Graduate School Reporter Fall 2004, Page 2
raduate School Reporter
G Fall 2004 Volume 1, Issue 1 Graduate School Events Inside this issue: Fall Orientation Events Orientation for graduate presentations from the Fall Orientation 1 students took on a new Graduate Student look this fall as the Assembly and event moved from the Graduate Honor Emerging Leaders 1 Ag Quad to Squires. System. Two students Workshop Program components and an outstanding ISE Alumni Homecoming 1 included a welcome faculty member from Provost Mark discussed the News Briefs 2 McNamee, a discussion components of a good 1:00 pm. The location on Transformative advisor-advisee and additional Graduate Education by relationship. Spring information will be People Graduate Dean Karen Orientation will be held posted on the Graduate DePauw, and on January 14, 2005 at School’s website. Graduate Ambassadors 2 Emerging Leaders Workshop New Faces 2 The Graduate School sophomores and juniors Funding Updates hosted the sixth annual from Historically Black Emerging Leaders Colleges and Workshop from August Universities for Work-Life Grants 3 5 through 8, 2004 in the graduate school and Hotel Roanoke Inn and career opportunities. Revised Cunningham 3 Conference Center. The This year, 18 schools Doctoral Scholars Program program consisted of participated in this Graduate Student 3 1/2 days of workshops workshop that was co- Recruiting at Virginia 2004-2005 Health 3 Insurance Subsidy and seminars designed chaired by Marilyn Tech. to prepare rising Kershaw, Director of More NSF Fellows Choose 3 Virginia Tech Alumni Homecoming Publications The first Graduate been preloaded with the Graduate Student 3 Alumni Homecoming home pages of the Handbook and Planner Breakfast was held Graduate School and Building Graduate 3 September 11 prior to the Research Division, Community the Western Michigan joint presenters of the football game and was a gift. The flash memory resounding success. drive was given as a Graduate alumni were symbol to commemorate Virginia Tech graduate presented with a flash the official alumni community. memory drive that had establishment of the Graduate School Reporter Fall 2004, page 2
News Briefs
J-1 Scholars Program Moved Graduate School People As of July 1st, 2004 the J-1 schol- ars program has moved to the Graduate Ambassadors Office of International Research, Education, and Development as A new Graduate communication and the final step in the separation of Ambassadors program assistance among the Graduate School from the has been developed to prospective, current, Research Division. The Graduate provide opportunities and former graduate School will continue to process and venues for students students. Membership immigration paperwork for J-1 to be actively involved is open to graduate students. Dr. Gerald Berkely-Coats in building and students who are is now the contact person for J-1 promoting a graduate interested in serving information contact scholar questions. His telephone community and to the graduate Monika Gibson at number is 540/231-6459, and his create a network of community. For more [email protected]. e-mail is [email protected].
Graduate Student Listserve The Graduate Student Services New Faces Office maintains a listserve of all registered graduate students and a Kevin Rooney comes be completing a master listserve of international graduate to the Graduate School of information students. The listserves are used to from the Institute for technology degree next inform students about timely con- Distance and fall. In his new role, cerns such as the deadline to claim Distributed Learning, Kevin will coordinate the insurance subsidy, notice of bringing 10 years of IT and facilitate the special events, and similar topics. experience. He has a integration of Graduate
Dialog with the Dean Series bachelor’s degree in School IT systems with Karen DePauw will be continuing communication studies the university’s IT Kevin Rooney the “Dialog with the Dean” series from VT, and he will systems. this academic year in response to favorable comments from students who attended the dialogs. The Cindy Stover is the holds three associates monthly forum offers an informal Graduate School’s degrees in information setting to discuss topics of interest newest admissions technology from New to graduate students. Dates of up- processor. She River Community coming “Dialogs” are posted on previously held two College. Cindy is the Graduate School calendar. part-time positions at engaged to be married, Tech in the geosciences and she has two Nominations for Outstanding department and the children. College Students Provost’s office. Cindy Cindy Stover Start planning now! Notices call- ing for nominations for the out- standing college graduate student, Erika Golart flew in programming and with outstanding dissertation, from the Azores, international student outstanding graduate teaching Portugal (where her services. Erika has a assistant, and outstanding graduate Air Force husband was bachelor’s degree from student service awards will be sent stationed) to become Duke University and a to all departments in November. the newest member of master’s degree from The awards will be presented at a the Graduate Student the University of dinner during Graduate Education Services team. She will Oklahoma. Week, March 21—25, 2005. be working with Erika Golart Graduate School Reporter Fall 2004, page 3
Publications Funding Updates
Work-Life Grants
To date, six graduate departments to enable Graduate School will
students have received them to continue provide one half of the
Work-Life Grants, a support for female stipend and the College
new program graduate students Dean will provide the
developed by the during pregnancy and other half. For more
Graduate School, childbirth. Departments information, refer to: Graduate Handbook and College Deans, and the can request financial http://www.grads.vt.edu/ Planner Provost’s office to assistance equivalent to worklife. For the second year the Graduate provide temporary a graduate assistantship Student Services Office has dis- financial assistance to for six weeks. The tributed the Graduate Handbook and Planner, providing academic Revised Cunningham Doctoral Scholars Program dates and information pertinent to graduate students at Virginia Tech. Distribution of Graduate School (some development, forestry, This planner has become very Cunningham terms and conditions biology, and popular with graduate students and Fellowship funds has apply). There are psychology. A notice all 1500 copies have already been been reorganized as currently five will be sent to distributed. matching funds to outstanding graduate departments when the allow departments to students who have been next funding cycle is recruit top doctoral recruited under this open. For more candidates. Offers program in the information contact Pat made by departments departments of Goodrich at are matched in time biological systems [email protected]. and funds by the engineering, human
2004-2005 Health Insurance Subsidy
The Board of Visitors subsidy is $380, and order to claim the Building Graduate Community approved a forty-five nearly 2,000 graduate subsidy, offered in fall percent increase in the students are eligible to and spring semester To date 10,000 copies of Building insurance subsidy for receive this benefit. allotments of $190 Graduate Community: graduate assistants this Students must show each. See details at Expectations for Graduate Study year. The insurance proof of insurance in http://www.grads.vt.edu. have been delivered to all faculty, graduate coordinators, and gradu- More NSF Fellows Choose Virginia Tech ate students at Virginia Tech. This publication was initiated by the This year Virginia Tech is home Active NSF Fellows Graduate Student Assembly and to twelve active and four reserve the Student Relations Committee National Science Foundation 12 of the Commission on Graduate graduate research fellows. Studies and Policies. It represents 10 Select fellowship and 8 a joint effort between faculty and scholarship recipients will be 6 students to define expectations and honored at a reception hosted by 4 accountability for graduate educa- President Charles W. Steger and 2 0 tion at Virginia Tech. Dean Karen P. DePauw at The 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Grove on October 26, 2004.