July 10-16, 2017

1.  WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 5/29/2017

– Career Advising: on hiatus for the summer
– Cook Counseling: on hiatus for the summer
– Graduate School summer hours: 9:00-4:00 begin 5/15/17
– Immigration advising hours: MWF 1:00-4:00pm, TTh 9:00am-12:00pm
– Writing assistance: reserve appointment at http://www.lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing/.

2. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, Jul 13, 3:30-5:00pm, Graduate School lobby
Enjoy free coffee, tea, and cookies in the company of fellow graduate students and Grad School staff; network, socialize, relax! Bring your own mug if you can. The café will move to the Graduate School lobby and patio for the summer while the elevator is being replaced.

3. JENGA AND CORNHOLE ON THE GRAD SCHOOL LAWN
Friday, Jul 14, 2:00-4:00pm, Grad School Lawn
Take a break and play a game of giant Jenga or cornhole on the Grad School Lawn. There will be popsicles too!

4. IMMIGRATION ADVISING UNAVAILABLE JUL 10-14 – 2nd posting
Immigration advising services (by phone, walk-ins or email) will be unavailable next week, Jul 10-14, due to the implementation of a new software system that will improve immigration data collection, tracking and advising. International students are asked to refrain from contacting the IGSS office during this time. In case of an emergency, contact Lauren Surface, 231-9561, who will determine whether an issue needs immediate attention from an immigration advisor, and arrange for an advisor to contact you.

5. GLC COMPUTER LAB CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY, 7/12 FOR TRAINING – 2nd posting
The GLC computer lab will be closed on Wednesday, Jul 12, 8:00am-5:00pm for computer training for immigration advisors. Our apologies for the inconvenience.

6. HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON HEALTHCARE MARKETPLACE PLANS – 2nd posting
Are you considering whether to renew your health insurance plans?  If so, you may be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period with the Health Insurance Marketplace.  Enroll Virginia/SVLAS provides free information and enrollment support locally regarding access to healthcare benefits and health insurance.  Call 855-207-5627 for an appointment in Christiansburg or Blacksburg and learn whether you are eligible for financial assistance on monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Every health plan in the Marketplace offers the same set of essential health benefits, including doctor visits, preventive care, hospitalization, prescriptions, and more.

7. ANTI-BULLYING FOCUS GROUP INVITATION – 3rd posting
The Graduate School Anti-Bullying Task Force would like to learn more about your experiences as a graduate student with bullying, either as the target of bullying or as one who has observed others being bullied, to better understand the prevalence of bullying among graduate students (both faculty-student and student-student bullying) and students’ willingness to report such behaviors. Participate in one of two focus groups to share your experience in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 12, in Room 323, Bishop-Favrao Hall. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, sign up at: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A0B4FA9AE2FA57-antibullying. Pizza will be provided. Participation is voluntary and may be discontinued at any time. Information collected during the session will be documented anonymously. Your input will help in the design of new reporting mechanisms and training to help reduce bullying at Virginia Tech and beyond. The sessions will be led by Dr. Rajesh Bagchi (rbagchi@vt.edu) and Dr. Annie Pearce (apearce@vt.edu) of the Anti-Bullying Task Force.  

8. CTR FOR PEACE STUDIES AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – 3rd posting
The CPSVP provides support for grad students whose thesis or dissertation research applies to issues of violence. Recipients are required to participate in various university-sponsored research conferences and professional conferences. Proposed research should focus on the causes, consequences, treatment, management, and/or prevention of violence, and may address any aspect of inter-personal, institutional, group, collective, cultural, or structural violence. Three awards of $1,000-1,500 will be given. Must be full-time graduate student in good standing, with research grounded in the social sciences, humanities, or arts. Applications must include (a) cover sheet, (b) 200-word abstract about research project in language suitable for general public, (c) project narrative of up to four pages, (d) itemized budget and justification, and (e) a letter of support from the student’s main academic advisor. Applications are to be prepared using 1-inch margins and Arial 11 font. Submit an e-copy of the complete application and signed coversheet, and itemized budget to Ms. Amy Splitt at amys@vt.edu by 5:00 p.m. on Jul 15, 2017. For more info see https://www.facebook.com/CPSVP/posts/1557546177603663 or contact James Hawdon, hawdonj@vt.edu.

9. PARTICPANTS NEEDED WHO ARE ENGAGED IN FINDING RESEARCH ARTICLES – 1ST posting
Sarang Joshi, PHD student in Computer Science, is seeking participants who are engaged in finding research articles through online search among their other search tasks. During this session, we will also set up a special recording software, My Screen Recorder Pro 4, on the device (laptop) you intend to use for scholarly research activities. This software would begin the recording process when you start searching on the search engine of your choice and stop when you ask it to stop. The study lasts three weeks and your search activities will be logged during this period and you will be asked about your searches and search choices, including whether you choose to use our technology, Critisearch.  Participants will receive a $25 gift card. For further information or to enroll in the study, please email sarang87@vt.edu  or send a text message to 248-705-7830.

10. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR MEMORY AND MONITORING STUDY – 2nd posting
VTCSE lab (Whitt529) is recruiting participants for a study involving questionnaires and computer sessions in which visual stimuli will be presented. Participants will perform two cognitive tasks. Physiological and behavioral indices, including cardiovascular activity, skin conductance, and eye movement, will be recorded during the computer sessions. The study runs about 90 minutes. Compensation: $15 will be given for participation. If you are interested in participating or need more information, contact Wenyan Huang at whuang@vt.edu.

11. PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED WITH FABRICS SOUGHT FOR STUDY – 2nd posting
Do you use, build or design with a variety of fabrics? Are you a native English speaker and 18 or older? Would you like $40? The data will be used for a PhD study. For more information check out the pre-screen form at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3IZxuSCqYQxivWd. If you have any questions, email VT grad student Anamary Leal at leal@vt.edu.