Giving Day

Virginia Tech’s Giving Day is only days away – beginning at noon on February 24th and ending 24 hours later at noon on February 25th. This annual celebration of the Hokie Spirit and the power of giving serves as a key mechanism to support programs, organizations, and teams at Virginia Tech.

At the School of Neuroscience, all gifts received on Giving Day will be used to directly support experiential and unique training opportunities for the School’s undergraduate and graduate students. Experiential research opportunities serve as a defining feature of the School’s curricula and are often instrumental for our students to find passion for a career in science or medicine.

Here is what some of our current and former students say about these training opportunities and the culture of the School:

Madeleine Paulsen: The hands-on experiences have fueled and transformed my interest in neuroscience. I am able to learn about the brain by carrying out cutting-edge laboratory techniques myself. I still vividly remember my first encounters with this experiential learning. My first week taking neuroscience classes I dissected a brain. Cutting away and identifying each brain section, I realized I was learning how to translate and contextualize my own observations with theory learned in class. This is just one of the many invaluable experiences with the School of Neuroscience that has made me not only a curious learner, but a more passionate scientist.

Christine Faunce:  I have been so grateful to not only study neuroscience at the undergraduate level, but to have taken part in the supportive and encouraging community that is the Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience. When I first came to Virginia Tech, I was uncertain about what I exactly wanted out of my education, but the Neuroscience faculty and staff have supported me in all of my ambitions. I have found my career direction through the ample undergraduate research, undergraduate teaching, and mentorship opportunities offered to students. I am so thankful for the Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience for getting me to where I am today.

Mohammad Sabbagh: I remember studying for my first intro to neuro exam. I wandered around the library looking for a seat and I noticed that all the white boards were littered with images of neurons and proteins. I walked up to a group of students to ask if they were studying for the same exam I was. Much to my surprise, they welcomed me into their group and asked me to join their study group. This strong sense of community and family is a theme that permeates the culture at Virginia Tech, College of Science, and specifically the School of Neuroscience. As a transfer student from community college, I almost immediately felt at home here. After I graduated, I decided to join the family full-time as an Academic Advisor! Now I have the pleasure of helping students navigate the many courses, research, and extracurricular opportunities offered to them here.