This Week’s Events:
0. Ongoing Services – updated 8/23/21
1. UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING YOUR ASSISTANTSHIP
2. UNDERREPRESENTED/MINORITIZED STUDENT LUNCHEON
3. EXPECTATIONS FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION: FACULTY PERSPECTIVES
4. GRADUATE SCHOOL VIRTUAL RESOURCE FAIR
5. GLC CAFÉ
6. ACEC PRESENTS A NIGHTTIME GUIDED MEDITATION
7. GOBBLERFEST
Administrative Announcements:
8. MESSAGE FROM DEAN KAREN DEPAUW – 1st posting
9. GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM RECRUITING GRADUATE STUDENT PANELISTS – 1st posting
10. APPLICATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM (GSAP) NOW OPEN – 1st posting
11. GTA GUIDE CREATED BY GRADUATE STUDENTS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD – 1st posting
12. VIRGINIA TECH GRADUATE ACADEMY FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE (GrATE) SEEKING APPLICATIONS – 2nd posting
13. ENROLLMENT OPEN FOR FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM: THE MARKET OF VIRGINIA TECH – 3rd posting
14. INVOLVEMENT ADVISING – 3rd posting
Jobs:
15. GRADUATE ASSISTANT POSITION WITH THE MULTICULTURAL ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM (MAOP)– 1st posting
16. GRADUATE ASSISTANT POSITION IN THE OFFICE OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY (OID) – 1st posting
17. GRADUATE ASSISTANT–DATA AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR LARGE SCALE STUDY- 3rd posting
Volunteers and research participants sought:
18. MOSS ARTS CENTER SEEKING A SPANISH TO ENGLISH TRANSLATOR – 1st posting
19. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR BEHAVIORAL STUDY ON COLLABORATIVE ONLINE CONTENT AUTHORING – 1st posting
20. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING STUDY – 1st posting
21. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR RESEARCH STUDY ABOUT WEARABLE BACK EXOSKELETONS – 2nd posting
Upcoming Events:
22. INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT – September 7
23. GETTING STARTED WITH ZOTERO – September 8
24. OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING (0PT) WOKSHOPS – September 8
25. CRANWELL INTERNATIONAL CENTER OPEN HOUSE – September 9
26. INTRODUCTION TO SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING – September 9
27. GRAD STUDENT HAPPINESS GROUP – September 10
28. WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO – September 10
0. Ongoing Services – updated 8/23/21
- GRADUATE SCHOOL: In person drop-off or pick-up of documents and materials M-F 9:00-4:00pm, 120 GLC. Request one-on-one assistantship or academic advising by using our online request form to set-up a Zoom session. Graduate Life Center meeting rooms and lobby are still closed for repair.
- CAREER ADVISING: schedule virtual career advising appointment via https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html ; Drop-in advising every Wednesday, 2-5pm – starting September 8 in the Graduate School.
- COOK COUNSELING: Drop-in Zoom hours, Tuesdays 10am-12pm and Thursdays and Fridays 3pm-5pm, Zoom links found here. To make an appointment, visit: https://vt-ucc.titaniumhwc.com/ScheduleGraduateFirstCookConnect (Students must pay the summer health fee or daily use fee which can be reimbursed through Aetna. Students must be in Virginia)
- WRITING CENTER SERVICES: Schedule an appointment at https://vt.mywconline.com/
- GRADUATE OMBUDSPERSON: contact for appointment at gradstudentombud@vt.edu, 540-231-9573
1. UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING YOUR ASSISTANTSHIP
Monday, August 30, 3:30-4:30pm, GLC and Zoom
Learn about benefits, rights and responsibilities associated with your new assistantship position and how to get the most out of your assistantship experience. Register for the August 30 workshop.
2. UNDERREPRESENTED/MINORITIZED STUDENT LUNCHEON
Wednesday, September 1, Noon-1pm, Hybrid-Owens Hall/Zoom
The Graduate School’s Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion invites all underrepresented and/or minoritized students for a hybrid-style lunch to connect racial/ethnic minorities, sexual/gender minorities, and others who identify as a minority in graduate education. Student group leaders, faculty/staff mentors, and community allies are invited to be present at the luncheon to offer guidance and encouragement to new students. Registration is required and in-person spaces are limited. Participation is FREE and lunch will be provided. All are welcome to attend. Please register here: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7a1MLI8K1oVWOua Questions? Please contact Dr. Shernita Lee at ordi@vt.edu.
3. EXPECTATIONS FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION: FACULTY PERSPECTIVES
Wednesday, September 1, 2:30-4pm, Zoom
Learn from award-winning faculty about how to build a productive relationship with your academic advisor; chart the course of your graduate studies and navigate the ups and downs; and have a successful graduate experience. Sign-up here: https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bsal9CKpqPy6Ckm
4. GRADUATE SCHOOL VIRTUAL RESOURCE FAIR
Thursday, September 2, 11:00am-3:00pm, Virtual/Brazen
The Graduate School’s Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion will host a virtual resource fair to directly connect all campuses and extensions to various opportunities. Learn valuable information regarding future programing, family and academic support, mental health services, and more! Registration is FREE for participating students and departments/programs. Students may register here: https://app.brazenconnect.com/a/vt-grad-school/e/nOERg. If you are seeking to host a booth, please contact Dr. Shernita Lee at ordi@vt.edu.
5. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, September 2, 3:30-5pm, Grad School Lobby
Enjoy free coffee, tea, and cookies and socialize with your fellow graduate students. This week enjoy a special treat of cubicle farm tiramisu. Bring your own mug if you can. Occurs every Thursday and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month.
6. ACEC PRESENTS A NIGHTTIME GUIDED MEDITATION
Thursday, September 2, 8pm, Zoom
The Asian Cultural Engagement Center (ACEC) presents a nighttime guided meditation with Vivek Rajan. Rajan is trained and is a certified teacher with Art of Living Center in Washington D.C. Zoom link: https://rb.gy/s4ypt9
7. GOBBLERFEST
Saturday, September 4, 2-5pm, Drillfield
All students are encouraged to take advantage of this event to meet over 500 student organizations, in addition to local businesses and a variety of campus departments. Learn more here: https://campuslife.vt.edu/Student_Orgs/gobblerfest.html
8. MESSAGE FROM DEAN KAREN DEPAUW – 1st posting
“In January 2020, I announced my retirement at the end of the 2020 academic year. The onset of COVID-19 caused me to delay my retirement and I’m glad I was able to continue another year to ease the transition to a new Dean. On September 1st, Dr. Aimee Surprenant will become Dean of the Graduate School and I will officially retire later during the Fall semester. It has been a pleasure to serve as Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education since 2002 and what a wonderful journey it has been. To the continuing graduate students, thanks for your participation and contributions to the graduate community! For the incoming graduate students, welcome to VT and I encourage you to engage with the graduate community and explore the programs, events and graduate courses that are offered through by the Graduate School and the Transformative Graduate Education initiative. I wish all of you an enjoyable and productive journey through your graduate education! All the best.” – Karen DePauw
9. GRADUATE HONOR SYSTEM RECRUITING GRADUATE STUDENT PANELISTS – 1st posting
The Graduate Honor System is recruiting graduate students to serve as panelists who review the evidence and determine the outcome of GHS cases. To be eligible, you need to be a graduate student in good academic standing. All graduate students are eligible regardless of how long they have been at Virginia Tech. The overall time commitment is 3-4 hours a semester based on the number of cases and panelist availability. If you are interested in serving as a student panelist, please contact the GHS Chair, Kayla Alward (ghs@vt.edu) to set up a brief meeting to discuss the role. Once the meeting is complete, you will be added to the GHS email list and are free to volunteer to serve on any panel based on your availability.
10. APPLICATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM (GSAP) NOW OPEN – 1st posting
The Graduate Student Ambassador (GSAP) Program is an opportunity for graduate students to work in partnership with the Support Hub of Inclusive Practices (SHIP), to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion events as well as assist within the recruitment and retention of various underrepresented and minoritized groups. Appointments are for one academic year (approx.20 hr/yr) and provide exclusive opportunities for training, professional development, and engagement with university stakeholders. To apply, please visit: https://forms.gle/Nu2jb8YFkgrjwd3s9 Questions? Contact Shania Clinedinst @ ordi@vt.edu.
11. GTA GUIDE CREATED BY GRADUATE STUDENTS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD – 1st posting
The Graduate Engineering Mechanics Society (GEMS) and associates from VTGrATE and MEGSC are proud to present the GTA Guide: a guide written by graduate students for graduate students. It was written to complement the official training GTAs receive at Virginia Tech. It contains advice on balancing your work and life as a GTA, grading assignments quickly and effectively, holding good office hours, and potentially using your GTA position to start a career in teaching. It additionally starts with a table of quick references for resources useful to TAs and graduate students at Virginia Tech. The document can be viewed and downloaded at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DSYjBxVh8CoLBgd57MRx_6rJxatykkNXGes0CB7K99U/edit?usp=sharing If you have any questions or feedback regarding the guide, feel free to email Justin Dubik at jrdubik@vt.edu.
12. VIRGINIA TECH GRADUATE ACADEMY FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE (GrATE) SEEKING APPLICATIONS – 2nd posting
Graduate students are invited to become members of GrATE and advance within the peer-mentoring program focused on best practices in teaching and learning. The application deadline is September 20, 221, at midnight. Visit vtgrate.org for info and to submit your application. http://vtgrate.org/membership/application-and-review/ You can also follow us on Twitter @VT_GrATE and Facebook at Graduate Academy of Teaching Excellence @VTGrATE.
13. ENROLLMENT OPEN FOR FOOD ACCESS PROGRAM: THE MARKET OF VIRGINIA TECH – 3rd posting
The Market of Virginia Tech is a free program that provides fresh and nutritious food each week during the spring and fall semesters to up to 75 students on the Blacksburg Campus, supporting students who have difficulty obtaining regular, healthy meals. The program is available to both enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Students can sign up beginning on Monday, August 9. Learn more about the program and enroll at https://dos.vt.edu/food.html, or contact the Dean of Students’ office by emailing themarket@vt.edu, or by calling (540)-231-3787.
14. INVOLVEMENT ADVISING – 3rd posting
Student Engagement and Campus Life offers involvement advising, which allows students a chance to receive personalized recommendations for involvement opportunities and to meet with an experienced student about the process of getting involved. Students can get started by submitting the Involvement Advising Questionnaire on GobblerConnect. If you have questions, contact Morgen Snowadzky at morgen@vt.edu
15. GRADUATE ASSISTANT POSITION WITH THE MULTICULTURAL ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM (MAOP)– 1st posting
MAOP is seeking to hire a graduate assistant (20hrs/week) for August 2021- May 2022. The successful candidate will be responsible for assisting with the planning and delivery of our support programs. This position requires a high level of initiative and strong interpersonal, organizational, leadership, and presentation skills. Occasional evening and weekend work required. Additional required and preferred qualifications are listed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JQYXqfEGCaNAAErXmYHtGNLnoLAlRZUc/view?usp=sharing (must use your VT google account to view). If interested, email your resume to Monica Hunter (monicah@vt.edu)
16. GRADUATE ASSISTANT POSITION IN THE OFFICE OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY (OID) – 1st posting
OID is seeking to hire a graduate assistant (20hrs/week) August 2021- May 2022 to support the Office for Inclusion and Diversity. It will work in the central division and also with the Faculty Diversity Unit in OID. The position requires administrative support, event planning and management, and social media. The full job description is listed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C-6Y6CtVNfsUih9C8SSAEC6WMW-UaKae/view?usp=sharing (must use your VT google account to view). If interested, email your resume to Dr. Shernita Lee (shernita@vt.edu), by Friday, September 3, 2021.
17. GRADUATE ASSISTANT–DATA AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR LARGE SCALE STUDY- 3rd posting
A research team in the School of Education is seeking support for data management and analysis of a large data set. The project is an externally funded study in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and Virginia Department of Education. This position will be responsible for technical aspects of managing large datasets for a state-wide survey of teachers, staff, and students. General duties include: technical aspects of data collection, storage, and analysis and generating data-driven reports for external stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications include experiences with: computer programming language (e.g., Python, Java, C++, Julia), statistical software (e.g., SAS, SPSS, or R) with proficiency with R highly desired, data visualization techniques and software, and survey software such as Qualtrics. Interested applicants may submit their resume and a cover letter outlining their qualifications and interest in the position to David Kniola (dkniola@vt.edu). Application materials will be reviewed beginning immediately.
18. MOSS ARTS CENTER SEEKING A SPANISH TO ENGLISH TRANSLATOR – 1st posting
On Wednesday, September 29 at 12:20 PM, the Moss Arts Center will be presenting A Conversation with Chucho Valdés: a Grammy Award-winning legend in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. For this free event, we are seeking a translator (Spanish > English). Knowledge of music, facility with Cuban Spanish dialect, and previous experience moderating public discussions are preferred. The translator who assists with this event will receive two (2) complimentary tickets to the Moss Arts Center’s presentation of Mr. Valdés, Dianne Reeves, and Joe Lovano in Duets (September 30, 7:30 PM). Please direct questions and/or expressions of interest to Jon Catherwood-Ginn at joncg@vt.edu.
19. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR BEHAVIORAL STUDY ON COLLABORATIVE ONLINE CONTENT AUTHORING – 1st posting
The Echo Lab at Virginia Tech is seeking individuals to participate in a collaborative writing (e.g., academic papers, project reports) study through which we aim to investigate the communication occurring between collaborators. We are seeking participants who are 18 years and older, can fill out a survey in English, uses online services, have written collaboratively with others and can participate in the study across multiple sessions. Depending on the role assigned to you by the researchers, your duration of participation and compensation will change. For one role, the duration is up to 240 minutes total: this includes a pre-survey, writing two essay drafts, finalizing two essays, and filling out surveys after finalizing each essay. Participants in this role will be compensated with an electronic gift card of $50 after participating in the full study, and will have an opportunity to be paid a bonus of $100 if their essay is chosen as the winning essay. For another role, duration will be up to 140 minutes total: this includes a pre-survey, collaborating on two essays, and filling out surveys after collaborating on each essay. Participants in this role will be compensated with an electronic gift card of $20 after participating in the full study, and will have an opportunity to be paid a bonus of $50 if their essay is chosen as the winning essay. Both participants will fill out a pre-study survey as well as complete surveys after each collaboration, and a pair of collaborators will have a chance of winning a bonus ($50 or $100 for each collaborator depending on the role assigned by the researcher) if the collaborated essay is selected as the winning essay. To participate in the study, please fill out this form.
20. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING STUDY – 1st posting
The 3D Interaction (3DI) research group at Virginia Tech is seeking participants for a user study on learning immunology through interactive storytelling in immersive virtual reality (VR). In the main study session, participants will first play a storytelling-based VR learning app in an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset for 20-30 minutes, and then complete several questionnaires and answer a few interview questions to give feedback on their VR learning experience. To assess their understanding of the immunology concepts embedded in the VR learning app, participants will be asked to take three short quizzes (multiple-choices) before, right after, and one week after the main study session. The total estimated study time is about 90 minutes. The main study session will be conducted at a research lab in Moss Art Center. Participants will be compensated $20 after completing all activities in the study. The study has been approved by Virginia Tech IRB (IRB# 20-781). For more information please contact Lei Zhang (leiz@vt.edu).
21. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR RESEARCH STUDY ABOUT WEARABLE BACK EXOSKELETONS – 2nd posting
The Occupational Ergonomics & Biomechanics Labs at Virginia Tech is evaluating trunk support exoskeletons for construction. Eligible participants must be age 18-55 years and have no current/recent history of musculoskeletal disorders that limit daily activities. Back support exoskeletons (BSEs) are an emerging technology that has the potential to prevent injuries among construction workers. However, more research is needed to understand the usability of BSE in the construction industry, to promote BSEs as an ergonomic intervention in the field. In this study, you will be asked series of tasks such as donning and doffing exoskeletons, squatting, and shoveling. We will record some performance metrics and photographs/video (with your permission) during the session which will last for approximately 3 hours.
If interested, please contact Aanu Ojelade at aanu@vt.edu. The study has been approved by Virginia Tech IRB (IRB# 21-435).
22. INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT
Tuesday, September 7, 3:30-4:30pm, Zoom
You’re about to collect or already have data for your research project…now what? How do you manage it? What do you name the files? How do you share it? Learn the answers to all of these questions and more in this workshop, which will present an introduction to research data management. Registration is required. Learn more here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/8099980
23. GETTING STARTED WITH ZOTERO
Wednesday, September 8, 4-5:15pm, Zoom
Zotero is a free, easy-to-use citation manager that can help researchers save time and frustration. In this interactive workshop, you will learn the basics of Zotero, including adding references to your library, organizing your library, and using Zotero to cite references within a document (both Word and Google Docs). Information on how to download the software is available at guides.lib.vt.edu/citationmanagers/Zotero. Registration for this workshop is required. Learn more here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/8099987
24. OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING (0PT) WORKSHOPS
Wednesday, September 8, 5pm, Zoom
The Cranwell International Center is hosting two special virtual OPT workshops on Aug. 26th and Sept. 8th at 5 PM. USCIS is making a special exception for the fall 2021 semester for F-1 students to apply earlier. Students graduating in Fall 2021, may apply for OPT up to 120 days before their December program end date. For more information on registering, please visit: Events and Workshops | Cranwell International Center | Virginia Tech (vt.edu).
25. CRANWELL INTERNATIONAL CENTER OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, September 9, 1-5pm, Harper Hall Lawn
Play international lawn games, enjoy drinks and snacks, learn about our fall programs and meet the CIC staff. Learn more about Cranwell here: https://international.vt.edu/
26. INTRODUCTION TO SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING
Thursday, September 9, 3:30-4:45pm, Zoom
This introductory workshop will take you step-by-step through the scholarly pre-publishing process to help you identify “predatory journals,” understand author rights, find journal copyright policies, negotiate your rights during submission and acceptance, understand the different Open Access (OA) types, learn how OA benefits you, find high quality journals in your field (OA or subscription), and potentially secure funding when publishing in an OA journal. Registration is required. Learn more here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/8100008
27. GRAD STUDENT HAPPINESS GROUP
Fridays, September 10-October 15, 11:30am-12:30pm, Venture Out Center Conference Room
Join Rec Sports for a 6-week Happiness Group just for graduate students. Learn the science behind behaviors that drive happiness and to practice these behaviors with the small group. Each participant will receive a copy of the How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. This course will run from Sept 10 through Oct 15. This groups will meet in the conference room in the new Venture Out Center on Beamer Way. Classes are FREE! Register here.
28. WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO
Friday, September 10, 12-1:30pm, Location TBA
If you’re a new graduate student who has asked yourself this question, the Graduate School wants you to know that you are not alone! Meet new and returning fellow graduate students to talk about this exciting—and often overwhelming—life adventure. Please complete the following survey so we will know how many to expect and what topics you’d like to discuss. We are not sure at this point if this session will be in-person or via Zoom. https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b30sb3LDgLMiNOC