April 22-28, 2013

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
Monday, Apr 22, 11:00am-12:00pm, GLC Room F
The Graduate School will hold several ETD workshops.  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). Remaining workshop date:
– 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. CAMPUS RESOURCES AND BUILDING A BETTER EDUCATION AND CAREER PLAN
Monday, Apr 22, 5:30pm, GLC Room C
Graduate students trying to investigate resources available on campus and wanting to build a better career plan are invited to join grad student organizers for a friendly discussion about the challenges of finding the right resources and opportunities and building a stronger network of graduate students. Contact: Nasrin Afzal afzal@vt.edu for more information. Pizza is provided.

4. SWITCH! ENERGY PROJECT MOVIE AND PANEL 
Monday, Apr 22, 7:00-10:00pm, Squires Colonial Room
The Department of Geosciences and the Environmental Coalition present SWITCH!, a film about the future of energy.  VT is one of 250 universities participating in this Geological Society of America project. Before the screening Dr. John Chermak and panelists will discuss important energy projects at VT. For more information: http://www.outreach.geos.vt.edu/switch.html. This message is posted on behalf of grad student Sarah Eagle.

5. 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).

6. 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.

7. GLC CAFÉ: PEANUT BRITTLE THURSDAY
Thursday, Apr 25, 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. Those whose favorite sweet is peanut brittle are expected to attend. Or else.

8. COMMUNITY VOICES: THE MUSICAL TIES THAT BIND
Thursday, Apr 25, 7:00pm, The Lyric Theatre
Jack Hinshelwood, exec director of The Crooked Rood will present "The Musical Ties that Bind – Centuries of Heritage Music Along the Crooked Road," introducing music and stories from the Crooked Road and speak to the challenges and rewards of working in communities to unearth and preserve this unique artistry. A roundtable lunch will be held at 11:30am on the day of the talk in the ICAT Studio located in Collegiate Square. The cost of the lunch is covered by sponsorships, but seating is limited. Please RSVP for the lunch at 231-6775. For more information, contact graduate student Kate Preston, kapresto@vt.edu.

9. INFO SESSION ON EXTERNALLY FUNDED FELLOWSHIPS FOR GRADS IN LIBERAL ARTS & HUMAN SCIENCES
Friday, Apr 26, 8:30-10:00am, GLC Room B
This information session on externally funded fellowships and grants is designed for advanced graduate students in the social and human sciences, education, arts, and humanities. The session will provide an overview of external funding agencies, discuss strategies for writing effective proposals, outline approaches to integrating proposal writing into graduate studies, and provide a more focused examination of funding programs. This introductory session is timed to provide students with resources needed to prepare proposals for fellowships with a fall application deadline. No registration is required. The session is presented by Tom Ewing, associate dean for graduate studies, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (etewing@vt.edu).

10. 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.   

11. 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: http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/maps/athletic-map.pdf, 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!

12. UPCOMING GRADUATE SCHOOL DEADLINES:
– May 1: Deadline to complete Attending Commencement form for Spring graduates. Submit through HokieSpa under Degree Menu.

13. 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.

14. CALL FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS – 1st posting
Abstracts are being accepted for the upcoming symposium "Poverty Today: Challenges and Opportunities" on Jul 19, 2013 at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. The symposium intends to increase awareness about pervasive poverty issues in rural and urban environments and explore innovative approaches to alleviating poverty. Papers on this topic are solicited from students, professionals, and interest organizations for oral and posters presentations; submit abstract by Apr 30. Please contact grad alum Risa Pesapane at pesapane.risa@gmail.com for more information.

15. PHI BETA DELTA INTL HONOR SOCIETY MEBERSHIP INVITATION – 1st posting
Phi Beta Delta recognizes scholarly achievement of international students and scholars, U.S. students who have studied abroad, and faculty and staff who are involved in international activities, and provides a network for faculty, staff, and international students involved in international endeavors. Membership opportunities are extended to individuals who have demonstrated scholarly achievement in the international arena.  Membership categories include international students who have demonstrated high scholastic achievement at their US institutions and domestic students who have demonstrated high scholastic achievement in the pursuit of academic studies abroad.  For more information contact Betty Watts (bettyw@vt.edu, 231-6452) or download an application at http://www.oired.vt.edu/PhiBetaDelta/applications/.   Deadline for spring applications: May 1. 

16. CANNED FOOD DRIVE
The Blacksburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is hosting canned food drive from Apr 18 to May 2. Collection boxes are located in the Integrated Life Sciences Building atrium, Radford, Christiansburg, and Blacksburg Libraries, and VT-Graduate Life Center lobby. All items will be donated to the Micah’s Backpack program, sponsored by the St. Michael Lutheran Church. Micah’s Backpack addresses children’s hunger issues by partnering with local schools to provide direct assistance to students and families who qualify for the free lunch program. Each week during the school year, the identified students receive a backpack filled with enough food for the weekend. For more information about this program go to www.micahsbackpack.org. This message is posted on behalf of grad student Kacie Allen, kaciea1@vt.edu.

17. PART-TIME GA POSITION FOR 2013-14 – 1st posting
Dr. Joycelyn Wilson, Assistant Professor in the Social Foundations program in the Teaching & Learning Department in the School of Education, seeks a current master’s or doctoral student actively pursuing a degree in education, curriculum and instruction, sociology, qualitative research or related field for a 10-hr week (.5 GA) position that will support research and administrative needs for Dr. Wilson and the HipHop2020 Archive and Research Lab at Virginia Tech. The graduate assistant is responsible for supporting a variety of projects for the HipHop2020 Archive and Research Lab at Virginia Tech. Full job description at https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1366150201152. If interested, please send a cover letter and CV to drjoyce@vt.edu by 5pm, Apr 29 or until position is filled.

18. FULL-TIME GA POSITION IN GRAD SCHOOL FOR 2013-14 – 1st posting
The Graduate School Student Services office is looking for a full-time graduate assistant (GA) for 2013-14 to provide administrative and program-specific support for student services in the GLC. Duties include planning and executing orientation and educational programs, coordinating activities, managing communication, creating promotional materials, and assisting with other administrative duties as assigned. Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills (written and verbal) and ability to work independently as well as in a team are a must. Experience with program planning and execution and familiarity with GLC and VT services is preferred. Position to start on Aug 1. To apply, submit a resume and cover letter highlighting relevant organizational experiences, and one letter of reference to Monika Gibson;  117 GLC, Graduate School 0325, or by fax to 231-3714 by Friday, May 3. Selected applicants will be interviewed in May or early June.

19. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR STUDY ON FUN AND GAMES – 1st posting
Researchers at VT’s Center for Human-Computer Interaction are studying fun and games and are interested in talking with people with a range of views about: rules, games, play, fun, competition, cooperation, replay value, house rules, and fairness. Please contact cse@vt.edu to participate in an interview not lasting more than an hour (IRB# 13-266). Interviews will take place at the Corporate Research Center.

20. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR LEAP VS MOUSE INTERACTION STUDY – 1st posting
Do you want to play with a novel device but also help in setting the stage lights for ICAT’s new performance hall? Researchers are looking for voluntary participants for “Evaluating 3D interaction for a stage lighting application”. The study will consist of selecting and manipulating lights and their properties using LEAP motion controller (leapmotion.com) and a keyboard/mouse setup, in order to light the stage of the performance hall. The experiment is conducted in ICAT at Collegiate Square & Price’s Fork until Apr 25, and lasts about 45-60 min. Sign up using this poll: http://doodle.com/mpqf2i2i6kkyf653. This study has been IRB approved. For more information contact Panagiotis at panaga@vt.edu or Brennon at brennon@vt.edu.

21. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR COUPLES, TALK AND TECHNOLOGY STUDY – 1st posting
You are invited to participate in a study to explore how people talk about things that matter to them with their partners. Researchers ask you and your partner to talk about something you disagree about, in one of several technological conditions. Available 2-hour time slots are listed here: http://poet.cs.vt.edu/couple_study/. Email Samantha Yglesias at ygles07@vt.edu for more information, to request any of the available slots, or to request a different time slot. The study takes place in McBryde 106A. Participating couples will be compensated $20.00 per person ($40.00 per couple).

22. GTA INPUT SOUGHT FOR CAMPUS REPORTING SURVEY – final reminder
Researchers in the Department of Psychology are recruiting participants for the “Campus Reporting Survey.” All VT faculty, staff, and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), are invited to complete an on-line survey about thoughts on reporting of campus incidents. Graduate students who are not currently teaching classes are not eligible for the study. The survey will be open until May 8th, the last day of classes. The survey is estimated to take 10-15 minutes to complete, and all data will be anonymous. This study has been approved by the VT IRB (Protocol #: 13-078). To complete the survey, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FacultyCampusReportingSurvey. If you have any questions, please contact Amie Schry at aschry@vt.edu

23. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GSA CASINO NIGHT – 3rd 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.

24. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR EMAIL STUDY – 3rd 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.

25. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR MOBILE AUGMENTED REALITY STUDY – 3rd 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.

26. YOUNG CHILDREN SOUGHT FOR STUDY PARTICIPATION – 3rd 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.

27. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR MOBILE PHONE USE STUDY – 3rd 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.

28. AFRICAN AMERICAN GRAD STUDENTS SOUGHT AS MENTORS – 3rd 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 at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_86sUTEH5xv0qK1f. You will be contacted in two weeks with information on an interest meeting.

29. UPCOMING EVENTS:

WHO SPEAKS WITH YOUR VOICE? THE POWER AND CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR POLITICAL IDENTITIES – postponed to fall
Tuesday, Apr 30, 7:00-9:00pm
This event has been postponed to fall. Please contact Christian Matheis matheisc@vt.edu with any questions.

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: http://www.ratiocination.org/OM2013/index.html. 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. Registration is required by 4/27.