1. WEEKLY WALK-IN SERVICES IN THE GLC – updated 11/10
- Career services: Wednesdays, 2:30-5:00pm, GLC Lobby
- Counseling by Cook: Thursdays and Fridays, 1:00-5:00pm, Green Room
- Financial aid advising: Tuesdays 3:30-5:00, Room A
- GLC Café: 3:30-5:00 every Thursday, Reading Room – year round!
- Graduate School business hours: M,Tu,Th,F: 8:00am-5:00pm; W: 9:30am-5:00pm
- Statistical consulting by LISA: Tu, Th, F, 10:00-12:00, Room A
- Writing Center walk-in assistance: Tuesdays 6:00-8:00, Room A (additional hours in the Library)
2. DISSERTATION WRITING SUPPORT GROUP
Tuesdays bi-weekly, starting Nov 18, 12:00-1:30pm, GLC Room D
Do you need some support with staying on track with your writing? Could you use some advice on managing your relationship with your advisor/committee? Would you share some of your experiences with fellow grad students who are going through the same process? Do you need a safe place to decompress from the stress of your dissertation? Join the second meeting of this newly forming dissertation support group and see how it may support your progress. Bring your own lunch! Contact Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu for more information.
3. DISCOVER ISLAM
Tuesday, Nov 18, 12:00-2:00pm, Info Booth A (in front of ABP) in Squires Student Center
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world with about 1.6 Billion followers. Muslims come from almost every country in the world and speak almost every language. Come and learn more about Islam from your Muslim colleagues: stop by to ask questions, get your free copy of Quran interpretation in English, view Islamic art from different countries, get your name in Arabic, and enjoy tasty Arabian dates. Hosted by Islamic Student Assembly. For more information contact grad student Haitham Elmarakeby, marakeby@vt.edu.
4. LITTLE HOKIES DONATE AND SWAP
Tuesday, November 18, 3:00 – 7:00pm, GLC Multipurpose Room
Give what you can/Take what you need: graduate students with children (or expecting) are encouraged to participate in a free event to support students with families. Bags will be provided at the entrance and students and their families will be invited to fill their bags with as many items as they may need. Donations are being accepted November 1-18 at the GLC front desk or Women’s Center. Contact Dannette with questions dannette@vt.edu.
5. SHORT STAT COURSE FOR GRADS: A TUTORIAL FOR SHINY IN R
Tuesday, Nov 18, 5:30-7:30pm, 1080 TORG
LISA provides a series of evening short courses to teach graduate students practical statistical techniques for analyzing or collecting data for their research. See www.lisa.stat.vt.edu/?q=short_courses <http://www.lisa.stat.vt.edu/?q=short_courses> for instructions on how to register and to learn more. R is a free and powerful statistical software package that is capable of advanced statistical analysis. The shiny package enables experienced R programmers to produce graphical user interfaces with customized algorithms under the hood. This gives point-and-click functionality to others, enabling complex analysis for those who are not advanced programmers. Taught by Adam Edwards, this short course provides attendees the opportunity to execute and manipulate R code which produces graphical user interfaces using shiny. This course is intended for researchers who wish to learn how to build shiny applications. Basic knowledge of R programming is strongly recommended. For more information, please visit our website www.lisa.stat.vt.edu.
6. DANCE OF NATIONS
Tuesday, Nov 18, 7:00-8:30pm, Haymarket Theater
Dance of Nations is a celebration of the cultural diversity that exists on the Virginia Tech campus. Come watch students, professional dancers and community members from various parts of the world showcase their cultures. Dance of Nations is organized by Council of International Students Organization. For any inquires please send an email to farhady@vt.edu.
7. FREE ANXIETY AND OCD SUPPORT GROUP
Tuesday, Nov 18, 7:00pm, GLC Meeting Room D
Are you feeling overwhelmed by anxiety? Do you struggle with OCD? A free monthly support group meets the last Tuesday of every month. This month, the meeting is week early due to Thanksgiving break. Join the group in the Graduate Life Center to learn more about anxiety disorders and OCD, hear success stories from those who have worked to overcome their anxiety and OCD, and receive support in an informal setting. Family members and significant others are also welcome. If you have questions or would like more information, contact the Psychological Services Center at 231-6914, visit http://www.psyc.vt.edu/outreach/psc, or email Kelsey Banes at kbanes@vt.edu.
8. BLOODY BE: HYMNS OF HUNGER AND WOMEN-RAGE
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Nov 18, 19, 20, 7:30pm, Theater 101
Meet the historical/mythic figures of Medea, Margaret Garner, and La Llorona in exile. The play explores themes of historic narrative, feminism, and racism through song, movement, and story. Tickets are free; donations of non-perishable items for the Blacksburg Food Pantry are gratefully accepted. Seats are limited, so come early. Contact master’s student Naphtali Fields (naphtalifields@gmail.com) with questions.
9. NEW AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE OPTION INFO SESSIONS
Wednesday, Nov 19, 9:00am and 5:00pm, GLC Room D
Attend one of these information sessions to learn more about the Graduate School’s new Parent Cooperative Playgroup initiative, starting in January 2015. This program will operate across the street from campus out of the Lutheran Memorial Lutheran Church, and will provide part-time childcare at an affordable rate to student families. Please attend one of the information sessions to learn more and to ask questions. Sign up for the childcare option will begin on Thursday, Nov 20.
10. NEW PARENT SUPPORT GROUP MEETING MONTHLY
Wednesday, Nov 19, 12:00-1:30pm, GLC Room F
The Parent Support Group is a new opportunity for graduate students and their spouses who have or are expecting children, designed to provide a place to connect and build community. Meetings will promote discussion on topics relevant to the unique needs of graduate student families and will be held every third-Wednesday in the GLC. Lunch will be served and spouses and children are welcome! Please RSVP at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0E4FABAA28A1FF2-november, and email childcare@vt.edu with any questions.
11. LAST PEACE CORPS GENERAL INTEREST MEETING OF SEMESTER
Wednesday, Nov 19, 6:30-7:30pm, GLC Room G
The world is waiting. What can you learn? What can you share? Serving in the Peace Corps is a great way to help a community develop sustainability, immerse yourself in a new culture, learn a new language, and have the experience of a lifetime. The Peace Corps has been dedicated to peace and global friendship since its inception in 1961. In this session, participants will learn about the new streamlined application process and how to apply their skills and knowledge in an international context. Contact PeaceCorps@vt.edu for information or connect on FB at Peace Corps at Virginia Tech.
12. ENROLLMENT FOR NEW PARENT COOPERATIVE PLAYGROUP CHILDCARE OPTION
Thursday, Nov 20, 9:00am-12:00pm, GLC Room C
Have you been looking for affordable childcare options? If yes, the Graduate School might have a solution that meets your needs. Enroll your child/children in this newly forming parent cooperative playgroup. Enrollment is on the basis of first-come first served, so get there early! Attend one of the info sessions on Wednesday, Nov 19, to learn about the details, or email childcare@vt.edu.
13. GLC CAFÉ: PEANUT EDITION
Thursday, Nov 20, 3:30-5:00pm, GLC Reading Room
Take a break and enjoy coffee, tea, and cookies in the company of your graduate student and Grad School colleagues. Try peanuts in at least three ways – from raw to dry roasted to cooked in sugar into a brittle, all from fresh Virginia peanuts!
14. KIDS’ NIGHT OUT – FREE WEEKLY DROP IN CHILD CARE
Thursdays, 6:00-8:30pm, Women’s Center (206 Washington Street, enter up the stairs in the parking lot)
Need a break? Have to study or attend a lecture? Want to catch up on work? If you are a VT student with children, bring your kids aged 2-12 (must be toilet trained). No need to pre-register. Childcare provided by the volunteers of Chi Delta Alpha sorority. KNO will be held every Thursday throughout the semester with the exception of home football games and when classes are not in session. For more information, contact Jessie Meltsner at jmelts@vt.edu, 231-7806.
15. GLC MOVIE NIGHT: FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Thursday, Nov 20, 7:00pm, GLC Room F
Join the GLC Fellows for the last movie night of the semester and watch Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, a film based on a novel by Roald Dahl. Refreshments will be provided. Space is limited, so get there early!
16. NEW AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE OPTION TO START IN JANUARY 2015
The Graduate School is proud to announce a new Parent Cooperative Playgroup opening in January! This program will operate across the street from campus out of the Lutheran Memorial Lutheran Church, and will provide part-time childcare at an affordable rate to student families. Please attend one of the info sessions to learn more and to ask questions: Wednesday, Nov 19 at 9:00am and at 5:00pm in GLC room D. Enrollment registration is on Thursday, Nov 20, starting at 9:00am in GLC room C. Seats for this program are very limited, and will fill quickly. Please visit the childcare website (available Tuesday 11/18) or email childcare@vt.edu for more information.
17. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR GRAD SCHOOL DIVERSITY SCHOLARS 2014-15 COHORT – 1st posting
The Graduate School invites nominations for the 2014-2015 Diversity Scholars cohort. Diversity Scholars are graduate students who specialize in and advocate for the awareness, knowledge and skills associated with diversity and inclusion. More information at http://graduateschool.vt.edu/diversity/scholars_program. Deadline: Dec 10, 2014. For more information contact Dannette Gomez Beane, gomezds@vt.edu.
18. VIDEO AVAILABLE OF “GRADUATION 101: ETD REVIEW” WEBINAR
A video is available online for those who missed the ETD review webinar in November. Access the video at iTunes U, http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/graduate-school/id465646313?mt=10 or via YouTube at http://youtu.be/sbm0Bh841tU. For more information on degree completion guidelines and deadlines, see Graduate School website http://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/degree_completion.
19. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR DATA MANAGEMENT BOOTCAMP 2015 – SIGN UP NOW!
Graduate students, faculty, administrators, and staff interested in learning more about data management issues and best practices are invited to participate in a Data Management Bootcamp sponsored by seven VA institutions. This free collaborative event will feature experts from across the state and provide opportunities for local, hands-on practical experience. Participating institutions include VT, UVA, JMU, George Mason, ODU, VCU, and William and Mary. New federal requirements encourage researchers to plan ahead for data management and sharing and help promote practices that facilitate reproducible research, data use and reuse, and interoperability among distributed systems. 2015 Topics Include: finding data; metadata and documentation; intellectual property; creative commons and fair use; data transformation and wrangling; version control and cloud storage; databases; data archiving and preservation; grant funding requirements and the new DMPTool. Dates and times: Jan 7, 12-4pm; Jan 8, 8:30am-4pm; Jan 9, 8:30am-12pm. Location: Somewhere in Torgersen Hall (TBA). Register now at http://goo.gl/forms/h6oZTYilsO. Spaces are limited. Email Andi Ogier at alop@vt.edu with questions.
20. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR XCALIBER AWARD – 2nd posting
The XCaliber Award celebrates courses and significant course projects that demonstrate exemplary use of technology and student-centered pedagogy resulting in high-impact student learning. Submit nominations by Dec 2, 2014. Self-nominations are welcome. This annual award is funded by the Provost and presented by Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS), a division of the Office of Information Technology. Recipients receive a cash award and a commemorative plaque, and are invited to showcase their award-winning activities at a special event. Additional details at https://www.tlos.vt.edu/xcaliber_awards/. If you have questions, contact the XCaliber Awards Chair Dr. Mary English, director of faculty learning initiatives, TLOS.
21. ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS INVITED FOR GSA RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM – 3rd posting
The 31st Annual Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) Research Symposium will be on Mar 25, 2015 in the Graduate Life Center (GLC). Graduate and advanced undergraduate students are invited to submit an abstract between Nov 1-30. Visit the Research Symposium website at http://blogs.lt.vt.edu/graduatestudentassembly/graduate-research-symposium/ for details and to submit an abstract. Read all information and resources for tailoring your abstract to this event in order to communicate your research to a broad audience (Resources for Communicating Research at https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/graduatestudentassembly/graduate-research-symposium/resources-on-interdisciplinary-communication). Check out the GSA’s other programs and events while you’re there! Questions? Contact the Research Symposium Chairs (Alex Hyler and Joyce Zhu) at gsa.syposium.2015@gmail.com.
22. DONATIONS REQUESTED FOR LITTLE HOKIES DONATE & SWAP – 2nd posting
Donations of gently used infant-, baby- and small-child items (clothing, toys, accessories) are requested for this event. Drop off items you no longer want/need for your child so that others may use them! Donations are being accepted November 1-18 at the GLC front desk or in Women’s Center. Contact Dannette with questions dannette@vt.edu.
23. PART-TIME WAGE POSITION FOR GRAD STUDENT OR SPOUSE – 3rd posting
The Senior Program Director (Posting SW0140781) of the VT Graduate School Child Play Group (VT-GS-CPG) will oversee the daily operations of the program, a parent-run cooperative playgroup for children (ages 2-5) with a paid on-site program director. The program will operate three group sessions (3 hrs ea) per day with each group consisting of 15 children. The Program Director works collaboratively with the Childcare Coordinator, Program Session Leaders, and student-parent volunteers to support the mission of the program as well as facilitate daily programming and activities. Experience in early childhood and cooperative childcare programs; admin experience, preferably in an early child hood setting; demonstrated ability to teach effectively and build relationships in a learning community. Go to hr.vt.edu for full job description or to apply.
24. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR STUDY ON LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL EXPERIENCES IN STUDY ABROAD – 1st posting
Participants are sought for a study examining lesbian, gay, and bisexual experiences studying abroad. The data gathered from this study will describe the overall study abroad experience of LGB individuals and investigate how well the study abroad office is meeting students’ needs. This will involve one 1-2 hours interview at a time and location convenient and comfortable for participants. All interviews are confidential and voluntary. Participants must be 18 or older; self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, though it is it not necessary to be out; and have studied abroad through Virginia Tech in the past five years. All collected data will be for researcher’s thesis and resulting publications. IRB approved (IRB #14-900). Contact Megan Nanney at mnanney@vt.edu for more information.
25. VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT TO REVIEW GRDP APPLICATIONS – 2nd posting
Volunteers are needed after Thanksgiving to review applications for the Graduate Research Development Program. If you’re interested in a resume builder, a free meal, and fun afternoon, contact Hannah Lane at hglane07@vt.edu. Please indicate "GRDP" in the subject line.
26. PARTICIPANTS SOUGHT FOR ONLINE SURVEY ABOUT COMPOSITION SKILLS – 2nd posting
VT graduate students are sought to complete an anonymous, 5-minute online survey developed by a grad student in English about the transferability of writing skills learned during undergraduate studies in composition courses. Participants must be at least 18 and have completed at least one(1) composition course as an undergrad. This study examines how well university composition courses prepare students for working in their field of study, both academically and professionally, by providing skills such as: critical thinking, critical communicating, writing, and researching. The results from the survey will be used to assess undergraduate composition courses and how well they prepare students for their intended majors and professional fields. Access the survey at https://survey.vt.edu/survey/viewResults.jsp?id=1415050141380. For more information, contact Natalie Richoux at nchambe7@vt.edu.
Upcoming Events:
T-BREAK LUNCH 2014
Monday, Nov 24, 11:30am-2:00pm in the GLC Multipurpose Room
You are not alone! Join others who don’t get to leave for Thanksgiving break for some soup (meat and vegetarian options) and conversation. For dessert there will be pie! Meet other graduate students, international students, and Grad School, Cranwell and Division of Student Affairs staff, and enjoy some soup, bread, and a variety of home-made pies. Please sign up at https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1416000179329 to help us estimate the food that will be needed. This event is co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Cranwell International Center.
SHORT STAT COURSES FOR GRADS BY LISA – FALL 2014 SCHEDULE
LISA (Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis) is providing a series of evening short courses to help graduate students use statistics in their research. The focus of these two-hour courses is on teaching practical statistical techniques for analyzing or collecting data. See www.lisa.stat.vt.edu/?q=short_courses for instructions on how to register and to learn more. Remaining Fall 2014 Schedule:
- Tuesday, Dec 2: Data Analysis in SAS.
Follow LISA on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Statistical.collaboration or Twitter http://www.twitter.com/LISA_VT to be the first to know about LISA events.
HEALTHY YOU: AN EXCLUSIVE EVENT FOR INTERNATIONAL GRAD STUDENTS
Thursday, Dec 4, 6:00pm-8:00pm, GLC Room C
The GLC Fellows are teaming up with Public Health students to bring all international graduate students an exclusive health training geared towards developing healthy nutritional and exercise habits. Attend this two-hour event filled with helpful tips, fun games, food, and more! Students will learn about what resources Virginia Tech has to offer, and will have the opportunity to speak to fellow international students. Register at https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1415994362341. If you have any questions, email GLD Fellow Laura Koehler at lkkoehle@vt.edu.