May 4, 2021
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcing the Interfaces of Global Change Fellow-to-Fellow Mentoring Program
The Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) Graduate Student Organization has launched a new Fellow-to-Fellow Mentoring Program! Highlighted at the IGC Graduate Student Symposium on April 23, 2021, this Fellow-initiated peer mentoring program seeks to foster a support system composed of incoming, current, and alumni IGC Fellows.

www.globalchange.vt.edu
IGC DEI Reading Group Summer Book Pick:
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Kimmerer
The IGC DEI reading group has been holding reading group discussions since last fall 2020. While they won't be meeting over the summer, the group has picked a summer book which will be discussed when the group re-convenes this upcoming fall.

How to read:

To get involved with the reading group, contact Lauren Maynard, IGC GSO DEI Committee Chair
Union of Concerned Scientists seeks applicants for Team-Based Organizing Initiative
The Team-Based Organizing Initiative at the Union of Concerned Scientists offers scientists and experts across the country a framework for understanding your unique role as a change maker in your community, and the tools to develop local teams of advocates, fighting for science and justice. This year-long leadership development opportunity aims for leaders to be trained in key advocacy skills, connected with fellow local advocates, and leading actions that deploy science to protect your community's health, safety, and environment. The application period is open until Monday, May 24.

FELLOW SPOTLIGHT
Congratulations, Drs. Suwei Wang & Vasiliy Lakoba!
IGC Fellow Suwei Wang successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation last Tuesday, April 27th. Her seminar was titled "Opportunities and Challenges in Identification and Classification of Heat Stress Risk Based on Analysis of Individual and Neighborhood Level Factors".

Suwei has accepted a post-doctoral fellowship position in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke School of Medicine. She will be a fellow in the Measurement and Regulatory Science (MaRS) fellowship program, which is a partnership between Duke and industry to improve the patient's voice in health interventions.

Congratulations Suwei!!
IGC Fellow Vasiliy Lakoba successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation last Friday, April 30th. His seminar was titled "Ecotypic Variation in Johnsongrass in Its Invaded U.S. Range".

Post-graduation, Vasiliy will begin his new role as Director of Research with the American Chestnut Foundation at their Meadowview Research Farms site. This property and its facilities are used to preserve, study, and breed American chestnut trees for resistance to the blight fungus.

Congratulations Vasiliy!!
AROUND CAMPUS
CeZAP Seminar: Sonia Altizer, University of Georgia
Food for contagion: Host–parasite responses to resource shifts in human-dominated environments

Tuesday, May 4 at 12:00 pm
Zoom webinar link here
VT WInGS Seminar: Special guests students from the GEOS 2004 Geoscience Fundamentals presenting their final project, theme titled:

Biographies of Pioneering Black Geoscientists

Wednesday, May 5 at 11:30 am
Contact Michelle Stocker to join
Marine and Freshwater Conservation Seminar: Dr. Stefan Gelcich, Pontificia Universidad Católica in Chile

Dr. Gelcich is a Pew Marine Fellow who works on social-ecological approaches to marine fisheries management and conservation

Wednesday, May 5 at 4:30 pm
Contact Holly Kindsvater to join
COMMUNITY
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Take time for some self care & to enjoy spring!
It's always a good time to take a break for self care!

If you're an IGC Fellow, consider getting involved with the IGC Peer Mentoring Program by sending a quick note to connect with the committee leaders! VT organizations are offering a ton of fun wellness activities for students - check out the calendar at Gobbler Connect here to find events featuring yoga & mindfulness, outdoor adventures, support group meetings and more.

Hokie Wellness is also offering two silent mindfulness retreats on the drillfield this Wednesday May 5, more info here.
Panda Express Fundraiser for Humble Hikes Fundraiser
Thursday May 6
10:30 am - 9:30 pm

Organized by the Fish and Wildlife Graduate Student Association (FiWGSA). Proceeds will support the Humble Hikes program of Roanoke, VA, in covering transportation costs to and from events. The Humble Hikes program aims to expose Black youth to the outdoors. Flyer must be shown at checkout. 

Additional direct donations are also being accepted to support FIWGSA DEI Initiative to purchase binoculars for Humble Hikes. Donate directly on the groups Square site here.
2021 Diversity Scholars will share their projects...

Virginia Tech Graduate School's 2020-21 Diversity Scholars will share their projects with the university community and the public in a virtual Spotlight showcase on Friday, May 7, at 3 p.m. The event will be held on Zoom and will feature a short...

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vtnews.vt.edu
NEWSWORTHY
From the CLiGS Blog: 'Depolarizing climate action' by GCC affiliate Bruce Hull
Believe it or not, passionate concern for the climate may be holding back progress on the crucial environmental issue of our time. As the recent U.S. presidential election amply demonstrated, we live in polarizing times. People are divided by political party, COVID, racial reckoning, and, of course, climate change. The mere mention of these issues triggers “identity protective reasoning,” which causes us to react defensively, protecting the position of those in our ideological "tribe"...

www.cligs.vt.edu
Center for Communicating Science draws support from FLSI

Now with a commitment of funding from the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, the center will be able to continue and expand upon its mission to help researchers and scholars develop the art of connecting across racial, cultural, religious,...

Read more
vtnews.vt.edu
Do you have an opportunity or announcement you'd like to share with the GCC community? Send us an email!
Global Change Center | Virginia Tech | 540-231-5400 | www.globalchange.vt.edu