Events
1. WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 9/25/2017
– Career Advising: Wednesday, 2:00-5:00pm, Info kiosk in lobby
– GTA Walk-In Advising: Tuesday and Wednesday, GLC Room A, 4:00-6:00pm
– Cook Counseling: Thursdays and Fridays, 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room
– Graduate School hours: MTThF 8:00-5:00pm, W 9:30-5
– Immigration advising hours: MWF 1:00-4:00pm, TTh 9:00am-12:00pm Room 120
– Writing assistance: reserve appointment at https://www.lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing-center.html
2. #RESIST – LESSONS FROM LUTHER AT 500
Monday, October 2, 7:00-8:30pm, Goodwin 135
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 debate questions onto the door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany, launching the "Protestant Reformation." Why do the actions, 500 years ago, of a German monk inspire both the secular media and the modern church today? Sponsored by graduate student Daniel Chen, this session features Colin Baker, a local teacher and student of the Reformation, who will offer some historical insights on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and commentary on our current moment. Colin has an MA in Modern History and Politics from Edinburgh University, Scotland.
3. GTA WALK-IN ADVISING
Tuesday & Wednesday, Oct 3 & 4, GLC Room A, 4:00-6:00pm
Do you have questions about teaching or grading? Are you experiencing a challenge in the classroom that you don’t know how to resolve? Drop by to chat, share experiences, and get advice from Fellows of the Graduate Academy for Teaching Excellence. Light refreshments will be provided, bring you own mug if you can.
4. RESEARCH A LA MODE PRESENTS: FROM TRASH TO CASH
Tuesday, Oct 3, 2017, 5:00-6:00pm, Museum, 2062 Derring Hall
Research a la Mode is a monthly venue for graduate students from different departments to come together and hear a talk by one of their peers. This month’s talk will discuss how Biotechnology, Engineering and Photosynthesis can change high-value chemicals production. The rate of discovery of new molecules with antibiotic activity is not fast enough to keep up with the rate of resistance development by microorganisms, creating a need for the dangerous use of stronger last-resort drugs to treat infections. At this talk, we will explore how Cyanobacteria, the oldest photosynthetic organisms on Earth could revolutionize the production of antibiotics and how our everyday trash could be used to make the entire production process much cheaper. Come for the talk and enjoy free ice cream!
5. NAVIGATING IMPOSTER SYNDROME DISCUSSION
Wednesday, Oct 4, 2017, 6:00 p.m., GLC Room B
Do you ever doubt your abilities? Do you feel an intense pressure to succeed and prove yourself? Do you ever feel like a fraud? Join the Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP) for a discussion on how to navigate imposter syndrome in graduate school! This discussion will be led by Dr. Julie Dunsmore (Psychology) and Dr. Gabriel Serna (Higher Education).
6. GRAD MINDFULNESS
Wednesday, Sep Oct 4, 11:00-11:30am, 5071 Derring Hall
Meets every Wednesday. At each meeting there will be a short guided mindfulness exercise followed by time to practice on your own. You don’t need to stay for the whole time. Feel free to just drop in, just take care to not disturb others. Here is a link to a cool free mindfulness app! Email lashley@vt.edu with any questions.
7. GLC CAFÉ WEDNESDAY EDITION: ALL THINGS PUMPKIN SPICE
Wednesday, Oct 4, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
To accommodate those who can never attend the café on Thursdays, we are introducing the occasional Wednesday edition. Celebrate the arrival of October with free coffee, cookies and pumpkin spice (optional) in the company of fellow grad students and Grad School staff; network, socialize, relax! Bring your own mug if you can.
8. MEET THE CANDIDATES
Wednesday, Oct 4 2017, 6:30pm, GLC Auditorium
Graduate student Ryan Wesdock invites you to a candidate forum hosted by The Greens at Virginia Tech. The forum will feature local candidates for town council, mayor, and House of Delegates. Everyone is invited to attend. If you are interested in local politics, this is a great opportunity to be informed about what’s going on right in your backyard. Questions from the audience will be read, time permitting. Please email greensatvirginiatech@gmail.com for more information.
9. HISPANIC/LATINX CONNECT LUNCH
Thursday, Oct 5th, 12:00pm-1:00pm, Graduate Life Center, Room F
Join the Graduate School Office of Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives for lunch in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year’s lunch will be keynote by Dr. Luisa Havens, Vice President for Enrollment Management. Please RSVP by Sunday, October 1st through this link: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3KSuqbLSYcXvuVn If you have any questions, contact Luisa Burgos at luisab93@vt.edu.
10. H-1B (WORK VISA) AND PERMANENT RESIDENCY WORKSHOP
Thursday, Oct 5, 5:30-7:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
Learn about work visa and employment-based permanent residency options at this workshop presented by immigration attorneys. This workshop is most relevant for international students who are planning to graduate this fall and may seek OPT and/or H-1B employment after graduation.
11. KIDS’ NIGHT OUT – FREE WEEKLY DROP IN CHILD CARE
Thursday, Oct 5, 6:00-8:30pm, Women’s Center, 206 Washington St., Bburg.
Need a break? Have to study or attend a lecture? Want to catch up on work? If you are a VT student with children, bring your kids aged 2-12 (must be toilet trained) on Thursdays from 6:00-8:30pm, at the Women’s Center. No need to pre-register. We have games, toys, books, crafts, homework help, and plenty of FUN! Childcare provided by the volunteers of Chi Delta Alpha sorority. KNO will be held every Thursday throughout the semester with the exception of breaks when classes are not in session. The Women’s Center is located at 206 Washington Street, enter up the stairs in the parking lot. For more information, contact Jessie Meltsner at jmelts@vt.edu or 231-7806.
12. BREAKFAST WITH THE DEAN
Fri, Oct 6, 9:00-10:00am, Graduate Life Center (GLC) Room C
How’s your semester going so far? What are your thoughts about the graduate life experience here at Virginia Tech? Get some face-to-face time with Dr. Karen DePauw, Dean of the Graduate School, and share your thoughts with her and other students in the graduate community. Breakfast will be provided, and this event is free to all graduate students. RSVP at bit.ly/DeanBreakfast-Oct6.
13. GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM PANELIST TRAININGS
Friday, Oct 6 12:00-1:00pm, GLC Room A
The Graduate Honor System is holding two trainings for faculty and student panelists in the coming weeks. Panelists are volunteers who review the evidence and sit on the hearing panels, as well as occasionally holding information sessions for academic departments. We are always in need of more people to join the honor system and be available for panels! If you are interested in getting involved, please join us. If there are questions, please e-mail ghs@vt.edu.
14. COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR ADVISOR
Friday, Oct 6, 2:00-3:30pm, GLC Room C
Come learn the strategies to manage meetings and communication with your advisor and how to develop a healthy and productive relationship with him or her. This is part of a series of workshops that are being offered by the Cook Counseling Center at the GLC this semester.
15. GSA FALL BEER & WINE SOCIAL
Fri, Oct 6, 5:00-9:00pm, Lane Stadium South End Zone Club
The Graduate Student Assembly is gearing up for an exciting Autumnal Beer & Wine Social in a brand new space: Lane Stadium. Join us at the Lane Stadium South End Zone Club between 5pm and 9pm for drinks, music from DJ CJ, and fun. Tickets will be $12 ahead of time — $15 at the door — and each ticket will come with (1) unlimited tastings and (2) three full drinks (where a full drink is equivalent to a 5 oz. glass of wine or a 12 oz. beer). Please that any additional drinks will cost $5/ticket, and all proceeds from these sales will go to hurricane relief efforts. There is also a non-alcohol-drinking entry option, which is $5 at the door. You can purchase your tickets at bit.ly/FallBW2017-tix. For more information on parking, visit the Facebook event page at bit.ly/FallBW2017. We are also in search of volunteers for this event! All volunteers will receive FREE ADMISSION to the social (although any additional drinks beyond the first three will still cost $5/ticket) AND our eternal gratitude. To sign-up as a volunteer, visit bit.ly/FallBW2017-volunteers.
16. INTERVARSITY GRADUATE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP: FINDING ACADEMIC AND SPIRITUAL MENTORS IN GRAD SCHOOL
Friday, Oct 6, 6:00-8:00pm, GLC Room B
All are welcome to join us for a free dinner and dialogue about finding the mentors we need to thrive in graduate school. Michelle Harding, Assistant Professor of Accounting & Information Systems, will share about her experiences with mentors during her recently-completed PhD program. For more info, visit: http://gcfvt.wordpress.com/
Administrative Announcements
17. NUTSHELL GAMES, 90-SECOND PRESENTATIONS OF GRAD STUDENT RESEARCH — SIGNUP NOW! – 1st posting
All graduate students are invited to compete in the Nutshell Games, 90-second presentations of graduate student research, on Saturday, November 4, 4:15 pm at the Moss Arts Center. All contestants will receive professional videorecordings of their presentations. Three winners will each receive a $500 cash prize. Contestants also may register for a workshop to help prepare for the games. You can register here for both https://communicatingscience.wufoo.com/forms/w1jxtuos0kh9phs/
18. OPEN EDUCATION TEACHING INQUIRY GROUP – 1st posting
Faculty and future faculty interested in exploring the potential of open educational practices are invited to join a Teaching Inquiry Group. Practices important to open education include: sharing your work, feedback/transparency, ideas & agency, licenses/giving credit/ethics, and students as central. The group will meet to discuss readings related to open education, Creative Commons licensing, creation of open educational resources with (and without) students, understanding the various "opens," application of open source philosophy to teaching & learning, and related topics and readings identified by the group. Meetings will be scheduled for 1-2 times per month. Fall 2017 meetings are scheduled for Oct. 5, 12, 26, Nov 2, 30, and Dec 7. Please contact Anita Walz arwalz@vt.edu from the University Libraries to express interest and to obtain updated location information.
19. SUBMISSIONS INVITED TO GLC PHOTO AND ART CONTEST – 2nd posting
The Graduate School invites submissions of art work and photography by graduate students for display in the GLC during Fall Open House (Oct 28) and beyond. Submissions are limited to three pieces (art and/or photography) per graduate student. To learn more and for the link to submission go to this link. Submission deadline: Thursday, Oct 20, 2016.
20.. GRADUATE SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2017 – 2nd posting
The Grad School’s Fall 2017 Professional Development schedule is ready! Details for the first two session are listed in the upcoming events below. To see the full schedule, go to the link here.
21. ON-CAMPUS FOOD PANTRY – 3rd posting
209 Manna Ministries is VT’s on-campus food pantry that provides food, toiletries, and school supplies to students. A donation-based pantry, there are opportunities for graduate students to hold a food drive, shop in the pantry, or volunteer. Located at 209 W Roanoke St on the 3rd floor, the hours are 4:00-6:30pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Find more information on Facebook or at www.209mannaministries.org. Questions? Contact 209MannaVT@gmail.com.
Jobs
22. HOURLY WAGE RESEARCH ASSISTANT FOR NIH-FUNDED PROJECT – 2nd posting
An hourly wage research assistant position is available to assist on an NIH-funded project examining heat exposure in urban and rural communities in Alabama. This approximately 15 hr. per week position will run from Nov 1, 2017 – Jun 30, 2018, paying $17.00 per hour. Job responsibilities include data organization, data preparation, and help with statistical analysis of data collected; literature search and tabular summary on heat exposure metrics and heat-air pollution-health epidemiology studies; help plan and develop agendas and survey instruments for workshops and presentation (written and oral) of findings to research group. Candidates will have excellent written communication and organizational skills; ability to pay attention to detail, work independently, and meet deadlines; basic statistical analysis skills with mixed effects (repeated measures) regression analysis experience preferred. This position could lead to a Graduate Research Assistantship. If you are interested, please email your cover letter and resume by Oct 15 to Julia Gohlke at jgohlke@vt.edu.
23. WATER POLO COACH – 3rd posting
The VT women’s club water polo team is in search of a coach for this academic year! This team of approximately 20 undergrads with varying water polo experience practices three times a week: Sundays 5-7pm and Monday/Wednesdays 8-10pm in War Memorial Pool. Practice is currently run by our four captains but someone out of the water with experience is needed to give guidance to improve. Please contact president, Brittany Henry (britth4@vt.edu), if you are interested or want more information.
Volunteers and research participants sought:
24. SEEKING PARTICIPANTS FOR “SIT-STAND” DESK STUDY – 1st posting
During this study participants will be asked to perform general office tasks using a sit-stand desk. Participants will also be expected to bring a laptop to perform office tasks of their choice during the time of the experiment. Three experimental sessions of about 4.5 hours each are required. During this study body posture and muscle activity will be assessed using non-invasive methods. Participants must be ages 18-40 years, have no current or recent (past one year) history of low-back pain or other musculoskeletal injuries, and use a computer for at least four hours/day. Compensation is $10/hr. If interested, call or email Jang-Ho Park at 703-463-6638 or jhparkvt@vt.edu.
25. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR OSTEOPATHIC ASSESSMENT STUDY – 1st posting
The Kevin P. Granata Lab is seeking volunteers for a study examining osteopathic assessment and manipulation. Participation in the study would include an osteopathic assessment and a biomechanical assessment; osteopathic manipulation and a second biomechanical assessment may also be included in participation. Volunteers must be between 18 and 35 years of age and have no past or current lower extremity injuries that required medical care. If you meet these requirements and are interested in participating, please contact Cherice Hughes-Oliver at granata-lab-g@vt.edu or (540) 231-4294.
26. FEMALE RUNNERS NEEDS FOR SYMMETRY STUDY – 2nd posting
The Granata Lab is recruiting female runners for a study looking at side-to-side symmetry. Participants much be able to complete a 4 mile outdoor run. This study requires two visits that are less than 1 hour. If you are interested in participating please contact us at: granata-lab-g@vt.edu or (540) 231-4294.
27. PARTICIPANTS NEED FOR A WALKING AND RUNNING STUDY – 2nd posting
The Granata Lab is recruiting participants for a short indoor walking and running study. The research session is expected to last approximately 45 minutes and involved 10 minutes of walking and running at various paces and inclines. If you are interested in participating please contact us at: granata-lab-g@vt.edu or (540) 231-4294.
Upcoming events:
OCTOBER PARENT SUPPORT LUNCHEON
Wednesday, Oct 11, 12:00pm, GLC Room F
No such thing as a free lunch?… Sure there is. As always, significant others and children are welcome, but it is limited to the first 50 people who RSVP AT http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0e4fabaa28a1ff2-october2. Also, we need your help! We want to ensure these events are relevant and engaging. Please help as we seek to find Parent Support luncheon speakers whose messages are tailored to what you feel is pertinent to your situation. You can access the two-question survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JJTRHCR .
NAVIGATING GRADUATE SCHOOL: SETTING ACHIEVABLE EDUCATIONAL GOALS
Wednesday, October 11, 4:00-5:15, GLC Room C (NEW DATE/TIME/PLACE)
Professor Jennifer Sano-Franchini will guide a small group of students in developing achievable educational goals. Students will learn to express why they have chosen their current profession, how they plan to be successful in graduate school, and ultimately plan for a successful future beyond. Participants will be learn how to express their strengths and weaknesses through writing, and finish the session knowing a bit more about themselves. Register here.
MID-ATLANTIC COLLEGIATE RECOVERY CONFERENCE
Friday & Saturday, Oct 13-14, GLC
The Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Recovery Conference brings together Collegiate Recovery Communities (CRC’s) from across D.C., Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia to learn from each other and address some of the issues that are common in CRC’s as well as hear from professionals in the field. We also invite faculty and staff from the New River Valley to attend as well and learn how they can support the Collegiate Recovery Communities of Virginia Tech and Radford. For more information or to register, please check out our website www.collegiatesrecover.org.
DINING ETIQUETTE
Wednesday, October 18, 5:30-7:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
Learn how to conduct yourself during a formal meal in a professional setting, whether the dinner is part of an interview, a conference, or other engagement. The program will include a presentation, helpful tips, and a pizza meal during which you can network with graduate students. Register here.
INTERNATIONAL CAFÉ HOUR: MALAYSIA
Friday, Oct 20, 4:00-5:30pm, Deet’s Place, Dietrick Dining Center
The International Café Hour is an opportunity for all to engage in conversations, create friendships, share their culture, and to connect with the VT community in a casual and comfortable environment. The program is designed to be both social and educational so join us. This program is a wonderful opportunity for students to connect and learn across cultures! This month’s café hour is sponsored by The Malaysian Student Organization. For more info, see our webpage: International Café Hour.
JOE’S TREES DAY TRIP
Sunday, Oct 22, 12:00pm-4:00pm
Join your fellow grad students and the Graduate Fellows on a trip to one of the New River Valley’s best kept secrets! Joe’s Trees is a family owned business that runs a pumpkin patch each fall. There are tons of fun activities including hay rides, pumpkin picking, a corn maze, and bubble ball, as well as great food. Make sure to bring some cash in order to participate in these awesome activities or in case you find any good smelling food. If you are interested in joining, fill out this survey before it closes on Wednesday, October 18th. Contact Danielle Lewis at mdlewis4@vt.edu if you have any questions!
NUTSHELL GAMES, 90-SECOND PRESENTATIONS OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Saturday, November 4, 4:15 pm, Moss Arts Center, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre
All graduate students are invited to compete in the Nutshell Games, 90-second presentations of graduate student research, on Saturday, November 4, at the Moss Arts Center. All contestants will receive professional videorecordings of their presentations. Three winners will each receive a $500 cash prize. Contestants also may register for a workshop to help prepare for the games. You can register here for both.https://communicatingscience.wufoo.com/forms/w1jxtuos0kh9phs/