April 2003

Center For European Studies And Architecture Slated For Greater Role In University's Educational Strategies

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Due to the importance of improved global understanding, university administrators are restructuring Virginia Tech's Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA) in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, with the goal of making the center part of the educational experience for more undergraduate and graduate students.

Virginia Tech Innovator Moves To California School

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Leonard A. Ferrari, vice provost for special initiatives, American Electric Power Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and one of Virginia Tech's leaders in information technology, will leave the university at the end of May to become associate provost and dean of research at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Virginia Tech Computational Chemist Works To Prevent Undesirable Side Effects In Synthetic Drugs -- Crawford Receives Cottrell Scholar Award

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Many molecules, especially biological molecules, have a property called handedness, or chirality, whose impact on such things as synthetic drugs has been known for many years. When synthetic drugs are made to mimic natural products, they must have the same "handedness" as the molecule of the original plant or animal to have the same beneficial effect. If the synthetic drug has the opposite handedness, it can have undesirable side effects. The drug Thalidomide, for example, wreaked havoc because, as a synthetic drug, it unexpectedly took on both chiral properties, causing defects in unborn children.

Brians Receives Students' Choice Award

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Craig Brians is the favorite teacher at Virginia Tech this year.

College Of Natural Resources Presents The First Wood Industry Management Series Workshop

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Lean manufacturing is simply a method of doing more for less. This is also the topic of the First Wood Industry Management Series Workshop that will be held on May 5-6 at the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center on the Virginia Tech Campus.

Vice Provost For Outreach And International Affairs Named At Virginia Tech

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

John E. Dooley, associate provost for university outreach at Virginia Tech, has been named vice provost for outreach and international affairs to fill the position that will be vacated on June 1 when C. Clark Jones retires.

Virginia Tech Forestry Professor Receives Distinguished Service Award

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The 2003 Distinguished Service Award of the Virginia Forestry Association (VFA) was recently awarded to Harry Haney, Garland Gray Professor and Extension Specialist in the College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech Computer-Programming Team Places 3rd In Nation And 21st In World In International Competition; Wins Java Challenge

Mon, 28 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

A team of students from Virginia Tech placed third in the country and 21^st out of 70 teams from around the world in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest and also took first in the Java Challenge.

Jones Part Of Network To Protect Traumatized Children

Mon, 28 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

If, as happens in science-fiction movies, we could push a button to activate a shield between us and danger, there would be no need for the Terrorism and Disaster Branch (TDB) of the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS). But since there are no such shields, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is forming a nationwide web to help protect children in times of trauma, disaster, or terrorism.

University Breaks Ground For Alumni, Conference, And Hotel Complex

Fri, 25 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The university will break ground Saturday for a joint use complex which includes a new hotel, conference center, and alumni center. Built from Virginia Tech's beloved Hokie stone, the design harkens back to the earliest versions of traditional collegiate gothic architecture in Tech's history. The groundbreaking will take place at 3 p.m. just off Campus Drive on the fifth fairway (about halfway between Perry Street and Prices Fork Road).

Virginia Tech Students Sell Cattle Online

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The Dairy Club of Virginia Tech began a national online cattle auction today that will run until Friday, April 25. The inaugural "Showcase Sale of Virginia Tech" is one of the first of its kind in the world. About 60 elite consignments representing 20 states from California to Maine will be sold in an innovative online format. This sale combines the agricultural expertise of this land grant university with the cutting edge technology that has become its trademark.

Virginia Tech Professor Named To National Biotech Advisory Committee

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

A Virginia Tech professor whose pioneering work in developing transgenic plants gained worldwide attention has been named to a newly created federal Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and the 21st Century.

Zalich Receives Fulbright Scholarship To Study Nano-Sized Polymer-Magnetite Complexes

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

New Particles For Possible Use In Localized Treatment Of Diseases

University To Reorganize Business Functions; Raymond Smoot To Head Virginia Tech Foundation

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Raymond Smoot, vice president for administration and treasurer, will assume a new role as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Virginia Tech Foundation. Concurrent with this move, the university business and administrative functions will be reorganized.

Searching Scotch-Irish And Irish Roots: A Seminar By The Ulster Historical Foundation

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Those interested in finding out about their Irish or Scotch-Irish family heritage will not want to miss the seminar being presented by the Ulster Historical Foundation (UHF) Tuesday, May 7, at the Blacksburg Public Library Community Room.

New Student Organization Holds Spring Film Festival At The Lyric Theatre

Wed, 16 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The newly established Progeny Festival of Motion Pictures will hold their first film festival on Saturday, April 26 at the Lyric theatre from 1 - 5 p.m.

Virginia Tech Horse Judging Team Rides Away With Honors

Wed, 16 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Horse Judging Team completed the Spring 2003 competition season being named champion overall team twice and reserve champion once during competition in three national judging contests.

Virginia Tech To Observe Organ Donor Awareness Day

Wed, 16 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

April is National Donate Life Month to help raise awareness for the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation. A special awareness day will be held on the Virginia Tech campus on April 23.

Virginia Tech's Watford Wins National Minorities In Engineering Award

Wed, 16 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Bevlee Watford, associate dean for academic affairs and director of the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, has been chosen by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) to receive the 2003 Minorities in Engineering Award.

Veterinary College Virologist To Discuss Small Pox

Tue, 15 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The words "small pox" have become almost synonymous with the word "bio-terrorism" in our post 9/11 world. Once thought eradicated, it is now viewed as the number one threat among a host of bio-terror agents that might be deployed against America and an immunization program is underway.

From larger peanuts to switches for hybrid fuel cell-electric vehicles Virginia Tech inventions and creations can improve our lives

Mon, 14 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech faculty members, students, and staff who received 26 patents during 2002 will be honored by the university and Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. (VTIP, www.vtip.org) at a reception at the German Club on April 29. "The creativity, contributions to knowledge, and technology transfer that patents signify are an important form of scholarship," says university president Charles Steger.

Virginia Tech returns to top 50 in NSF ranking of universities based on research expenditures

Mon, 14 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech ranked 49th out of 601 universities based on research expenditures of $216.3 million in 2001, according the National Science Foundation Division of Science Resources Statistics report issued today. Tech is 34th among public universities.

Solar House Tour Scheduled For Earth Day

Mon, 14 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech's solar house will be open to the public on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, 2003, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the university's Research and Demonstration Facility off Plantation Road in Blacksburg. The 530 sq. ft. house was designed last year by students and faculty in the College of Architecture & Urban Studies and the College of Engineering to compete in the national Solar Decathlon sponsored by the Department of Energy. The competition was held last fall in Washington, D.C., where teams from around the country converged for two weeks on the Mall to see who could best design, build, and operate the most effective and attractive house powered solely by the sun. The house placed 5^th overall, and took first place in two of the 10 categories.

University Dedicates Residence Hall Named For Its African American Pioneers

Mon, 14 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

More than 500 people attended the ceremony to dedicate Peddrew-Yates Residence Hall on the Virginia Tech campus recently. The building, which is the first at the university to be named for African Americans, honors Irving L. Peddrew III, the university's first black student, and Charlie L. Yates, its first black graduate.

Hokie Bot Takes On Yellow Jackets On "Robot Rivals" Cable Debut

Fri, 11 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Can Virginia Tech engineering students build a better robot than rivals from Georgia Tech? On Friday, April 18, at 9 p.m. that question will be answered when teams from the two schools compete during the debut episode of "Robot Rivals" on cable's Do It Yourself (DIY) network.

Looking At Pesticide Labels Through Multi-Colored Glasses

Thu, 10 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Pesticides are one of the most significant sources of poison to the human nervous system when misused. New research indicates that various cultures may misinterpret the directions provided by the manufacturers, thereby increasing the chances for mishandling.

Virginia Tech Graduate, Corps Alumnus Killed In Iraq

Wed, 09 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jeffrey J. Kaylor, a 2001 graduate of Virginia Tech and an alumnus of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, was killed in a grenade attack while leading his platoon in Iraq Sunday.

Board of Visitors names 2003-04 student representatives

Tue, 08 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The Board of Visitors has named undergraduate student Allan Bradley and graduate student Myrna Callison as its student representatives for the 2003-2004 academic year. The two students will serve as liaisons between the student population at Virginia Tech and the Board of Visitors.

Taking Ultra-Wideband Communications To The Next Phase Is The Goal Of Virginia Tech Project

Tue, 08 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

A team of Virginia Tech researchers is attempting to push ultra-wideband (UWB) technology into the next phase--where military communications can completely elude detection by nearby enemy troops and all manner of home electronics systems can be operated wirelessly.

Pioneering Work Helped Integrate Computers Into Our Lives

Mon, 07 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Successful interaction between a human and a computer doesn't happen when a computer does what a programmer wants, but when a computer has been programmed to do what a user wants.

Virginia Tech Professor Chairs Economic Growth And Wildlife Review

Sat, 05 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

David Trauger, a fisheries and wildlife professor and head of the College of Natural Resources program at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Campus, led a technical review of the relationship between economic growth and wildlife conservation. Sponsored by the Wildlife Society, the review examined the compatibility of economic growth and wildlife.

Virginia Tech To Participate In The 20th Anniversary Of "Broomin' & Bloomin'"

Sat, 05 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech students will be participating in the 20^th Annual "Broomin' & Bloomin'" countywide clean-up this spring. This event is sponsored by the Montgomery County Improvement Council (MCIC) and will take place on Saturday, April 19 from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m.>

College Of Natural Resources Presents Seminar On History Of Appalachian Region

Sat, 05 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

The College of Natural Resources extends an open invitation to anyone interested in the history of the Appalachian region to attend a seminar presenting speaker William Luppold. "The Impact of Markets on the Structure and Composition of the Eastern Hardwood Resource," will be the topic of the talk in Fralin Auditorium Monday, April 21, at 1:30 p.m.

VTTI Offers Free Tours Featuring Smart Road Research

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) will hold its annual spring open house April 16, 2003, from 5 - 9 p.m. Members of the community are invited to tour the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) Smart Road and to get a firsthand look at VTTI's cutting-edge transportation research. There is no charge for the tours.

Virginia Tech Honors Man And Woman Of The Year

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech has selected the recipients for the Man and Woman of the Year award. This award honors two outstanding seniors for their work and involvement within the Virginia Tech community. This year's recipients are Brian Montgomery and Melissa Stuart.

Virginia Tech Announces Who's Who Honorees

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

The Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges honors program has been recognizing exceptional undergraduate students as the nation's young leaders for over 65 years. This year 78, Virginia Tech students have received the award.

Virginia Tech 2002-2003 Outstanding Senior Awards Announced

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

It is a tradition each year for the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and the senior class to proudly sponsor the Outstanding Senior Awards. These awards recognize the exceptional performance by a graduating senior from each college within the university. The students and faculty of the respective colleges select the award recipients. The GPA's of the following awardees range between 3.75 and 4.0.

Leadership Changes Announced At Equine Medical Center Fregin To Retire, White Interim Director

Fri, 04 Apr 2003 00:00:00 -0500

Nathaniel White has been named Interim Director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg. White, who assumed leadership responsibilities for the equine clinical and research center on April 1, succeeds G. Frederick Fregin, the center's founding director.

National Instruments Donates Software To Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Students