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Why Should Kids Have All the Fun? Sign Up for Policy Camp!

New this year, the +Policy Network is offering a free, one-day workshop for faculty and advanced graduate students on ways to make your research informative to policymakers. Faculty in the Computer Refresh program will earn 6 credits fulfilling half of the Refresh professional development requirements. You do not need to be in the Refresh program to attend. August 14, 2023, is an in-person session. Click here to register. 

Questions? Contact Anne-Lise Velez, aknox@vt.edu.


Professional Development Offerings

The +Policy Network also has professional development offerings, Introduction to Policy Concepts and Policy Camp, which provide a combination of asynchronous, synchronous, in-person, and remote opportunities to those interested in furthering their understanding of policy concepts.

 

Half-day Virtual Symposium on The Governance of New and Emerging Technologies

A half-day virtual symposium took place on April 26, 2023, and included Virginia Tech faculty who discussed the social implications of emerging technologies and focused on challenges and opportunities for governing new technologies in several areas. Click here to read the VTx article.

2023 STEP (Science, Technology, and Engineering in Policy) Keynote

On April 3, in Steger Hall Conference Center and via Zoom, Linsey Marr was the keynote speaker and discussed policymaking during a global pandemic. Click here to read the VTx article.

Policy Camp

A virtual Policy Camp was held on May 18 for faculty and advanced graduate students looking for a one-day workshop on ways to make their research informative to policy makers.

Inaugural STEP Seminar

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - Climate Change, Conservation and Communities: Taking Science to Action
The inaugural STEP seminar featured keynote speaker, Lynn Scarlett, Chief External Affairs Officer for The Nature Conservancy as well as an introduction to the STEP graduate certificate program, a faculty response from Dr. Amy Pruden, University Distinguished Professor, and a Question & Answer session.

Click here for the program flier.

Policy, Technology and Society Conversation and Networking Events

Thursday, February 27, 2020 - Conversation: Markets and Technologies
Daniel Breslau, Professor and Department Head, Science, Technology and Society, and Saifur Rahman,  from the Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute, presented Markets and Technologies for a Flexible Grid, followed by discussion.  

Click here for the event flier.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 - Conversation: On Housing

Andrew McCoy, Director, Georg Reichard, Associate Professor and Mel Jones O'Brien, Research Scientist, all of the Meyers-Lawson School of Construction, offered remarks at the final event for the semester on policies and technologies of housing, followed by discussion.

Click here for the event flier.

Thursday, March 28, 2019 - Conversation: On Water

Amy Pruden, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineeering and Leigh-Anne Krometis, associate professor of Biological Systems Engineering presented on water and environmental issues followed by discussion.

Click here for the event flier.

Monday, March 4, 2019 - Initial Conversation

Saul Halfon, associate professor of Science, Technology and Society, and Anne Khademian, Virginia Tech Presidential Fellow, offered brief remarks followed by discussion with event participants. 

Click here for the event flier and here for a VT News story on the event.

 

PSGA Spring 2018 Research Forum

Seeking Interdisciplinary Solutions to Complex Problems: Research Project Reports and Directions for the Future

The goal of the half day 2018 Spring Research Forum, held on April 19 at the Inn at Virginia Tech, was to showcase the Policy SGA's research and planning projects and provide an opportunity for participants to engage with a moderated panel on lessons learned about conducting interdisciplinary, policy-focused research over the past year

Click here for the full program including a list of project team members and abstracts.

PSGA Fall 2017 Open Forums

Open Forum Group Pic

The goal of the open forums, held in Blacksburg and the northern Virginia region in fall 2017, was to provide an opportunity for faculty from diverse disciplines to come together to share their interests and make new connections related to policy.

More than 50 faculty members representing seven colleges, 16 departments, and four institutes, including new hires and tenured professors, discussed their research, its policy implications, and ways to advance policy scholarship at the university.

VT News story about the PSGA Open Forums.

Global Systems Science (GSS) DA and Policy SGA (PSGA) Synergies and Opportunities Workshop

The goals of this day-long event, held on September 29, 2017, were to identify areas for collaborative synergy and cooperation between the GSS DA and PSGA and showcase a model for future DA/SGA collaboration and shared innovation.

Click to view the workshop agenda.