January 3 – January 7, 2018

Events:
1.   WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 1/3/18
2.  FIRST GLC CAFÉ OF 2018

Administrative Announcements:
3. NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS OPEN – 1st posting
4. NOMINATE OUTSTANDING FACULTY MENTOR(S) FOR MENTOR AWARD – 1st posting
5. BIOL 5174: WORK/LIFE BALANCE IN ACADEMIA – SPRING 2018 GRADUATE SEMINAR – 2nd posting
6. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & INT’L AFFAIRS (SPIA) SPRING COURSE OPPORTUNITIES – 3rd posting
7. ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGE – PITCH YOUR IDEA! – 3rd posting
8. THREE MINUTE THESIS INTEREST SURVEY – 3rd posting
9. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WRITERS – 3rd posting

Jobs:
None at this time

Volunteers and research participants sought:
10. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR A WALKING AND RUNNING STUDY – 2nd posting

Upcoming events:
— NEW GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION AND GLC CAFE SPECIAL EDITION – Fri, Jan 12
— NEW SEMESTER STARTS! – Tues, Jan 16

Events
1. WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 1/3/2017
– Career Advising: Wednesday, on hiatus until spring semester
– Ask the Academy: GTA Walk-In Advising: On hiatus until 1/23/18
– Cook Counseling: Thursdays and Fridays, On hiatus until spring semester
– 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: on hiatus until spring semester

2. FIRST GLC CAFÉ OF 2018
Thursday, Jan 4, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
Celebrate the beginning of the new year with the first café of 2018 and share your new-year-celebration traditions (and snacks, if you like)! The usual free coffee, tea, and cookies will be provided, as well as some hot chocolate and maybe hot cider. Take some books from our Reading Room collection to enjoy during the remainder of the break!

Administrative Announcements
3. NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS OPEN – 1st posting
A number of prestigious awards are granted to graduate students each year, carrying a monetary prize 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, deadline and process for nomination are at http://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/student.html.

4. NOMINATE OUTSTANDING FACULTY MENTOR(S) FOR MENTOR AWARD – 1st 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

5. BIOL 5174: WORK/LIFE BALANCE IN ACADEMIA – SPRING ‘18 GRADUATE SEMINAR – 2nd posting
BIOL 5174: Work/Life Balance in Academia (1 credit; CRN 19073), will be offered spring 2018 by Dr. Lisa Belden (belden@vt.edu).  This discussion-based graduate seminar will meet Tuesdays from 1230-130 and will address some of the challenges facing academics as we try to balance our academic positions with other important life responsibilities.  We will be primarily discussing family-related issues, although most of the topics we will cover apply broadly to “life” outside of work.  This course can be applied to the elective requirement for the future professoriate certificate.

6. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & INT’L AFFAIRS (SPIA) SPRING COURSE OPPORTUNITIES – 3rd posting
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.

7. ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGE – PITCH YOUR IDEA! – 3rd posting
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.

8. THREE MINUTE THESIS INTEREST SURVEY – 3rd 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.

9. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WRITERS – 3rd 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

Jobs:
None at this time

Volunteers and research participants sought
10. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR A WALKING AND RUNNING STUDY
Volunteers needed for a 2 visit study, each visit should be about 30 minutes. Participants will walk and run at three different paces: 20, 10 and 9 minutes per mile. Each of these will be performed uphill, downhill and flat for 1 minute. If you are interested please email granata-lab-g@vt.edu.

Upcoming events:
NEW GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION AND GLC CAFE SPECIAL EDITION
Friday, Jan 12, 2:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
New grad students are invited to learn about the expectation for graduate education, discover resources that will keep them on track from start to finish, meet the Grad School dean and staff, and pick up materials about campus/local resources. The program will conclude with a special GLC Café at about 3:30, to which returning grad students are also welcome!

NEW SEMESTER STARTS!
Tuesday, January 16