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Week of June 30-July 4

2025

Provost’s Office: Welcome to Dean Rebecca Bott-Knutson and Dean Saskia van de Gevel

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost would like to welcome our new deans Rebecca Bott-Knutson (Honors College) and Saskia van de Gevel (College of Natural Resources and Environment) to Virginia Tech.

“Saskia is an academic leader with a proven track record for building programs and partnerships to elevate faculty scholarship and position students for success. Her experience in transdisciplinary collaboration, strategic planning, and program assessment and enhancement will be invaluable to Virginia Tech and CNRE.”

“As a highly respected leader in honors education, Becky’s accomplishments and dedication to student-centered education and academic excellence will undoubtedly strengthen our commitment to experiential learning and elevate the areas of distinction that define Virginia Tech and our Honors College.”

“I would like to thank Paul Winistorfer and Paul Knox for their outstanding leadership, guidance, and contributions to CNRE and Honors College respectively. I know they will continue to support the new deans in their efforts to position their colleges and Virginia Tech for future growth and success.”

- Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke

Both new deans officially assume leadership of their colleges on July 1. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Honors College Dean Rebecca Bott-Knutson and CNRE Dean Saskia van de Gevel.

Reminder: Support for faculty managing P&T impacts from grant, contract interruptions

Recognizing the concerns of pre-tenure, tenure-track faculty about the potential impacts of federal grant and contract disruptions on their research progress, a recent memo from Faculty Affairs clarifies the promotion and tenure (P&T) mechanisms available to support affected faculty.

To help mitigate the impact of these disruptions, the Faculty Handbook (Section 3.4.1.3) allows for extensions of the probationary period in cases of “extraordinary professional circumstances not of the faculty member’s own making.”

Faculty who believe their research progress has been significantly affected are encouraged to consult with their department head, chair, or school director to discuss their specific circumstances. As impacts become clearer, the Office of the Provost, in collaboration with departments and colleges, will carefully consider tenure clock extension requests to ensure faculty have the necessary support to succeed.

For more information, read the Faculty Affairs memo, contact your department head/chair or school director, or email Faculty Affairs. For the latest on federally sponsored grants and contracts, visit the Federal Research Updates webpage.

Research and Innovation: Federal funding for research conversation in the D.C. area

Northern Virginia-based faculty and staff are invited to join Dan Sui, senior vice president for Research and Innovation, and other members of Virginia Tech’s research and innovation leadership team for a conversation on the current landscape of federal funding and its impact on our research enterprise.

This in-person session will take place on August 5 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Virginia Tech’s Academic Building One in Alexandria.

As the federal funding landscape continues to change in significant and unprecedented ways, Virginia Tech is finding its path to research resilience amid the uncertainty. During the session, research leaders will talk about the current landscape, potential policy and priority changes, and university plans for maintaining a vibrant, impactful research and innovation ecosystem.

Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP online by July 31.

For more information, read this campus notice or visit the Office of Research and Innovation’s events webpage.

Provost’s Office: Registration open for New Faculty Welcome scheduled for August 21-22

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost encourages incoming faculty to register for and participate in Virginia Tech’s 2025 New Faculty Welcome set for August 21-22 in Blacksburg. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

The annual event, hosted by Faculty Affairs in partnership with units across the university, is designed to provide overview information about the university, perspectives from current faculty, and an opportunity to network with colleagues and leadership. Faculty who have joined Virginia Tech between August 10, 2024, and August 10, 2025, are cordially invited.

Presentations, information, and resources from past years' events are available on the New Faculty Welcome page. Faculty are encouraged to check this webpage periodically before and after the event for updated information and resources.

For more information, visit the New Faculty Welcome webpage or email Leslie Stevens in the Office of Faculty Affairs.

ICYMI: Guidance for faculty on citing AI generated content in research, scholarship

University Libraries experts have compiled information and guidance for faculty about citing AI-generated material in scholarship and research.

As generative AI tools become more widely used, major citation styles are developing guidance on how to credit AI-generated materials properly. The following library guides will help researchers and scholars in navigating this landscape.

For more information, read this campus notice. If you have questions or need more in-depth help, email the University Libraries' AI support group.

Additional Resources and Updates

Newsletter Spotlight: The GCC Weekly (Global Change Center)

Please submit a Google form or email Provost Communications for comments or recommendations to improve the Weekly Communications Update or to share faculty, staff, and academic program personnel information.

Visit the provost’s website frequently for new and updated university information. All members of the campus community should also read their VT News daily email for further important updates, notices, and resources.