Each Spring, engineering departments will have the opportunity to nominate doctoral candidates for GTF positions. Nominees may be either graduate applicants wishing to join a Ph.D. program in the College of Engineering or those who are already enrolled in a Ph.D. program in the College.
Candidates who are already enrolled in a Ph.D. program should be at least two years from completion of their Ph.D. program at the time their GTF position would begin, thereby allowing the applicant the opportunity to fully participate in the various teaching preparatory components of the program.
Application Deadlines
- The 2009 deadline for nominations is April 15.
- The 2010 deadline for nominations is March 15.
Application materials must be submitted as one pdf file with the subject heading "GTF Application" to GTF Program Administration.
Nomination Information
Nominations must include the following materials:
- A current curriculum vita. Departments nominating new applicants to their department may, in lieu of a CV, submit the complete Ph.D. application as originally sent to the Graduate School, including reference letters, GRE scores, academic transcripts for B.S. and M.S. degree programs (if completed), and evidence of any professional engineering experience.
- A 1-2 page personal statement that specifically addresses the candidate’s interests in and goals for an academic career.
- Two additional reference letters from faculty members that specifically address the potential of the candidate to succeed as a classroom educator and future academician. For students presently enrolled at VT, one of the faculty should be the students advisor who should indicate in her/his letter the expected graduation date of the student.
Selection
Nominations for a GTF position will be reviewed by a committee of College of Engineering faculty and senior Graduate Teaching Fellows, chaired by the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Selection of recipients will involve consideration of all nomination materials, with special focus on the nominee’s personal statement and the specific reference letters that addresses the candidate’s potential for future success in an academic environment.
The GTF selection process may also involve a personal interview stage for finalists show have been identified through an initial screening of the nomination materials received. This interview would involve a brief (30-minute) oral presentation by the finalist on a subject selected by the candidate (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D. research work, summary lecture on topic of interest to the candidate, etc.). A primary purpose of the face-to- face interview is to allow the selection committee to assess the candidate’s oral communication skills, identify any language difficulties, and to evaluate the general degree of professional presence presented by the finalist in a pseudo-instructional setting.