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. GETTING STARTED WITH ENDNOTE
Monday, Feb. 12, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Virtual
EndNote is one of the most powerful citation managers available. In this interactive University Library workshop, you will learn the basics of EndNote, including adding references to your library, organizing your library, and using EndNote to cite references within a document.
Learn more and register here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/11734360
2. Talks in Tech Spring 2024 Seminar Series
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 1-2 p.m., Virtual
The Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Council is sponsoring a series of discussions by mechanical engineering Ph.D. student Leila Amanzadeh, who has experience at Tesla, Neocis, and RoboDuels. The series, Talks in Tech aims to bridge academia and industry. Industry experts, from tech giants to startups, share insights in free online seminars, offering career advice, interview tips, and research perspectives. The seminars will be recorded and available the Talks in Tech’s YouTube channel.
Register and subscribe on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@talks_in_tech. This series also connects you with recruiters. Upcoming speakers include Google Chief of Staff, Neocis CEO, and NVIDIA Senior Deep Learning Software Engineer.
Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14dMfMzxHcBNqIuxJ1hU9wkZyt_OFX-lxFRYZbBZstLQ/edit#gid=0
3. SELF-CARE AND DESSERT BUFFET
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2-3 p.m. VTRC-Arlington, second floor Falls Church Room
This Valentine’s Day is “All About You” and we are celebrating with a self-care workshop and dessert buffet co-sponsored and led by Gennelle Chatman, Equity Manager; Chontrese Hayes, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Academic Affairs and Student Success; and Julie Kaplan, of the Cook Counseling Center, and me, from Cook Counseling Center. . RSVP requested so they know how much dessert to prepare: https://forms.gle/bV43wmC8KrbSeNbq9
4. COVER LETTER WRITING
Thursday, Feb. 15, 2-3 p.m. Virtual
This workshop is designed to help students write an effective cover letter. The session provides a cover letter checklist and addresses how to tailor your cover letter to each position.
Learn more and register at this Handshake webpage: https://vt.joinhandshake.com/events/1449840/share_preview
Administrative Announcements
5. STUDENT ADVISING APPOINTMENTS WITH D.C. GRADUATE SCHOOL TEAM VIA NAVIGATE
The Graduate Admissions and Advancement team has transitioned its advising appointment scheduling for graduate students to Navigate for students in the D.C. Metro Area. The Graduate School staff can be reached for In Person and Virtual Appointments to discuss various topics under admissions and academic progress. Students should use our webpage to access the link to schedule appointments directly and select Northern Virginia for an advising appointment and select the service needed. Visit this site to schedule an appointment via Navigate: https://www.nvc.vt.edu/Current-Students/gsso.html.
6. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GOOGLE SHARED DRIVES
As part of the university’s changes to Google services, Google Shared Drives that have not been claimed by a department will become read-only on Feb. 15 and deleted starting April 3. This includes Shared Drives managed solely by students. It is highly recommended that you download a copy of any files/folders you wish to keep from your Shared Drives. If you are a member of a Shared Drive that a university department needs to maintain, please contact the faculty or staff member most-closely connected to the contents of the drive to discuss how that drive should be managed. For more information, visit https://it.vt.edu/shared-drives
7. HOKIE WELLNESS SURVEY
Hokie Wellness has a survey live currently to learn more about our students’ preferences on health and well-being topics and mechanisms of delivery of content. As a thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, we are offering a chance to win prizes. Prizes could include a variety of items, such as T-shirts, tumblers, etc. Winners will be randomly selected from the pool of survey respondents and awarded throughout the spring semester of 2024.
The link is: https://baseline.campuslabs.com/vpiasu/hwpreferences
8. GRADUATE STUDENTS’ AFFINITY GROUP MEMBERSHIP IN THE DC AREA
The graduate school has established seven affinity groups for the expanded campuses in the Washington, DC area to foster environments of support and assist with degree completion and professional development outcomes. The overarching goal is to build an enhanced sense of community and provide a forum for an exchange of ideas on issues of common interest for students who identify with these communities. The affinity groups are:
Asian Affinity Group
Black Affinity Group
First-Generation Affinity Group
GRAD Parents Affinity Group
Latinx Affinity Group
Veterans Affinity Group
Women in TECH Affinity Group
Join an affinity group here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdW61FGWCbuhwUhsSF2NK0rqtjSxzqz_eTFhhpJf8W74ykaKA/viewform. For more information, contact Dr. Hayes at chontresehayes@vt.edu
9. SURVEY FOR COMMUNICATING SCIENCE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
Deadline: Feb. 27
The Center for Communicating Science is in the early stages of planning a graduate certificate in communicating science and collaborating across disciplines and differences, and we’d love to have your input! If you have any interest in such a certificate, please fill out the survey linked below at your earliest convenience—it should take no more than 5 minutes of your time—and help us shape this certificate program to fit your needs. Deadline: Feb. 27. You’ll find the survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/yLTK36TzPp
10. CALL FOR EDITORS COMMUNITY CHANGE JOURNAL
“Community Change” is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, graduate student journal that explores multiple approaches to democratic community development and change. The journal is currently seeking dedicated graduate students for its editorial board. Connect with fellow graduate students, learn about the publication process in a supportive environment, and sharpen your editing skills through this valuable opportunity. If you are interested, please fill out this brief form: https://forms.office.com/r/dwqpL2YpYV
11. 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
12. 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.
Job Opportunities
No job Opportunities at Present
Funding Opportunities
All external funding opportunities that we are aware of can be found here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships.html
13. SUMMER CUNNINGHAM FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE
Deadline: May 1.
In combination with the Cunningham Doctoral Scholarship and the Graduate School Annual Fund, we are delighted to announce the availability of summer fellowships in the amount of $7,500 each. This supplement will be awarded as a lump sum fellowship (see note below) at the beginning of the summer. This is a one-time award, cannot be renewed, and is awarded without the expectation of any additional work on your part. Awardees must be current Ph.D. students who are working on their dissertations during the summer months. This award cannot be combined with other Virginia Tech funding sources. Priority will be given to those toward the end of their program. Financial need will be considered as a secondary factor.
Applications will be accepted until May 1. Awards will be announced soon thereafter. For more information and to apply, use this form: https://forms.gle/6vYKM9AHizoAgKeN8
NOTE: Fellowships are not considered employment. No taxes are withheld and you will not receive a W2 form at the end of the year. Fellowships will show on your 1098-T from the university and may have to be reported to the IRS on your 1040 form. However, different tax rules apply to international students. For them, the university is required to collect taxes on the fellowship and to report those amounts at year-end to the IRS on form 1042S. For more information, see IRS Publication 970: Tax Benefits for Education.
14. National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program Accepting Applications
Deadlines: April 10 and 17
NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program supports doctoral research with relevance to criminal or juvenile justice in the United States. This includes criminology, forensic science, technology for law enforcement, and more. Applications from all science and engineering fields are welcome.
Students must be enrolled full time in a Ph.D. program in a science or engineering field and propose dissertation research relevant to improving criminal or juvenile justice practice or policy in the United States. Applications are submitted by the university, which must be an accredited academic institution in the United States or its territories. The fellowship provides up to three years of support within a five-year period and includes:
- $41,000/year student salary
- $16,000/year cost of education allowance
- $3,000/year research expenses
To learn more and see profiles of past and present GRF fellows, visit https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/fellowships/graduate-research-fellowship-program.
The grants.gov deadline is April 10 and the JustGrants deadline is April 17, 2024.
15. DOE OFFICE OF SCIENCE GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARDS
Deadline: May 1, 2024
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is accepting applications for the 2024 solicitation 1 cycle for its Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
The award program is open to current Ph.D. students in qualified graduate programs at accredited U.S. academic institutions, who are conducting their graduate research in targeted areas of importance to the DOE’s Office of Science.
https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships/dept-of-energy-office-of-science-research-grant.html
The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory or facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist. The goal of the program is to prepare graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the mission of DOE’s Office of Science. Supplemental awards are intended to cover incremental costs associated with living and travel expenses during the award period.
Two application assistance workshops on Zoom are scheduled to assist students. The first will be on Saturday, March 9, 2-3:30 p.m. The second will be on Saturday, April 20, 2-4:30 p.m.
The first workshop will provide a general overview of the program and the application requirements. It and will also include a time for discussing potential research topics with the program managers; register here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItdeqhrj8tG70eb-wK0GmooGB_T6WNTcI#/registration
The second workshop will guide attendees through the application process, answer general questions, provide guidance on proposal writing, and feature discussions with scientists and former awardees; register here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIscu6rqT4oGzObcYFT24tieAsFM-vAHqg#/registration
More information on the SCGSR program can be found at by visiting the SCGSR program website: https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr. You’ll also find information on this webpage: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships/dept-of-energy-office-of-science-research-grant.html
Upcoming Events
16. LEVERAGING LINKEDIN FOR CAREER EXPLORATION AND NETWORKING
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 12-1 p.m. Virtual
This workshop, targeted toward graduate students and postdocs, will focus on leveraging LinkedIn to aid in your career exploration and networking. Part 2 of a 3-part series taking place on the third Tuesday of each month, January to March. Learn more and register here: https://www.research.vt.edu/about/postdoctoral-associates/postdoctoral-events-programs/2024/leveraging-linkedin-series.html
17. BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & CULTURE
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 5 p.m. In person (Meet at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture group entrance)
Join the Graduate School, Office for Equity & Accessibility and the DC Metro Area Black Caucus while they host a day at the museum during Black History Month. Tour the four-level Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture by exploring different collections and exhibitions such as: Civil Rights; Black Lives Matter; 1690; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Art, Culture, History, Community; and Music, just to name a few. RSVP required. Register here: https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/event/9686818
18. How Graduate Students Can Leverage AI in the Job Search
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 4-5 p.m. Virtual
This session will discuss how to leverage AI to your advantage in the job search. Tools like ChatGPT can be helpful for drafting application documents, preparing for an interview, and optimizing your online presence. Learn more and register at this webpage:
https://vt.joinhandshake.com/events/1449846/share_preview
19. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO DISSERTATIONS: KEY STEPS FOR QUALITY RESEARCH AND A SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE
Thursday, Feb. 22, 1-2:30 p.m.
The Women in Industrial and Systems Engineering (WISE) community at Virginia Tech is hosting a virtual conference to explore the implementation of a systematic methodology to organize your dissertation work. The session will cover the essential tasks required to attain robust scientific results and successfully defend your thesis, all while optimizing your time investment. Receive guidance on leveraging research outcomes effectively, especially if uncertain about their application or facing doubts about your topic. If you sense your work reaching an impasse, we’re here to assist you in navigating through these challenges.
Attending this conference enables you to participate in accompanying workshops designed to kickstart your journey and deliver tangible results for your dissertation.
Please register for the conference following the link below: https://forms.gle/NbTS87s6f2mYCJrs6
20. LINKED IN AND NETWORKING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Virtual
This session will offer tips for optimizing both your LinkedIn profile and your online presence. Additionally, the session will address the questions “What is networking, why does it matter, and how do you do it?” The workshop will also cover how to utilize LinkedIn for both networking and the job search. Learn more and register at this webpage:
https://vt.joinhandshake.com/events/1449851/share_preview
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. Learn more here: https://www.wm.edu/as/graduate/graduate-symposium/
22. 40TH ANNUAL GPSS RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM- CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Wednesday, March 27, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Graduate Life Center in Blacksburg, with opportunities to present research virtually.
Abstract deadline: Late February
If you like free food, swag, and hearing about all of the cool and interesting research being done by your colleagues, consider submitting an abstract to the Graduate Research Symposium at Virginia Tech. This year’s research symposium, will be held on Wednesday March 27 from all departments across Virginia Tech.
Abstracts for both symposia, flash talks, and posters will be welcomed and should be between 250-500 words in length. Inclusion of two graphics (two tables, two figures, or one of each) is encouraged, but not required. All graduate students at both the Virginia Tech Blacksburg and Northern VA campuses are welcome to submit abstracts. Projects can be fully complete with analyses, proposed studies, or research that has been started but not complete. Flash talks may be presented virtually.
Visit our website for more information: https://gpss.vt.edu/programs/gsars.html. Contact the co-chairs with any questions: jennphill@vt.ed, and niveda@vt.edu
Volunteers and research participants sought
23. POKEMON GO USAGE AND PLAY STYLE SURVEY
A research team in Industrial & Systems Engineering is surveying to understand the way people engage with and play PokémonGo. If you have thoughts or opinions you’d like to share, please check out our survey: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/pokemongo
It should take no more than 20-35 minutes and is anonymous. All questions (except the age confirmation) can be skipped. If you have any questions, please contact Cassidy Nelson via cassidynelson@vt.edu.
You must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
This work is a Virginia Tech research study approved under IRB 23-630. If you have any concerns you’d prefer to speak with someone else about, please contact irb@vt.edu
24. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR GRADUATE STUDENT HOUSING SURVEY
The Virginia Tech Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) graduate students are competing in the Solar Decathlon. This project involves a fictional proposal and design for student housing next to the WAAC, and we would love to get some feedback from the student body in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area to collect data on student housing for our project. The survey is 13 multiple-choice questions and will take just a few minutes to complete. The requirement for participating is to be a registered graduate student. If you have questions, contact jaminec@vt.edu.
The link to the survey is here: https://forms.office.com/r/hJ4kgRXQsJ
25. 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
About the Newsletter and How to Submit a Post
Posts must be relevant to graduate students in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area and other Northern Virginia campuses.
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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.
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.
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Have a great week!