1. GRAD STUDENT CHILI COOK-OFF FUNDRAISER
Wednesday, Dec 2, 12:00 noon, Cheatham Hall Lobby
Due to unseasonably warm weather, the Fisheries and Wildlife Grad Student Association decided to postpone the cook-off with the expectation that chilly weather equals good chili. Please join them and eat a lot of chili and vote for your favorite recipe! There will be a contest and prizes, so bring in your best recipe and enter the contest. If anyone is interested in entering the contest, please contact Christine Proctor. A $5 donation to Fisheries and Wildlife GSA is suggested for all chili tasters.
2. CLASSY & SASSY GSA DANCE PARTY/FUNDRAISER
Saturday, Dec 5, 10:00pm-2:00am, Awful Arthur’s in Blacksburg
The GSA Relay for Life Team is hosting a Classy & Sassy party at Awful Arthurs with 100% of the $3.00 cover going towards Relay for Life! Dress to impress in your classy evening attire and put on your dancing shoes for the international beats of DJ Phil Stetler. Contact Lindsay Moss with questions.
3. GRADUATE CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY-1st posting
Graduate students in GRAD 5984 Topics on Diversity and Inclusion in a Global Society are reassessing a survey once administered in March of 1998. This survey assesses diversity and inclusion on a broad base within Virginia Tech. Please help them by filling out this IRB approved 20-minute survey on graduate cultural climate. Please contact Lindsay Moss or Michelle McLeese with questions.
4. PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE JOURNAL VOLUME ON ETHICS
VT graduate students ask the question and seek answers and dialogue about the value of public ethics in the second issue of a new interdisciplinary electronic journal, Public Knowledge. Volume 1, Issue 2 launched on November 19. With periodic new postings and updates, individuals are encouraged to follow the journal through Twitter, Facebook, updated blog postings, or by subscribing to the journal’s RSS (Really Simple Syndication) web feed.
5. LUNCH WITH THE PRESIDENT
Friday, Dec 11, 12:00-1:30pm, The Inn at Virginia Tech
Meet and share your concerns and questions with President Steger, Provost McNamee, and Dean DePauw! Lunch provided. All graduate students are invited to attend. Please fill out this survey by Dec 4 to sign up. Space is limited to 20 students, so don’t delay! Please contact Rebecca French, VT Board of Visitors Graduate Student Representative, with any questions.
6. LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP-SIGN UP NOW
The VT chapter of the National Academic Excellence and Leadership Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Lambda, is planning a day and a half long leadership workshop on Friday, Jan 29, 3:30-8:00pm and Saturday, Jan 30, from 8:30am-4:00pm. Participants will complete an assessment of leadership strengths, gain insights from proven leaders, and apply their knowledge toward a personal leadership philosophy and a personal leadership development plan. President Charles Steger, Provost Mark McNamee, and Dean Karen DePauw are among the honored speakers of the workshop. Dinner provided on Friday, breakfast and lunch provided on Saturday. Attendance is free for graduate students! Learn more about the workshop and/or register at this site. For any other inquiries please contact AEL president Aly Tawfik.
7. CITIZEN SCHOLAR AWARD
Have you spent at least 16 hours this semester using your research to benefit the community? If so, why not submit an application for the VT Citizen Scholar Award? For more information visit the CSE website or contact Eric Hodges.
8. GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS IN RESIDENCE LIFE, 2010-11
The Office of Residence Life is seeking graduate assistants for next academic year. Anticipated openings include Graduate Hall Directors, Oak Lane House Advisor, a First Year Programs Assistant, an Imaginarium Manager Assistant, a Theme Housing Assistant, and a Student Leadership Advisor. Read the descriptions of these positions and attend an information session regarding the positions and the selection process on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 6:30pm in GLC Room C. Interviews will be held from Feb 27 through Mar 2, 2010. Applications are currently being accepted via the website. Priority will be given to application received by Mar 1, 2010.
9. COMPUTER PROGRAMMER FOR SHORT PROJECT
A computer programmer is sought to develop a website connecting a form to a database. The program will require conditional logic (if/then statements) based on the information provided by the user. The Accounting and Information Systems department has a budget of $600 before taxes to pay for the programming. Please contact edmondsj@vt.edu if you are interested.
10. VIRTUAL FELLOWSHIPS & SCHOLARSHIPS FAIR
Fellowship and scholarship information is grouped by disciplines as represented by each college, and organized by the title headings: sponsoring organization, name of award, type of award, eligibility, amount, and application deadline. There is also an “All” link to a complete listing of all fellowships regardless of discipline. Review this listing of fellowships, scholarships and awards available to graduate students from organizations located all over the United States. Fellowships are available for U.S. citizen students and international students, and range from $500 to over $30,000.
11. GSA EVENTS CHAIR APPLICATION CALL
The GSA is seeking an Events Chair. Duties include but are not limited to: beginning spring 2010, chair and develop the events committee, coordinating between 5-7 major events for the spring term, creating events that provide a forum for graduate students to come together and build community, targeting a large range of graduate student interests, and working closely with the VP of Programs. The Events Chair will be compensated through the GSA generated funds $200 per semester at the completion of the semester. To apply or for questions, please contact Laura Freeman or Lindsay Moss.
12. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS 2010
A number of prestigious awards are granted to graduate students each year, carrying a monetary prize ($500-$1000 each) and award certificate. Consider applying or discuss the possibility of your nomination by your advisor/department for any of the following awards that will be given out during our annual awards banquet on March 25, 2010:
– Outstanding Dissertation in (1) math, sciences and engineering, and (2) in social sciences and humanities
– Graduate Student Teaching Excellence
– Graduate Student Service Excellence
– Graduate Man and Woman of the Year
– Outstanding master’s and doctoral student in each college
Review additional information on the specifics and requirements for each award. Nomination/Application deadline is February 5, 2010.
13. UPCOMING EVENTS:
YOGA
Tuesday, Dec 8, 5:30-6:30pm, GLC Room F
Nancy Mignone developed this series of relaxation techniques to specifically address physical and mental stress relief from exams and studying. Participants will practice several techniques for relief of tension, including self-massage, breathing, progressive relaxation, yoga postures, and meditation. You can choose your favorite 10-minute technique from this hour to use as the semester ends (and beyond!) $5-10 suggested donation to attend. A handout summary of the techniques explored is available for a $10 minimum donation. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing which allows you to move and breathe with ease. Bring a pillow, blanket, and yoga mat. If you do not have a mat, please check out one at the Information Desk in the lobby. Sponsored by Circle Toward Wholeness. Contact Sandy with questions.
BEAD PARTY
Tuesday, Dec 8, 6:00-9:00pm, Room C in the GLC
Support International Women in Need (IWiN) on by doing your holiday shopping & purchasing beautiful beads made by Ugandan women out of colorful recycled paper. The beads thus become income, food, medicine, school fees and hope. BeadforLife eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. For more information contact Ashley Tomisek.
INTRODUCTION TO LATEX SOFTWARE
Wednesday, Dec 9, 5:00-6:30pm, GLC Room F
LaTeX is a family of programs designed to produce publication-quality typeset documents, particularly ones including mathematical symbols and formulas. The software can be extremely useful in the preparation of your ETD or other publications if you are in engineering or a science field. Learn the basics from a fellow graduate student who has recently defended his dissertation and completed his ETD using LaTeX. Please complete this short survey if you are interested in attending.
HBCU CONNECT LUNCH
Thursday, Dec 10, 11:30am-1:00pm, GLC Room B
The Graduate School Office of Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives is hosting a lunch for HBCU graduates. Have lunch, meet and greet fellow HBCU grads and faculty and visit with the Graduate School deans. This is also an opportunity to share ideas and discuss issues relating to the African American community at Virginia Tech. If you have any questions, please contact Jane Rorrer by e-mail, or phone at 231-2494. Please RSVP by December 8, 2009.