January 8 – 14, 2018

Events:
1. WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – last updated 1/3/18
2. GLC CAFÉ
3. NEW GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION
4. WELCOME BACK GLC CAFE & VT ENGAGE: *SPECIAL EDITION*

Administrative Announcements:
5. JEAN B. DUERR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR WOMEN STUDENTS – 1st posting
6. ACADEMY FOR GTA EXCELLENCE (VTGRATE) CALL FOR MEMBERSHIP – 1st posting
7. AETNA STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE OPEN ENROLLMENT – 1st posting
8. NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS OPEN – 1st posting
9. NOMINATE OUTSTANDING FACULTY MENTOR(S) FOR MENTOR AWARD – 1st posting
10. BIOL 5174: WORK/LIFE BALANCE IN ACADEMIA – SPRING 2018 GRADUATE SEMINAR – 2nd posting
11. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC & INT’L AFFAIRS (SPIA) SPRING COURSE OPPORTUNITIES – 3rd posting
12. ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGE – PITCH YOUR IDEA! – 3rd posting
13. THREE MINUTE THESIS INTEREST SURVEY – 3rd posting
14. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WRITERS – 3rd posting

Jobs:
15. LIBRARY QUALITATIVE ANALYTICS RESEARCHER – 1st posting

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

Upcoming events:
— OLYMPIC TAEKWONDO CLUB AT VIRGINIA TECH OPEN WORKOUT – Mon, Jan15
— NEW SEMESTER STARTS! – Tues, Jan 16
— LYRIC THEATER TOUR – Jan 17
— GROCERY BINGO – Mon, Jan 22
— LUNCH WITH THE DEAN – Tues, Jan 23
— LUNCH WITH THE DEAN – Wed, Jan 31

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. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, Jan 11, 3:30-5:00 pm, GLC Reading Room
Enjoy free coffee, tea, and cookies in the company of fellow grad students and Grad School staff; network, socialize, relax! Bring your own mug if you can.

3. NEW GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION
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.

4. WELCOME BACK GLC CAFE & VT ENGAGE: *SPECIAL EDITION*
Friday, Jan 12, 3:30 – 5:00pm, GLC Lobby
Following the completion of the New Student Orientation program, join new students at 3:30 in the GLC Lobby. Staff from VT Engage will also be present to discuss opportunities to get involved in the local community!

Administrative Announcements
5. JEAN B. DUERR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR WOMEN STUDENTS – 1st posting
The Jean B. Duerr Memorial Fund awards scholarships to women who plan to attend, or are already enrolled in, an accredited college or university for the entire 2018-2019 academic year. Awards of $2,000 will be given to those applicants who best demonstrate academic achievement and community service. An eligible candidate will be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student with a minimum grade point average of 3.6. A full official transcript must be included with the application. Applications must be postmarked by March 1, 2018 for scholarships awarded for the 2018/2019 academic year. Please note that no applications, including those with March 1, 2018 postmarks, will be accepted after March 5, 2018. If interested, go to the website https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships/duerr.html for more information and a link to the application. Questions? Contact Susan Butler at smcbutler@aol.com.

6. ACADEMY FOR GTA EXCELLENCE (VTGRATE) CALL FOR MEMBERSHIP  – 1st posting
The Academy for Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Excellence welcomes applications for Member, Associate, and Fellow in its learning community. VTGrATE provides advanced education and training in innovative teaching and learning strategies and provides a space to recognize excellence in teaching by graduate students. Membership is open to all graduate students at all VT campuses. Information about the application process may be found in our website: http://vtgrate.org/membership/application-and-review/. Applications are due on Saturday, January 27, 2018. For questions about VTGrATE or the membership and application process, please contact Michelle Soledad (soledadmm@vt.edu) or leave a message on our Ask a Fellow page.

7. AETNA STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE OPEN ENROLLMENT – 1st posting
Spring enrollment is open for new students starting in Spring 2018 and students who didn’t enroll in the fall. Deadline: Jan 31, 2018. Contact the Student Medical Insurance office with questions at smi@vt.edu, 231-6226. Visit their website at http://risk.controller.vt.edu/studentmedicalinsurance.html for more info.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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:
15. LIBRARY QUALITATIVE ANALYTICS RESEARCHER – 1st posting
Newman Library is looking for motivated graduate or undergraduate students to collect, code and analyze interviews and other text data. The research will help facilitate evidence-based decisions while enhancing qualitative data services in the University Libraries and beyond. Pay starts at $10.00/hr or more, depending on qualifications. View job description and requirements, and apply online at http://bit.ly/2A7Mel0

Volunteers and research participants sought
16. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR A WALKING AND RUNNING STUDY 1st posting
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:
OLYMPIC TAEKWONDO CLUB AT VIRGINIA TECH OPEN WORKOUT
Monday, Jan 15th, 8:00pm-9:00pm, 915 Hethwood Boulevard
Ever wanted to try a martial art? Want to do something different this semester? Now’s your chance! The Olympic Taekwondo Club is holding an open workout for anyone who is interested in trying taekwondo. No experience is necessary and everyone is welcome. For more information, contact graduate student Casey Denham at cldenham@vt.edu.

NEW SEMESTER STARTS!
Tuesday, January 16

LYRIC THEATER TOUR
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 4:00pm, The Lyric Theater lobby
Tour the Lyric Theatre to experience the 1930s design and learn about opportunities to volunteer. All participants will receive a free movie pass. Arrive at The Lyric by 3:55 p.m. at the latest.

GROCERY BINGO
Monday, Jan 22, 5:30-6:30pm, GLC Room C
Compete against other graduate students in Bingo for a chance to with free grocery items. Sign up here:
https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_88QMAIM6loNHji5

LUNCH WITH THE DEAN
Tuesday, Jan 23, 12:00-1:00pm, GLC Room C
Meet Graduate School Dean Dr. Karen DePauw and graduate students at a free lunch. Learn about the latest in graduate education and share your perspectives in a casual setting. Sign-up here: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eWgbvWeEwGgYlTv

LUNCH WITH THE DEAN
Wednesday, Jan 31, 12:00-1:00pm, GLC Room C
Meet Graduate School Dean Dr. Karen DePauw and graduate students at a free lunch. Learn about the latest in graduate education and share your perspectives in a casual setting. Sign-up here: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3xhdC2k48B2Qr5z