Jan. 22, 2024
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.
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. INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT
Monday, Jan. 22, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Virtual
You’re about to collect or already have data for your research project…now what? How do you manage it? What do you name the files? How do you share it? Learn the answers to all of these questions and more in this workshop, which will present an introduction to research data management, including the following topics: Data management planning, file naming conventions/organization, backing-up research data, documentation (metadata), data sharing, data security, and how the library can help.
To register and learn more, visit: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/11734207
2. GIVING DAY PREP RALLIES
Monday, Jan. 22, 5-6 p.m., Northern Virginia Center main lobby
Stop by in the main lobby of the Falls Church campus to meet our alumni, grab some snacks and swag, and learn about the upcoming Giving Day Event! Giving Day (givingday.vt.edu) is Virginia Tech’s annual 24-hour celebration of the Hokie Spirit and the power of giving back! All students, alumni and friends are invited to sign up to be an ambassador, support the event and earn Hokie swag! Watch this video to learn more now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFdOzd-ZOx4
3. WARM UP TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 4-5 p.m., Northern Virginia Center, Room 200, Falls Church
The workshop will feature a panel of continuing graduate students, staff, and alumni discussing the key differences between undergraduate and graduate school. Start your semester by enjoying snacks and warm winter beverages! Mix and mingle with new and continuing graduate students! All are welcome! New students are encouraged to attend!
4. JOIN THE HOKIE HOUR FOR YOUR WELLNESS
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7-8 p.m., Virtual
Join us for Episode 01 of the VIRTUAL Hokie Hour! Presented by the Virginia Tech MBA Advisory Board, this event offers an opportunity for Hokies and Hokie friends to learn and engage from the comfort of your own space as experts offer insights to support mental health for all. Register at the link and invite your friends to join, too! https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m0pgCTD9QvuDhfqQfIOB_A#/registration
5. WORKSHOP: LITERATURE REVIEWS AND DATABASE SEARCHING FOR SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2-3:15 p.m. Virtual
You’ve been assigned to write a literature review in the social sciences, but how do you get started? What kinds of literature reviews are there? Where should you search? How do you know what search terms to use? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this interactive workshop. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to identify different types of literature reviews, find relevant databases, and create effective search terms.
This workshop will focus on research in the social and behavioral sciences, such as education, communication, human development, psychology, and sociology. For information and to register: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/11734229
6. HOKIE MBA HALF-HOUR HANGS
Jan. 25, 12:30 p.m., Virtual (Zoom)
Join us for our Spring Series – Hokie MBA Half-Hour Hangs. This is your chance to connect, swap brilliant ideas, and discover the Hokie way of navigating the business landscape. Hokie Half-Hour Hangs happen the last Thursday of the month. The Zoom Link for every session is: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/81851274169.
Here’s the schedule:
Jan 25 – Networking Skills
Feb 29 – Resume Building
Mar 28 – Post Grad Promotions
Apr 25 – Changing Careers
Administrative Announcements
7. GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Interested in being involved in student governance? Please consider applying to serve as the Graduate and Professional Student Representative to the Board of Visitors for 2024-25. Learn more and apply here: https://bov.vt.edu/Student-Reps-Apply
8. U-PASS METRO CARD PROGRAM
Virginia Tech has entered into an agreement with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) that allows eligible students to participate in the University Pass (U-Pass) Program. U-Pass provides full-time Virginia Tech students who are taking in person classes in the Greater Washington, D.C., Area unlimited access to Metrorail and Metrobus throughout the semester, for about $1 per day. The mandatory fee is included as part of the comprehensive fees package for students.
Eligible students will be notified to complete a DocuSign agreement and instructions on picking up their card from the NVC Library in Falls Church.
If you think you should be included but have not been notified, please contact gettingaround@vt.edu for more information. This is not available for part-time students per WMATA policy.
9. NEW STUDENTS OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
The DC Metro Area Graduate School staff will like to encourage all new students to come to the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays for our Weekly Drop-in Hours to submit official transcripts as the new semester starts.
Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-11 a.m. and 3-4:30 p.m.
10. FREE INDIVIDUALIZED NUTRITION COUNSELING SESSIONS
Seeking nutrition guidance? Are you interested in learning how to make food choices that support a healthy lifestyle? Maybe you need help with skills for shopping and cooking to help you reach your wellness goals. If you have any of these concerns or others, graduate-level nutrition and dietetics students are here to help.
The Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise Department at Virginia Tech offers free one-on-one nutrition counseling services (In-person or Zoom) to interested students, faculty, or staff and is now accepting new clients for the spring semester. Visit: https://www.hnfe.vt.edu/nutrition_counseling.html to learn more about the service and to register.
11. CIRTL NETWORK SPRING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
Virginia Tech is a member of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network, which offers a variety of programming opportunities available to graduate students and postdoctoral associates at institutions in the CIRTL Network at no cost.
This spring, the CIRTL Network schedule includes programming on a range of topics, including evidence-based teaching fundamentals, academic professional development, science communication, and teaching-as-research. Registration is open for most spring CIRTL Network programs.
You can find the full CIRTL Network spring programming schedule, including descriptions and registration information, at https://cirtl.net/events/. To learn more about CIRTL, visit the network’s website at https://www.cirtl.net/. If you have questions about CIRTL at Virginia Tech, email cirtl@vt.edu.
12. RESEARCH TOOLS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS WORKSHOP SERIES
There’s a lot to learn in graduate school, and the library can help. This spring, the library will offer a series of free workshops (offered live via Zoom) to help you develop the research skills you need to succeed in graduate school. Learn about literature reviews and database searching, citation management, data management, developing your scholarly presence, and more. For registration links and detailed information about each workshop, visit https://guides.lib.vt.edu/gradworkshops.
13. RESEARCH SKILLS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLINE COURSE
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 2024. Students will develop skills that will prepare them for research in graduate school and beyond. Two discipline-specific sections are offered, so students should be sure to sign up in HokieSPA for the one that relates to their subject area. Questions should be directed to Lisa Becksford at lisab5@vt.edu.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. GPSS TRAVEL FUND ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Deadline: Feb. 12
Graduate students presenting research conducted at Virginia Tech are eligible to apply for the Spring 2024 Travel Fund Program. Grants may cover registration, lodging, meals, abstract fees and other costs of presenting at an in-person or virtual conference with a start date from April 1-June 30. Students from all disciplines are invited to apply, even if your conference abstract has not been officially accepted. Applications due Feb. 12 at 11:59 PM.
Please e-mail Aran Garnett-Deakin at cgarnet@vt.edu with any questions, and visit https://gpss.vt.edu/programs/tfp.html for full details and instructions.
17. THE INTERLOPER, VIRGINIA TECH’S QUEER MAGAZINE
The Interloper was a student-run queer literary magazine at Virginia Tech originally published from 2014 to 2019, and we are looking to get it started again. Whether you are a writer, an artist, or just want to support the project, there are lots of ways to get involved.
If you are interested in helping bring The Interloper back to campus, please fill out this interest form at bit.ly/InterloperInterestForm by Jan. 26. If you have questions, contact haleighwallace@vt.edu.
Job Opportunities
18. OUTREACH ASSISTANT, COOK COUNSELING CENTER IN THE DC METRO AREA
Application Deadline: Feb. 1
Position Summary: The Outreach Assistant (OA) will work in collaboration with the Cook Counseling Center Embedded Counselor in the Greater Washington Area, Julie Kaplan, PhD, on outreach events for students. The Outreach Assistant will help to coordinate and support outreach events for students. The OA will help to plan, schedule, and facilitate outreach events for students. Duties will include setting up food, drinks, and materials for Outreach Events, setting up technology for Outreach events, assisting with Outreach events, and helping to clean up after these events. The OA will be a welcoming presence during Outreach events, and will help with answering student questions and with the flow of the events. The OA will assist in obtaining feedback from students after Outreach events, including emailing students for feedback.
The OA will create flyers for outreach events, post flyers on campus, and help to publicize outreach events to students. The OA will also work on maintaining and updating Cook Counseling Center outreach projects, such as the post-it project. The OA will also help to
maintain the Serenity Space at the NVC.
Work Schedule Requirements: This position will be 5-10 hours per week through the semester. This is an in-person position. There is no option for remote or hybrid work. The primary location for this work is the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church, and also at events at the Arlington campus and Alexandria campus (WAAC) several times per semester. Outreach events are generally scheduled from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Other Requirements: Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to work independently and with a team; creativity and flexibility; ability to problem-solve and handle unanticipated changes and needs; energy and enthusiasm for the job; knowledge of use of standard office equipment and computer software applications, including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
Compensation: This is a student wage position, and the OA will be paid $15 per hour. The hours are 5-10 per week, and vary with the outreach event schedule.
To Apply: Submit materials through this Google Form (VT login required): https://forms.gle/yH6omhXsshdzqSCi8
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
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
19. 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
20. WELLNESS WEDNESDAY AT THE WAAC
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 12:30-1:30 p.m., in the 1021 Big Room, WAAC Architecture campus, Alexandria.
This event will focus on enhancing academic success and mental health wellbeing goals. Please join Dr. Chontrese Hayes (Graduate School) and Dr. Julie Kaplan (Cook Counseling) for a power lunch with pizza and soft drinks.
21. SAVE THE DATE: COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Thursday, March 21, at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.
The Arts &Sciences Graduate Center and the Charles Center for Academic Excellence at William & Mary invite doctoral and master’s degree students in Arts & Sciences disciplines from Virginia universities to present their research at an interdisciplinary symposium at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, March 21-22, 2024. Graduate students interested in presenting their research in a talk or poster session must submit an abstract no later than January 15, 2024. Accepted abstracts to the Symposium may also be eligible to vie for awards recognizing excellence in scholarship. See the GHRS webpages (linked below) for details on abstract submission and registration. Questions may be directed to grs@wm.edu or Dr. Sarah Glosson (sgglos@wm.edu). Learn more here: https://www.wm.edu/as/graduate/graduate-symposium/
Volunteers and research participants sought
22. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A SURVEY FOR ASSESSING EMOTIONS IN MUSIC PIECES
The Mind Music and Machine Lab at Virginia Tech invites participants for a study (IRB# 23-1154) to assess the emotional impact of eight six-minute music pieces.
This one-hour remote study offers $10 compensation via cash or payment apps, or course credit for eligible students. Contact Ziming Fang (joannafg@vt.edu) for details. Supervised by Dr. Myounghoon Jeon (myounghoonjeon@vt.edu).
Requirements: Have none of the following impairments: Visual, Hearing, Fine motor, Intellectual.
You are eligible if your hearing/vision is not at the level requiring device correction, or if you have successful device correction that you can bring and use during the study (e.g., eyeglasses, hearing aid).
If you are interested, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAKqvxYw7QMkLxI2wqI6x79T5gjuVgYo5M4fZAneMnJb8R7w/viewform?usp=sf_link.
Ongoing Services
· 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: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday, 10a.m.-6p.m.; Saturday, 10a.m.-5p.m.; Sunday, Closed
· 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
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