The Graduate School, together with other departments and graduate programs on campus, will celebrate Graduate Education Week March 24 to 28.

The week-long series of events will begin Monday, March 24 with coffee in Newman Library and a student appreciation luncheon in the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown to recognize the many contributions graduate students make to the university in teaching, research and service. 

The luncheon will be hosted by Karen DePauw, vice president and dean of the Graduate School. Departments and faculty may reserve tables and invite their graduate students for this event.

Multiple events each day showcase the services and programs that are available to improve graduate students’ lives and aid their personal and professional development. Events include networking opportunities, career development workshops, recognition ceremonies, and a movie night.

A full schedule of events may be found on the Graduate School website. Note that some events require registration.

Also on Monday, March 24, the latest set of graduate student photography and artwork will be unveiled in the corridors of the Graduate Life Center. Since its opening in 2005, the public areas of the center have been decorated with photography and art submitted semi-annually by graduate students. Members of the university community are invited to vote on their favorite pieces.

The long-standing research symposium and exposition organized by the Graduate Student Assembly will be held on Wednesday, March 26. This one-day event showcases the most recent developments in graduate student research through poster sessions and presentations, judged by university faculty and graduate students. 

During Thursday’s Graduate Education Week Awards Banquet, more than 50 graduate students will be honored for their outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research, and service.

Graduate Education Week will end on Friday, March 28, with a cookout from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the Graduate Life Center lawn and in the multipurpose room. All graduate students and their families are invited to enjoy free food, music, and games.

The Graduate School at Virginia Tech promotes graduate education as a critical component in the transmission of new knowledge, research, ideas, and scholarship. It is responsible for the development, administration, and evaluation of graduate education throughout the university, providing support to faculty, staff, and more than 6,000 graduate students. The Graduate School is committed to building a diverse graduate community and vibrant intellectual environment to help prepare graduates to lead. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Written by Monika Gibson.

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