Graduate Education Week honors graduate students, showcases their talents

The Graduate School’s 2006 Graduate Education Week, held March 27 – 31, will celebrate graduate students at Virginia Tech by recognizing their many skills and accomplishments, providing guidance for academic and professional success, and offering festive social events.

The Graduate Student Assembly will host its 22nd Annual Research Symposium and Exposition on March 29 and will feature a diverse and impressive display of student research. Formal recognition ceremonies, including the Graduate Student Awards Banquet, will honor the winners of prestigious awards for graduate student contributions to research, scholarship, and the community.

Departments are encouraged to treat their graduate students to lunch at the Graduate Student Appreciation Luncheon on March 27, and the university community is invited to witness the artistic talents of graduate students by viewing displays of their artwork and photography in the Graduate Life Center.

Seminars throughout the week will teach graduate students how to maximize the academic experience and find careers in academe. Award-winning graduate advisor, Dr. Terry Kershaw, will share his perspectives about the skills necessary for students to thrive in graduate school. Advance VT will host a lunch for graduate women in engineering and science to offer skills for academic job interviews.

Social festivities will give graduate students a break from their studies. The Graduate Student Assembly kicks off the week with their elegant Gala at the South Endzone, and graduate students may pick up free tickets to Woody Allen’s Match Point for Movie Night at The Lyric. The week will culminate with an annual favorite, the Big Cook Out, a barbeque for graduate students and their families featuring food, games, and prizes.

For a complete schedule and details, visit the Graduate School website or call 231-4558 for more information. The Graduate School promotes graduate education as a critical component in the transmission of new knowledge, research, ideas, and scholarship at Virginia Tech. It is responsible for the development, administration, and evaluation of graduate education throughout the university, providing support to faculty, staff, and more than 6,000 graduate students. The Graduate School is committed to building a diverse graduate community and vibrant intellectual environment to help prepare graduates to serve as leaders for the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.