Welcome to the Graduate School’s weekly newsletter for D.C. area graduate students. The newsletter is published on Mondays. When the university is closed for a holiday on Monday, the newsletter will be emailed on Tuesday. 

This Week’s Events and Activities

  1. Intro to Python Workshop • Tuesday 8/20 • 9am-5pm • ZOOM 
    Learn the basics of Python hands-on using the JupyterLab interface, including coding and working with data. You do not need any experience with the software to participate but you will need access to a Windows, Mac or Linux computer. Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants. Instructions for accessing course material and installing software will be sent in advance.  
     
    For questions and to register for online participation, contact Data Education Coordinator Nathaniel Porter (ndporter@vt.edu).  
    Registration is closed: https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/researchdiscovery/courses/lib164-082024 

  2. New Faculty Hire Conversations • Wednesday 8/21 • 12-1pm • ZOOM 
    Join this weekly series to hear from former Virginia Tech postdocs who have recently began (or will soon begin) their faculty careers at a variety of institutions across the US. A diverse set of disciplinary backgrounds will be represented and these sessions are designed for you to not only get advice on the faculty job search process from those who recently navigated it but to also be able to ask questions of them in these intimate, online sessions. 
     
    Recurs weekly through September 4 & again on September 25 
    View Details: https://www.research.vt.edu/about/postdoctoral-associates/postdoctoral-events-programs/2024/new-faculty-hire-conversations-series-2024.html  

  3. Refresh & Relax with Eli • Thursday 8/22 • 12:30-2:30pm • NVC room 200 
    Join us to take a break, refresh, and relax. We will take a walk near the NVC, and students will have time to relax with Eli, a wonderful service dog. Also, meet other students, and learn about Cook Counseling Center and Timely Care resources in the DC Metro Area. We will have snacks and giveaways for students, and adult coloring. Students can also learn a breathing technique to help to relax during the semester. 
     
    Contact Julie Kaplan, PhD at jskaplan@vt.edu or Nidhi Kamath at nidhikamath@vt.edu  

  4. Welcome Mixer • Friday 8/23 • 3:30-5:00pm • NVC Community Café (first floor) 
    The Cranwell International Center invites all faculty, staff, new and current students to join us for a Welcome Mixer with our new international students. We will play games, have some refreshments, and kick-off the start of the semester. 
     
    Contact Daniel Anguah, Cranwell International Center at international@vt.edu

Looking Forward

  1. Graduate Student Research Skills Workshop Series • 8/28 • 2:30-3:15pm • ZOOM 
    All graduate student researchers will benefit from refreshers on literature reviews, research data management, citation management with EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero, and the ins and outs of academic publishing. Recurring Aug. 28 - Oct. 9 
    https://guides.lib.vt.edu/gradworkshops 

  2. Career Fair Prep for Graduate Students • 8/29 • 11am-12pm • ZOOM 
    Are you ready? Fall career fairs begin September 4th! This workshop will cover how to prepare for and navigate a career fair. The session will also include tips for in-person and virtual career fairs. You can register for this event in Handshake. https://vt.joinhandshake.com/events/1566044/share_preview 
     
    CPD offers a series of workshops each semester for graduate students. For the complete list visit https://career.vt.edu/job-search/grad-student-job-search/events-for-grad-students.html 

  3. Resume Writing for Graduate Students • 9/4 • 10-11am • ZOOM 
    Having a well-polished resume is a critical step toward getting an interview. Start preparing early to be ready for Fall career fairs. This workshop will provide tips for crafting an effective resume. The session will also include information on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and the use of generative AI in crafting your resume. You can register for this event in Handshake. https://vt.joinhandshake.com/events/1566045/share_preview 

  4. Master Your Future: PhD: Patiently Hoping for a Degree • 9/17 • 12-1pm • Virtual 
    Master Your Future is a series of professional development workshops designed to help students successfully navigate graduate school and their professional development. https://shorturl.at/OjMVH  

  5. Flip the Fair 2024 • 9/26 • 8:30am-2pm • Roanoke, VA  
    Flip the Fair is a flipped science fair where graduate students present their research science-fair-style on tri-fold poster boards, and 5th graders judge them! Prizes awarded to the best presenters. This year’s event will be held at the Melrose Branch Library in Roanoke. 
    - Sign up to present: https://forms.gle/K18YMj24aViy1oaWA   
    - Sign up to volunteer: https://forms.gle/kQvn7ub3ifkhBZFTA    
    Sponsored by the Roanoke Public Libraries, Roanoke City Public Schools, VSOP, VT Global Change Center, VT Center for Communicating Science, VT Office of Inclusion & Diversity, The Graduate School, FBRI@VTC, VT College of Sciences, and FLSI.  
    Questions: Contact the organizing team: gatespalissery@vt.edu, amandaah@vt.edu, megane97@vt.edu 

  6. Master Your Future: Thriving in Grad School: Enhancing Well-Being and Success through Mindfulness and Psychological Safety • 10/22 • 12-1pm • Virtual 
    Register: https://shorturl.at/OjMVH  

  7. Master Your Future: Moving from Conflict to Collaboration • 11/26 • 12-1pm • Virtual 
    Register: https://shorturl.at/OjMVH  

Administrative Announcements

  1. Changes to Creation of Microsoft 365 Sharepoint Sites, Teams, Groups 
    In response to Microsoft’s license model changes, Virginia Tech will be modifying procedures regarding the creation of collaborative spaces within Microsoft 365. Beginning Aug. 16, only employees will be able to request and create new Sharepoint Sites, Teams or groups. Students will no longer be able to create new Microsoft365 collaborative spaces, but may be added to these spaces by an employee. Existing Sharepoint sites, Teams, and groups are not affected at this time and may continue to be used. Please contact 4Help at 4help.vt.edu or by phone at 540-231-4357 with questions. 
    https://news.vt.edu/notices/2024/07/it-ccs-microsoft-collaborative-spaces-require-approval.html 

  2. Free Online Professional Development Courses 
    Publication academy courses are a great opportunity for students to pursue and develop skills that can be useful in your current and future professional settings. Students are able to access these courses for free until November 1, 2024. Find more information here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-services/professional-development/publication-academy-course.html  

  3. Leadership Courses - Register Now 
    Enroll now in Leadership courses for Fall 2024: LDRS 5454 (CRN 86980) virtual: Leadership Diverse Contexts Identification and definition of leadership in education settings, communities, & organizations. LDRS 5464 (CRN 86981) in-person: Leadership in a Global Society Identification and development of the personal and professional competencies required for effective leadership in an increasingly global, diverse and multicultural society. LDRS 5534 (CRN 86982) virtual: Cognition, Problem Solving, Pref for Change Theoretical perspectives, processes and techniques utilized in problem solving, both adaptively and innovatively. Individual cognitive preference for working to effect change in institutional structures. LDRS 5544 (CRN 86983) virtual: Leading Teams through Change Theory and techniques for leading tactical, creative, and problem-solving teams through change. Improving leadership within small groups or teams. Questions? Contact Dr Jerald Walz at jhwalz@vt.edu.  

  4. Hokie Passport - Student ID 
    Get your student ID at the NVC Library Resource Center in Falls Church. 
    Students must be currently enrolled and show photo identification - passport or US driver's license - no scans or copies are accepted. 
    No appointment necessary August 19-29 during break week, orientation and the first week of classes. 
    Beginning Friday, August 30, you will need to make an appointment; use the following link bit.ly/nvcHokieP (case sensitive).  
    If you need a day and or time not listed or have a question, please email us nvclibrary@vt.edu.  

  5. Hokie One Stop Website Updated 
    The Hokie One Stop website has been revamped to better meet your needs! This newly updated site is a centralized location for students in the greater D.C. metro area, offering detailed information on student services relating to academic support, funding and financial resources, professional development, housing, transportation, and more.  
     
    Check out the updated Hokie One Stop website: https://dcarea.vt.edu/hokieonestop.html  
     
    Please email dchokieonestop@vt.edu or visit the Northern Virginia Center, Room 495, with any questions.  

  6. WMATA U-PASS • August 21-23 (12-6pm) • August 24 (10am-2pm) • NVC Library 
    Virginia Tech partners with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to allow eligible students to participate in the University Pass (U-Pass) Program. VT Sustainable Transportation will be at the NVC Library on August 21 to 23 from noon to 6pm to hand out passes to eligible students as well as on August 24 from 10am to 2pm. The U-Pass will be active for use starting August 21, 2024. For more information, please visit the U-Pass Program webpage. 

  7. Research Tools for Graduate Students Workshop Series 
    There’s a lot to learn in graduate school, and the library can help! This fall, 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.   

  8. Take your Research to the Next Level with GRAD 5124! 
    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 Fall 2024. Students will develop skills that will prepare them for research in graduate school and beyond. Three 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 Russell at lisab5@vt.edu.  

  9. Leadership Graduate Certificates Available 
    Start today to increase your Leadership capabilities! Collaborative Community Leadership and Problem Solving for Leading Change are two certificates in leadership available to all graduate students. Demonstrated competency in leadership is in high demand from prospective employers. By completing a certificate in leadership, you can increase your employability in a wide array of positions. Options for in-person and on-line completion for these certificates exist. For more information see additional links on https://www.alce.vt.edu/student-info/graduate.html. Or contact Dr. Jerald Walz, jhwalz@vt.edu.  

  10. Fall 2024 Microsoft 365 Training Sessions Available 
    The Division of Information Technology is offering a series of online courses designed to introduce users to the Microsoft 365 tools available at Virginia Tech. These are available to graduate students through the TLOS Professional Development Network (PDN). Each course will provide a brief introduction of the tool, explore its features and benefits, and demonstrate its various uses for collaboration within research groups, classes, and projects. Options include: Transition to Microsoft Outlook, Modern Work, A Microsoft Paradigm Shift, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Copilot. Register through the TLOS PDN. View the schedule and registration. 

  11. Survey: Establishing a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) group at our Northern Virginia campuses 
    We are excited to explore the possibility of establishing a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) group at our Northern Virginia campuses. Your input is crucial to help us gauge interest and plan future activities. Everyone is welcome to join SWE as a member regardless of their gender identification. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey (less than 5 minutes).  
     
    Your responses will guide us in creating a SWE presence that meets your needs and interests. Learn more about SWE at https://swe.org/. 

  12. Subscribe to University Libraries' research services newsletter 
    Beyond traditional collections, today’s University Libraries at Virginia Tech provides in-depth services that directly support successful grant applications, research, and scholarship. 
     
    This fall, University Libraries is launching a monthly research services newsletter that informs Virginia Tech researchers about library resources, workshops, and expertise in research-related services. Topics include data management and curation, publishing, scholarly repositories, evidence synthesis, and research impact and intelligence.  
     
    Graduate student and faculty researchers across the university are encouraged to subscribe to the University Libraries research services newsletter to stay connected and informed about all the resources, services, and expertise available for their success. 
     
    Subscribe to the University Libraries research services newsletter: https://t.send.vt.edu/lp/ulrs-subscribe  

Volunteers and research participants sought

  1. Participants needed for a study investigating essay writing and ChatGPT 
    We are looking for participants who will be asked to write a paper with the assistance of ChatGPT. Participants will also answer a pre- and post-study survey. The findings from these surveys will be used to better understand the query process behind using ChatGPT in the context of essay writing. The study was reviewed and accepted by the IRB (# 24-325) and is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Sang Won Lee (sangwonlee@vt.edu).  
     
    Participants must be 18 years or older. If you are interested in participating, please start the study at the following link: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/GPTWritingPreSurvey.    
     
    If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Jelson at jelson9854@vt.edu. The research team will enter the essays into a random drawing and compensation will be given to approximately twenty percent of participants as a $10 gift card. Odds of being selected will be maintained as 1 in 5. The participants will be contacted separately. 

  2. Master’s endurance and ultra-endurance athletes needed for a research study 
    We are examining the relationship between physical activity and total number of calories expended each day (IRB #21-567). This study will require 1 virtual meeting and 2 visits to the Human Integrative Physiology Laboratory at Virginia Tech, which will take approximately 6 hours. Participant qualifications:  
     
    - Highly Active Masters' Athletes (60 years of age or older)  
    - Has an average weekly mileage of 35 miles or more 
    - Stable body weight over the past year (±5 lb.) 
    - Free of cardiovascular, lung, metabolic, kidney disease or cancer 
    - Has competed in a marathon or ultramarathon with the past year 
    - Has not had any recent injuries that have affected training volume 
     
    Participants will be entered in a drawing for $25 cash. (Odds of being selected 1 in 5) 
     
    For questions, contact: Aubrey Johnson aubreyleahj@vt.edu  

Have a great week! 

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External Funding Opportunities

No postings were submitted for this newsletter date. 

Job Opportunities

No postings were submitted for this newsletter date. 

Ongoing Services

View current information from this section, Ongoing Services, and ongoing but previously posted Administrative Announcements on the website at https://dcarea.vt.edu/students/newsletter/ongoing.