<strong>December 2014 News</strong>

BEST Program Activities

TBMH5106: Professional Development & Ethics 
The BEST Program, in conjunction with the PhD program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH), is offering a 2 credit course in professional development for biomedical and health science trainees (TBMH5106) in Spring 2015. The course is open to PhD students and postdocs outside of TBMH, but you must submit a course request form through the BEST website before we can register you for the course. Postdocs will be permitted to audit the course if they will commit to attending all sessions. Trainees will construct and/or develop their Individual Career Development Plans, build communication and writing skills, and learn how academic researchers interface with other professionals in the biomedical workforce.

VT Graduate Courses

BIOL5174: Work/ Life Balance in Academia 
This discussion-based graduate seminar will address some of the challenges facing academics as we try to balance our academic positions with other important life responsibilities.

Entrepreneurship

VT KnowledgeWorks Startup Readiness Workshop
This session is FREE to all Virginia Tech graduate/undergraduate students, staff, and faculty who are interested in learning what it takes to start a new technology-based business. Also, get the details on how your innovation might win you $25,000!  Lunch is included.
Noon - 4:00 p.m., February 6, 2015
ICTAS, Kelly Hall, Suite 310, Virginia Tech
325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
(There will be another workshop on May 14, 2015 - 1 to 5 p.m. in Roanoke)

VT KnowledgeWorks Tech Transfer Challenge
The Tech Transfer Challenge awards $100,000 worth of mentorship and business support services to a winning team of Virginia Tech faculty, staff, students and/or alumni proposing to establish a new venture in Blacksburg, based on Virginia Tech-owned technology.
9:00 a.m. - Noon, March 19, 2015
VT KnowledgeWorks I building, Lakeview Conference Room
2200 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060

VT KnowledgeWorks Startup Chatup @ CoffeeWorks
Discuss your business ideas with Jim Flowers at CoffeeWorks in the VTCRC.
Most Fridays from 9:30-11:00 a.m.
1901 Innovation Drive, Suite 1100, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060

Licensed Executives Society Foundation 2015 Graduate Student Business Plan Competition
We invite students — MS/MBA/MD/JD/PhD and postdoctoral scholars — from around the world to participate in this global competition. We focus on how these IP assets will be utilized to achieve business objectives. Business Plans are accepted until the First Round deadline, March 1, 2015. 

<em>Nature </em>Editorial on the Scientific Workforce
Scientists must push to preserve a small part of a large US survey that provides essential information on the ever-changing scientific workforce.

<em>Science Careers</em> Story on Recent Findings That Women and Minorities Are Less Interested in Academic Research Careers
Recently, we reported on research showing that gender discrimination does not explain the low percentage of women in math-based fields. The data show that women applicants are at least as likely as men to be hired for those jobs, but women are less likely to apply. Why?


