IN THIS BULLETIN:
Did You Know?
Did you know that Virginia Tech now has a COVID-19 information hotline that is staffed seven days a week? The number is 540-231-7600.
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. MLK Shoe Drive
2. Virtual Writing Series: You Can Write It-Building Momentum
3. Black History Month Connect Event
4. Accepted.. Now what? Information Session with the Graduate School
5. Graduate Student Growth- Planting a Bright Future
6. Jigsaw Connect: Library Services and Support for Graduate Students
7. Safe Zone Training
8. Introducing VirTual Trans Safe Zone
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
Policy Updates
Administrative Announcements
1. Graduate School Funded Fellowships
2. COVES Fellowship Applications Now Open
3. Dean’s Diversity Assistantship
4. Powell Fellowship
5. McNair Graduate Assistantship
6. Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program
7. Opening 2022 Admission Application Terms
8. Graduate Admissions Analysis to be Inactivated
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. MLK Shoe Drive
Monday, January 18 – Friday, February 26
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, The Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion, in coordination with Soles4Souls will host a shoe drive. Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s shoe donations in all sizes are greatly appreciated! Join us for this fun and safe service event from Monday, January 18, 2021, through Friday, February 26, 2021. Additional drop off locations will be added soon. Please visit https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/Programs/mlk-2021.html for additional information regarding MLK events.
2. Virtual Writing Series: You Can Write It-Building Momentum
Tuesday, February 23rd from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
On behalf of the Graduate School Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion, we would like to invite your students to the next event in the virtual writing series “You Can Write It-Building Momentum” with Dr. Monique Dufour, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, and Dr. Justin Grimes, Assistant Director of the Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion. For the second event, participants will have opportunities to learn about building momentum in their writing. The FREE event (registration required) will be virtual (via Zoom) on February 23rd from 12-1 pm. Registration for the event must be complete by February 22nd at 11 am. You can register at http://bit.ly/VTVWR21
3. Black History Month Connect Event
Wednesday, February 24th from 4:00 – 5:00 pm
On behalf of the Graduate School Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion, we would like to invite you to join us at this year’s Black History Month Connect Event. Our speaker is Dr. Lucien Holness, Assistant Professor in the Department of History. Students, group leaders, faculty mentors, and members of the community are invited to join us. All are welcome to attend. Please register at http://bit.ly/BlackHistoryMonth_2021by February 23. For accommodations, please contact ordi@vt.eduat least 72 hours in advance of the event.
4. Accepted.. Now what? Information Session with the Graduate School
Thursday, March 4th at 4:00 pm
Register at https://slate.to/NwPRmCq1
Join the Graduate School for an information session regarding the graduate timeline, next steps, community, valuable resources, and more! This will be hosted as a webinar and questions will be addressed live during the event. Questions, contact ordi@vt.edu.
5. Graduate Student Growth- Planting a Bright Future
Friday, March 5th at 12:00 pm
Join the Graduate School for an interactive session with Dr. Bryan Hanson, Ombudsman along with a representative from Cook Counselling Center and learn tips/resources to support your growth as a graduate student.
Register at: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yadilhYGSQuDVVFdQ7S_Vw. Questions, contact ordi@vt.edu.
6. Jigsaw Connect: Library Services and Support for Graduate Students
Wednesday, March 24th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Our next session will feature Lisa Becksford-Online and Graduate Engagement Librarian, Nathaniel Porter-Social Science Data Consultant, and Data Education Coordinator, and Ginny Pannabecker-Director, Research Collaboration and Engagement. Register at http://bit.ly/VTGSJigsawconnect8.For more information, email jgrimes18@vt.edu.
7. Safe Zone Training
Multiple dates: February 22nd – March 26th
Our Spring 2 training session is offering more sections than ever before and we’d love to see our wonderful faculty and staff fill those spots! Reserve your Spring 2: February 22nd – March 26th spot today!
VirTual Safe Zone is an online 5-week intensive course with weekly readings, writings, and a live discussion lab. The curriculum is meant to assist with the development of content knowledge.
Meets at 12pm on Thursdays with Alison Sibol:
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv19-022221-4
Meets at 4pm on Thursdays with Anthony Wright de Hernandez:
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv19-022221-1
Meets at 10am on Fridays with Jes Davis:
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv19-022221-3
Meets at 12pm on Fridays with Jess Silvia:
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv19-022221-5
Meets at 1pm on Fridays with JP:
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv19-022221-2
8. Introducing VirTual Trans Safe Zone
Multiple dates: February 22nd – March 26th
VirTual Trans Safe Zone is an online five-week course addressing transgender identities and issues. Please note: VirTual Safe Zone is a prerequisite and must be completed before this course can be taken.
Meets at 9AM on Fridays with Dr. Bing
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv27-022221-2
Meets 3PM on Fridays with Gerlyn Murrell
https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/browse/inclusivepractices/courses/indv27-022221
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
Policy Updates
Administrative Announcements
1. Graduate School Funded Fellowships
Nominations for Graduate School Fellowships are currently being accepted for 2021-22. For eligibility, nomination information, and deadlines, please visit each opportunity listed on the Funding Sponsored by the Graduate School page.
2. COVES Fellowship Applications Now Open
Interested graduate students may apply for the Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) summer fellowship until March 1. The COVES Fellowship is a 12-week full-time summer fellowship program (May 17-August 6) operated by the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine (the Academy) and open to STEM graduate students. According to the Academy, the aim of the program is to strengthen ties between the scientific community and Virginia’s state government, and to encourage and train more scientists and engineers to be effective advisors for public policy and programs in the Commonwealth.
During the program, fellows will receive training in science policy and science communication, spend time in legislative offices, executive agencies companies or nonprofits in the state, and will be paired with an Academy mentor and involved in briefings, meetings and the Academy’s annual summit in August. The program begins with a week-long boot camp on science policy, governance and policy making in Virginia. Thereafter, fellows spend their time with the entity with which they are matched, and also are paired with a mentor. The program includes a stipend.
The Graduate School will submit three finalists for the fellowship program to the Academy, which will then choose one to represent the university in the program.
The Academy will hold two information sessions in February 2021 about the fellowship program. Both are virtual and registration is required:
Info Session #1: Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 at 3 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting with this link.
Info Session #2: Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 at 4 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting with this link.
To learn more about the program and to access the application materials, visit the COVES Fellowship webpage on the Graduate School website. The application deadline is March 1.
3. Dean’s Diversity Assistantship
Applications are currently being accepted for the Dean’s Diversity Assistantship program. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/dean-s-diversity-assistantships0.html
Deadline March 5, 2021 at 11:59PM. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
4. Powell Fellowship
Applications are currently being accepted for the Powell Fellowship. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/powell-fellowship.html
Deadline March 26, 2021 at 11:59PM. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
5. McNair Graduate Assistantship
Applications are currently being accepted for the Ronald E. McNair Graduate Assistantship program.. For eligibility and nomination information please visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/types-of-funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school/mcnair-assistantship.html.
Deadline March 12, 2021 at 11:59PM. Please contact Shernita Lee at shernita@vt.edu with questions or concerns.
6. Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is now accepting applications for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program 2021 Solicitation 1. Applications are due 5:00pm Eastern Time on May 5, 2021.
The SCGSR program provides doctoral dissertation/thesis research opportunities for graduate students at DOE national laboratories. Details about the program, research areas, and online application can be found at https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr/.
7. Opening 2022 Admission Application Terms
When you are ready to open and begin accepting applications for 2022 application terms, please submit the request in Slate using the Program Maintenance form for the major and adding a “New Registration” for each term to open. Questions regarding opening new application terms can be directed to Janice Austin (jema@vt.edu).
8. Graduate Admissions Analysis to be Inactivated
Now that we are using Slate for admission application decisions, we no longer need decisions entered through the Graduate Admissions Analysis in HokieSpa. The Graduate Admissions Analysis form will be inactivated at the end of February. Questions regarding the discontinuance of the Graduate Admissions Analysis form or admission application decisions can be directed to Janice Austin (jema@vt.edu).