Celebrate Virginia Tech graduate students and graduate education March 25-29
Graduate students will take center stage with an appreciation lunch, a movie night, a design contest, an awards banquet, and a chance to talk about how the Virginia Tech graduate program might be updated during Graduate Education Week.
The Graduate Student Appreciation Luncheon kicks off the week on Monday, March 25, to celebrate the contributions graduate students make to the university. Karen DePauw of Blacksburg, Va., vice president and Graduate School dean, and tenured professor in the Departments of Sociology and Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, will give welcoming remarks at the event in the Graduate Life Center multipurpose room.
Throughout the week, graduate students can vote for the best original art, photograph, and poetry or prose submitted by fellow students. Entries for the contest must be submitted to the Graduate School Student Services office or the Graduate Life Center information desk by Wednesday, March 20.
After the lunch, Shelli Fowler of Blacksburg, Va., executive director graduate development programs and new pedagogies, will lead a discussion on whether higher education should be reformed, transformed, or otherwise changed. The “Rebel” seminar will be in the Graduate Life Center student lounge.
Publishing a journal paper will be the topic for a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 26. The discussion will give graduate students advice on how to prepare and submit papers to academic journals and increase the chances the paper will be accepted and published. A fitness class also will be held to show students how to do a 30-minute core workout.
On Wednesday, March 27, a graduate student assembly research symposium will be an interactive networking forum to talk about the latest in graduate research. "Answer, Spin, and Win" will be a chance to practice interviewing skills, receive feedback, and spin a prize wheel.
Highlighting Thursday programs is the Graduate Education Week Awards Banquet. Graduate students who have distinguished themselves in teaching, research, and service will be honored by the university.
The week will end on Friday, March 29, with a big cookout from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the Graduate Life Center Lawn and in the multipurpose room. All graduate students and their families are invited to enjoy free food, music, and games.