Posted on by lbarron

June 17-23, 2024

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 5/13/24 

This Week’s Events:  

  1. GLC CAFÉ – Thursday

 Administrative Announcements:

  1. FREE INDIVIDUALIZED NUTRITION COUNSELING – 1st posting
  2. 2024 FUTURE FACULTY DIVERSITY PROGRAM – 1st posting
  3. APPLICATION FOR SUMMER COMMITTEE FOR CLIMATE AND CULTURE – 2nd posting
  4. GPSS FALL 2024 GRADUATE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM – 2nd posting
  5. SPECIALIZED GRADUATE WRITING SUPPORT – 2nd posting
  6. APPLY FOR LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING RESEARCH INSTITUTE STUDENT CHAPTER – 3rd posting

Jobs:

  1. HALF-TIME GTA FOR GRAD 5004, GTA WORKSHOP – 1st posting

Funding Opportunities:

  1. FULBRIGHT POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS FOR U.S. CITIZENS – DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Volunteers and research participants sought:

  1. INVESTIGATING SENSITIVITY TO VIBROTACTILE STIMULATION DURING DYNAMIC WORK TASKS: TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE ERGONOMIC INTERVENTION [IRB #: 21-1022]  – 1st posting
  2. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A VIRTUAL REALITY RESEARCH USER STUDY – 1st posting
  3. GRANATA BIOMECHANICS LAB RECRUITING FOR RESEARCH STUDY UNDERSTANDING BIOMECHANICAL PERFORMANCE DURING CHILD CARE RELATED ACTIVITIES – 2nd posting
  4. RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS FOR A RESEARCH STUDY OF UNDERSTANDING USER PERCEPTIONS OF DARK PATTERNS WHILE USING SOFTWARE – 2nd posting
  5. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR HUMAN EVALUATION OF ETD CHAPTER SUMMARIES AND CLASSIFICATION LABELS – 3rd posting

Upcoming Events:

  1. SCIENCE ON TAP – READING THE ROCKS –  June 27

 0. Ongoing Services – updated 08/28/23    

  • GRADUATE SCHOOL: 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! Visit 120 GLC, summer walk-in hours 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 ; GLC drop-in hours in GLC 120 will not be held in the summer and  will resume Fall 2024.
  • COOK COUNSELING: COOK COUNSELING: Drop-in hours for Summer: Tuesdays 10 am to 12 pm. Location: Room 49 at the GLC. For consultations by Zoom e-mail hkatie19@vt.edu. Students seeking services can schedule a triage appointment by calling 540-231-6557.
  • 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. GLC CAFÉ
Thursday, June 20, 3:30-5pm, GLC Reading Room
GLC Café will be held on Thursdays only during the summer. Casual drop-in social hour for graduate students to take a break! Enjoy coffee, tea, cookies and conversation with graduate students and Graduate School staff. Bring your own mug if you can.
GLC Café will be held on Thursdays only during the summer. Casual drop-in social hour for graduate students to take a break! Enjoy coffee, tea, cookies and conversation with graduate students and Graduate School staff. Bring your own mug if you can.

 Administrative Announcements

2. FREE INDIVIDUALIZED NUTRITION COUNSELING – 1st posting

Seeking nutrition guidance? Are you interested in learning how to make food choices thatsupport a healthy lifestyle? Maybe you need help with skills for shopping and cooking to helpyou reach your wellness goals. If you have any of these concerns or others, upper-levelnutrition students are here to help. The Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Department at Virginia Tech provides FREE one-on-one nutrition counseling services (In-person or Zoom) toany interested students, faculty, or staff and is now accepting new clients for the fall semester. Visit: https://www.hnfe.vt.edu/nutrition-counseling.html to learn more about the service; and use the following link to sign up:https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=PjXR/MidYPoECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D.

3. 2024 FUTURE FACULTY DIVERSITY PROGRAM – 1st posting
FFDP is designed to advance Inclusive VT (the institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence). It offers a dynamic professional development and outreach program to encourage graduate students and post-doctoral scholars to consider current or future faculty positions at Virginia Tech. FFDP administrators aim to identify graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who, through their backgrounds, experiences, and achievements, can demonstrate their ability to: Work with diverse communities of faculty, staff, and students, Contribute to InclusiveVT; Support Virginia Tech’s Principles of Community; Exhibit their potential to succeed as a faculty member at Virginia Tech based on their research and teaching experience. Transportation, lodging, and food expenses are covered by Virginia Tech for invited scholars. For more information: https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/Programs/FDP/FFDP.html.

4. APPLICATION FOR SUMMER COMMITTEE FOR CLIMATE AND CULTURE – 2nd posting
Based on the findings of the GPSS 2024 Climate and Culture survey we are convening a committee to address the concerns. (The full report can be found here: https://gpss.vt.edu/content/gpss_vt_edu/en/index/_jcr_content/home-featured/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_0/download/file.res/2024%20GPSS%20Climate%20and%20Culture%20Executive%20Summary.pdf ).
The application provides students the opportunity to express their interest and intent to do the following: -Familiarize yourself with Virginia Tech and other University’s policies and practices in regards to graduate students, e.g. reporting, mentoring requirements, etc. -Analyze the current reporting data we have to better understand where students are reporting and what barriers they may be facing. Application link: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjevP02d1nY8pKjCCY-XizBw9UNkxQNEtRRURYQ0VMVFhCRjdUSzJNMTdKUi4u. The application will remain open until June 21st.  Interviews for finalists will be held on June 24th.  For questions please contact Rachel Maizel at maizer@vt.edu.

5. GPSS FALL 2024 GRADUATE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM – 2nd posting
The GPSS Fall 2024 Graduate Research Development Program (GRDP) is now taking applications! Master’s students are eligible for up to $1000 in funding and doctoral students are eligible for up to $1500 in funding. Past and future GRDP guidelines will differ. Please submit applications by August 5, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. If you have already submitted an application and would like to amend it, if you have any questions, or if you need an extension, please contact Julia Shapiro juliams22@vt.edu before the application deadline. Apply here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjeqI0_MNCpRNGsmooGXbKsw9UNFVRMFcxVEI1RDJLN0NWMFNJMk83NFQ0WS4u.

6. SPECIALIZED GRADUATE WRITING SUPPORT – 2nd posting
Graduate students, meet your writing goals this summer! We are offering online services this summer, starting May 20 and ending August 9. Our summer staff consists of all PhD student coaches.  Make your appointment today  We offer Synchronous Tutoring Live Online Writing Consultations and Asynchronous Tutoring: 24 hrs. Later Written Feedback. For more information please visit https://vt.mywconline.com/ For more information about the Writing Center, please contact Jennifer Lawrence, at jlwrnc@vt.edu or Travis Webster, twebster2@vt.edu.      

7. APPLY FOR LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING RESEARCH INSTITUTE STUDENT CHAPTER – 3rd posting
Interested in discussions and networking sessions relating to earthquakes practice and research? How about leading a student organization for that purpose? The EERI student chapter of Virginia Tech has the funds and space for that, but we are looking to fill our leadership roles. Please contact Tat Shing Thum tat2@vt.edu for more information. To learn more about EERI visit the website: https://www.eeri.org/.

Jobs

8. HALF-TIME GTA FOR GRAD 5004, GTA WORKSHOP – 2nd posting
Will serve as half-time GTA for GRAD 5004 beginning in fall 2024 (along with a full-time GTA). Scheduling and taking attendance for sessions, grading, communicating with students, participating in planning sessions, helping with Phase I workshop. Qualifications: Taken and passed GRAD 5004, GTA experience, well-organized, diligent, multi-tasking, strong communication skills, strong judgment. Start August 2024; possibility to serve for full academic year, possibly beyond. To apply, please email Carrie Mayer at caduke2@vt.edu. Must include in application (1 page max): name, degree program, estimated graduation date, brief summary of GTA experience, brief description of qualifications.  Application deadline: June 21, 5 pm EDT.

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. FULBRIGHT POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS FOR U.S. CITIZENS – DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2024
Fellowships are open to researchers in all academic disciplines and support research programs in Israel for up to 20 months (two academic years). These are the primary benefits of the fellowship:  $95,000 scholarship ($47,500 per academic year).  Basic health insurance for the grant, Reimbursement of up to $1,700 for airfare expenses for Fulbright fellows (and spouses), Partial reimbursement of education expenses for children.  Visit the program page: https://fulbright.org.il/USPostdoc. For further information or inquiries, please contact: Noa Turgeman, USprograms@fulbright.org.il.

Volunteers and Research Participants Sought

10. INVESTIGATING SENSITIVITY TO VIBROTACTILE STIMULATION DURING DYNAMIC WORK TASKS: TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE ERGONOMIC INTERVENTION [IRB #: 21-1022]  – 1st posting
The main objective of the proposed study is to investigate sensitivity and spatial acuity in perceiving vibrotactile stimuli at different sites on the body during a variety of movements, including static vs. isometric force exertion vs. dynamic movement (e.g., walking, construction work tasks). For the dynamic movement tasks, you will be asked to shovel or lift up to 5lbs of load each time. Your participation will require one visit that may take up to 2.5 hours. During your visit, you will be asked to perform maximum voluntary exertions, perform static to dynamic work tasks, and answer for a few questionnaires. Results from this study will support the effective adoption and implementation of vibrotactile feedback in construction workspace. Note that your participation is voluntary, and you can choose not to participate in the interview at any time. Participant qualifications: 18 – 45 years old; Right-handed, and; Have no self-reported current or recent (past 12-months) musculoskeletal problems or injuries. Compensation: $10 per hour. For more information on how to participate please contact: Ajit Gopal at ajitagm@vt.edu.

11. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A VIRTUAL REALITY RESEARCH USER STUDY – 1st posting
You are invited to participate in a research study using virtual reality technologies. Our team is investigating the effectiveness of different window management techniques when working with virtual monitors. The study will use state-of-the-art VR technologies, such as the Meta Quest Pro headset. (IRB #24-439). Participants must be at least 18 years old, fluent English speakers, have normal vision (contact lenses and glasses are not supported; strabismus and color blindness are not supported), have normal mobility of arms and hands (to use a mouse and keyboard), and use the Windows operating system for their daily work. For more information on how to participate, please contact: Leonardo Pavanatto at lpavanat@vt.edu.

12. GRANATA BIOMECHANICS LAB RECRUITING FOR RESEARCH STUDY UNDERSTANDING BIOMECHANICAL PERFORMANCE DURING CHILD CARE RELATED ACTIVITIES – 2nd posting
The Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab at Virginia Tech is recruiting women who have given birth in the last 6 – 12 months (postpartum) and women who have never been pregnant, for a biomechanical performance study (protocol number 22-1085). Study participation will involve a single 2-hour visit and includes questionnaires, six clinical assessments, and a series of lifting and loading conditions, of a 33 lb. portable car seat, as your movements are tracked. All participants must: be between ages of 18 and 35, not be currently pregnant, not diagnosed with: a postural stability condition affects balance, or a neurologic disorder, not sustained an injury in the last two months that limited physical activity for more than two days, have not had a prior serious leg injury or surgery, and can perform daily tasks of loading and lifting. Eligible postpartum participants need to have given birth in the last 6 months to 1 year, had a vaginal delivery, and have not experienced a grade 4 perineal tear. Participants will have their choice of a Fire Tv Stick or Echo Dot 3rd Gen for their time and effort upon completing the study. For more information or to participate, contact Theresa Libera at theresal@vt.edu.

13. RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS FOR A RESEARCH STUDY OF UNDERSTANDING USER PERCEPTIONS OF DARK PATTERNS WHILE USING SOFTWARE – 2nd posting
Researchers at Virginia Tech are looking for participants to fill out a brief survey (IRB #24-138) about dark patterns in online environments. Dark patterns are user interface design choices crafted to manipulate, deceive, or trick users into taking actions that they might not otherwise choose to do. We are interested in users’ awareness and reaction to different examples of dark patterns commonly used online. The survey link is available below and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. After finishing the survey, participants will be compensated with a $10 Amazon gift card. Please contact Huayu Liang at huayu98@vt.edu with any questions or for more information. Access the survey through: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBdK4UAEdYj8sxG2ySDvRZfcBc2j5STjDVtIqyuXACw7QXIA/viewform.

14. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR HUMAN EVALUATION OF ETD CHAPTER SUMMARIES AND CLASSIFICATION LABELS – 3rd posting
We are seeking participants for evaluating ETD chapter summaries and classification labels (IRB #23-687). We are conducting a study to evaluate automatically generated chapter summary and chapter classification labels for electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). We are looking for research participants who meet the following criteria: Current graduate student or faculty member at Virginia Tech; Regularly read and use academic research papers;18 years of age or older. Participants will need to complete the study in one sitting lasting approximately 30 minutes. The study takes place remotely. If interested, please contact Bipasha Banerjee at bipashabanerjee@vt.edu.

Upcoming Events

15. SCIENCE ON TAP – READING THE ROCKS
Thursday, June 27, 5:30-7pm, Rising Silo Brewery
Join us for Science on Tap: “Reading the Rocks: What rocks tell us about the history of the Earth, in the NRV, and beyond,” on June 27th at 5:30 p.m. at Rising Silo Brewery in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech graduate student Amy Hagen will describe how scientists use rocks to learn about the history of the Earth and how you can apply the same tools to rocks in your own backyard. After seeing some examples of local rocks and fossils, try your hand at ‘reading’ some mystery rocks! This event is free and open to the public and is hosted by the Center for Communicating Science and the VT Sigma Xi chapter. Science on Tap is held monthly of 4th Thursdays of the month. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact scienceontapnrv@gmail.com at least ten days before the event.