Posted on by lbarron

January 6 – 12, 2025

To see full descriptions for any item in the summary list please click on the continue reading link below the summary list.   

0.   Ongoing Services – updated 8/26/24   

This Week’s Events:   

  1. UNIVERSITY WEATHER CLOSURES – Monday
  2. GLC CAFÉ – Wednesday & Thursday
  3. FREE COMPUTING AND DATA WORKSHOPS –  Thursday
  4. ALTERNATIVE WINTER BREAK TRIP (JAN 11-18); COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – Saturday

Administrative Announcements:  

  1. GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS AND OUTSTANDING ADVISING/MENORING AWARD – 1st posting
  2. TAKE YOUR RESEARCH TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH GRAD 5124 – 1st posting
  3. GRADUATE STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT – EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION INITIATIVES JANUARY/FEBRUARY PROGRAMS – 1st posting

Jobs:

  1. INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ASSISTANT – 3rd posting

Funding Opportunities: 

  1. VT TEACHING FELLOWS PILOT PROGRAM
  2. 2025-2026 CHATEAUBRIAND FELLOWSHIP – DEADLINE: JANUARY 10, 2025    
  3. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: CORNELL INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION RESEARCH (CIDER) POSTDOC POSITIONS – DEADLINE: JANUARY 13, 2025
  4. DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM – DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2025
  5. RUNWAY STARTUP POSTDOC PROGRAM AT CORNELL TECH – DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15, 2025

Volunteers and research participants sought:

  1. INVESTING ALGORITHMIC BIASES FOR ML/AI- BASED BIOMECHANICAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENTS USING WEARABLE SENSORS – 1st posting
  2. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A RESEARCH STUDY ON LEARNING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING WITH GENERATIVE AI – 3rd  posting

Upcoming Events:  

  1. INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN WORKSHOP- January 13
  2. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS DEEP DIVE – January 13
  3. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY MARCH – January 20
  4. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CIRCLES – January 21
  5. “I HAVE A DREAM’: CREATING CONDITIONS FOR BELONGING AS ‘ONEVT’ COMMUNITY” January 22
  6. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: LATASHA MORRISION – January 22
  7. PARENTS CONNECT LUNCH – January 24,
  8. 14TH ANNUAL MLK SEMINAR – DR. GENTRY PATRICK – January 24
  9. JANA KOO “CUCKOO” – January 31 & February 1
  10. BEOWULF: THE EPIC IN PERFORMANCE – February 6 & 7

 0. Ongoing Services – updated 08/05   

  • GRADUATE SCHOOL: Graduate School hours: In-person advising, drop-off or pick-up of documents and materials, and a space to study and take a break! Visit 120 GLC, walk-in hours  Monday – Friday. 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 ; GLC drop-in hours in GLC 120 will be held on Wednesdays 1-4pm 
  • COOK COUNSELING: Beginning the Week of 10/14/24, drop in hours for Cook Counseling will be provided on Fridays from 1 to 3 only. Students can call 540-231-6557 to schedule an appointment with the Embedded Counselor at the GLC or the embedded counselor with their program.
  • WRITING CENTER SERVICES: Schedule an appointment at https://vt.mywconline.com/  
  • GRADUATE OMBUDSPERSON: contact for appointment at gradombud@vt.edu, 540-231-9573  

This Week’s Events  

1. UNIVERSITY WEATHER CLOSURES
Monday, January 6
Many campus locations are closed today for inclement weather. Keep up to date on all university closures at vt.edu/status. 

2. GLC CAFÉ
Wednesday, January 8  & Thursday, January, 9, 3:30-5pm, GLC Reading room
Enjoy coffee, tea, cookies and conversation with graduate students and Graduate School staff. your Bring own mug if you can! The GLC Café occurs every Thursday and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month.

3. FREE COMPUTING AND DATA WORKSHOPS
Thursday, January 9, (additional dates below), 9am-5pm, In-person at TLOS or on Zoom
Interested in improving your research data and computing skills? Join us for a hands-on workshop in January 2025 in Blacksburg or online. Workshops are 9am to 5pm with lunch from 12:30 to 1:30. Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants. The workshops are open to all VT community members. You do not need any experience with the software to participate, but you will need access to a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.
Workshops offered:
– Thursday, 9 January 2025: Intro to Unix and Git: Working at the command line
– Friday, 10 January 2025: Intro to Python and JupyterLab
– Monday, 13 January 2025: Intro to R and RStudio
– Tuesday, 14 January 2025: Intro to Excel and OpenRefine: Working with spreadsheets
Register: Library events page: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu  or PDN page: https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/?query=carpentries

4. ALTERNATIVE WINTER BREAK TRIP (JAN 11-18); COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – January 11-18
Saturday, January 11 – Saturday, January 18, Columbia, SC
Want to do something fun and rewarding over winter break? Look no further! Sign up to participate in the Alternative Break in Columbia, South Carolina Jan 11-18th, 2025. Alternative Break trips are designed to connect students with community members through engaging in experiential service and learning opportunities. All students are welcome to register regardless of major (undergraduate AND graduate). Cost estimates include transportation, lodging, and food for the entire trip. There is more information below, and please reach out to Jett Sable jettls24@vt.edu with any questions or concerns. Estimated cost $350. Travel grant applications are available to assist with partial to full funding! Apply here: https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbaseline.campuslabs.com%2Fvpiaostinsu%2Fab25&data=05%7C02%7Cakshayanil%40vt.edu%7Ccc484e1d9a6345a6213608dd14ae10e7%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638689460019564066%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=yLLo3jqwQnay7%2FlyxqBR6nCPH7pron%2F6mqe%2F9bNjxDQ%3D&reserved=0

Administrative Announcements  

5. GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS AND OUTSTANDING ADVISING/MENTORING AWARD – 1st posting
The Graduate School is seeking nominations for a variety of graduate student awards: excellence in teaching and service, outstanding dissertation, thesis and interdisciplinary doctoral student, and graduate student of the year. Learn more about these awards here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/student.html
In addition, a new award was created this year to honor A/P faculty and staff for their outstanding efforts in graduate advising and mentoring. Learn how to make a nomination here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards/outstanding-advising-mentoring-award–a-p-faculty-staff-.html. The deadline for all of these awards is January 24.

6. TAKE YOUR RESEARCH TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH GRAD 5124 – 1st posting
Take your research to the next level! GRAD 5124 (Research Skills for Graduate Students) is an asynchronous, one-credit, fully-online course offered by the University Libraries in Spring 2025. Students in any discipline will develop skills that will prepare them for research in graduate school and beyond. Questions should be directed to Kat Brown at katbrown@vt.edu.

7. GRADUATE STUDENT PARENT SUPPORT – EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION INITIATIVES JANUARY/FEBRUARY PROGRAMS – 1st posting
All programs run 12-1pm via Zoom and require registration, register here: https://caregiving.vt.edu/childcare/programs.html

All programs run 12-1pm via Zoom and require registration. For more information and to register, go to https://caregiving.vt.edu/childcare/programs.html
January 22 – Balancing Act: Managing Screen Time for Healthy Child Development – Empowering Families with Strategies for Digital Wellness
January 23 – How to Talk to Your Children About Mass Traumatic Events They Encounter Through Social Media
February 6 – Finding the Right Fit: Choosing Quality Child Care for Your Family
February 20 – Community Resilience Model (CRM) for Caregivers of Children
February 26 – Self-Care Sanctuary: Prioritizing Parent Well-being for Family Harmony – Nurturing the Caregiver’s Soul for Resilient Parenting

Jobs  

8. INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ASSISTANT – 3rd posting
Manage the course section/course administration including re-write announcements to tailor to students, creating different discussion board questions, facilitate discussion boards and providing assignment feedback Engage with students through check-in meetings, respond to student concerns/coaching and plan and attend site visits (if appropriate). Lead and track attendance for Campus internEXP Information and Orientation Sessions for incoming students. Serve on Intern of the Month and Intern of the Year review committee. Create student spotlights for social media Collect and report data on Hume Center participation. Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree.  Strong written and verbal communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills, project/program coordination, attention to detail, organizational skills, ability to work independently while also collaborate and work on a team, and demonstrated adaptability and professionalism. Start ASAP and work through the Spring semester. For more information: https://vt.joinhandshake.com/jobs/9511932/share_preview.

Funding Opportunities  

 Funding opportunities sponsored by the graduate school can be found here:  
https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school.html  
All external funding opportunities that we are aware of can be found here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships.html

9. VT TEACHING FELLOWS PILOT PROGRAM
Applications for the VT Teaching Fellows Pilot Program are now open! NVCC has created “Invitation Only” application links for the Adjunct Faculty positions available to VT Graduate Students. You must use the links in the file linked here, not those on the general NVCC Employment webpage. The file contains instructions and guidelines for applying, along with all the position-specific links. Read carefully through the position descriptions and apply for any that you are interested in and qualified for. Reach out to Dr. Cathleen Cogdill (ccogdill@nvcc.edu) with any NVCC application or process questions. Reach out to Dr. Barbara Hoopes (bhoopes@vt.edu) with any VT Co-Op, CPT, or related questions. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eKZa8GD9z8r5tUx17BK3Re4U9SkXjH-6/view?usp=sharing

10. 2025-2026 CHATEAUBRIAND FELLOWSHIP – DEADLINE: JANUARY 10, 2025      
Call for applications for the Châteaubriand Fellowship program, open since October 7, 2024, will close on January 10, 2025. The Chateaubriand Fellowship is offered by the French Embassy in the United States. It supports doctoral students from American institutions who wish to carry out part of their doctoral research in France for a period ranging from 4 to 9 months. It helps initiate or strengthen collaborations, partnerships and joint projects between French and American research teams. The fellowship is divided into two sub-programs:

  • A fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Biology-Health (STEM), offered by the Office for Science & Technology (OST) of the Embassy of France in partnership with American universities and French research organizations such as the CNRS, Inserm and Inria.
  • A fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), offered by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and supported by Campus France.

For more information visit the website, https://chateaubriand-fellowship.org/

11. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: CORNELL INTERDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION RESEARCH (CIDER) POSTDOC POSITIONS – DEADLINE: JANUARY 13, 2025
We are excited to announce three Cornell InterDisciplinary Education Research (CIDER) postdoc positions https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29002. Application review starts in January 2025, for a summer 2025 start date. The CIDER postdocs will have at least two research mentors who span disciplines, allowing them to approach questions about student learning and experiences across disciplinary boundaries and use techniques and approaches from multiple fields. The CIDER postdocs will also engage in a comprehensive professional development program that includes research mentoring and development, network building, leadership, teaching opportunities, and career planning.
More information including links to upcoming online information sessions, can be found here: https://cder.as.cornell.edu/cider-postdoctoral-fellows

12. DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM – DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2025

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College sponsors the annual Dissertation Fellowship Program in the field of retirement or disability research. The program is funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and provides funding opportunities for doctoral candidates to pursue cutting-edge research on retirement or disability issues. Individuals from historically underserved or underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply. For more information:  https://crr.bc.edu/about-us/opportunities/dissertation-fellowship-program-2/

13. RUNWAY STARTUP POSTDOC PROGRAM AT CORNELL TECH – DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15, 2025
This program is designed for recently graduated PhDs from deep tech backgrounds who have a startup idea. It is open for domestic and international PhDs. For more information: https://tech.cornell.edu/programs/phd/startup-postdocs/


Volunteers and Research Participants Sought  

 14. INVESTIGATING ALGORITHMIC BIASES FOR ML/AI- BASED BIOMECHANICAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENTS USING WEARABLE SENSORS – 1st posting
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), such as back pain and strains during manual material handling tasks pose a significant economic burden in the U.S. Biomechanical exposure assessments using wearable sensors and ML/AI algorithms are gaining popularity in the field of ergonomics. However, the proprietary nature of these algorithms raises concerns about fairness and potential biases related to worker demographics (e.g., age, sex) and anthropometry (e.g., strength). This study aims to investigate such biases in ML/AI-based biomechanical assessments using wearable sensors and depth cameras.Participation involves a single 2-2.5 hour visit to perform simulated industrial tasks (e.g., lifting, pushing/pulling) and complete a questionnaire. Results will help identify algorithmic biases and propose strategies to develop fairer ML/AI tools. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time.

15. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A RESEARCH STUDY ON LEARNING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING WITH GENERTIVE AI – 2nd  posting
The Code World, No Blanket Research Lab is seeking participants for a research study supporting student learning software development life cycle with generative AI. Participants will use our proposed system to learn software development life cycle concepts throughout the controlled user study session, completing quizzes, surveys, and interviews to provide feedback on learning experience. The study will be conducted in person and will last about 60-90 minutes. After completing the study, participant will receive $25 compensation. Participant qualifications: Be at least 18 years old, University Student, Have basic Python skills, but novice to software development life cycle. To sign up for the study, please fill out this survey: https://forms.gle/6vfwEL2bAsYbHXRQ6

Upcoming Events  

16. INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN WORKSHOP
Monday, January 13, 10:00-11:30am, GLC Room B
You have put a lot of time and effort into pursuing your graduate degree. Now it’s time to focus on how to leverage your expertise into a satisfying and productive career. The Individual Development Plan (IDP) concept is designed to help you define and pursue your career goals. In this interactive workshop, I will first describe what an IDP is, why IDPs are useful, and provide some tools for you to get started on making your own. In the last half of the workshop we will work on creating an IDP together. Please bring a laptop to engage in the exercise. Please note: NSF GRFP grantees are required to have an IDP on file with the Graduate School. Register here: https://gs.vt.edu/1u

17. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS DEEP DIVE|
Monday, January 13 – Thursday January 16, 10am-3pm, Virtual
During this four-day workshop participants will become familiar with the major required steps of this methodology, practice relevant skills, and consider the many decisions necessary for a successful comprehensive review and synthesis. Participants are welcome to bring a systematic review or meta-analysis that they are pursuing or plan to pursue to work on throughout the session. It is not required to have a project to participate. Register here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/13408118

18. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY MARCH
Monday, January 20, 1:30pm, Peddrew-Yates
Join us for a march celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There will be a reception immediately following in the Black Cultural Center at 3pm.

19. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CIRCLES
Tuesday, January 21, 4:30-8pm, Black Cultural Center
This event will have a Faculty/Staff only reception from 4:30-5:30pm. Then, from 6-8pm, there will be a facilitated dialogue to reflect on the work of Dr. King, and how we can move his legacy forward.  https://ccc.vt.edu/calendar/mlk.html

20. “I HAVE A DREAM’: CREATING CONDITIONS FOR BELONGING AS ‘ONE VT’ COMMUNITY”
Wednesday, January 22, 12-2pm, The Inn at Virginia Tech
Dr. Terrell Strayhorn will lead a keynote session to discuss how academic work can support the cause of advancing equity, removing systemic injustices, and improving the material conditions of our most vulnerable populations in society. https://virginiatech.sharepoint.com/sites/Student_Affairs/SitePages/Jan-22.aspx?csf=1&web=1&e=Y1OcLS&CID=efd565a1-206f-6000-db2c-2b0f568b89a8&cidOR=SPO&xsdata=MDV8MDJ8YS5nb29kZUB2dC5lZHV8NjBkOWFiN2FiNjU0NDU1MjIzZDIwOGRkMDlhZTQ0NGN8NjA5NTY4ODQxMGFkNDBmYTg2M2Q0ZjMyYzFlM2EzN2F8MHwwfDYzODY3NzM2NjI1NzY0OTIxMnxVbmtub3dufFRXRnBiR1pzYjNkOGV5SkZiWEIwZVUxaGNHa2lPblJ5ZFdVc0lsWWlPaUl3TGpBdU1EQXdNQ0lzSWxBaU9pSlhhVzR6TWlJc0lrRk9Jam9pVFdGcGJDSXNJbGRVSWpveWZRPT18MHx8fA%3d%3d&sdata=azNrZXg4dzlROTFCVFo4NkNUbWtOdjRpUEo0OTlPZXJ2N0M1U2xPZGR5dz0%3d&SafelinksUrl=https%3a%2f%2fvirginiatech.sharepoint.com%2fsites%2fStudent_Affairs%2fSitePages%2fJan-22.aspx

21. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: LATASHA MORRISION
Wednesday, January 22, 5pm, Black Cultural Center
LaTasha Morrison is an author, founder, and diversity expert. She will be joining us for a reception at 5pm at the Black Cultural Center, followed by a keynote at 6pm in the GLC.  Register here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjery6Nt-8wr5ArGzNe-V6k6tURE5PNkw0SE1BU0hXWUJIR09ZSTNIUkdUSi4u&route=shorturl

22. PARENTS CONNECT LUNCH
Friday, January 24, GLC Multipurpose Room
This Parents Connect Lunch is intended for graduate students with children to gather and share their experiences. There will be an informative and learning element to the program, along with time for attendees to mingle and exchange. Please RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/cJ05JyG7Ji

23. 14TH ANNUAL MLK SEMINAR – DR. GENTRY PATRICK
Friday, January 24, Steger Auditorium
Our 14th annual MLK Seminar will be given by Dr. Gentry Patrick on Friday January 24th at 12:00pm in the Steger Auditorium. Dr. Patrick is a Professor and Endowed Chair in Neurobiology at UC San Diego, the Director of the Center for Empathy & Social Justice in Human Health and the founder of the PATHways to STEM through Enhanced Access and Mentorship scholar’s program for under-resourced and underrepresented students. His seminar title is “A Tale of Neuroscience and Social Justice: How Separate Journeys Became One”. https://www.biol.vt.edu/Diversity/Annual_Dr_MLK_Jr_Webinar.html

24. JAHA KOO “CUCKOO”
Friday, January 31 & Saturday, February 1, 7:30pm, Moss Arts Center\
South Korean artist Jaha Koo brings theatre that inspires reflection with a play about how the inescapable past tragically affects our lives today. To purchase tickets visit: https://artscenter.vt.edu/performances/jaha-koo-cuckoo.html

25. BEOWULF: THE EPIC IN PERFORMANCE
Thursday, February 6, & Friday, February 7, 7:30pm, Blacksburg Presbyterian Church
Savor this epic tale of terrifying monsters and courageous heroes as it was meant to be experienced — performed live on medieval harp by one of the best in his field. https://artscenter.vt.edu/performances/beowulf-benjamin-bagby.html