Welcome to the Virginia Tech Graduate School’s D.C. Area weekly newsletter for graduate students. We share events, services, administrative announcements, and job opportunities.
The newsletter is published on Mondays. When the university is closed for a holiday on Monday, the newsletter will be emailed on Tuesday.
Posts must be relevant to graduate students in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area and other Northern Virginia campuses.
Posts must include the name and contact of the requesting organization or person; not exceed 150 words; and not include attachments, QR codes or embedded links (no fliers or photos). Submissions will be edited to fit newsletter style and formatting requirements.
Please submit post requests by 3 p.m. Friday before the Monday on which the post is to appear using this Google form: https://gs.vt.edu/weeklylistserv.
This is the last newsletter for Fall 2023 semester. The newsletter will resume again on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. We wish you a wonderful winter break.
The D.C. Area Weekly newsletters are also available at:
https://dcareaweekly.graduateschool.vt.edu/.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact the reference in the posting at least 10 business days prior to the event.
You’ll find posts under the following headings:
· This Week’s Events and Activities
· Administrative Announcements
· Job Opportunities
· External Funding Opportunities
· Upcoming Events
· Volunteers and research participants sought
· Ongoing Services
This Week’s Events and Activities
1. FREE WORKSHOP: ENGAGING WITH THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 3-4 p.m., Virtual (Zoom)
The VA Chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) is hosting a workshop to teach scholars how to engage with the Virginia State Legislature as a scholar-expert.
This workshop is open to all scholars (including graduate students) from all disciplines. Session will provide information that can be used to foster evidence-based legislation and practical steps for getting engaged with elected officials.
Researchers will learn how to track legislation and determine proper audience for outreach, given their area of expertise. Register here: https://shorturl.at/fANS2.
If you have questions, contact Dr. Ben Blankenship (blankebt@jmu.edu) or Dr. Bobbi Gentry (bgentry@bridgewater.edu).
2. FALL 2023 GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
Friday, Dec. 15, 2:30, p.m.
The fall 2023 Graduate School commencement ceremony is on Friday, Dec. 15 at 2:30 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum on the Blacksburg campus.
The event will be livestreamed at https://commencement.vt.edu/watch.html.
Administrative Announcements
3. UNIVERSITY OFFICES CLOSE FOR WINTER BREAK
Virginia Tech offices will close at noon on Dec. 22 for the winter break. They will open again on Jan. 2, 2024.
4. SPRING WRITING SESSIONS WITH THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Graduate School is considering hosting Writing Groups and Writing Workshops in the Spring semester and we would like your input on various aspects of the development of this program.
Please share your feedback in this short (2 minute) anonymous survey related to format, modality, time and days, and other information: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AYic7Z0xpW.
This survey will remain open until Feb. 1.
5. NORTHERN VIRGINIA CENTER LIBRARY WINTER BREAK SCHEDULE
The Library at the Northern Virginia Center in Fall Church will be closed Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 – Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
Staff will check email, voicemail, and book return boxes in Arlington (6th floor) and Falls Church (1st floor and outside). Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance.
Jan. 2-14, hours will be Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, closed. The library will be closed on Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
On Jan. 16, the spring semester schedule takes effect:
Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Friday, 10a.m.-6p.m.
Saturday, 10a.m.-5p.m.
Sunday, Closed
6. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
If you are looking for opportunities to develop your technical skills during the break, please check out resources featured on the following Virginia Tech Libraries LibGuide: https://guides.lib.vt.edu/find/byformat/tutorial-educational.
Resources include:
O’Reilly for Higher Education offers a digital learning platform featuring ebooks, videos, certification prep materials, and exclusive content from industry experts. Read books, listen to audiobooks and complete courses on your computer or install the O’Reilly app to your mobile device to download books and courses. Use your Virginia Tech email address to register (do not start a trial subscription).
LinkedIn Learning: An online learning platform that provides video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.
Rosetta Stone: Offers instruction on 25 languages, including English as a second language.
7. GRADUATE SCHOOL DC METRO AREA DROP-IN HOURS FOR SPRING SEMESTER
The Graduate School staff in the Washington, D.C. metro area will again offer graduate students in the region “Drop-In Hours” weekly on the fourth floor of the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church.
Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-11 a.m. and 3-4:30 p.m. No appointment needed to meet with an advisor for Drop-In hours.
Students who want to have a face-to-face session with an advisor but cannot visit the NVC during Drop-In hours can make an appointment via this link: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/9dfaf3a7.
8. GOOGLE PHOTOS ACCESS ENDS AND STORAGE LIMITS BEGIN IN JANUARY 2024
Two important changes to Google Workspace at Virginia Tech are happening on Jan. 16, 2024. First, access to the Google Photos app will end. If you have any data in the Photos app, you MUST export the photos you wish to keep, and then delete all contents from the app. After Jan. 16, you will not be able to access the app or remove data, and the data will continue to count against your storage limit.
The Google Photos guide (https://it.vt.edu/google-photos/) offers more information on exporting Photos data.
Also, on Jan. 16, students will have a 5 GB storage limit in Google Workspace; accounts over this limit will go read-only until storage is reduced. Check your storage, and move or delete files from Google Drive if needed. See the Google changes student information page for more information: https://it.vt.edu/google.
9. STUDENT EMAIL AND CALENDAR MOVING TO MICROSOFT EXCHANGE ONLINE OVER WINTER BREAK
As announced this summer, Virginia Tech is consolidating all students and employees to a single platform, Microsoft Exchange Online, for email and calendar services.
For students, this change will take place after the fall 2023 semester ends. Virginia Tech will migrate your inbox and calendar data from Gmail to Microsoft Exchange Online over winter break.
Starting in January, you will log into my.office365.vt.edu to access your VT email and calendar. Find out more here: https://news.vt.edu/notices/2023/11/it-email-migration-what-to-expect.html .
10. DIVERSITY SCHOLAR APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN
Deadline for applications 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15.
Diversity Scholars propose, design, and implement projects that enhance the quality of life at Virginia Tech. They are graduate students who specialize in and advocate for the awareness, knowledge, and skills associated with diversity and inclusion in the Graduate School and greater community.
To learn more about the program and the application process, please review the website: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/diversity/diversity-scholars.html.
For additional information, email the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships at DISP@vt.edu.
11. BOUCHET GRADUATE HONOR SOCIETY APPLICATIONS Application deadline Jan. 16, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST
The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate.
You may learn more here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/diversity/bouchet-society.html
For questions from the Greater Washington D.C. Metro Area, please reach out to Dr. Chontrese Hayes, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Success, at chontresehayes@vt.edu.
12. GPSS RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Application deadline: Jan. 19, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST
The Graduate and Professional Student Senate is accepting applications for the senate’s Graduate Research Development Program.
Master’s students are eligible to receive $1,000 and doctoral students are eligible for receive up to $1,500. Funds may be requested for travel, lab analyses, supplies and other expenses incurred for degree-contingent research. $10,000 will be distributed.
Application materials and full instructions can be found here: https://gpss.vt.edu/programs/grdp.html. Please e-mail Aran Garnett-Deakin at acgarnet@vt.edu with any questions.
Job Opportunities
13. GRADUATE ASSISTANT POSITION WITH ONEOP
Application deadline: Jan. 31
Spring/Summer graduate assistantship available to students pursuing a graduate degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, or sociology. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is the hiring department.
The position is for OneOp, a grant network for providers who serve military families. The GA will work closely with supervisors 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 social services; clinical and family support; conducting literature reviews; 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 with the opportunity for long-term networking and growth for the right candidate. For consideration, please email a current resume/CV and cover letter to Kalin Goble at kmgoble@vt.edu by December 22, 2023.
More information can be found at this website: https://oneop.org/
External Funding Opportunities
All external funding opportunities that we are aware of can be found here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships.html
14. VIRGINIA SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM GRADUATE RESEARCH STEM FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: Feb. 9, 2024
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) is accepting applications for its Graduate Research STEM Fellowship program. A major goal of VSGC is to help produce the engineers and scientists of the future and to promote diversity in the STEM workforce.
The consortium provides fellowships of $6,000 in add-on support to graduate students to supplement and enhance basic research support.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, be enrolled full-time in a program of study in STEM, have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance, and are not graduating sooner than May 2025. For more information and to apply, visit https://vsgc.odu.edu/graduatefellowships/
Upcoming Events
15. FOUR-DAY WORKSHOP: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS DEEP DIVE
Begins Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Same times on Jan. 9, 10, and 11. Virtual (Zoom).
Registration for the Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Deep Dive workshop is now open. During this 4-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. If you are unfamiliar with systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, check out our library guide: https://guides.lib.vt.edu/SRMA/.
For more information and to register: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/calendar/events/SRMA-DeepDive
Please direct questions about this event to the VT Libraries’ Evidence Synthesis Services Coordinator (cozette@vt.edu).
Volunteers and research participants sought
16. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR DEVELOPING QUESTIONNAIRE TO EVALUATE AUDIO USER EXPERIENCE STUDY
This is an online study for the Mind Music Machine Lab. We aim to develop a questionnaire for evaluating audio user interfaces.
Participants will be provided with a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation slide containing four distinct audio projects. Participants will listen to audio files associated with the four projects and complete a questionnaire to evaluate the audio projects.
This questionnaire consists of 103 questions and will be completed four times, corresponding to each audio project. Compensation will be in the form of a $10 Amazon gift card
Participant qualifications:
1. Do not have any intellectual/visual/hearing impairments.
2. Are over 18 years old.
3. Have headphones or earphones (earbuds)
More information and registration: https://forms.gle/R34SiS7WBNcejnFf7
For questions, contact Moon Choe, moonchoe@vt.edu
17. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR INTENTIONAL WEIGHT OR MUSCLE GAIN IN ATHLETIC INDIVIDUALS SURVEY
The Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Exercise is conducting a research study evaluating intentional weight/muscle gain strategies in athletic individuals.
Participants must be 18-40 years and athletic individual (defined as doing exercise at least 4 days a week). Every 10th participant will receive a $25 gift card. https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AYoO2Zz31O
For more information, contact the Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism Lab, nemlab@vt.edu.
18. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A JOB MARKET RESEARCH STUDY
Students are facing difficulties in job-seeking process. There is some evidence that students across different races, ethnicities, nationalities, and genders face discrimination in the technology job market today.
Unethical approaches in job recruiting and offering processes create an unfair playing field for students, many of whom study in the same schools/curriculums and have the same technological skills.
We want to survey students regarding their experiences with the job-seeking process as well as whether they have experienced employment discrimination.
More information can be found here: https://forms.gle/hNMXCM15xuDCP6As5.
If you have questions, please contact graduate student researcher Esther Park, esther70920@vt.edu.
Ongoing Services
(updated 12/11/23; note the University will be closed Dec. 22-Jan. 1)
· GRADUATE SCHOOL IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON, D.C. METRO AREA: Schedule an in-person or virtual advising appointment with a Graduate School Academic Progress and Admissions advisor at https://rb.gy/80frn or send your questions to gssoncr@vt.edu. Offices are located on the fourth floor of the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church. Drop-in hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-11 a.m. and 3-4:30 p.m. No appointment needed to meet with an advisor for Drop-In hours.
· CAREER ADVISING: Schedule a career advising appointment via https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html
· COOK COUNSELING: Schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with the Northern Virginia Embedded Counselor, Julie Kaplan, Ph.D. by emailing jskaplan@vt.edu or calling 703-635-9957.
After hours support can be found by calling 540-231-6557 or visiting ucc.vt.edu/timelycare
· SERENITY SPACE: The Cook Counseling Center has created the Serenity Space at the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church (NVC) in room 489, a peaceful, calm space for all graduate students to use, to take a break in the day, and to de-stress. All students can use this room 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Please contact Julie Kaplan, Ph.D., at jskaplan@vt.edu, if you have any questions related to this space.
· CRANWELL INTERNATIONAL CENTER: Schedule an appointment by emailing international@vt.edu or calling 540-231-6527.
· GRADUATE OMBUDSPERSON: The ombudsperson provides information about institutional policies and works to help individuals effectively navigate conflicts through informal, confidential conversations.
Contact for a virtual appointment at gradombud@vt.edu or call 540-231-9573.
· AFFINITY GROUPS: Contact Assistant Dean Chontrese Hayes at chontresehayes@vt.edu for information about these student groups.
· NORTHERN VIRGINIA RESOURCE CENTER LIBRARY: See announcement 5 above, “Northern Virginia Center Library Winter Break Schedule.”
The Library at the Northern Virginia Center in Fall Church will be closed Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 – Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. See the announcement for hours from Jan. 2 through the beginning of spring semester.
· HOKIE ONE STOP: Online links to additional resources and services available to graduate students in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area and Northern Virginia campuses. https://dcarea.vt.edu/hokieonestop.html
· WRITING CENTER: Virginia Tech Libraries house The Writing Center, a free service for all students, faculty, and staff at the university.
The center offers real-time, face-to-face online synchronous sessions as well as online asynchronous sessions. For more information: https://lib.vt.edu/study-learn/writing-center.html
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VTGradSchoolDC
Instagram: @hokieonestopdc
Have a great week!