Posted on by lbarron

May 19-25, 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 May 2025    

  This Week’s Events: 

  1. FREE COMPUTING AND DATA WORKSHOPS – Tuesday
  2. HANDS-ON DIGITIZING TEXTS WITH MACHINE LEARNING AND AI – Wednesday
  3. PREPARING DATA FOR INPUT INTO GEOSPATIAL APPLICATIONS – Wednesday
  4. 2025 SUMMER INSTITUTE – Wednesday
  5. GLC CAFE – Thursday

Administrative Announcements:   

  1. GRADSENSE: A RESOURCE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS – 1st posting (1/2)
  2. THE ACADEMY FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATE PEDAGOGY IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR NEW MEMBERS – 1st posting (1/3)
  3. TEACHING-RELATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE CIRTL NETWORK – 2nd posting
  4. COMING SOON: CIRTL AT VIRGINIA TECH PRACTITIONER TEACHING PROGRAM – 2nd posting
  5. GRADUATE SCHOOL – SPECIAL CLOSURES AND SUMMER HOURS – 3rd posting
  6. ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES FOR INTERNATIONAL SPOUSES – 2nd posting
  7. LEADERSHIP THEORY COURSE AVAILABLE SUMMER 3 – REGISTER NOW – 3rd posting
  8. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MICROSOFT STORAGE CHANGES – 3rd posting

Jobs: 

  1. GA POSITION FOR ONEOP GRANT – 3rd posting
  2. TEMPORARY PART-TIME PROJECT ASSISTANT – 3rd posting
  3. VT TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM – FALL 2025 –3rd posting

Funding Opportunities:
None submitted at this time.

Volunteers and research participants sought: 

  1. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR THE MEASURE STUDY: MEASURING ENERGY ACROSS SIZES USING RECALLS – 1st posting (1/3)
  2. MRI RESEARCH STUDY RECRUITING YOUNG ADULTS – 2nd posting
  3. LOOKING FOR FIRST AND FOURTH GRADERS TO FOR VIRGINIA TECH LEARNING STUDY (IRB PROTOCOL #24-1349) – 2nd posting
  4. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED – UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND EATING BEHAVIORS STUDY – 3rd posting

Upcoming Events:    

  1. PREPARING FOR LAUNCH: HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR SENIOR FOR COLLEGE – May 28
  2. VIRTUAL GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH INTENSIVE JUNE 3-4
  3. BIOMEDICAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM – June 5
  4. ONE HEALTH SYMPOSIUM FOR ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE RESEARCH AND STEWARDSHIP POLICY – July 8

 0. Ongoing Services – updated May 2025 

  • 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, 9am-4pm. June 2 – August 1, 2025, walk-in hours will be held on Monday and Thursday, 11am- 3pm. 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.
  • COOK COUNSELING: Drop in hours for Cook Counseling: Fridays from 1 to 3pm. 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. FREE COMPUTING AND DATA WORKSHOPS
Tuesday, May 20, In-person at TLOS or remotely via Zoom
Interested in improving your research data and computing skills before undertaking summer research? Join us for a series of interactive, hands-on workshops in May 2025 in Blacksburg or online. Half-day workshops on Open Qualitative Data Analysis with QualCoder and Mixed Methods Data Analysis with NVivo are offered on Tue, 20 May. Register through the Professional Development Network or the Library Calendar. In-person at TLOS or remotely via Zoom. Register: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu or https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/?category%5Bid%5D=154709&category%5Bname%5D=Research%20and%20Discovery

2. HANDS-ON DIGITIZING TEXTS WITH MACHINE LEARNING AND AI
Wednesday, May 21, 9am-12pm, Newman Library room 207A
Are you interested in extracting text from scanned images—even poor quality images—and learning more about new advances in optical character recognition (OCR)? Join us for a 3-hour workshop on utilizing machine learning and large language models to programmatically OCR images of text. The workshop will take participants through running Python code in collaborative notebooks to access a variety of tools used to OCR texts, including texts that might be poorly scanned or otherwise difficult to read. This is a participatory workshop and you will have the opportunity to practice along with the instructors, as well as applying skills in exercises on your own. The workshop is open to all VT community members. Some experience with Python is recommended. https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/14553557

3. PREPARING DATA FOR INPUT INTO GEOSPATIAL APPLICATIONS
Wednesday, May 21, 2-3:30pm, Zoom
Designed for students, faculty, and researchers new to geospatial mapping (GIS) or working with tabular data, this workshop provides a practical foundation for integrating spreadsheet-based data into spatial analysis workflows. By the end, participants will understand how to prepare and format spreadsheet and CSV format datasets so they can be effectively imported, visualized, and symbolized in a geospatial mapping environment. No prior experience is required. Participants will learn how to identify and clean location data—such as latitude and longitude columns—to ensure proper formatting and structure for correct input into geospatial software like ArcGIS or QGIS. https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/teachingandlearning/courses/lib187-052125. Contact Imma Mwanja imma@vt.edu with any questions.

4. 2025 SUMMER INSTITUTE
Wednesday, May 21, 2pm through Friday, May 23, Moss Art Center, New Classroom Building
The Summer Institute is a 2 1/2 day event for anyone who teaches undergraduates (include graduate students). With more than 50 sessions between May 21- 23, the two-and-a-half-day event will offer discussions and workshops that both early-career instructors and seasoned faculty will find valuable.
Topics will include an overview of the incoming class of first-year students, integrating peer support in your curriculum, technology-enhanced learning, growth-based grading, student motivation, and tackling controversial topics with confidence. It’s free, lunch and refreshments are included, and participants will be eligible to receive up to 12 PDN credits! Registration closes on May 15 at 5 p.m. Attendance will be limited to 350. https://www.provost.vt.edu/who_we_are/undergraduate_affairs/ue/summer-institute.html

5. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, May 22, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
Enjoy free coffee, tea, and cookies in the company of your grad student and Grad School colleagues. Relax, network, and load up on caffeine and/or carbs. Bring your own mug if you can. If you have any questions please, contact Lindsay Barron lbarron@vt.edu

Administrative Announcements   

6. GRADSENSE: A RESOURCE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS – 1st posting (1/2)
GradSense is a website to help you plan financially for graduate school – whether you’re already enrolled or just considering your options. Learn what funding options are available for which degrees, plan your future with our debt to earnings calculator, and create a budget that will see you through your program. https://gradsense.org/

7. THE ACADEMY FOR OUTSTANDING GRADUATE PEDAGOGY IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR NEW MEMBERS – 1st posting (1/3)
The Academy for Outstanding Graduate Pedagogy (AOGP) at Virginia Tech is now accepting nominations for new members. The AOGP is a collaborative organization between the graduate student body and the Graduate School, with the central directive of celebrating excellence in graduate teaching and providing support to graduate teaching efforts across university contexts. For more information about AOGP: https://aogp.graduateschool.vt.edu/About.html  All graduate students interested in teaching are encouraged to apply! More details on requirements and the application form are available at this link: https://aogp.graduateschool.vt.edu/Joining.html

8. TEACHING-RELATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE CIRTL NETWORK – 2nd posting
Virginia Tech is a member of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), a network of 45 research universities dedicated to preparing future faculty who are committed to the implementation and advancement of evidence-based teaching. Through this network, Virginia Tech graduate students and postdoctoral associates can access free online professional development opportunities led by experts across the CIRTL community. This summer, CIRTL will offer non-credit courses and workshops on evidence-based teaching fundamentals, teaching-as-research, and academic career development. The full summer schedule—including program descriptions, registration details, and any participant caps—is available at https://cirtl.net/events/.  For more information about the CIRTL Network, visit https://www.cirtl.net/. To learn more about CIRTL at Virginia Tech, visit https://cirtl.vt.edu/  or contact cirtl@vt.edu.

9. COMING SOON: CIRTL AT VIRGINIA TECH PRACTITIONER TEACHING PROGRAM – 2nd posting
Launching in fall 2025, the CIRTL at Virginia Tech Practitioner Teaching Program will offer a teaching-focused professional development experience within a cohort-based learning community. This year-long program is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral associates who want to deepen their understanding of evidence-based teaching, engage in reflective practice, and develop a Teaching-as-Research project. Program highlights include resources and activities to help you build a teaching portfolio, cohort meetings held approximately twice per month, opportunities to engage with the CIRTL Network (www.cirtl.net), an average commitment of 5 hours per month, and a digital badge awarded upon program completion. Current Virginia Tech graduate students and postdoctoral associates who have completed the Associate Teaching Program (https://cirtl.vt.edu/teaching-program.html)  are eligible to apply. Program applications will open in late summer 2025. Questions? Email cirtl@vt.edu.

10. GRADUATE SCHOOL – SPECIAL CLOSURES AND SUMMER HOURS – 3rd posting

  • Wednesday, May 21 – The Graduate School will be closed between 10 am and 2pm for the employee appreciation event.
  • Graduate School summer hours: In-person advising, drop-off or pick-up of documents and materials, and a space to study and take a break! Summer walk-in hours for 120 GLC, June 2nd – August 1st, will be held on Monday and Thursday, 11:00am-3:00pm. The Graduate School offices will be open from 9am until 4pm. for the summer. Staff will be available by phone 540 231-8636 or email grads@vt.edu, and in-person by appointment outside of stated summer walk-in hours.  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.

11. ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSES FOR INTERNATIONAL SPOUSES – 2nd posting
Are you an international spouse looking to improve your English language skills and connect with others in your community? Come study with us at the Language and Culture Institute. Boost your confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Learn academic English that can help you in your everyday life and in future studies. Meet fellow international students and spouses and feel more connected to your community. We offer courses from intermediate to advanced at a very affordable rate exclusive to VT spouses. A recent English placement test is required. TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo accepted. All courses are on a space available basis. Please contact Beth Loar, admissions manager, at eloar@vt.edu.

12. LEADERSHIP THEORY COURSE AVAILABLE SUMMER 3 – REGISTER NOW – 3rd posting
All graduate students are invited to enroll in LDRS 5454 Leadership Diverse Contexts (CRN 64328). This is an online, asynchronous, 12-week course offered during Summer 3. The course explores the foundational leadership theories that inform the study and practice of leadership. Students will develop their own leadership philosophy based on course readings. Questions? Contact Dr Jerald Walz at jhwalz@vt.edu.

13. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MICROSOFT STORAGE CHANGES – 3rd posting
Virginia Tech is updating storage allocations for students within the Microsoft 365 Online (M365) environment. Beginning June 2, 2025, student OneDrive storage will be capped at 10 gigabytes (GB), and Exchange Online (email) storage will be capped at 5 GB. Student-owned shared resources (Teams, SharePoint sites, etc.) will be slated for deletion unless ownership is transferred to a department. It is highly recommended that you move any files/folders you wish to keep from shared Microsoft resources to another resource. If you are using a shared resource that a university department needs to retain, please contact the faculty or staff member most-closely connected to the contents of that resource to discuss how it should be managed. For more information, visit https://it.vt.edu/projects/microsoft/students.html.

Jobs   

14. GA POSITION FOR ONEOP GRANT – 3rd posting
This part time position is for OneOp, a grant network for providers who serve military families. The professional filling this position will work closely with supervisors from the Military Community Advocacy (MCA) team on all aspects of adult online education development and delivery, program evaluation, event coordination support, content review/proofreading, and other staff support areas for a federal grant. We seek demonstrated proficiency in the following areas: social services; clinical and family support; conducting literature reviews; excellent written and oral communication skills; social media trends; writing, editing, and proofreading. Additional sought-after skills include proficiency in Qualtrics, working knowledge of military families, online education, and project management. This is a fully remote position. For more information about OneOp, visit, https://oneop.org/. For consideration, please email a cover letter and current resume/CV to Kalin Goble Mathis, OneOp Program Development Specialist, at kmgoble@vt.edu  by June 5, 2025. 

15. TEMPORARY PART-TIME PROJECT ASSISTANT – 3rd posting
OneOp is seeking a temporary, part-time Project Assistant to support our federally funded online education programming for professionals serving military families. This is a remote position with flexible hours and the opportunity to contribute to impactful programming that spans the full spectrum of family services, including family strengthening and addressing problematic sexual behavior in children and youth. This position will support various aspects of program development and delivery, including online education, evaluation, event coordination, content editing, and administrative support. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong skills in social services, family and clinical support, academic research, content creation, and project coordination. Application deadline June 5, 2025. For more information about OneOp, visit, https://oneop.org/. For consideration, please email a cover letter and current resume/CV to Molly Herndon, OneOp Program Development Specialist & Co-Principal Investigator, at mollych@vt.edu by June 5, 2025.

16. VT TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM – FALL 2025 – DEADLINE JUNE 15, 2025 – 3rd posting
The VT Teaching Fellows adjunct faculty opportunities at Northern Virginia Community College are now posted! See the available positions at the included link, along with the slides from the information sessions. More positions will be posted as they become available, so please check back often! https://virginiatech.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/NVCGSSO/EgIkcX27nFNEq1AaOfuKx2QBUJExJ43UEZA1l35SGe2FuQ?e=2x0V35. This opportunity is open to domestic or international master’s or doctoral students with at least 18 graduate credit hours in the teaching discipline. Teaching will be either in-person or virtual, depending on the student’s location. Questions? Contact Dr. Barbara Hoopes at bhoopes@vt.edu.

Funding Opportunities:

None submitted at this time.

Volunteers and Research Participants Sought   

17. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR THE MEASURE STUDY: MEASURING ENERGY ACROSS SIZES USING RECALLS – 1st posting (1/3)
Are you interested in learning more about your body’s energy needs and helping researchers better measure food intake in participants of varying body sizes? Participants are needed for the MEASURE study (IRB #22-654) seeking to understand how a participant’s weight class can affect measurements of dietary intake. Participants will complete measurements of height, weight, body composition, energy expenditure, and food intake over a period of 5-7 weeks with a total of 5 visits to campus. To be eligible, you must be over 18, have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2, weigh under 600 lbs., and not be following a weight control diet. Compensation of up to $150 is available for this study. If you are interested in participating, please complete this screening survey https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/measurestudy.

18. MRI RESEARCH STUDY RECRUITING YOUNG ADULTS – 2nd posting
The MEM lab is recruiting participants for an fMRI study of young adult cognition. Participants are compensated for their time at approximately $30 per hour. If you are between the ages of 18 and 50 and interested in learning more, please contact vtmemorylab@gmail.com. Primary investigator: Rachel Diana, rdiana@vt.edu, 540-231-1913, Biomedical Research Alliance of New York Institutional Review Board (BRANY) Protocol #VT18-1077-568

19. LOOKING FOR FIRST AND FOURTH GRADERS TO FOR VIRGINIA TECH LEARNING STUDY (IRB PROTOCOL #24-1349) – 2nd posting
Participants needed for Virginia Tech Human Development and Family Science study (IRB # 24-1349). This research is to learn more about first and fourth graders’ literacy, math, self-regulation, executive function skills, how those skills are related to each other, as well as the role stress plays in the development of those skills so educators and/or parents can better support children’s development and literacy and math learning. Eligible individuals will participate in one 60-minute in-person video recorded session either on the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus, your home, your child’s school, after school, or summer program. Participant qualifications: Parent/guardians of a child in first grade (or a rising second grader during the 2025 summer) or fourth grade (or a rising fifth grader during the 2025 summer), both you and your child speak and read English. Compensation: $20 upon completion of the session and survey if it takes place in the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus or your home, or $5 if the session takes place in your child’s school, after school, or summer program. Fill out the study interest form here: https://bit.ly/VTLearningStudy. Please contact Isabel Valdivia with any questions isabelvl@vt.edu.

20. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED – UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND EATING BEHAVIORS STUDY –  3rd posting
IRB #: 24-1119.The SEED Lab is looking for volunteers for a qualitative research study examining the intersection between disordered eating and social media use. Participants will complete a short screener to determine eligibility (linked below). Eligible participants will then complete a brief survey and then a qualitative interview. The interview should take no longer than 2 hours. Please click on the REDCap link below to access the screening form. Participant qualifications: Must be ages 18-30, English speaking, social media use at or above 30 minutes per day experiencing disordered eating. Compensation $60 Amazon gift card or 2 SONA Credits. For more information or to complete eligibility screening: https://redcap.vtc.vt.edu/surveys/?s=PLRLTXDEXEPX3KXR.

Upcoming Events   

21. PREPARING FOR LAUNCH: HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR SENIOR FOR COLLEGE
Wednesday, May 28, 12-1pm, Zoom
The Early Childhood Education Initiatives team is partnering with Samantha Buchanan, M.Ed., Associate Director in New Student and Family Programs here at Virginia Tech, to offer this session. Samantha will lead a discussion about the transition from high school to higher education student, and some of the biggest topics, celebrations, and struggles that many higher education students deal with in the first year. Contact Isabel Valdivia with any questions isabelvl@vt.edu. Register here: https://forms.gle/Ee77hHYGUjLcLitA8

22. VIRTUAL GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH INTENSIVE
Tuesday, June 3, 1-4pm  & Wednesday, June 4, 10am-12pm, Zoom
Are you a graduate student planning to start or continue working on your research project over the summer? If so, join the University Libraries for a virtual research intensive workshop led by VT librarians and designed with graduate students in mind. In this workshop, you’ll learn more about searching for library resources for literature reviews, using citation managers, writing conference proposals and abstracts, and AI tools that can help your research process.  This interactive Zoom workshop will build in time for discussion and questions. It will be held June 3 from 1-4 pm and June 4 from 10 am-12pm. Researchers at all stages of the process and from any discipline are welcome.  To view the full schedule and register, visit https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/14484913.

23. BIOMEDICAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
Thursday, June 5, 9:30am-5pm, 4 Riverside Cir Roanoke, VA 24016 Room G101A/B or Zoom
The Roanoke Graduate Student Association, in collaboration with VSOP and BMES, is excited to invite you to the upcoming Biomedical Professional Development Symposium, a dynamic event designed to introduce early-career researchers to the wide range of career paths available in biomedical science. The symposium will feature professionals from various sectors of the field who will share their real-world experiences and insights. The event will be in-person and virtual over Zoom. Breakfast will be provided for all in-person attendees, and lunch will be provided for the first 65 registrants! Register here: https://forms.gle/23M9kesJ38JERnP36. If you have questions, please email RGSA roanokegsa@gmail.com  

24. ONE HEALTH SYMPOSIUM FOR ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE RESEARCH AND STEWARDSHIP POLICY
Tuesday, July 8, 9am- 3:30pm, Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center
The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is collaborating with Carilion Clinic and the Virginia Department of Health to host this symposium that will bring together researchers, veterinary and medical practitioners, and public health professionals to share information, build regional networks, and consider how to bridge research and policy at the institutional and state levels. Students welcome! Registration is free! Research posters can be submitted. Questions? Contact: Cassidy Rist crist6@vt.edu. Register here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=GJCmcZQHwEGAqNE-H68wptedH-pR8lVAtieifHElb8FUQzlUWTJSUEczV0pYTVM5TTc4MlpXQlYzRi4u&route=shorturl