1. WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 12/12
- Career Advising: on hiatus until spring semester
- Cook Counseling: Th, F 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room
- Graduate School regular hours: 8:00am-5:00pm until Dec 22; closed Dec 23-Jan 2
- Immigration advising hours: MWF 1:00-5:00pm, TTh 9:00am-12:00pm;
- Peer to peer support coaching: on hiatus until spring semester
- Writing assistance: on hiatus until spring semester; reserve appointment at http://www.lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing/.
2. OPEN STUDY SPACES IN THE GLC
Take advantage of our meeting rooms open this week for students who need quiet study spaces. Rooms A,B, C, D, G and the Multipurpose Room (check daily schedule at the Welcome Center) may be available at any given time, and someone might come around with free candy.
3. WIND DOWN WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, Dec 14, 10:00-11:30am, GLC Reading Room
Join the Graduate School in celebrating the end of the Fall Semester while taking a break from your studies, grading, lab work and other commitments! Enjoy hot tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and an assortment of goodies, as well as good company with other graduate students.
4. GLC CAFÉ AND BOOK SWAP WITH HOT CIDER AND CHOCOLATE
Thursday, Dec 15, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
Celebrate the end of the semester and the end of the year with the penultimate café of 2016, combined with a book swap. Bring books and take some, or just take books to read during the break. Share your favorite titles with grad students and Grad School colleagues over coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot cider, and cookies. And whipped cream. And marshmellows. There will be one more café on Dec 22, then a break on Dec 29, and we’ll return on Jan 5, 2017!
5. GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
Friday, Dec 16, 2:30pm, Cassell Coliseum
Join in the celebration of our graduating master’s and doctoral students and certificate recipients. For details visit http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/what-you-need-to-graduate/commencement.html. This event will be live streamed.
6. FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2017-18 – 2nd posting
For U.S. citizens and permanent residents: Now is the time to start the application process if you will need financial aid in 2017-18! The FAFSA is available from Oct 1 each year and for 2017-18 it will use your 2015 federal income tax information. It is recommended that you use the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to transfer your tax information from the IRS website to the FAFSA. While there is no specific FAFSA deadline for graduate students, you should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible so financial aid advisors have time to review your FAFSA and prepare your financial aid award for the upcoming year. Contact Stephanie Breeding at USFA, sbreed@vt.edu with questions.
7. OPENINGS IN LITTLE HOKIE HANGOUT COOPERATIVE CHILD CARE CTR FOR SPRING – 2nd posting
The Little Hokie Hangout–the Graduate School’s Parent-cooperative child care center–has a few openings for the Spring 2017 semester, but they are filling up fast! Children turning 2 during the semester up through age 5 are eligible to apply. If you would like more information, or to schedule a visit to the center, please email childcare@vt.edu.
8. APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FOR BOV GRAD REP POSITION – 2nd posting
Applications for Graduate Student Representative to the VT Board of Visitors are accepted until Feb 10, 2017. All currently enrolled graduate students in good standing are encouraged to consider this great leadership and service opportunity to represent graduate students’ voices, needs and interest on the VT Board of Visitors. Learn more at www.dsa.vt.edu/BOV/apply.
9. NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS NOW OPEN – 2nd posting
A number of prestigious awards are granted to graduate students each year, carrying a monetary prize ($200-$1000 each) and award certificate. Discuss the possibility of your nomination with your advisor/department for any of the following awards:
- Outstanding Dissertation in (1) STEM fields (1) social sciences/business/humanities
- Preston Society Master’s Thesis Awards (3)
- GTA Excellence (1) instructor of record (1) GTA instructor assistant
- Graduate Student Service Excellence
- Graduate Student of the Year (up to three)
- Outstanding master’s and doctoral student in each college and in interdisciplinary programs.
More information about criteria, forms, and process for nomination are at: http://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/student.html.
10. NOMINATE OUTSTANDING FACULTY MENTOR(S) FOR MENTOR AWARD – 2nd posting
The Graduate School is introducing this new award to recognize one faculty member from each college for their role in supporting, encouraging, and promoting a positive and inclusive scholarly and teaching environment, and for contributing to professional and personal development of graduate students within or outside their research or degree programs. Learn more about the award and nomination process at http://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/outstanding-mentor-award.html
11. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR MULTI-VIEW MANAGEMENT OF DATA STUDY – 3rd posting
Participants are sought for a study to determine the best multi-view management of multivariate data from cognitive radio nodes’ spectrum in a 3D visualization on the web. Participants will be presented a series of image pairs and asked to answer questions about them. Participation takes about 30 minutes. Must be 18 or older and can see properly (not blind nor visually impaired). If interested, take this survey using your personal computer: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8vUsuvAlfr2d6YZ. The study session will last approximately 30 minutes. The results of the study may be published and used in a dissertation. For more information contact Ayat Mohammed (maaayat@vt.edu) (5405059317).
Upcoming events:
FINAL GLC CAFÉ OF 2016
Thursday, Dec 22, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Lobby
Stop by for the final café of the year and enjoy some hot beverages, home-baked goodies, and good conversation in good company. Take some books from our Reading Room collection to enjoy during the break!
GRADUATE SCHOOL WINTER BREAK CLOSING
The Graduate School will be closed from 5:00pm Dec 22, through Jan 2, 2017. We will reopen with regular business hours at 8:00am on Tuesday, Jan 3.
BIG DATA SCIENCE WORKSHOP 2017
Thursday, Jan 12, 9:00am-4:30pm, Newman Library Multipurpose Room
In an era of Big Data, reproducible research and efficient workflows become vitally important to the research process. Graduate students are invited to join University Libraries and Advanced Research Computing at Virginia Tech, and the Center for Open Science for a workshop and discussion on Big Data and Data Science. Featuring sessions on big data workflows, data visualization, data publishing, and reproducible research practices, the 2017 Big Data Science Workshop will also incorporate a brainstorming/strategy session aimed at improving research workflows, a networking breakfast, lightning talks, and a poster reception. This workshop is offered with the support of partners from the University of Virginia. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided. Must register in advance at: goo.gl/rNwpum. For current information: https://researchinformatics.lib.vt.edu/project/big-data-science-workshop/