Graduate student Emily Tirrell reflects on working with the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors

Second-year doctoral student Emily Tirrell spends hours each day exploring the human neural network, or nervous system, examining the strength and speed at which the nerves send signals and how that affects people’s ability to feel touch.

She is passionate about her work in the translational biology, medicine, and health interdisciplinary program, working with Assistant Professor Netta Gurari, her advisor. She hopes her research will help with rehabilitation for people suffering from strokes, diabetes, and other diseases and conditions that affect the nervous system.

“I’ve always really liked the brain,” said Tirrell, who calls herself a double Hokie, having earned bachelor’s degrees in biological science and clinical neuroscience before beginning her Ph.D. studies.

Tirrell also is excited about a crosswalk near the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine building and an upcoming resource fair for graduate students. The latter projects are associated with her work as the 2023-24 Virginia Tech Board of Visitors graduate and professional student representative, one of two student positions with the board. William Storey serves as the undergraduate representative.

Opportunity to improve student experiences

Tirrell said she applied for the position because it gave her an opportunity to engage with students, faculty members, administrators, and staff across the university and focus on helping them improve student experiences. The opportunity builds on her prior leadership roles with the Graduate School, including working as an ambassador, being a tour guide for the school, and serving on the Graduate Honor System. She also was a senior residential advisor and now serves as a graduate residential fellow for the Honors Residential Commons.

“I was really excited to apply,” Tirrell said of the Board of Visitors opportunity. “I really got into it so I could work with other people and learn about their experiences and make meaningful change here at Virginia Tech.”

The undergraduate and graduate student representatives also serve as ex-officio members of University Council. These members are required to maintain contact with university faculty, administrators, and Virginia Tech students, and they report on their work at each board meeting.

Excited and terrified

She said the first semester initially was hectic as she folded her new responsibilities into her research, residential fellowship, and other responsibilities and commitments. “I had to organize,” she said. “But I really like organizing projects and seeing things through. It was a lot of work, but it was meaningful work.”

She recalls being “terrified” at the first meeting in August 2023, but said the board members, staff, and administrators were warm and welcoming and assuaged her fears. “I really feel like it was a great experience this first semester.”

Concern for student safety

Her focus has been student financial well-being and student engagement with campus resources. She said she has met with more than 100 students during the past few months, holding office hours, attending events, and asking about students' experiences and concerns.

One of the issues mentioned was safety crossing roads across the campus, particularly across the parking lots near the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine buildings. She worked with the campus planning, infrastructure, and facilities team to address the problem, and that unit is exploring plans to install a crosswalk to improve safety near the veterinary buildings. “The biggest thing I’m super proud of is that crosswalk,” she said of her first semester with the board.

She said she worked hard to explain to board members “why graduate students are so important for the university to function. The research enterprise success depends on graduate and professional students.”

Resources for graduate students

She’s starting her second semester activities with a resource fair for graduate students on Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Graduate Life Center on the Blacksburg campus. The aim is to bring partners and services from across the university together so graduate students can learn what resources are available.

“There will be pizza,” she said. “We’ve actually had a huge rush of support from different campus partners and resources who want to get involved in this resource fair.” She hopes to see a strong turnout. “One of my biggest goals is to get students the resources they might need and expose them to what’s available on campus” she said. “I’m also continuing to work with the administration to address student financial concerns.”

Tirrell hopes to graduate in 2026 and plans to remain active in extracurricular activities in addition to her classwork and research, saying balancing those passions brings her fulfillment.  Being a student representative to the Board of Visitors has added to that, she said. “You can make really amazing, positive change through this role. I’ve loved it and I think it’s an experience that any graduate student would benefit from.”

Graduate and professional students who are interested in becoming the 2024-25 academic year representative can apply now. Watch this video to learn more. Visit this site for information and to apply. The application deadline is Feb. 25.