Jan. 8, 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. Next week’s newsletter will be published on Jan. 16.
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
NO EVENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR JAN. 8-11
Administrative Announcement
1. LEADER FOLLOWER ETHICS AND COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP
This spring, we are offering a new course, LDRS 5004: Ethics in Leader/Follower Relationships (CRN 21995). The course can pair well with the Collaborative Community Leadership graduate certificate. Questions: Contact Eric Kaufman (ekaufman@vt.edu). Find out more here: https://www.alce.vt.edu/student-info/graduate/commleader.html.
2. 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 guides.lib.vt.edu/gradworkshops.
3. 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.
4. LEADERSHIP COURSES OPEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS THIS SPRING
All graduate students are invited to enroll in Leadership courses for Spring 2024:
LDRS 4514 Skills for Nonprofit Leaders (CRN 17116); LDRS 4984 Toxic Leadership (CRN 21917);
LDRS 5004 Leaders/Follower Ethics (CRN 21995);
LDRS 5454 Leadership Diverse Contexts (CRN 17121); LDRS 5464 Leadership in a Global Society (CRN 17122); LDRS 5544 Leading Teams through Change (CRN 21245);
ALCE 5224 Team Science & Cooperative Processes for Interdisciplinary Work (CRN 10292).
Questions? Contact Dr Jerald Walz at jhwalz@vt.edu.
5. 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.
6. NORTHERN VIRGINIA CENTER LIBRARY WINTER BREAK SCHEDULE
Jan. 8-14, 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
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. 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.
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
13. LEVERAGING LINKEDIN: CRAFTING AN EFFECTIVE LINKEDIN PRESENCE
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 12-1 p.m., Virtual (Zoom)
Will run monthly, January-March, on third Tuesday, 12-1 p.m.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool to build one’s professional brand. In this session, attendees will learn about the basic components of a LinkedIn profile and how to craft an effective one that resonates with recruiters. First in a monthly series on Leveraging LinkedIn. Learn more and register here:
14. 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
No new research participant opportunities at this time.
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: 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
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