Events
1. WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 12/11/2017
– Career Advising: Wednesday, 2:00-5:00pm, Info kiosk in lobby
– Ask the Academy: GTA Walk-In Advising: On hiatus until 2018
– Cook Counseling: Thursdays and Fridays, 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room
– Graduate School hours: MTThF 8:00-5:00pm, W 9:30-5:00
– 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. WELLNESS CONNECT LUNCH
Tuesday, Dec 12, 11:00am-1:00pm, GLC, Multipurpose Room
Take a lunch break and join us to learn about campus resources for graduate students! Meet representatives from Rec sports, Hokie Wellness, Cook Counseling and many more while enjoying some free food.
All are welcome to attend! Questions? Contact Luisa at luisab93@vt.edu.
3. COME CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF THE 7TH ISSUE OF THE INTERLOPER
Tuesday, Dec 12, 4:00-6:00pm, LGBTQ+ Resource Center, Squires Student Center Room 312
The Interloper, Virginia Tech’s LGBTQ Magazine, is proud to announce the release of their 7th issue and would love for you to come celebrate with us! In collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, we are hosting a release tea on December 12th from 4:00-6:00 with treats from Bollo’s. Come get your copy hot off the press, enjoy treats, and bring your friends! More information can be found on our Facebook event or email Maggie at theinterlopervt@gmail.com.
4. GRAD MINDFULNESS – FINAL SESSION OF 2017
Wednesday, Dec 13, 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.
5. GLC CAFÉ: BANANA PUDDING EDITION
Thursday, Dec 14, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
Celebrate Reading Day with banana pudding and the usual coffee, tea and cookies in the company of your graduate student colleagues. Enjoy good company, socialize and relax as you get ready for exams, final presentations and the last big push before the semester is over.
6. READING DAY DONUTS
Thursday, Dec 14, 6:00pm – until out of donuts, GLC Reading Room
The GLC Fellows are sponsoring donuts in the GLC Reading Room on Reading Day. Come take a break and enjoy a free donut!
7. YOGA AND MEDITATION
Friday Dec 15, 3:00-4:00pm; Monday, Dec 18, 8:00-9:00am, GLC Wellness Room
Take a study break and unwind with yoga and meditation in the new GLC Wellness Room. Open to all graduate students – no need to register. Sponsored by Recreational Sports.
Administrative Announcements
8. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & INT’L AFFAIRS (SPIA) SPRING COURSE OPPORTUNITIES
SPIA 5984: Facilitating Intergroup Dialogue: 1 Credit 9:00am-5:30pm, Feb 24& 25 Only-CRN: 20208
Course Overview: Study and practice of human relations and intergroup dialogue facilitation skills, specifically for use in diverse, intercultural contexts.
SPIA 5984: Grassroots Organizing Theory & Practice: 1 Credit 9:00am-5:30pm, Mar 17&18 Only-CRN: 20207
Course Overview: Study and practice direct-action community organizing with emphasis on strategies for fostering coalitions among diverse communities.
SPIA 5984: Conflict Resolution and Mediation: 1 Credit 9:00am-5:30pm on Apr 21&22 Only-CRN: 20206
Course Overview: Study and practice conflict resolution and mediation techniques, including intercultural perspectives on conflict mediation.
Contact Christian Matheis at matheisc@vt.edu with questions on any of these courses.
9. ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGE – PITCH YOUR IDEA!
Calling all entrepreneurial-minded students! Got a winning startup idea? Working on a new concept?
Pitch your idea at the Virginia Tech Entrepreneur Challenge for a chance to win up to $60,000 in cash and prizes, including the $25,000 grand prize! Visit the Entrepreneur Challenge Website and sign up today! Team registration is now open at http://ApexCIE.vt.edu/entrepreneurchallenge. Teams are encouraged to sign up immediately (it takes 2 minutes) in order to secure a spot in our preliminaries and receive support from the Apex Center to further develop their business models and executive summaries. Entrepreneur Challenge Finals will take place on March 24, 2018 at The Lyric Theatre.
10. THREE MINUTE THESIS INTEREST SURVEY – 1st posting
If you are currently involved in thesis work, or will be writing one in the future, consider taking part in Three Minute Thesis this upcoming year. This has been a highly successful event worldwide and will help you finely tune your thesis work. See https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/ for more information. If this is of interest to you, please fill out the 1-minute survey: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7vPlVnUJ28Eu3P. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly at kmfomenko@vt.edu.
11. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WRITERS – 1st posting
The Interloper, Virginia Tech’s LGBTQ Magazine, is now accepting applications for writers, editors, photographers, and artists for Issue #8 this spring. If you have any questions or are interested in joining, email Maggie at theinterlopervt@gmail.com
12. GRADUATE STUDENT PHOTOS ON DISPLAY – 2nd posting
The photographs submitted by your fellow graduate students under the theme, " A Changing World," are now up in the GLC meeting rooms hallway. Come on by!
13. THOUGHTSWAP – A TEACHING RESOURCE FOR GTAS/INSTRUCTORS – 2ND posting
We are looking for a small cadre of enterprising graduate student instructors and faculty to work with ThoughtSwap by using it as part of their teaching/pedagogy during the Spring 2018 semester. ThoughtSwap is a tool that can be used to change and deepen the infrastructure of face-to-face classroom interaction. Up to 10 graduate students will be selected for this opportunity in the spring. The ThoughtSwap tool is used to support the distribution of a prompt for writing 5-8 minute draft responses and for the gathering and redistribution (“Swapping”) of drafts for the depiction component. To be eligible for participation in this pilot study, a graduate student must: (1) be in a doctoral program or equivalent, (2) be the instructor of record, (3) have taught at least two years. In addition to helping class instruction and learning, benefits of participation include the support and structure of the focus group and the potential to add this to the C.V. and Teaching Statements. To learn more about ThoughtSwap go to http://thoughtswap.cs.vt.edu/ or contact: Prof. Deborah Tatar at dtatar@cs.vt.edu.
14. GRADUATE STUDENT TUTORS NEEDED FOR RECENT IMMIGRANTS/REFUGEES – 2nd posting
Tutors sought by The Blacksburg Refugee Partnership (BRP), a group founded in the summer of 2016 to partner with former refugees in our community. The organization seeks to provide tutoring for 16 students, ranging from elementary to high school. To do this requires the regular and energetic commitment of many volunteer tutors. Tutors work with the students for one hour, two to three times per week, throughout the semester, either in-home or in-school. In some cases they help with homework, at other times the focus is on the development of skills in speaking and reading English. We provide a training session and ongoing support, including feedback from teachers. Applicants will be requested to supply 1) a recent background check, 2) a commitment to tutoring at least two hours each week through the end of the semester, 3) a promise to maintain confidentiality about the students’ educational matters, and about the families in general, 4) a positive attitude. Please follow this link to indicate your interest. Contact Prof. Brett Shadle at shadle@vt.edu with any questions.
15. LITTLE HOKE HANGOUT – LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE FOR SPRING ’18 – 2nd posting
Little Hokie Hangout has limited spaces available for Spring ’18 semester. These spots will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, so don’t wait! Students may apply through Friday 12/8, then enrollment will open to faculty and staff. Please email childcare@vt.edu for information, an application or to schedule a visit.
16. INVITATION TO SUBMIT WRITING – 2nd posting
The Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) invites graduate students to submit to the student blog RE: Reflections and Explorations, offered through the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance. All VT graduate students are eligible to offer essays as long as they address a policy, politics or governance issue or concern, but we particularly encourage those in Agricultural Leadership and Community Education, ASPECT, Government and International Affairs, Human Development, P G and G, Natural Resources, Public Administration and Public Policy, Political Science, Rhetoric and Writing, Sociology and Urban Affairs and Planning to submit essays. For examples of past topics, please read the archived essays. The RE column appears weekly and everyone who signs up is responsible for writing one article during the Spring 2018 semester. Your entry will be a topic of your choosing and total approximately 1,000 words. At your earliest convenience, please complete this Schedule to sign up for a week. Slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Send questions to mneda14@vt.edu or regina50@vt.edu .
17. ROAD TO ZERO FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM – 2nd posting
The National Safety Council (NSC) seeks a student interested in motor vehicle injury prevention for the Road to Zero fellowship program. Fellows work with the NSC government affairs team on its leadership of the Road to Zero coalition, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2050. The selected student will receive a full fellowship and tuition waiver for spring semester. When travel is required, student will be reimbursed for cost of travel and meals. For more information, please contact Jane Terry, Senior Director of Government Affairs at jane.terry@nsc.org. To apply, send a cover letter and resume and writing sample to Jane Terry no later than December 8, 2017.
18. GRAD 5214: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FOR A GLOBAL SOCIETY—SPRING 2018 – 2nd posting
Tuesdays 5:30-8:30pm in GLC, Room C—CRN 19601 – 3 Credits Instructors: Christian Matheis and Tami Amos. The world is increasingly more complex and diverse with emerging cultures and trends that impact global higher education. As a part of their graduate education, it is important that graduate students prepare themselves for the diverse global society of the future. This course is offered through the Transformative Graduate Education (TGE) framework with the intention to allow for the content to reach beyond a single disciplinary perspective to allow many points of views and across multi disciplines. This course fulfills part of the requirements for the Future Professoriate Graduate Certificate. Contact: Christian Matheis at cmatheisc@vt.edu.
Jobs:
19. GA (WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT) IN ACADEMIC DECISION SUPPORT – 3rd posting
VT’s Office of Academic Decision Support is looking for a full-time (20 hrs/wk) Graduate Assistant for Spring 2018. GA’s primary responsibilities include designing and creating web site/web-application. Must have strong and verifiable UI/UX and web programming skills. Other requirements include UI/UX design and development skills; knowledge of web markup and scripting languages (HTML5, CSS3, Javascript and jQuery) with an understanding translating mockups to code; demonstrated evidence in UI/UX design and development; evidence of creativity and innovation; ability to work in collaborative environment and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Preferred skills include knowledge of server-side CSS pre-processing platforms, such as LESS and SASS; experience with web frameworks/CMS; experience in Javascript/jQuery; experience in Django; and web app design and/or development experience. Interested students can email their CV with links to supplementary materials such as sample websites/applications and code repositories along names and contact information of two to three references to Daniel Hung at chung@vt.edu.
Volunteers and research participants sought
20. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR TRANSPORT SATISFACTION STUDY – 3rd posting
(Dis)satisfied with your commute? We are seeking participants for a study on neighborhood and transport satisfaction. Participants will (1) install an Android GPS app called Daynamica, (2) answer a 10-minute entry survey, and (3) use the app to track transportation mode, route, and distance of your daily travel. Upon completing each trip, you will report your satisfaction with a 1-minute survey. Must be 18 or older. A $25 Amazon gift card will be awarded to each participant who completes an entrance survey and at least 5 trip surveys, and upload all trip data in one week. If interested, visit the study website at http://uap.vt.edu/travelmood or contact Steve Hankey at hankey@vt.edu, (540) 231-7508.
21. VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR OSTEOPATHIC ASSESSMENT AND MANIPULATION – 3rd 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 1) between 18 and 35 years of age, 2) have no history of lower limb musculoskeletal surgery or disease, 3) and have no lower limb musculoskeletal injuries in the past 3 months that restricted physical activity for more than 1-2 days. 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.
Upcoming events:
FINAL GLC CAFÉ OF 2017 AND BOOK SWAP
Monday, Dec 18, 3:00-4:30pm, GLC Reading Room
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! The Thursday café on Dec 21 is cancelled due to graduate commencement; the GLC café will return on Thursday, Jan 4.
YALDA NIGHT
Thursday, Dec 21, 6:00-10:30 pm, Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center
Yalda, the longest night of the year, one of the most important traditional Iranian festivals since thousands of years ago, is a night in which friends and families come together and stay up until after midnight. Playing traditional music, singing traditional Persian dance, and reading poems such as Divan-e-Hafez are some of the major activities in this event. Moreover, eating pomegranates as a sign of rebirth and revival of generations, and watermelons as summer fruit to prevent getting ill during the winter comprise the essential customs of Yalda. For more information visit the website of the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/262998837564912/, Come enjoy traditional Persian Music and Dance performance, Persian soup (Aash Reshteh) and more!
HEALTHY ANALYTICS SUMMIT KICKOFF EVENT – REGISTRATION ENDS DEC 21, 2017
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2018, 8:00am-4:00pm, Newman Library Multipurpose Room
Working with health data? Interested in learning how health data is used on campus? Hosted by the University Libraries’ Health Analytics Team, this unique event is for any students, faculty, and staff who want to learn about or are exploring the use and impact of health data on research. Using real data, multiple breakout sessions will showcase skills and tools needed to manage, share, and visualize health data across the humanities and sciences. This one-day symposium will include breakfast and lunch as well as a keynote by Dr. Irene Eckstrand, a former NIH Program Director and current faculty in the Biocomplexity Institute. Anyone with an interest in health is welcome and encouraged to attend. Please RSVP by Dec 21, 2017. For current information and schedule: http://tinyurl.com/healthsummit2018.