January 2026 - Gradstudents - mailman.cs.vt.edu

Subjects needed for Eye-Tracking Research Study
by Ramirez, Nikki 29 Jan '26

29 Jan '26

Hello, The PrivateEye research group at Virginia Tech is inviting you to participate in a research study using eye-tracking and virtual reality technology. Our team is investigating novel interfaces to visualize eye-tracking data in virtual reality. You will receive $15 (USD) as compensation for participation in this study. Participants in the study will come to the PrivateEye lab space (room 3214) in Gilbert Place (220 Gilbert Street, Blacksburg, VA) on the Virginia Tech campus. Participants will be asked to wear a virtual-reality headset and perform the Iowa Gambling Task while seated in a swivel chair. The entire experimental session will take up to 75 minutes. Participants need to be proficient in reading and writing in English, at least 18 years old, have normal vision (contact lenses are fine, glasses are not supported). Participation will be on a firstcome, first-serve basis. Participants’ involvement in the study will not impact their employment, grades, or academic performance in any way. We have attached the consent form document for the study, which describes in detail the experimental purpose and procedures, benefits, and risks of your participation. If you would like to participate, please email Nikki Ramirez-Saffy (gnramirezsaffy(a)vt.edu) to coordinate scheduling a study session. Once received, you will be contacted by the investigator to schedule a session. The project is supervised by Dr. Brendan David-John from Computer Science. This experiment has been approved, as required, by the Virginia Tech Institutional Review Board under protocol number 25-107. Thank you for your time, Nikki Ramirez-Saffy (gnramirezsaffy(a)vt.edu) Dr. Brendan David-John (bmdj(a)vt.edu) --- G. NIKKI RAMIREZ she, her, hers Ph.D. student, Department of Computer Science Virginia Tech

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Call for Student Participation: CAPWIC 2026 (March 27–28, Alexandria, VA)
by Nizamani, Sehrish Basir 29 Jan '26

29 Jan '26

CAPWIC 2026 (ACM Capital Region Celebration of Women in Computing), to be held March 27–28, 2026, at Virginia Tech’s Institute for Advanced Computing (IAC) in Alexandria, VA. Conference Website: https://capwic.org/ CAPWIC is an ACM Capital Region Celebration of Women in Computing and provides a low-cost, regionally tailored, small conference. The participants include all students, faculty, and professionals. It is an ideal conference for students to present early-stage work, class projects, research ideas, or experience reports. One of the strengths of CAPWIC is its low barrier to participation. * Submissions only require a short abstract and author information * No full paper is required * Multiple student-friendly submission types are available, including flash talks, posters, and research shorts Students benefit from presenting their work, building confidence, networking with peers and professionals, learning from distinguished speakers in academia and industry, and participating in panels and a career fair. Computer Science will sponsor travel of limited students. Application will be shared using the same thread soon. Students will be selected based on blind review. [cid:1923a876-dbca-42db-b5f3-7d074a5ca01b] Sehrish Basir Nizamani, Collegiate Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science Faculty Affiliate, CENI | CHCI<https://hci.icat.vt.edu/> | Center for Future Work Places and Practices<https://cfwpp.icat.vt.edu/> 620 Drillfield Drive, Office 2220A Torgersen Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24060 540-231-1238 | sehrishbasir(a)vt.edu<mailto:sehrishbasir@vt.edu> Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/my/sehrishbasir

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FW: GPSS Dinner Meeting with President Sands (Guest Speaker)
by Dr. Eli Tilevich 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) warmly invites all Graduate and Professional Students at Virginia Tech to join us for our next Senate meeting with President Sands as a guest speaker, where attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions. Dinner will be provided! Please register by February 1: https://forms.office.com/r/8ZVYdzg1e8 GPSS Executive Board President | Pooja Bhagawat Vice President | Gyang Chung Director of Advocacy | Mohammed El Kihal Director of Events | Brian Chan Director of Programs | Megan Grey Director of Finance | Kelsey Jennings Director of Communications | Taylor Peele Advisor | Lauren Surface <http://www.gpss.vt.edu/> www.gpss.vt.edu | <mailto:gpss@vt.edu> gpss(a)vt.edu | Instagram: <https://www.instagram.com/vtgpss/> @VTGPSS

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Digital Education Research Reading Group Meetings
by Shaffer, Cliff 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

David Smith and I invite you to join us for a monthly research reading group meeting on topics related to Digital Education. If you would be interested in possibly joining us, please mark times that you would be available to meet at the following link: https://whenisgood.net/qq335dp We also invite you to join our Digital Education Research at VT Google group: https://groups.google.com/g/digital-education-research-at-vt to be notified of relative events and other discussion items. -- Dr. Cliff Shaffer Professor Department of Computer Science Phone: (540) 231-4354 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 WWW: www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer<http://www.cs.vt.edu/~shaffer>

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ORI & ECE Distinguished Lecture: Dr. Rob Moore II from ORNL
by Wang, Xuan 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Hi everyone, I am forwarding this information of a visit of Dr. Rob Moore II<https://www.ornl.gov/staff-profile/rob-g-moore-ii> from ORNL on Friday, January 30, 2026. Dr. Rob Moore will be serving as our joint ORI and ECE Distinguished Lecturer, focusing on the "Genesis" AI-for-Science ecosystem. Attached please find the flyer for Dr. Rob Moore's talk this Friday, January 30, 4-5 pm, both in person (190 Goodwin Hall) and online. Scientific Labs of the Future: An Ecosystem for Multi-Domain Autonomous Science Rob G Moore II Director of Interconnected Science Ecosystem (INTERSECT), Distinguished Staff Scientist Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Date/Time: Friday, Jan 30, 2026, 4:00pm-5:00pm Location: 190 Goodwin Hall (Quillen Family Auditorium) Zoom: link<https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/88473170834?pwd=eqp6vgHDsDUBhzYPq9RSIPuD7nux…>; (Zoom ID: 88473170834, Passcode: seminar) Best, Xuan -------- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science Sanghani Center for AI and Data Analytics Virginia Tech

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Fwd: ACCESSIBILTY WORKSHOPS: Please share with your graduate students who may be teaching this semester.
by Edmison, Bob 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Hi all, Please take a moment to look at the following announcement about some professional development opportunities offered by the College of Engineering around creating accessible course content. This will be especially useful for those of you who may be considering teaching in the future. Please direct any questions to Dr. Johnson (jalicia(a)vt.edu). Best, Dr Edmison Begin forwarded message: From: "Johnson, Alicia" <jalicia(a)vt.edu> Subject: ACCESSIBILTY WORKSHOPS: Please share with your graduate students who may be teaching this semester. Date: January 24, 2026 at 00:23:30 GMT+1 Dear POC's, This isn't the typical request, but it is about accessibility. We sent this to our COE grad students yesterday. If possible, we are asking you to give it a "signal boost" by getting it to your students who might be teaching this semester. Thank you for your help. Take care and have a safe weekend. Alicia ************************ Dear Engineering Graduate Students, This semester, we’re offering a short Lunch & Learn workshop series designed to help graduate students build clear, accessible digital content—a skill that’s increasingly valuable in teaching, research, and professional settings. These sessions are not compliance training and are not tied to any requirements. Instead, they’re meant to support graduate students who are curious about improving their digital communication, preparing for conferences and publications, or who create content as part of their work as a GTA, GRA, or GA (Canvas pages, documents, slides, websites, etc.). Each session is peer-led by an Engineering graduate student and focused on practical, real-world scenarios you’re likely to encounter. Workshop Topics Engineering GTAs: Canvas Accessibility Date: January 27th Time: Noon-1 PM Zoom link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/85832459520?pwd=PsAj1J8ElBKlab3upAwguou9VOeB… If you plan to attend, please register using this using this Forms link<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjelz…> for planning purposes. Learn practical strategies for creating accessible Canvas content that supports all learners. This session covers using the Ally tool, structuring Canvas pages, adding accessible documents and media, and identifying common issues GTAs often encounter when supporting courses. Creating Accessible Word Documents Date: February 24th Time: Noon-1 PM Zoom link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/86377140564?pwd=TG0bfGyG5STAa1AabwAp95VW4d5r… Please register in advance using this using this Forms link<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjelz…> if you plan to attend. Learn how to create clear, accessible Word documents using headings, styles, lists, tables, and built-in accessibility checkers. These skills transfer directly to coursework, research documents, and professional writing. Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations Date: March 24th Time: Noon - 1 PM Location: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/83471874635?pwd=HrFaxTZFRahqL05vrb1Dnsp9sfOo… If you’re planning to attend, please register using this Forms link<https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hGiVYK0Q-kCGPU8yweOjelz…>. Discover how to design slides that work for a broad audience—covering slide structure, readable text, color contrast, alt text, and accessible templates. Ideal for teaching, research presentations, and conference submissions. Creating Accessible Digital Content (Big Picture) Date: April 21st Time: Noon - 1 PM Location: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/86441004158?pwd=qJ3EsjFXCTF8hBwQ6OoD55CbgHUI… If you plan to attend, please use this using this Forms link<https://forms.office.com/r/1BPppFfVut> to register. Get a high-level view of accessibility across common formats—documents, slides, images, and online content. This session focuses on simple design choices that improve clarity, usability, and inclusive communication. Why Attend? * Build transferable professional skills * Improve clarity and usability of your teaching and research materials * Gain confidence creating content for Canvas, conferences, and publications * Learn from peers who understand graduate student workflows You’re welcome to attend one session or all four—whatever fits your interests and schedule. A recording and slides will be available after the session. Let us know if you have any questions. Graduate and Professional Studies College of Engineering coegps(a)vt.edu<mailto:coegps@vt.edu> Alicia L. Johnson, PhD Director of Graduate and Professional Studies Virginia Tech College of Engineering Director, Cardinal Education "Power of Six"<https://www.cardinaleducation.org/> 3009 Torgersen Hall-Dean’s Office 620 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 jalicia(a)vt.edu<mailto:jalicia@vt.edu> -- Bob Edmison, Ph.D. Collegiate Associate Professor Coordinator for Online Teaching and Learning Computer Science @ Virginia Tech 2220F Torgersen Hall (MC0106) Blacksburg, VA 24060, United States (ET) Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha bedmison(a)vt.edu My schedule is not your schedule. Feel free to reply when it is convenient.

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Qualifier Q&A Session Recording
by Madabushi, Sindhuja 21 Jan '26

21 Jan '26

Hello All, For those who were unable to attend the Qualifier Q&A session yesterday, please find the link for the meeting below: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N0Ruh2iTKilB8D7puG4XPpXbil9U8Wnf/view?usp=… Best of luck with your qualifier exam! Regards, — Sindhuja Madabushi, Secretary, Computer Science Graduate Council PhD Student in CS@VT (505) 457-7721 msindhuja(a)vt.edu<mailto:msindhuja@vt.edu> | Website<https://sindhujamadabushi.github.io/>

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CDRS Distinguished Lecture Series, presented by Dr. Michael L. Nelson
by Coulson, Sara 20 Jan '26

20 Jan '26

Dear all, The next Center for Digital Research & Scholarship (CDRS) Distinguished Lecture Series will take place on January 30, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Dr. Michael L. Nelson is a distinguished researcher in web archiving and digital preservation, having (co-)authored over 300 publications and secured more than $13M in external funding. His foundational specifications, such as OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, and Memento, have been widely adopted by libraries and institutional repositories worldwide. Speaker: Dr. Michael L. Nelson, Department of Computer Science at ODU Title: A Vision for Trustworthy Web Archiving Time: January 30, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Registration: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/16230235 An event flyer is attached. This is a public online webinar. Please help spread the word. Thank you! Regards, Yinlin -- Yinlin Chen, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University Libraries Associate Director, Center for Digital Research & Scholarship Affiliate faculty, Department of Computer Science Virginia Tech University Libraries 560 Drillfield Drive (0434) Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-0271 ylchen(a)vt.edu<mailto:ylchen@vt.edu> https://www.yinlinchen.com/

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Time Sensitive! CS|Source Events, Announcements, and Opportunities
by Hodge, Julie 20 Jan '26

20 Jan '26

[cid:image001.png@01DC83B0.F3C096C0] Employment Opportunity U.S. Tech Force - Early-Career Software & Data Engineering Roles The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has launched U.S. Tech Force, a new initiative recruiting early-career Software Engineers and Data Engineers to work on impactful federal technology efforts. This is an excellent opportunity for recent graduates and soon-to-graduate students interested in using their technical skills to support large-scale national initiatives. Who Should Apply * Recent graduates and upcoming graduates * Candidates interested in public service and technology leadership * Individuals excited about tackling high-impact technical challenges Application Deadline Applications are expected to close by the end of January, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply soon. Learn More: Press Release<https://www.opm.gov/news/news-releases/opm-launches-us-tech-force-to-implem…> Apply: techforce.gov<https://techforce.gov/> Professional Opportunity Break Through Tech AI Program Don't miss your chance to apply! Applications<https://t.yesware.com/tt/a467dcbb4af9df09e75352925b8c450f2de53c9a/cdfcdc299…> are open for the Break Through Tech AI Program for the 2026-2027 Academic Year and will close at 11:59 PM ET on February 16th. Decisions will be shared no later than March 31st, 2026. Need to learn more before applying? Complete our program interest form<https://t.yesware.com/tt/a467dcbb4af9df09e75352925b8c450f2de53c9a/cdfcdc299…> to join our mailing list and to receive details on upcoming information sessions. Recruitment Quick Links Program Flyer<https://t.yesware.com/tt/a467dcbb4af9df09e75352925b8c450f2de53c9a/cdfcdc299…> Application Form<https://t.yesware.com/tt/a467dcbb4af9df09e75352925b8c450f2de53c9a/cdfcdc299…> // https://bit.ly/4oCFeou Website<https://t.yesware.com/tt/a467dcbb4af9df09e75352925b8c450f2de53c9a/cdfcdc299…> Internship Opportunity Deutsche Bank continues to invest in AI In a recent research article<https://www.db.com/news/detail/20251126-deutsche-bank-capital-markets-outlo…> published within Capital Markets at Deutsche Bank, it was stated that the overall development of the global economy will be driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) "as a central growth engine." Deutsche Bank is following their prediction by their continued investment in the Google Cloud Platform partnership and development of AI and GenAI tools such as DB Lumina. DB Lumina is explained in this Google Cloud blog post<https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/financial-services/deutsche-bank-deliv…> as helping "automate data analysis, streamline workflows, and deliver more accurate and timely insights" while maintaining "data privacy and improves productivity while operating in one of the most regulated industries" (Christian Sewing, Deutsche Bank CEO). DB TDI employees are already using DB Lumina and Microsoft CoPilot to assist in their day-to-day work. Deutsche Bank: Tech, Data & Innovation Deutsche Bank's Technology, Data & Innovation (TDI) internship and graduate programs give students the chance to apply hands-on coding skills, learn new programming languages, and collaborate with global teams building platforms used across investment and corporate banking. Opportunities are available for the 2026 TDI Graduate and 2026 TDI Internship programs in Cary, NC and New York City. Pathways in Tech Event (Cary, NC) Join Deutsche Bank for a free, half-day, in-person Pathways in Tech event to explore careers in Technology, Data & Innovation and learn about the company's inclusive culture. This event is for sophomore and junior students with a background or interest in technology, computer science, or coding who are interested in living and working in the Cary, NC area. Apply by February 12-selected students will receive event details. (No virtual option available.) Upcoming Events * January 29: Tabling at NC State University * February 2: NC State University Virtual Career Fair * March 5: Pathways in Tech (for selected applicants) Learn More Explore careers, videos, and updates through Deutsche Bank Careers<https://careers.db.com/> and follow Deutsche Bank Technology, Data & Innovation<https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/deutsche-bank-technology/?originalSubdoma…> on LinkedIn. ____________ Julie Hodge | Strategic Relationships Manager Virginia Tech | Department of Computer Science (0106) 3160-S Torgersen Hall, 620 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 540 231 1666 | jdhodge(a)vt.edu<mailto:jdhodge@vt.edu> [cid:image002.jpg@01DC83B0.F3C096C0]

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CS Qualifier Help Session: Hear from Students Who’ve Been There
by Madabushi, Sindhuja 12 Jan '26

12 Jan '26

Hello all CS students, Welcome back! Are you taking the PhD Qualifier Exam this Spring? Do you have questions or concerns about the process? CS Grad Council is excited to announce an interactive help session for students taking the exam this semester, where those who have successfully completed the exam will share their experiences, insights, tips, and advice. They will also be available to answer any questions you may have. Please find time and location details below: Date: Tuesday, Jan 20th, 2026 Time: 5 - 6 pm Location (Zoom only): https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/89990793030 You can also submit your questions ahead of time here: https://forms.gle/ywCCqJyFpuA5YDeD8 Thank you! Best, — Sindhuja Madabushi, Secretary, Computer Science Graduate Council PhD Student in CS@VT (505) 457-7721 msindhuja(a)vt.edu<mailto:msindhuja@vt.edu> | Website<https://sindhujamadabushi.github.io/>

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