Spring Networking Event Recap

The Center for Future Work Places and Practices (CFWPP) at Virginia Tech, a hub for transdisciplinary research and innovation, recently held its Spring Networking Event on May 9th at the Inn at Virginia Tech. The more than 20 attendees of the event included a diverse group of researchers and faculty from multiple colleges, which is a testament to the center’s commitment to fostering a future of work that is creative, integrated, inclusive, distributed, equitable, and symbiotic.

The event was hosted by Professor Suqin Ge, the Director of CFWPP, who highlighted the center’s vision to be an international leader in research and education, exploring the complexities of a future of work. Launched in January 2023, the center is supported by the Office of Vice President of Research and Innovation and is an institute-level center in The Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT).

During the event, CFWPP announced its inaugural Future of Work Student Summer Research Grant. This grant is open to both undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Tech who are interested in developing a research project over the summer in collaboration with an affiliated CFWPP faculty member. The research projects should align with one or more of CFWPP’s four research focus areas: Workforce Development, Health in the workplace, Responsible technologies at work, and Sustainable work. Selected students will receive a $500 award and a Certificate of Completion at the end of the project.

In addition, CFWPP also invited proposals for the CFWPP Summer Seed Grants. These grants are designed for teams of at least two faculty from different colleges at Virginia Tech, with at least one faculty member affiliated with CFWPP. The seed grant is expected to be $1,000 - $2,000, and funds will be available for the summer of 2024.

During the networking event, faculty and researchers shared their CFWPP-supported groundbreaking work on topics ranging from securing trustworthy XR interactions in healthcare to harnessing wearable technology to combat maternal mortality. These presentations were followed by research updates from CFWPP members, including Ralph Hall from the School of Public and International Affairs, Wenqi Shen from Business Information Technology, Sakshi Taori from Industrial and Systems Engineering, Cindy Yi from Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Meng Zhu from Marketing.

A key objective of the event is to provide a space for transdisciplinary research conversations that can lead to future research supported by the CFWPP. It showcased the power of collaboration and the potential of new technologies to transform the workplace. The CFWPP Spring Networking event was not just an event but a glimpse into the future of work. The announcement of the two grants further emphasized CFWPP’s dedication to fostering innovative research and shaping how emerging technologies impact future workplaces and practices.