July 24-August 30, 2023

To see full descriptions for any item in the summary list please scroll down past the list to find matching numbered blurbs for each item in the list.

This Week’s Events:       
0. Ongoing Services – updated 5/22/23
1. SCIENCE ON TAP: MOVING MINDS DANCE AND INTERPERSONAL SYNCHRONY
2. GLC CAFÉ
3. LGBTQ+ FACULTY & STAFF CAUCUS HAPPY HOUR

Administrative Announcements: 
4. LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH? – 1st posting
5. CRANWELL INTERNATIONAL CENTER – CHANGES TO PROCESSING TIMES AND IMMIGRATION ADVISING – 2nd posting
6. APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR GPSS TRAVEL FUND PROGRAM – UP TO $500 AVAILABLE FOR CONFERENCE EXPENSES –2nd posting
7. FREE ONE-ON-ONE NUTRITION GUIDANCE – 3rd posting

Jobs
None at this time 

Volunteers and research participants sought:
8. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A TIME-LAPSE VIDEO RESEARCH STUDY  – 1st posting
9. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED: DRIVING SIMULATOR STUDY ON AUTOMATED VEHICLES AND ANXIETY – 1st posting
10. FEMALE RUNNERS NEEDED FOR RESEARCH STUDY – 2nd posting
11. CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS FOR A STUDY ON CHILDREN’S SONIFICATION OF FAIRY TALES BASED ON SENTIMENT ANALYSIS – 2nd POSTING
12. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR AN EMPATHIC IN-VEHICLE AGENT STUDY – 2nd posting

Upcoming Events: 
13. VIRGINIA WOMENT IN HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING THE WORLDS MOST NERDY GAME SHOW – August 1
14. COMPETITIVE RESEARCH INTELLIGENCE WORKSHOP – August 8
15. GEARUP GRADUATE STUDENT PREORIENTATION PROGRAM – August 17-18

Click the continue reading link below to see full descriptions for each listing.

 0. Ongoing Services – updated 05/22/23    

  • GRADUATE SCHOOL: In-person advising, drop-off or pick-up of documents and materials, and a space to study and take a break! Visit SHIP (120 GLC),summer walk-in hours starting June 1st will be held on Monday and Thursday 9:00-4:00pm. The Graduate School offices will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for the summer. Staff will be available by phone 540 231-8636 or email grads@vt.edu.  If you prefer Zoom advising: request one-on-one assistantship or academic advising by using our online request form to set-up a Zoom session.
  • CAREER ADVISING: schedule career advising appointment via https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html ; NOTE: There will be no GLC drop-ins for summer.
  • COOK COUNSELING: No Drop-in hours at GLC during the summer. Services are available over the summer, and new clients are being accepted. Students must be in Blacksburg or the state of Virginia. A health fee may apply. Please call 540-231-6557 with questions or to schedule. **Please note Cook Counseling’s main office is moving to Gilbert Place, 220 Gilbert Street, suite 2400 and this will be the primary location for services this summer.
  • WRITING CENTER SERVICES: Schedule an appointment at https://vt.mywconline.com/        
  • GRADUATE OMBUDSPERSON: contact for appointment at gradombud@vt.edu, 540-231-9573

1.  SCIENCE ON TAP: MOVING MINDS DANCE AND INTERPERSONAL SYNCHRONY
Wednesday, July 26, 5:30-7pm, Rising Silo Brewery
With help from Dr. Julia Basso, director of the Embodied Brain Laboratory at Virginia Tech, dancer Rachel Rugh, and audience participation and observation, we’ll learn how dance and other movement practices impact brain function and physiology. All are welcome to participate or observe — no dance experience necessary! Hosted by the Center for Communicating Science and the VT chapter of Sigma Xi. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact scienceontapnrv@gmail.com.

2. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, July 27, 3:30-5pm, GLC reading room
Summer schedule – GLC café will be held on Thursdays only.  The 2nd and 4th Wednesday cafes will not be held during the summer and will restart in August. Enjoy snacks, tea, coffee and conversation with graduate students and Graduate School staff. Bring your own mug if you can.

3. LGBTQ+ FACULTY & STAFF CAUCUS HAPPY HOUR
Thursday, July 27, 5:30-7pm, The Maroon Door, 418 N Main St, Blacksburg
The LGBTQ+ Faculty & Staff Caucus will be holding monthly happy hours on the last Thursday of the Month from July through November, 2023. We will be meeting at The Maroon Door on Main St. from 5:30pm to 7:00pm each time. Graduate students are welcomed and encouraged to join as we build community among LGBTQ+ employees and allies at Virginia Tech. For more information, email Haleigh Wallace at haleighwallace@vt.edu.

4. LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH? – 1st posting
Looking to improve your English? Did you know that the Language and Culture Institute at Virginia Tech offers English Language courses to the international community? We welcome students, spouses, employees, scholars and community members to come and learn English with us. We offer semester-long intensive English classes in grammar, listening and speaking as well as reading and writing. To be placed in one of our levels please take the Duolingo test or an equivalent. Test scores must be received by August 14. For more information, please contact our Admissions Manager Elizabeth Loar eloar@vt.edu. Classes start August 21 220 Gilbert Street, Suite 5300 Blacksburg, Virginia 24060

5. CRANWELL INTERNATIONAL CENTER – CHANGES TO PROCESSING TIMES AND IMMIGRATION ADVISING – 2nd posting
Please view important updates to immigration requests, new immigration specialists, the advising appointment process, and updates to the in-person (Blacksburg campus) and virtual (any campus location) walk-in advising schedule here:
https://news.vt.edu/notices/2023/07/20230706_notice_cranwell_international_center_announces_changes_to_processing_times_and_immigration_advising.html?utm_source=cmpgn_news&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vtUnirelNewsDailyCMP_071023-fs

6. APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR GPSS TRAVEL FUND PROGRAM – UP TO $500 AVAILABLE FOR CONFERENCE EXPENSES – 2nd posting
Graduate students presenting research conducted at Virginia Tech are eligible to apply for the Fall 2023 Travel Fund Program! Grants may cover registration, lodging, meals, abstract fees and other costs of presenting at an in-person or virtual conference with a start date from Oct. 1- Dec. 31. Students from all disciplines are invited to apply, even if your conference abstract has not been officially accepted. Applications due August 14th at 11:59 PM. Please e-mail Aran Garnett-Deakin at acgarnet@vt.edu with any questions, and visit https://gpss.vt.edu/programs/tfp.html for full details and instructions.

7. FREE ONE-ON-ONE NUTRITION GUIDANCE – 3rd posting
Seeking nutrition guidance? Are you interested in learning how to make food choices that support a healthy lifestyle? Maybe you need help with skills for shopping and cooking to help you reach your wellness goals. If you have any of these concerns or others, graduate-level nutrition and dietetics students are here to help. The Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Department at Virginia Tech provides FREE one-on-one nutrition counseling services to any interested students, faculty, or staff. Just go to https://www.hnfe.vt.edu/nutrition_counseling.html and sign up today! *We will be accepting new clients through ~mid-July for the summer session.

8. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A TIME-LAPSE VIDEO RESEARCH STUDY  – 1st posting
The Echolab is recruiting participants for a research study to investigate the effectiveness of watching time-lapse videos as a process of self-reflection. Our team is studying how watching time-lapse videos about past computer activities could facilitate the procedure of self-reflection and improve knowledge workers’ working productivity with uncovered pros and cons. For this study, we will install two applications: Time-Lapse Video and RescueTime on participants’ computers. Each day during the study, participants will be asked to check each application’s result and fill out a daily survey. The whole study will continue for four weeks. We are seeking participants are: 1)18 years and older, 2) A macOS computer user, 3) Working as a knowledge worker, 4) Allowing installing and running external applications on your working computer to record screen activities with permission from the machine owner, and 5) Users who are the sole user of their machine. After the completion of the study, each participant will be compensated with a $60 gift card and a one-month RescueTime plan ($12). For more information, please get in touch with Donghan Hu at hudh0827@vt.edu.

9. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED: DRIVING SIMULATOR STUDY ON AUTOMATED VEHICLES AND ANXIETY – 1st posting
Volunteers needed to participate in a driving simulator study to explore driving events and anxiety in automated driving. This project protocol was reviewed by the Virginia Tech Human Research Protections Program (#23-284). During the study, you will operate a driving simulator through multiple driving scenarios. For the entirety of the driving journey, the automated driving system will operate the driving task. You will encounter different driving events over the course of the study and react to them. Participants must be an active driver with a valid drivers’ license, compensation $25. Register here: https://forms.gle/Ys8e2YRjk8iHKppU9

10. FEMALE RUNNERS NEEDED FOR RESEARCH STUDY – 2nd posting
Participants are needed for a study evaluating the effects of jumping exercises on bone health in female runners (IRB 22-168). As part of this study, you will be asked to consume a reduced-calorie diet that will be provided by the research team and participate in two phases of supervised treadmill runs and jumping exercises on 5 consecutive days. Study measurements will include blood draw, body composition, bone density, VO2max, and exercise efficiency. Eligible participants must be a woman in good general health between the ages of 18-35, non-smoker, regular menstrual cycle, not on hormonal birth control, can run at least 60-90 minutes per day for 5 consecutive days, not taking any medications that could affect study results, and not pregnant or lactating. Participants will receive information on body composition, bone density, VO2max, running efficiency, and $100 for your time. For more information contact: Trisha Sterringer VTNEMLab@gmail.com.  

11. CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS FOR A STUDY ON CHILDREN’S SONIFICATION OF FAIRY TALES BASED ON SENTIMENT ANALYSIS – 2nd posting
We are recruiting participants for a study on the sonification of Children’s fairy tales based on sentiment analysis. More details can be found in the attached pdf. The study is compensated($10) and is approved by the VT IRB under protocol 22-1035. Minimum age: 18 years old. For more information contact: yeajilee@vt.edu.

12. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR AN EMPATHIC IN-VEHICLE AGENT STUDY – 2nd posting
The Mind Music and Machine Lab at Virginia Tech is seeking individuals to participate in a study (IRB# 23-041). The purpose of the study is to investigate whether empathic responses from in-vehicle agents in frustrating driving contexts affect drivers’ performance and their affective states. During the study, you will be asked to complete an emotion induction writing task and conduct a driving task with a motion-based driving simulator. You will also be asked to fill out different questionnaires regarding your current emotional state, trust level, and impression of the in-vehicle agents. Throughout the experiment, we will collect your physiological data through a smartwatch-like device. The study will last approximately 60 minutes. Participants must have an eligible driver’s license and at least two years of driving experience (other than US will be okay), 18+ years old, and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Compensation $10. https://forms.gle/ULbfqmZnxmzmJc9o8.

13. VIRGINIA WOMENT IN HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING THE WORLDS MOST NERDY GAME SHOW
Tuesday, August 1, 1pm, Zoom
Add to your summer fun! Put your hard-earned knowledge to work! Join us via Zoom on August 1st at 1 pm for fun, laughs, and prizes in the first VA-WHPC online computing trivia game. Random teams will be assigned to breakout rooms and asked questions about HPC and computing in general. Come share your knowledge with your peers and colleagues and if you’re lucky, walk away with some free stuff! Register here: https://virginia.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kdO-sqjwqGtLsq_M4j-CG_N3sQ0G1WMFr.

14. COMPETITIVE RESEARCH INTELLIGENCE WORKSHOP
Tuesday, August 8, 12-1pm, Virtual
This session, led by Connie Stovall, director for research impact and intelligence with the Virginia Tech University Libraries, and Sarah Over, engineering collections and research analyst with University Libraries, will cover the following topics: Navigating research intelligence tools and interfaces Discover research competencies and trends by topic or category Discover potential collaborators, competitors, or potential recruits Understand Field Weighted Citation Impact and Prominence Percentile as useful metrics Discover past grant awards by subject, keyword, funder, and advanced searching. https://www.research.vt.edu/about/postdoctoral-associates/postdoctoral-events-programs/2023/competitive-research-intelligence-workshop.html

15. GEARUP GRADUATE STUDENT PREORIENTATION PROGRAM
Thursday, August 17, 9am – Friday, August 18, 6pm, Torgersen Hall room 1040
Are you ready to GearUP? The “GearUP Graduate Student Pre-Orientation Program” is to bring together incoming graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds and provide them with resources early in their graduate school experience to prepare them for a successful academic year. Discover strategies and resources to benefit your graduate experience, receive holistic support, and identify opportunities to maximize your educational success. Registration is required: https://applyto.graduateschool.vt.edu/register/GearUp2023. Questions? contact the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships (DISP) at ordi@vt.edu.