(March 11, 2020) In an email addressed to the department, Department Chair Alan Esker announced that the Graduate Recruiting Weekend, originally to be held March 13–14th, would be canceled in response to COVID-19 concerns. Please find the email below. If you are a prospective graduate student needing assistance, please contact Joli Huynh (jolih@vt.edu, 540-231-8225). For more information regarding the university's response, please visit the university's COVID-19 response website: https://vt.edu/flu/2019Coronavirus.html

 

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

It is with great regret that I must make the following announcement:

I have decided to cancel our Graduate Recruiting Weekend.  I am told to expect additional information from Virginia Tech about plans for the semester over the coming days.  With the rapidly changing situation and responses of other universities, as well as other departments in our university, it would be irresponsible for us to proceed.

I would like to thank John Morris, Joli Huynh and the rest of the graduate recruiting committee for all of their hard work.  Now, as many of you have suggested, the committee will begin working on plans for a "virtual weekend":  Skype calls with faculty of interest, zoomed student panel, virtual tour of the department, virtual tour of the town, recorded messages for other aspects of the weekend.  Stay tuned for further information and requests from the recruiting committee.

Sorry for the disappointing news,

Alan