION IN UOPD – 3rd posting
UOPD seeks current master’s or doctoral student actively pursuing a degree in I/O psychology, management, organizational development, or related field for a 20-hr per week position that will support research and administrative needs underlying organizational assessment and consulting services for university clients. The GAis responsible for supporting a variety of OD projects designed to address the organizational effectiveness of the VT community. Responsibilities include: review, administer, analyze data and create reports from organizational and individual assessments; provide support for survey research and research projects of UOPD faculty; other supporting research functions. Interested candidates should have strong analytical and problem solving skills, experience analyzing data with SPSS, SAS, MS Excel and/or other statistical applications, excellent communication skills (verbal and written) and the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively. Interested graduate students can send their information to UOPD (uopd@vt.edu) by Apr 19 or until the position is filled.
16. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GSA CASINO NIGHT 2nd posting
The GSA is looking for volunteers to help with their upcoming Casino Night on Friday, Apr 26, 6:30-9:30pm, GLC Multi-Purpose Room. Tasks will include setting-up, serving beer and food, and cleaning up. Volunteers must be 21 years of age or older. Please contact Cory Brozina, Event Chair (sbrozina@vt.edu) if you are interested in helping with this event.
17. SURVEY ON LIBRARY RESEARCH SKILLS COURSE – 2nd and final posting
Since 2008, University Libraries has offered a 1-credit, online course (GRAD 5124: Library Research Skills), which has helped prepare over 190 students for thesis, dissertation, or other research work. Librarians involved with this course are currently working on modifying it. As part of this modification, GRAD 5124 is undergoing an evaluation, and for that your input is needed so that any modifications made are relevant and appropriate. Data gathered through this study may also be used for publication purposes (IRB #13-319). The survey is anonymous and should take 10-15 minutes to complete. Your participation is voluntary and you have the right to choose not to answer any question or stop at any point. The survey will close on Friday, Apr 19. Access the survey at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9N4RnNIZ0RnSXzf. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the GRAD 5124 project evaluator: Rebecca Miller (millerrk@vt.edu or 540-231-9669).
18. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR EMAIL STUDY – 2nd posting
You are invited to participate in a research study that aims to gain insight into the habits and practices of daily email use. The study requires that you receive email at a Gmail address; however, it does not require that you use the Gmail web client. The first 20 participants will receive a $5.00 Starbucks gift card. At the end of the study, all participants will be entered into a raffle to win a $50.00 Amazon gift card, and participants that have completed at least 20 diary entries will be entered twice. The study consists of a 15-20 minute online questionnaire, logging of email activity (researchers do not store your password, anonymize the details of the email, do not access the body of the email, and you are able to delete any emails), and a possible 15-20 minute interview session. If you are interested in participating, please go to https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3QzGEPRo1EpAsVD to take the online questionnaire, followed by http://emailstudy.cs.vt.edu to view instructions on how to participate, and grant rights to our application.
19. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR MOBILE AUGMENTED REALITY STUDY – 2nd posting
Participants are needed for a research study about Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) interaction. The study will take place in 530 Whittemore, and will consist of one outdoor session and one interview session lasting about 1 hour each. The outdoor session will take place on the street in the downtown area of Christiansburg or Blacksburg; interviews will be in the Assessment and Cognitive Ergonomics lab, 530 Whittemore Hall. At the end of the interview, each participant will be compensated for their time ($25 for about 2.5 hours in total). All answers will remain completely confidential and will be used for research purposes only (IRB# 13-236). Requirements for participation: must be between 18-49; have owned and used a touch-screen-based Smartphone for at least 6 months; have experience on any MAR guidance application/browser and have used it for at least 3 times in the past 1 year (game applications excluded) (e.g., Wikitude, Layar, Yelp’s monocle, Google Goggle mobile app, Nokia’s City Lens, Acrossair, etc.); have done some leisure activities on street (e.g., looking for restaurants, places, live events, etc.) in the past 1 year; and consider technology as necessary in your daily lives. If you have any questions, contact Na Mi at 540-577-9153 or by e-mail na8@vt.edu.
20. YOUNG CHILDREN SOUGHT FOR STUDY PARTICIPATION – 2nd posting
Do you have a 4 or 5 year old child (pre-kindergarten)? If so, researchers would love to see you for a fun research study with two doctoral students at Virginia Tech. Researchers are interested in how you and your child talk about emotional events along with your child’s understanding of emotions and their language ability. The visit will take about an hour to complete and you will receive a $10 Target gift card for participating. Child care for brothers and sisters is available if needed. For more information, please email techkids@vt.edu or call 540-231-1390.
21. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR MOBILE PHONE USE STUDY – 2nd posting
Researchers seek participants to learn more about your daily interactions with your mobile phone, particularly on how it helps you to remember/recall future events. In this study, you will be asked to use your mobile phone for one week as usual when you are on the move, and make a simple diary log every time you create a note/event (like make a quick note or add an event in the calendar) or your phone sends you an alert (like Google Calendar alert or Alarm). You can choose any available apps on the phone as you want to create notes. One week later, a 1-hour interview will be set up for clarifications. If you are interested in participating, please contact Yao Wang (yxw5167@vt.edu) with any questions.
22. AFRICAN AMERICAN GRAD STUDENTS SOUGHT AS MENTORS – 2nd posting
African American graduate students who want to share their wisdom and experience in support of the success of undergraduate African American students are sought to serve as mentors for the fall semester pilot version of "Each One each One" program that involves mentoring first year students. This program will also have positive implications for mentors as they engage in dialogues, trainings and activities that support student success regardless of academic level. This program will also allow you to expand your CV or resume. If you would like to learn more about this program please contact Jackie Thomas at jatho11@vt.edu or Brielle Wright at bswright@vt.edu. If interested, please fill out the survey. You will be contacted in two weeks with information on an interest meeting.
23. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR EYE GAZE PATTERNS STUDY – 3rd posting
Participants ages 16-45 are needed for a study on the influence of social anxiety on gaze patterns. Researchers are seeking individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (such as Asperger’s), individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder, and individuals without Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Anxiety Disorder. Involvement in the study will require one visit to the VT campus, after completing a brief telephone screen to determine eligibility. Total time commitment is 1.5-2.5 hours. Each study participant will be paid $10.00. Please visit this survey or call 540-231-6744 if you would like more information about the study.
24. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR STUDY ON 16-17-MONTH INFANTS – 3rd posting
The purpose of this dissertation project is to study infants’ attention to social and non-social information and how this relates to their language development. During the visit, the baby will finish two tasks: (1) researchers will give the baby a chance to watch several movies that all contain a female reciting a lively children’s story; (2) the baby will get to play with one female research assistant who points to some colorful posters and presents several winder-up toys to the baby. Participants will receive $10 and a certificate to the baby for participation. Primary language in the home of participating infants must be English. Contact Joy Wu qiongwu@vt.edu if you and your baby would like to participate.
25. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR STUDY ON MOTHERS AND CHILDREN – 3rd posting
Are you a mother who sometimes worries or has fears? Do you have a child between 7 and 12 years of age? A study investigating how mothers and children interpret situations in their day-to-day lives is being conducted at the Child Study Center at 460 Turner Street, Suite 207, Blacksburg. For more information please contact Kristin Austin at momanxiety@vt.edu or call 540-231-8276. Compensation: $50.
26. UPCOMING EVENTS:
GSA DONUTS WITH THE DEAN
Tuesday, Apr 23, 12:00-1:30pm, GLC Lounge
Please join Grad School Dean Karen DePauw, the GSA, and fellow graduate students for donuts and discussion. This is an exciting opportunity to meet Dean DePauw and bring up any questions or concerns that you might have. You will also have the opportunity to mingle with fellow graduate students all while enjoying delicious donuts from Carol Lee. Direct any questions to Cory Brozina, Event Chair (sbrozina@vt.edu).
CXWORX WORK-OUT CLASS IN THE GLC
Tuesday, Apr 23, 8:15pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
Here is your opportunity to quickly work off the extra energy from all the donuts you ate with the dean. Join GLC Fellow Emily as she leads the Les Mills 30-minute core class, CXWORX, in the GLC Multipurpose room. Wear comfortable clothes and sneakers and bring water and a towel. Contact Emily with any questions at eceskew@vt.edu.
GSA CASINO NIGHT GALA
Friday, Apr 26, 6:30-9:30pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
The GSA invites you to celebrate the end of the semester at the annual GSA Casino Night Gala. Dress in semi-formal attire, enjoy amazing food, wine, beer, dancing, door prizes and rack up the wins on a variety of casino games (poker, craps, blackjack, and roulette) hosted by professional dealers. Admission tickets are $10 for game play and drinks, or $5 for game play only. This event is exclusively for graduate students and faculty who are 21 or older. Please contact Cory Brozina, Event Chair (sbrozina@vt.edu) with any questions or comments.
VBI KIDS’ TECH UNIVERSITY
Saturday, Apr 27, 10:00am-3:00pm, VT campus (see map for locations)
VBI invites grad students and their children to this free event. Kids’ educational activities include: egg drop (kids will build an apparatus to protect an egg and then see if it works; straw rocket building; VTPD K-9 demonstrations; robotic arm (find out how scientists use robotics to perform moon mining) quasar Instruments GO Lab- a full functioning mobile laboratory. See VBI map for starting location; buildings 119 and 120; cars can park right out front of the building. No Virginia Tech parking permits needed. All are welcome- children must be accompanied by an adult!
WHO SPEAKS WITH YOUR VOICE? THE POWER AND CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR POLITICAL IDENTITIES
Tuesday, Apr 30, 7:00-9:00pm, GLC Room C
What if most of us have profound stories about our relationships to politics, but we rarely have a chance to talk with one another about the subject? Suppose we all know much more about politics than what parties, candidates, and legislation dictate. In this session participants will discuss how to develop awareness of and articulate our political histories. Contact: Christian Matheis, matheisc@vt.edu.
REGISTER NOW FOR ONTOLOGY & METHODOLOGY CONFERENCE
Saturday-Sunday, May 4-5, Blacksburg
Topics addressed in this conference are at the intersection of philosophy and the sciences, thus broadening relevance to scientists (i.e., researchers in sciences such as biology, cognitive science, computer science, statistics, economics, and physics) in addition to philosophers. Registration is free but required . A blog for the Ontology & Methodology Conference includes more information, including suggested background readings and a schedule that will be updated soon: http://ontometh2013.com/. This message is posted on behalf of philosophy grad student Nicole Jinn, jnm5@vt.edu.