September 23, 2024 Student Newsletter

This Week’s Events and Activities

1. Getting Started with Endnote • 9/23 • 2:30-3:45pm • ZOOM  
   EndNote is one of the most powerful citation managers available today. In this 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. To get the most out of the session, you should have the most recent version of EndNote (21) already downloaded from VT Software Distribution. https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/12699328

2. NanoEarth Voting for NNCI Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom • 9/23-27  
   VT NanoEarth (part of the NSF Funded NNCI group) submitted three images to the Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom Image Contest. All three winning images are Virginia Tech Graduate Students. Voting occurs all week from Friday, Sept 20 - Friday, Sept 27th. Please vote for your fellow Hokies! https://nnci.net/plenty-beauty-bottom

3. Informational Interviews 101 • 9/24 • 12-1pm • ZOOM  
   Informational interviews consist of conversations with individuals in careers of interest to you. They can be beneficial in helping you collect useful information about how well a specific role fits with your skills, interests, and values. In addition, they are powerful networking tool. This workshop will feature practical tips and approaches for conducting informational interviews and identifying professionals to contact for these conversations. Register here: https://www.research.vt.edu/about/postdoctoral-associates/postdoctoral-events-programs/2024/informational-interviews.html  

4. Intro to R and RStudio • 9/24 • 5-8pm • ZOOM  
   This hands-on workshop is open to anyone who wants to work with data in R. You do not need any experience with the software to participate, but you will need access to a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. Instructions for accessing course material and installing software will be sent in advance. The curriculum is based on episodes 1-3 of the Data Carpentry Data Analysis and Visualization with R lesson. 
   This introductory workshop is offered twice in Fall 2024 on 24 September, 5pm–8pm and 23 October, 9am–12pm. An intermediate workshop on Data wrangling and visualization with R is scheduled for 1 October, 5pm–8pm and 30 October, 9am–12pm. You can take the workshops as a series or choose which one best fits your experience and needs. Please only register for one session of each workshop. Register here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/13092263

5. Navigating Your Federal Career • 9/24 • 5:30-8pm • Partnership for Public Service, 600 14th Street NW, 6th floor, Washington, D.C. 20005  
   The expo will feature representatives from federal agencies who can share internship and job opportunities with attendees, in addition to resources on finding their next career opportunity. Our program will also feature a keynote lecture from a senior U.S. government official.  
   This event is open to students, interns and recent graduates in the Washington, D.C.–Metro Area to provide networking opportunities with federal agencies and guidance on the federal hiring process. Faculty and staff are also welcome to attend this event. More information at: https://ourpublicservice.org/event/2024-navigating-your-federal-career-expo-for-students-interns-and-recent-grads/

6. Learning Lunch Series: Mac Collaboration – Sonny and Sid of Riyaaz Qawwali • 
   9/24 • 1:00-2:00pm • ZOOM  
   In collaboration with Moss Arts Center, the APIDA + Center invites the campus community to learn about the creative force behind Riyaaz Qawwali. Participants will discover the journey and artistic influences of Sonny and Sid and their unique collaboration with the Harlem Gospel Travelers. Learn more about Riyaaz Qawwali at the Moss Arts Center website. https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_q_Gb5RKLQJuAnYS6Dji22A#/registration

7. D.C. area flu shot clinics • 9/25 • 9-11:30am • Innovation Campus HQ, 1st floor 
   Open to employees and students, registration is required for each person who will attend a clinic. View additional dates and locations in the campus notice.

8. Student Panelists Sought for Graduate Honor System • 9/25 • 3pm-4pm • ZOOM
   The Graduate Honor System relies on trained graduate students and faculty to hear academic integrity violation cases. It takes a one-hour training to become a panelist, and after that faculty and graduate students can serve on preliminary review and review panels. All graduate students are invited to become panelists to help hear cases and actively contribute to the ongoing conversation about standards of academic integrity. Please register at https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtfu-urTMjH9Karb6qdOfhDRkd14ntpxQk

9. Introduction to LaTeX with Overleaf • 9/25 • 3:30pm-4:45pm • ZOOM  
   Come learn how to get started with this popular coding tool for writing technical papers! LaTeX (pronounced Lay-tech or Lah-tech) is a free typesetting system designed for technical publications that can be used for many writing projects. Be ready to code along with the instructor during this interactive workshop while you learn how to create your first article, how to add content including text, figures and citations, where to learn more about using LaTeX, and how to get the most out of Overleaf. Participants are encouraged to sign up for an Overleaf account prior to the workshop using their VT email address. All are welcome to attend no matter your field or LaTeX experience level! https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/12699350

10. Intro to Python and JupyterLab • 9/25 • 9:00am-12:00pm • ZOOM  
    This hands-on workshop for novices will cover basic programming skills in Python using the JupyterLab interface. The workshop is open to anyone. You do not need any experience to participate, but you will need access to a Windows, Mac or Linux computer. The curriculum is based on episodes 1-4 of the Software Carpentry Programming with Python lesson. 
    This introductory workshop is offered twice in Fall 2024 on 25 September, 9am–12pm and 22 October, 5pm–8pm. An intermediate workshop on Programming with Python is scheduled for 2 October, 9am–12pm and 29 October, 5pm–8pm. You can take the workshops as a series or choose which one best fits your experience and needs. Please only register for one session of each workshop: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/13092413

11. Student Drop-In Advising Hours • 9/25 • 1-5pm • VTRC-A 2nd floor and WAAC library 
    The Graduate School’s Graduate Admissions & Academic Progress (GAAP) advisors will be onsite for in-person sessions to assist with the following student advising needs for Fall 2024. Students, please stop by for a brief advising appointment with staff to discuss any of the following:

    1. Student record issues & updates
    2. Plan of study discussion & review
    3. Review of prelim and final exams deadlines
    4. Ithenticate/ ETD questions
    5. Review degree completion status for Fall 2024

    All graduate students are welcome and no appointments are required! 

12. 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 

13. Cultivating All Your Options: A Workshop on Career Versatility for Graduate Students • 9/26 • 2-3:30pm • ZOOM
    This workshop provides an overview of the major shifts in higher education as a result of wider economic and social changes. Participants will explore the mindsets, skills, and strategies required to foster agility and resilience in these disruptive times and will leave with tangible next steps to explore opportunities across sectors and design a work/life configuration aligned with their needs and values. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjetT9we5iFEpHl4mvNhX4JHxUMFFaODlCS1pJOVdYRlNFS0xUOE5aRUMzTC4u

14. How Graduate Students Can Leverage AI in the Job Search • 9/26 • 3-4pm • ZOOM  
    Tools like ChatGPT, Co-Pilot, and Gemini can be helpful in the job search. This session will discuss how to leverage generative AI in both career exploration and the job search. Additionally, the session will address how to revise AI created materials to match your voice and authentic self. Register at: https://vt.joinhandshake.com/events/1566061/share_preview

15. Learning Lunch with Dr. Qin Zhu • 9/27 • 12:00-1:00pm • ZOOM  
    The Learning Lunch Series highlights APIDA faculty and staff at the university through informal conversations about their experiences and journeys to Tech. Dr. Qin Zhu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Science, Technology & Society, the Department of Philosophy, the Center for Human-Computer Interaction, and the Center for Future Work Places and Practices. Dr. Zhu’s research interests include engineering ethics, global and international engineering education, engineering cultures, and the ethics of human-robot interaction and artificial intelligence. Join us to learn more about his personal and professional journey. Registration is encouraged. https://bit.ly/4cu5BHV

Looking Forward

1. Getting the Most Out of Your Citation Manager • 9/30 • 2:30-3:30pm • Virtual 
   Citation managers like EndNote, Mendeley, and Zotero are powerful tools that can help you save, organize, and cite your references. Their use can also help improve your workflow and make the research process easier and less stressful. This session will focus on ways to get the most out of your citation manager. By the end of the session, you’ll be able to integrate citation managers into your existing workflow, identify personal best practices for using citation managers, and use advanced features of the citation manager of your choice to streamline your research workflow. This session will assume that you are already using and are familiar with a citation manager like EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley. Register at: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/12699358

2. Data Wrangling and Visualization with R • 10/1 • 5-8pm • Virtual 
   This hands-on workshop is designed for those with basic R programming experience. It will focus on data wrangling and visualization using the tidyverse set of packages. The workshop is open to anyone, but learners should be familiar with programming in R equivalent to the Intro to R and RStudio workshop. You will need access to a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. 
    
   This intermediate workshop is offered twice in Fall 2024 on 1 October, 5pm–8pm and 30 October, 9am–12pm. If you do not have prior experience working in R and RStudio, an introductory workshop to R and RStudio is scheduled for 24 September, 5pm–8pm and 23 October, 9am–12pm. You can take the workshops as a series or choose which one best fits your experience and needs. Please only register for one session of each workshop. Register here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/13092353

3. Why are Latinos and Filipinos Primos? • 10/1 • 5:30-7pm • Virtual 
   In this collaborative event between El Centro and the APIDA + Center, learn how Latinos and Filipinos are primos (cousins). Hear from faculty/staff and students about their experiences and find commonality between these two populations. This event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and the intersectional nature of the Latinx and APIDA communities. All are welcome. https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Fi0oa4XkQ0aFA1F5a8i-YA#/registration

4. Programming with Python • 10/2 • 9am-12pm • Virtual 
   The Programming with Python workshop is open to anyone, but learners should be familiar with programming in Python equivalent to the Intro to Python and JupyterLab workshop. You will need access to a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. The curriculum is based on episodes 5–8 of the Software Carpentry Programming with Python lesson. This intermediate workshop is offered twice in Fall 2024 on 2 October, 9am–12pm and 29 October, 5pm–8pm. If you do not have prior experience working in Python and JupyterLab, an introductory workshop to Python and JupyterLab is scheduled for 25 September, 9am–12pm and 22 October, 5pm–8pm. You can take the workshops as a series or choose which one best fits your experience and needs. Please only register for one session of each workshop: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/13092416

5. The First Asians in the America with Dr. Diego Javier Luis • 10/2 • 5:30-6:30pm • Virtual 
   From 1565 to 1815, Manila galleons ships brought thousands of free and enslaved Asians to Acapulco, where they were labeled “chinos” (Chinese) in Mexico. This marked the start of a long history of racialization that grouped diverse Asian peoples into essentializing categories. Many "chinos" navigated their minoritized status to forge new intra-Asian, Afro-Asian, and Asian-Indigenous identities defining their colonial experience. This talk explores the earliest histories of Asians in the Americas and highlights the importance of their stories in today’s political and cultural context. Dr. Diego Javier Luis, author of The First Asians in the Americas: A Transpacific History, is the Rohrbaugh Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University. All are welcome. https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_U0oeyXr8QKOpkMbQpyugLw 

6. Last D.C. area flu shot clinic • 10/2 • 1-3pm • NVC Room 200 
   Open to employees and students, registration is required for each person who will attend a clinic. View additional dates and locations in the campus notice.

7. Cybersecurity Webinar: Neil Daswani on GenAI Attacks & Defenses • 10/3 • 2-3:30pm • ZOOM 
   Hosted by the Division of IT, and featuring Neil Daswani, co-director of the Stanford University Advanced Cybersecurity Program, this webinar will provide an overview of recent vulnerabilities, breaches, and abuses of some of the world’s most popular generative AI (GenAI) systems, such as OpenAI and Mistral. You will gain a clearer understanding of some of the current capabilities and limitations of GenAI, as well as practical steps for enhancing GenAI security. Register via Zoom to attend: http://it.vt.edu/cybersecurity-webinars

8. Therapy 101: Debunking Myths with Julie Chandler from Cook Counseling • 10/3 • 3-4pm • ZOOM 
   Join us for an informative session with Julie Chandler from Cook Counseling as she dispels common misconceptions about therapy. Discover the benefits, process, and how therapy can help you navigate life's challenges. This event is a great opportunity to meet Julie and learn more about how to navigate the valuable services offered by the Cook Counseling Center. Julie serves as the liaison for the APIDA + Center the Cook Counseling Center. Register at: https://bit.ly/47m8R6v

9. Graduate and Professional Student Senate Meeting • 10/3 • 5-7pm • ZOOM 
   As a graduate student enrolled at Virginia Tech, you're automatically a member of GPSS! You're welcome to attend any and all of our GPSS Senate Meetings, throughout the academic year. Meetings run from 5:30-7:00pm (open forum 5-5:30pm) in a hybrid format. Zoom registration required. 
   Upcoming meetings: October 31 and November 14 
   Sign up to attend on Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0oduGprj8oHdZKaxJ6rzXPYMSniOv8w7vL  
   Email gpss@vt.edu with any access needs. 

10. Publishing Workshop • 10/4 • 10-11am • Virtual 
    This workshop on book publication and scholarly editing will be led by Gregory Britton, Acquisitions Editor, at Johns Hopkins University Press. The session will include guidance for first-time authors as well as graduate students interested in pursuing careers in publishing. Information will be updated here, including zoom registration links and contact information: https://liberalarts.vt.edu/research/liberalarts-research-fellowships/BookPublicationWorkshop2024.html

11. University Council Meetings • 10/7 • 3:30pm • Virtual 
    Interested in formulating and implementing university policies, join the University Council meetings. The 2024-25 University Council meetings will be in a hybrid format starting at 3:30pm. Upcoming meetings take place 10/7, 10/21, and 11/21 
    Zoom link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/81399517891?pwd=c5ZahaHuMS1M0iWZuqB9NddoiJVbVV.1  
    Meeting ID: 813 9951 7891 
    Passcode: 793257759

Administrative Announcements

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.