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VT-STEM NewsletterFebruary 15, 2011 ProgramsBlacksburg Nature CenterThe Blacksburg Nature Center offers educational programs every Saturday, as well as summer programs. More information on these events can be found here. The Blacksburg Nature Center weekly hours are Tuesday 10am - 1pm, Thursday 2pm - 5pm, and Saturday 9am - 1pm.Earth Week 2011The Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech, one of the leading environmental groups on campus, is currently organizing Earth Week 2011: April 15 - 22, 2011. Throughout the week, lectures, workshops, and interactive events will be held relating to food and agriculture, local business, alternative transportation, clean energy and more. Earth Week will include Tree Plantings around campus and are looking for as much help as possible.Professors are encouraged to offer their students extra credit or other incentives to attend Earth Week events. On Monday April 18, Mark Winne, distinguished author of Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty will be visiting Virginia Tech to speak on some of the issues related to America's Food System today. Larry Gibson, Founder of Keeper of the Mountains will visit form Kayford Mountain to discuss the negative impacts of Mountain Top Removal Mining and some of the options we have to effect change. The Earth Day Festival will be held on Friday, April 22 with many vendors ranging from on campus organizations, to local businesses and market vendors. Any questions regarding Earth Week can be directed to Rial Tombes, Earth Week Coordinator. Video Game Research Lunchtime Colloquium SeriesThe Virginia Tech Gaming and Media Effects Research Laboratory is holding three lunchtime colloquiums this spring.Going ‘Postal’: Youth Violence Predicted by Depression and Antisocial Traits, not Video Game Violence Wednesday, 23 February, 1:00-2:00 p.m., 1000 Torgersen Hall Colloquium Focus: Effects of Violent Game Content Featured Presenter: Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson 2011 VT G.A.M.E.R. Lab Virtual Guest Scholar (via videoconference) Associate Professor of Psychology, Texas A&M International University Virtual Demographics: Analyzing Sex and Race in Massively Multiplayer Worlds Wednesday, 6 April, 1:00-2:00 p.m., 043 Shanks Hall Colloquium Focus: Demographic Representations in Virtual Worlds Featured Presenters: Rommelyn Conde, Courtney Long, Rachel McDonnell, and Frank Waddell M.A. Students, Department of Communication, Virginia Tech Mission: Evolution - Leveraging Digital Video Games to Engage Tenth Graders in Evolutionary Biology Wednesday, 27 April, 1:00-2:00 p.m., 043 Shanks Hall Colloquium Focus: Games and Education Featured Presenter: Dr. Michael A. Evans Assistant Professor, Department of Learning Sciences and Technologies, School of Education, Virginia Tech No registration or RSVP necessary to attend sessions. Walk-ins welcome. No food or drink will be provided at sessions, but attendees are welcome to bring their own snacks or lunches to 043 Shanks sessions (no food or drink in 1000 Torgersen Hall). Email questions to James D. Ivory. Effects of Price and Genetics on Food Choices and Weight Phenotypes in MiceDeborah Good, Ph.D. and George Davis, Ph.D. will be presenting on the effects of price and genetics on food choices and weight phenotypes in mice on Thursday, February 17 at 10 am. The seminar will be hosted at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Room R1059. More information can be found here.Truth Values: One Girl’s Romp Through M.I.T.’s Male Math MazeOne performance only: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 3:30 pm, Squires Studio Theater Limited seating! Tickets available at no charge from the UUSA box office in Squires or AdvanceVTCreated as a response to former Harvard President Lawrence Summers’ now-infamous suggestion that women are less represented than men in the sciences because of innate gender differences, Truth Values: One Girl’s Romp Through M.I.T.’s Male Math Maze is a true-life tale that offers a humorous, scathing, insightful, and ultimately uplifting look at the challenges of being a professional woman in a male-dominated field. Over the course of the 75-minute solo show, writer/performer and “recovering mathematician” Gioia De Cari brings to life more than 30 characters in a hilarious and deeply touching performance that has earned raves from critics and stirred audiences to standing ovations. ConferencesScience & Mathematics Teacher Imperative 2011 National ConferenceThe Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative (SMTI) is seeking proposals for presentations at their 2011 conference which is to be held June 8-10 in Portland, Oregon. The theme of this year’s conference is “Defining Quality in Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation”ARPA-E Energy Innovation SummitKey players in the nation’s energy innovation community will gather for two days, March 1 & 2, to spur the networks that will bring about the next Industrial Revolution in clean energy technologies. Registration is almost at capacity, so sign up soon!ContestsCollege Campus Safety & Violence Prevention: PSA ChallengeThe Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention is seeking student created 30 second Public Service Announcements (PSA). The winning PSA will be aired across the state of Virginia. The winning team will also receive free web hosting, courtesy of InMotion Hosting, Inc. Submissions are due by April 30, 2011. For more information visit their website.VolunteeringWestern Virginia Regional Science Fair: Judges WantedThe Western Virginia Regional Science Fair bring together high school students with the best research projects in the Roanoke area. The 2011 regional science fair is on March 19 at Hollins University. They are in need of judges to meet with the students, provide them with feedback on their work, and select award winners. Typically a group of 2-3 judges is responsible for evaluating approximately 10 student projects. The judges gather for a light breakfast at 8:30 am and are usually finished by 2:00 pm. Lunch is also provided. They need judges in all areas of science, computer science, math, and engineering. Graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty members are all welcome. Please contact John Kowalski, Ph.D. if you can serve as a judge or if you have any questions.Summer Research for UndergradsScieneering: New Minors and Undergraduate ResearchThis new program merges science and engineering. Current sophomores and juniors accepted into the program will complete one of three new minors: Biomedical Science, Biomedical Engineering, or Science, Engineering and Law. Student will also complete one or more semesters of research for a lab outside of their home college. The application deadline is March 1. More information can be found here.Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)The Fralin SURF program is now accepting applications from rising Virginia Tech sophomores, juniors, and seniors to pursue life sciences research full-time during the summer of 2011. Fourteen fellowships of $4000 each will be awarded and paid over a 10-week period.Postdoctoral FellowshipsASEE/NSF Small Business Postdoctoral Diversity FellowshipThe American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in partnership with the National Science Foundation announces the Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship Program which will place 50 recent Ph.D recipients in designated Phase II Small Business innovation Research (SBIR) participating companies. The program encourages creative and highly trained recipients of doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines to engage in hands-on research projects in their areas of expertise at the kind of small innovative businesses that historically have fueled the nation's economic engine. To be eligible, candidates must have been awarded, within three years to the date of their application, a Ph.D, Sc.D or other earned doctoral degree in a STEM-related discipline supported by the National Science Foundation. Spring 2011 Ph.D candidates must be a U. S. citizen, U. S. National or a permanent resident. Qualified women and underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged to apply. Fellowship recipients will receive an annual stipend of $75,000 plus full health benefits for at least one year. The deadline is ongoing, positions will be filled on a first come, first served basis.For further information, please visit the ASEE website at or contact the ASEE program administrator, Curt Millay, at c.millay@asee.org or 202-649-3832
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