August 12 – 18, 2019

Recurring Events:
1. WEEKLY DROP-IN SERVICES
This Week’s Events:
2. GLC CAFÉ – SURPRISE TREAT … AGAIN
3. ICE CREAM SOCIAL FOR GRADS

Administrative Announcements:
4. GRAD STUDENT AMBASSADOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM SEEKS PARTICIPANTS – 3rd posting
5. GRAD 5134: REGENERATIVE MEDICINE: SCIENCE AND SOCIETY, FALL 2019 – 3rd posting

Jobs:
6. GLC BUILDING MANAGER WAGE POSITION FOR FALL 2019 – 1st posting
7. 6-WK GRAD WAGE POSITION IN ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES – 1st posting
8. ENGINEERING EDUCATION: I.T./ACADEMIC ADIVISING GRAD ASSISTANT – 2nd posting
9. GRA OPPORTUNITY AT VTTI: SIGNAL PROCESSING & STATISTICAL MODELING – 2nd posting
10. GRA OPPORTUNITY AT VTTI: COMPUTER VISION & DEEP LEARNING – 2nd posting
11. PEACE CORPS CAMPUS RECRUITER GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP – 2nd posting

Volunteers and research participants sought:
12. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR AUGMENTED REALITY STUDY – 1st posting
13. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR NEW GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION – 2nd posting
14. HEALTHY DOGS NEEDED FOR HEART DISEASE STUDY – 2nd posting
15. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED @ THE BLACKSBURG FARMERS MARKET – 2nd posting

Upcoming events:
– DATA IN SOCIAL CONTEXT WORKSHOP FOR GTAs – application required by Aug 15
– CONSCIENTIOUS DISCUSSION AND THOUGHT SWAP WORKSHOP Aug 20-21; registration required
– NAVIGATING BLACKSBURG FOR NEW GRADUATE STUDENTS – Aug 21 and 29
– HEALTH INSURANCE SIGN-UP – Aug 22 and 23
– LYRIC THEATER TOUR – Aug 22; registration required
– MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME – Aug 22
– MEET @ THE MAC – Aug 24, registration required
– LAIGSA WELCOME SOCIAL – Aug 24

Recurring Events
1. WEEKLY DROP-IN SERVICES:
– Career Advising: On hiatus for summer. See: https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/gradcareeropportunity/
– Cook Counseling: on summer hiatus
– Graduate School walk-in advising hours: MTThF 5:00am-5:00pm, W 9:30-5:00
– Immigration advising hours: MWF 1:00-4:00pm, TTh 9:00am-12:00pm, Room 120 GLC
– Writing assistance: reserve appointment at https://www.lib.vt.edu/spaces/writing-center.html

This Week’s Events

2. GLC CAFÉ – SURPRISE TREAT … AGAIN
Thursday, Aug 15, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
GLC café continues every Thursday throughout the summer when the university is open. This week will feature a surprise treat. Stop by for the usual coffee, tea and cookies and the occasional surprises brought to you by the Graduate School! We will not be having Wednesday café during the summer.

3. ICE CREAM SOCIAL FOR GRADS
Friday, Aug 16, 1:00-2:00pm, Grad School Lobby
Take advantage of one last quiet(ish) Friday before move-in begins next week and grab some ice cream in the Grad School lobby. This is the last hurrah before summer is over! https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1TEwke178MUxOgR

Administrative Announcements:
4. GRAD STUDENT AMBASSADOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM SEEKS PARTICIPANTS – 3rd posting
The Graduate Student Ambassador Leadership (GSAL) Program is a leadership opportunity for graduate students who are dedicated to serving and representing Virginia Tech. Graduate ambassadors volunteer their time to assist with Graduate School orientation, providing campus tours, attending/participating in various recruitment fairs, mentoring new graduate students in their department or college, and promoting the graduate student community. Ambassadors also serve as an important point of contact to graduate student applicants interested in their specific or similar affiliated department. Must be currently enrolled as a graduate student; have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; be able to make an academic year commitment (Fall-Spring semesters); be willing to travel, demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills; and exhibit leadership, initiative, dependability, discipline, and enthusiasm.  If interested,  apply by Sep 3 at http://bit.ly/VT_GSAL19. For info contact: Dr. Justin Grimes, Asst. Director Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion jgrimes18@vt.edu.

5. GRAD 5134: REGENERATIVE MEDICINE: SCIENCE AND SOCIETY, FALL 2019 – 3rd posting
This interdisciplinary 3-credit course engages students in active discussions designed to explore the world of Regenerative Medicine (RM) and how they can contribute as individuals and as an interdisciplinary group to this field.  Integrates topics such as stem cell biology, biomaterials/bioengineering, social and ethical issues, experimental design, and business and public policy into one cohesive program. Led by members of RM Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP) and uses invited speakers. Students from engineering and veterinary medicine and the Department of Science, Society, and Technology form the core of participants, but any interested students are welcome to enroll.  Meets Tue/Thu 9:30 – 10:45 am in the Veterinary Medicine Instruction Addition (VMIA) Classroom 220.  Active course participation and completion of three individualized written assignments form the axis of grading.

Jobs:
6. GLC BUILDING MANAGER WAGE POSITION FOR FALL 2019 – 1st posting
SECL building managers oversee daily operations by monitoring service, safety, and security in the Graduate Life Center. Duties include walking rounds, responding to issues, and completing reports, in addition to the facilitation of co-curricular and administrative programs. GLC building managers are responsible for event management bookings, opening & closing of the building, and submitting of facility work orders and daily reports. Must possess strong communication and customer service skills, and have the ability to move equipment (tables and chairs). Looking for flexible staff members willing to work at least two shifts a week and have weekend availability. Pay: $12/hr. To apply, visit VT’s Handshake page https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html; log in and search for “SECL – Graduate Life Center Building Manager” position.  Email Steve Buchner (satlbuch@vt.edu) with questions.
7. 6-WK GRAD WAGE POSITION IN ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES – 1st posting
Accessible Technologies in TLOS is looking to fill a 6 week graduate wage position for 20 hours/week from September to mid-October. Full details are available in the online job posting (https://www.assist.vt.edu/student-wage.html). Questions can be emailed to assist@vt.edu. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.
8. ENGINEERING EDUCATION: I.T./ACADEMIC ADIVISING GRAD ASSISTANT – 2nd posting
The Department of Engineering Education is seeking an Information Technology (I.T.)/Academic Advising Graduate Assistant. The graduate assistant will be responsible for updating advising I.T. systems and apps, and serving as a backup to the academic advising team.  This position will report to the Director of Advising and Director of Enrollment Management. Complete details are located at: https://enge.vt.edu/content/dam/enge_vt_edu/undergraduate/ga.pdf
9. GRA OPPORTUNITY AT VTTI: SIGNAL PROCESSING & STATISTICAL MODELING – 2nd posting
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is looking for a graduate research assistant for 2019-20 starting Fall 2019. This is a 20-hour FT GRA open for master’s and doctoral students.  This project addresses the emerging field of behavior-based predictive safety analytics, focusing on the prediction of road crash involvement based on individual driver behavior characteristics. Student with backgrounds and knowledge on statistical modeling and signal processing may apply to amiller@vtti.vt.edu with CV, cover letter and two contacts for references. For more information about the responsibilities and requirements, please visit: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19oXNgYoDKqncWYR6c6uS26yapkuJNYyF.

10. GRA OPPORTUNITY AT VTTI: COMPUTER VISION & DEEP LEARNING – 2nd posting
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is looking for a full-time graduate research assistant who has expertise in computer vision and deep learning.  This is a full academic year GRA position starting Fall 2019 with a possibility of extension to next academic year, working closely with faculties from VTTI and department of ECE. The ideal student is a second-year PhD or master’s student looking for dissertation topic and willing to work in the field of computer vision and deep learning. To apply, contact Dr. Abhijit Sarkar  (asarkar@vtti.vt.edu) with CV and two contacts for reference indicating “GRA application: Computer Vision for NDS”. For more information about the responsibilities and requirements, please visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O_B0hBlweudwCc65iJyff_Cz_S3kPqm-/view.

11. PEACE CORPS CAMPUS RECRUITER GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP – 2nd posting
The Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED) is searching for a graduate student who is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) to serve as the part-time Campus Peace Corps Recruiter (20 hours/week). The recruiter will be the main point of contact at VT and other universities in Southwest Virginia for people interested in joining the Peace Corps. The successful candidate will receive a graduate stipend and tuition remission. For application information go to: https://cired.vt.edu/About/job-opportunities.html

Volunteers and research participants sought:

12. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR AUGMENTED REALITY STUDY – 1st posting
VT researchers in the Cognitive Engineering for Novel Technologies (COGENT) Lab are recruiting participants for an augmented reality study. During the experiment, you will be asked to use augmented reality (AR) glasses to scan a simulated bridge surface for targets. You do not need to have used AR before, nor do you need any experience in bridge inspection to participate. Must be 18 years of age or older and have normal, or corrected to normal vision. You will be compensated at $10/hr and the study should last no more than 1 hour. If you have any questions or interested in participating, please contact Jared Van Dam via email at Jaredvd@vt.edu.

13. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR LIFTING STUDY WITH WEARABLE EXOSKELETONS – 1st posting
Participants are sought for a research study about lifting with and without wearable exoskeletons. Participants must be 18-35 years old with no recent or prior musculoskeletal disorders or back injuries (at least for 12 months). A height range of 5′ 4″- 6 3′ is preferred. Should be able to comfortably lift a box (~10% of the bodyweight) from the floor to waist height and perform a variety of lifting tasks both with and without the exoskeletons. The training session takes about 1 hour and the data collection session takes about 3-4 hours. The compensation rate is $10/hour. If interested, email Saman Madinei at madinei@vt.edu

14 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR NEW GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION – 2nd posting
The Graduate School is seeking graduate student volunteers to help with a variety of events and activities for new students during orientation period Aug 19 – 23. Please complete this survey if you are available to assist us with these events. https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3eKrERJUZ3pulNz

15. HEALTHY DOGS NEEDED FOR HEART DISEASE STUDY – 2nd posting
Healthy dogs needed to compare to a clinical population of dogs affected by mitral valve disease. Dogs’ health status will be determined by owner interview, physical examination, and echocardiography. To enroll, dogs must be 1-5 years of age, weigh 7-55 lbs, and be free of systemic disease, such as diabetes, Cushing’s, kidney disease, and heart disease. Excluding factors include presence of other acquired or congenital cardiovascular diseases; dogs that would require sedation for undergoing ECG examination; and/or presence of severe clinical systemic disease that affects the cardiovascular system. Once enrolled in study, the dog will undergo a standard cardiac examination, at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Bburg. Procedures are non-invasive, but may require a small area of fur on dog’s chest to be shaved. All appointments are on Saturdays and should take less than 30 minutes. To schedule study appointment, please call the Small Animal Clinic at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at 540-231-4621 and mention the 2D3D echo/mitral valve disease study.

16. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED @ THE BLACKSBURG FARMERS MARKET – 2nd posting
Sign up for a volunteer shift at the Blacksburg Farmers Market for the annual tomato and salsa tasting! Volunteers are needed to help run the information booth on market days. Saturday, the market is open 8:00am-2:00pm and shifts are 8:00-11:00am and 11:00am-2:00pm. The Farmer’s Market is near Squires and the GLC. More information is on the sign up link https://signup.com/client/invitation2/6775657374/1219389/false#!1219389/false/false. If you have any questions, email oliviao6@vt.edu.

Upcoming events:

DATA IN SOCIAL CONTEXT WORKSHOP FOR GTAs – application required
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2:00-4:00pm
This workshop prepares GTAs to teach courses that emphasize an interdisciplinary approach of data analytics, computational skills, and critical thinking in the humanities and social sciences. The workshop will feature presentations by three VT graduate students who participated in earlier workshop sessions and a faculty member affiliated with the Data & Decisions Destination Area. Apply to attend by Aug 15 at https://forms.gle/pbN1r2uC99bJUg2u7. Space is limited. Priority given to GTAs who are scheduled to teach courses in the Data & Decisions curriculum (see list of courses on the survey). Participants invited to attend will be notified by email by August 16, 2019. Direct questions about the workshop to co-directors, Tom Ewing (etewing@vt.edu) and Roan Parrish (proan13@vt.edu). Workshop info: https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/etewing/disc/disc-workshop-aug-20-2019.

CONSCIENTIOUS DISCUSSION AND THOUGHT SWAP WORKSHOP
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2:00-4:00pm, 1120 Torg
Wednesday, Aug 21, 10:00am-12:00pm, 1129 Torg
Promote conscientious discourse in classrooms through discussion of pedagogy and the introduction and use of ThoughtSwap, a web-tool created at ThirdLab at Virginia Tech. The workshop is designed for graduate students, lecturers and instructors who are interested in improving classroom interaction and might be interested in using ThoughtSwap. Attendees will receive 2 credits from NLI (Networked Learning Initiatives) professional development at VT. This workshop also leads to potential participation in a ThoughtSwap study in Fall 2019 with compensation. Register at https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu, click on “Conscientious Discussion and ThoughtSwap” and enroll!

NAVIGATING BLACKSBURG FOR NEW GRADUATE STUDENTS
Wednesday, August 21, 3:00 – 3:45pm, GLC Room B OR
Thursday, August 29, 10:30 – 11:15am, GLC Room B
Students new to Virginia Tech often have questions about how to go about dealing with day-to-day life here in Blacksburg. Learn about the best places to shop, where to get medical care, how to get a driver’s license, transportation, the school system, banking services, and more. Bring any questions you would like answered to help make your stay here in Blacksburg a great experience. Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NOShESl0xEpXbD

HEALTH INSURANCE SIGN-UP
Thursday, Aug 22, 2:00-4:30pm and Friday, 8/23, 11:00am-1:00pm, GLC Lobby
Stop by the GLC Lobby to sign up for student health insurance with Aetna and ask representatives any questions you may have.

LYRIC THEATER TOUR
Thursday, Aug 22, Meet at the Lyric at 2:55pm
Registration is required. https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aY0ehqgCNTNVj7L

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
Thursday, Aug 22, 4:30-6:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
All grad students are welcome to connect with faculty, staff, new and returning graduate students and resources that can help you find your place in and succeed in Blacksburg. Light refreshments and many door prizes will be provided! Register at https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HLIpw2kvFoL3xz.

MEET @ THE MAC
Saturday, Aug 24, 5:00-7:00pm, Moss Arts Center
Connect with fellow art-loving and creative Hokies on the stage of the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre at this fun social and learn about the Moss Arts Center’s 2019-20 season of visual and performing arts, job opportunities, space rentals, etc.; discover ways to make and experience the arts through additional programs at VT; tour “blackbox” Cube, galleries, and backstage; network with other students and arts professionals; enter for a chance to win free tickets to a Moss Arts Center performance. Free admission; registration required: meetatthemac.eventbrite.com.
Complimentary refreshments.  Co-hosted with the Moss Arts Center Student Ambassadors.

LAIGSA WELCOME SOCIAL
Saturday, Aug 24, 4:00pm, Hethwood Lawns
The Latin American and Iberian Grad. Students Association (Laigsa) invites all incoming and returning members to its traditional Welcome Back social. Join them for an afternoon outdoors picnic with food, music, and games. Check out their FB (/LaigsaofVT) and IG (@laigsaVT) walls for more information or contact grad student Martin at martinsc@vt.edu.