Graduate School Bulletin – January 2nd, 2025

GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN

A publication of the Graduate School for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators   

Postings are distributed on the Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators listservs on the 1st and the 16th of the month and are also available in a blog for public viewing here: https://monthlymemo.graduateschool.vt.edu/

January 2nd, 2025 

IN THIS BULLETIN:    

Meetings, Workshops, & Events  

None at this time.  

Deadlines & Dates to Remember 

1.  Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Applications Now Open  

2. Graduate Student and Outstanding Mentor/Advising Awards  

3.  Preston Recruitment Fellowship      

4.   Upcoming Fellowship and Assistantship Nominations Managed by the Graduate School 

Policy Updates  

None at this time.  

Administrative Announcements  

None at this time.  

Announcements for Distribution to Students

5.Cranwell International Center Supports Smooth Transition Back to Campus     

6. Research Mentor Training for Graduate Students   

Deadlines & Dates to Remember  

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  1. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Applications Now Open     

Please encourage your ABD doctoral candidates and postdocs to apply for membership into the Bouchet Society. The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Bouchet Society) recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. The Bouchet Society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who serve as examples of the five pillars: scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy. The deadline for student applications is 11:59pm on January 15, 2025. You may learn more here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/student-services/bouchet-society.html

  1. Graduate Student and Outstanding Mentor/Advising Awards   

Faculty and/or academic departments and programs may submit nominations for outstanding theses and dissertations; excellence in teaching or service; graduate student of the year; and outstanding interdisciplinary student. This year, the Graduate School has added a new award honoring outstanding graduate advising/mentoring by a staff or A/P faculty member. These nominations are due by January 24, 2025. In addition to these nominations, each college defines its own nomination criteria and selection process for identifying one outstanding master’s and doctoral student and outstanding mentor per college — notification of these winners are due by February 14. All winners will be recognized by the Graduate School during Graduate Education Week 2025, March 24-28. Visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/about/awards.html to learn more about the process and timeline. Contact Lauren Surface at 540-231-9561 or lkeister@vt.edu with questions.   

  1. Preston Recruitment Fellowship  

Preston Recruitment Fellowships (4 @ $2,000 each): These awards are meant to provide fellowship support to help attract the best possible graduate students, regardless of their area of study at Virginia Tech. Candidates for the prestigious Preston Fellowship should be students who are being recruited by the nation’s elite educational institutions for the purpose of conducting significant research and scholarship study. Please submit a nomination by February 1 of no more than 500 words outlining reasons why you think the candidate is an exceptional recruit for your program, such as UG institution, UG GPA, UG research experience, and potential offers from other universities (if known). We will also consult the student’s application materials as part of the decision-making process.  Nominations should be submitted through the Fellowship Nomination form, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8rhQL9qivK7mOjUZ2sUL-Uy8kQD024mgJl2M3-ZlQCSJqUg/viewform

  1. Nominations are accepted for a number of fellowships and assistantships managed by the Graduate School:

– Powell Fellowship: deadline is April 1, 2025. 

– McNair Assistantship: deadline is March 1, 2025 

– Dean’s Diversity Assistantship: deadline is March 1, 2025. 

For eligibility and nomination information visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school.html. Please contact Dr. Catherine Cotrupi, Assistant Dean for Student Services, Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships, at Cotrupi@vt.edu if you have any questions.     

Announcements for Distribution to Students

The notice(s) in this section have been shared with graduate students through the Graduate School’s channels, but we ask that you consider sharing it with individual students or student groups as you see fit. 

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5. Cranwell International Center Supports Smooth Transition Back to Campus     

As the Spring semester approaches, the Cranwell International Center would like to provide important guidance to support your smooth transition back to campus. As a reminder, it is university policy that all students be present and ready to attend classes by the first day of the semester. This ensures compliance with academic requirements, and helps you successfully prepare for your classes and other VT commitments from the start of the term. Consider factors that may cause travel delays. Winter weather during this time of year can bring unexpected challenges, such as flight cancellations and road closures. Additionally, the upcoming presidential inauguration on January 20, 2025, is likely to increase traffic and cause delays in and around Washington, D.C., and other major transit hubs. To avoid disruptions to your studies, we strongly encourage you to plan your return to the U.S. well in advance and ensure you arrive no later than the first day of classes, January 21, 2025.   

6. Research Mentor Training for Graduate Students  

This 5-week seminar-style course by the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning is designed for graduate students and postdocs in STEM to develop and improve research mentoring skills in this. Students will develop their personal mentoring philosophy, learn how to articulate that philosophy across a variety of disciplines, and refine strategies for dealing with mentoring challenges. The course meets online in Zoom on Tuesdays from January 28 through February 25. Please share this information with your students who have specific interest in this area and could benefit from participation. More information can be found here: https://cirtl.net/event/research-mentor-training-3/2025-01-28/