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OUR Weekly: August 28

2023

Hi Hokies,

In this week’s newsletter:

Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Resources

1. Check out the OUR website

The OUR website has many resources to support you at any stage in your undergraduate research journey. Some pages of particular relevance:

2. Drop-in hours with OUR Ambassadors

The OUR Ambassadors will be holding drop-in office hours every Monday from 9:00-10:00 a.m. in 220 Gilbert Street room 2101. Stop by and ask your research questions!

3. Undergraduate Research Opportunity Databases

4. Registering for Undergraduate Research Credits

If you are planning to complete undergraduate research for credit you must submit college-specific digital forms to your College Dean’s Office, typically within the first week of classes each semester. This form must be signed and approved by your research mentor (faculty member). Every college has their own procedure and deadline so check your college website for more information. Links to individual college pages are available on the OUR webpage.

5. Undergraduate Research Excellence Program (UREP)

The Undergraduate Research Excellence Program is designed to recognize students for their engagement in undergraduate research. It is open to any student, any major, and any academic year. You will track your journey through undergraduate research, from training and engaging to disseminating and reflecting. You will receive recognition at graduation with a specialty designed cord, and are eligible to receive awards at the Spring Dennis Dean Undergraduate Research Conference hosted annually by Virginia Tech.

6. Apply to become an OUR Ambassador

Are you passionate about undergraduate research? Do you want to share that passion and help other students get involved in research? The OUR is accepting applications to the OUR Student Ambassador Program. Students from any discipline are encouraged to apply. To be eligible, applicants must have prior research experience in any field. OUR Ambassadors are the face of the office and help advise and guide students interested in research. They interact with students through office hours, conduct information sessions, and help with outreach events. Apply to be an OUR Ambassador!

7. Gilbert Place Open House

Students are invited to visit Gilbert Place to check out the Student Success Initiatives (SSI) located in the new building on Gilbert Street! The Office of Undergraduate Research will be participating, so stop by to learn more about what we do. SSI will offer refreshments, and many other programs housed in Gilbert will present to chat with you.

The open house will be August 31, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at 220 Gilbert Street.

Virginia Tech Research Opportunities 

1. Translational Plant Sciences Center Research Opportunities

There are several opportunities available for paid or academic credit research with the Translational Plant Sciences Center.

  • Bargmann Lab
    • Seeking undergraduate research assistants to work with wheat tissue culture
    • $15/hr, 10 hrs per week
    • Email bastiaan@vt.edu
  • Jelesko Lab
    • Seeking undergraduate research assistants to work with wheat tissue culture
    • 9-12 hrs for academic credit
    • $10/hr for extensive genomics experience
    • Email jelesko@vt.edu
  • Williams Lab
    • Microbiome diversity and soy bean/corn characterization of nitrogen fixing bacteria as well as microbial activity in plants and soils- soil organic matter
    • Internships and paid positions
    • Email markwill@vt.edu
  • McDowell Lab
    • Seeking an undergraduate research assistant to help the group understand how plants and pathogens fight each other at the molecular level, and to examine new approaches for disease control in crops
    • $15/hr, 5-10 hrs/week during Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters, and 20-40 hrs/week during Summer 2024
    • Will provide training in molecular lab techniques in the context of plant and microbial biology, based on broadly applicable principles of host-pathogen interactions.
    • Email johnmcd@vt.edu
  • Join our community

2. History Lab Student Assistant

History Lab is an interdisciplinary team utilizing creative technologies to research and present history in new ways. The team has collaborated on research/outreach projects such as an Augmented Reality tour of a Civil War battlefield site, a projection mapping exhibit exploring 150 years of Virginia Tech history, and an immersive Virtual Reality exploration of First World War tunnels. Members of the team also teach an experiential learning Pathways course, History Lab: Creative Technologies, Hidden Histories, Informal Learning.

History Lab seeks a student assistant to support various aspects of their work during academic year 2023-24. The selected candidate must be able to commit to the position for the full academic year.

Required qualifications

  • Full-time student status at Virginia Tech (undergraduate or graduate)
  • Strong communication skills

Preferred qualifications

  • Experience or strong interest in one or more creative technologies such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Projection Mapping, online exhibit design, web design
  • Historical research and writing skills

Responsibilities

  • Oversee and, if necessary, troubleshoot operation of the History Lab projection mapping installation and iPad kiosks at Solitude (around five hours per week)
  • Maintain and update the History Lab website (using Squarespace)
  • Manage History Lab’s social media channels
  • Develop appropriate skills/knowledge in creative technologies and historical topics
  • Serve as a teaching assistant for the History Lab course during Spring 2024: participate in class sessions and discussions; support instructors with class preparation, grading, etc.; provide peer mentorship to students during class time and in separate office hours
  • Other duties as assigned

Pay is $20/hour. The typical workload will be 8-10 hours/week during Fall 2023 and 10-15 hours/week during Spring 2024. Hours worked will be fairly flexible, although you must be available during class times in Spring 2024: Tu-Th 2:00-3:15 p.m.

To apply, please send a resume and a brief description of your suitability for the role in an email to Paul Quigley by August 24.

3. Global Change Center Undergraduate Research Grant

The Global Change Center at Virginia Tech, with support from the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, is proud to sponsor undergraduate students and their research projects that align with their mission for advancing collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to address critical global changes impacting the environment and society.

Projects that address basic and/or applied aspects of global change science, engineering, social science and the humanities are eligible for this funding opportunity, and proposals must include strong endorsement by a GCC-affiliated faculty member.

Award requests can range from $250-$1,000. Find more information and application materials on the GCC research grant website.

Conferences and Journal Submissions

1. Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia

The Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) is a consortium of Virginia colleges and universities dedicated to supporting undergraduate research and creative activity throughout the state.

The NURVa conference is an opportunity for undergraduates in all disciplines to present their research and creative work at the 4th annual statewide conference. The conference will be held on November 18, 2023, on the campus of Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, VA.

Conference registration, which includes lunch, will be free as the conference has been completely underwritten by a generous grant from the 4-VA Foundation.

NURVa invites submissions from undergraduates in all disciplines in the categories of oral presentation (12-minute), poster, or performance.

Submit abstracts (750 words maximum) with one letter of support from a faculty mentor endorsing the presentation of the project. Submission deadline for students and for faculty letters is midnight, October 15, 2023. No more than two submissions are permitted per student. See the NURVa Submission Form. Email Dr. David A. Salomon with any questions.

2. Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship

The 25th annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship (MARCUS) will be held on November 4, 2023. MARCUS is a presentation venue for undergraduate scholarship in all disciplines. This event will take place entirely in person on the Randolph College campus.

All attendees (presenters, faculty, mentors, and guests) need to register to attend MARCUS via the Simpletix portal. The early bird rate ends on September 22, 2023.

All student presenters must complete this Application to Submit a Presentation (deadline October 6, 2023) to be approved, scheduled for MARCUS, and included in the program. They reserve the right to edit abstracts, and/or request abstracts to be rewritten and resubmitted.

Additional details are available at the MARCUS site.

3. GYNECA

GYNECA, The Columbia Undergraduate Journal of Gynecology & Women’s Health, is reaching out to share a new publication opportunity for undergraduate students.

GYNECA is an open-access, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed publication that is supported by Columbia professors. They are looking to not only fill the knowledge gap on the role that sex and gender differences play in health and disease but also promote undergraduate student research in the discourse on healthcare.

While the inaugural issue sought to explore gynecology and gender minority health through a journalistic lens, featuring essays and editorials, they are looking to incorporate scientific research in our Spring 2023 issue.

They are currently accepting publications based on their originality, importance, and interdisciplinary interest from any field of research that is relevant to our journal’s aim and scope that includes but is not limited to reproductive health, mental health, global health, family planning, breast/ovarian cancer, prenatal health, menstrual health, medical sociology, or another type of science. Each paper published in the GYNECA undergoes a double-blind peer review process and a faculty review by the GYNECA Faculty Advisory Board. As a newer journal, they are interested in publishing research of a preliminary, introductory, and supplementary nature. This would not only be a great opportunity for students to get their work published, but also ensures that data/results of larger projects would NOT be compromised by publishing with them.

All manuscript submissions are due by September 8, 2023 for full consideration in the Fall 2023 issue. Note that additional opportunities for submissions in the future will be posted to their website.

Review the Guidelines for Original Research Submissions, visit the GYNECA website, or email mr4159@columbia.edu and tek2118@columbia.edu for more information or to direct any questions. We are excited to work with you!

4. Virginia Academy of Science Fall Conference

The Virginia Academy of Science (VAS) Fall conference has been held annually since 2001 and is a competitive 'grant proposal’ meeting. Undergraduate students at universities and colleges in Virginia will submit a proposal using the online portal, which opens September 1, 2023. Students will present their prospective research projects at the conference in a poster presentation format to a panel of judges.

This conference is open to all scientific disciplines, and recent submissions have included projects that explore topics in biomedical science, molecular biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, ecology, psychology, neuroscience, and physics.

The undergraduate research grants are designed to facilitate the execution of student projects and provide recipients with the opportunity to present their results at their Spring meeting. This year, they plan to award $900 grants to the ten most outstanding proposals.

The call for proposals will open on September 1, 2023 and will close on October 1, 2023.

Faculty advisors are not required to attend, but they greatly appreciate any attending faculty who are willing to serve as judges.

The VAS 2023 Fall meeting will be held at Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA on Saturday, October 29, 2023, from approximately 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The Spring meeting will be held at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA on May 16, 2024.

Please visit the Virginia Academy of Science website or email rwaters@umw.edu for any additional information.

Other Opportunities

1. WEGE Prize

The Wege Prize is an annual team-based student competition focused on the circular economy and regenerative design. Applications are now open through October 8.

Program highlights are as follows:

  • Open to all full-time college/university students around the world, at all degree levels.
  • Phase 1 (Application): Students independently form teams of 5 and apply with a basic research plan that identifies a wicked problem and proposes a circular design solution.
  • Phase 2: Accepted teams refine their ideas and submit a full project summary, which is then reviewed by a panel of core judges: seasoned professionals in the fields of biodesign and materials, the circular economy, sustainable business, and more. All submissions will receive valuable feedback on their project summaries, regardless if they move forward in the competition!
  • Phase 3: After receiving feedback from the judges, the pool is narrowed down to a set of semifinalist teams who will then continue to work on their project summary.
  • Phase 4: Selected finalist teams present their project/ideas to a live audience in May (travel is reimbursed up to $3k) and compete for a portion of a $65k cash prize pool. Award funds can be used at the individual team members' discretion.

Visit wegeprize.org to learn more or email wicked@wegeprize.org with questions!

They will be hosting a few informational webinars that anyone can attend/view! Registration links for each date are below:

2. Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH) Fall Open House - October 20-21

Apply to join the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH) Fall Open House! The application deadline is October 1, 2023. Learn about the exciting opportunities available within TBMH, tour state of the art facilities and labs, hear about the wide range of cutting edge research happening at Virginia Tech, get to know TBMH students, faculty, leadership, and more! The open house is for prospective students intending to apply to research-intensive Ph.D. programs, looking to enroll in Fall 2024. For students invited to attend, TBMH will provide lodging and travel expenses, for those living outside of the Blacksburg/Roanoke area. Note international travel will not be covered.

Looking for general information about TBMH? Connect with the program through a virtual information session. Learn about the program, the admissions process, hear from current students and more.

  • September 8, 2023
  • October 6, 2023
  • December 8, 2023

3. Student Survey by Career and Professional Development

Career and Professional Development wants to know more about what you did this summer as they continue to develop and support career-related experiences for students.

Did you:

  • Have an internship?
  • Complete a co-op?
  • Study abroad?
  • Volunteer?
  • Participate in research?
  • Shadow a professional?

Complete the Career and Professional Development survey for a chance to win a pair of AirPods Pro (2nd gen). There will be 4 winners. Email Cody Smith for more information.

4. BMEN Student Ambassadors

As part of the Black Male Excellence Network's (BMEN) vision to expose students to ongoing undergraduate research opportunities and build confidence in securing internships, co-ops, and study abroad opportunities, BMEN is seeking to hire student ambassadors who provide peer mentoring and coaching, guiding them through the BMEN Scholars program journey. Student ambassadors will be recruited by BMEN's coordinator and graduate assistant and later receive professional development training. Familiarity with various campus resources will be an added advantage. Thus, they are hiring only sophomore, junior, and senior students. If you are an enthusiastic student leader, work-study eligible, and love peer mentorship, submit your application form.