June 2009

Doug Nelson receives third National Science Foundation faculty advisor award

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Doug Nelson, Virginia Tech professor of mechanical engineering, is the 2009 winner of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Outstanding Long-Term Faculty Advisor Award for the EcoCAR Challenge competition, complete with a $10,000 cash prize.

Frank Shushok Jr. named associate vice president for student affairs

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Frank Shushok Jr. of Waco, Texas, has been appointed the associate vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech.

Recession no damper on Americans' vacation travel plans

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The recession is apparently not deflecting consumers' vacation travel plans this year, according to findings from a national study conducted recently by a research team led by Nancy McGehee, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business.

Landscape architecture student Christina Hicks receives recognition in James River Green Building Council's 2009 Green Spaces Competition

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Christina Hicks of Stafford, Va., a fifth-year landscape architecture student, is the Honor Winner of the 2009 James River Green Building Council's (JRGBC) Green Spaces Competition in the student division.

Six new Virginia Tech Carilion research projects address infectious disease, develop medical technology

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Six $30,000 seed grants have been awarded to advance Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) School of Medicine and Research Institute research to address falling risks, prevention and treatment of infectious disease, and development of a patient simulator.

University unveils wooden sculpture honoring lives of April 2007 tragedy

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech officials today dedicated a wooden sculpture from West Virginia University honoring those who lost their lives in the April 16, 2007, tragedy. The carved monument stands outside the entrance of the College of Natural Resources' Cheatham Hall on the Blacksburg campus.

Veterinary college offers full-service camelid care

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Molly's baby was sick. She wasn't eating; she was lethargic; and she had mild ataxia. The baby camel, also called a calf, needed specialized neonatal care, so her owners brought her to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech's Harry T. Peter Jr. Large Animal Clinic in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital where faculty members are skilled in providing care to camelids, like Molly's baby.

Jacqueline Bixler co-edits a new book on the transformation of Latin American theatre

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Jacqueline Bixler, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Spanish at Virginia Tech, is co-editor of a new book, "Trans/Acting: Latin American and Latino Performing Arts." Published by Bucknell University Press, this collection focuses on the transformation of Latin American theatre from the local to the global and the national to the transnational.

Board of visitors approves 2009 promotions, tenure, continued appointments

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved the following promotions, tenure, and continued appointments at its June 1 meeting.

Strong Roots conference aimed at helping families with special needs children

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

"Strong Roots for a Healthy Future," a conference for parents, teachers, and health care/behavioral professionals who work with special needs children and teens, will be presented July 10-11 at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center.

Wat Hopkins appointed to visiting professorship at University of North Carolina

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

W. Wat Hopkins, a professor of communication at Virginia Tech, has been named the Roy H. Park Distinguished Visiting Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina (UNC) for the spring semester of 2010.

Teachers offered environmental education training through Extension

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Cooperative Extension – in collaboration with the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Society of American Foresters and other members of the forest industry – is offering an environmental education opportunity for teachers from July 20-23.

Recreational Sports now offers local youth the opportunity to start lifeguard training with Guard Start course

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Department of Recreational Sports at Virginia Tech is offering the new American Red Cross Guard Start training course.

Computer scientist is selected to participate in National Academy of Engineering's 2009 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Ali Butt, assistant professor of computer science at Virginia Tech, has been named one of 88 of the nation's brightest young engineers.

In Memoriam: Robert B. Pamplin, Virginia Tech alumnus, college namesake, former Georgia-Pacific CEO

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

“In addition to my education, I received three things from Virginia Tech that have meant more to me in my life and in the business world than anything else,” Robert B. Pamplin once said. “They are honesty, discipline, and humility. My charge to all of you is that we continue to stress these values.”

Geography professor directs international land abandonment study in Russia

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Kirsten de Beurs, an assistant geography professor in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, has received a NASA grant to direct a large international land abandonment study in Russia with Grigory Ioffe of Radford University, Geoffrey Henebry of South Dakota State University, and in-country collaborator Tatyana Nefedova.

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute scientists sequence genome of the nitrogen-fixing, soil-living bacterium

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A collaboration of researchers, which includes scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and Virginia Tech, recently completed the genome sequence of Azotobacter vinelandii, uncovering important genetic information that will contribute to a more complete understanding of the biology of this versatile, soil-living bacterium.

Veterinary college's Ondrej Becvar provides needed hoof care to cattle locally and around the world

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

When one considers lameness problems in large animals, horses are often the first that come to mind. However, cattle, specifically those on dairy farms, are also at risk for the malady that can result in poor milk production and significant economic loss for farm owners.

New Virginia Cooperative Extension website connects citizens with research-based knowledge

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Cooperative Extension has revamped its online presence with a new and improved website that connects citizens with the research-based knowledge at Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.

Business council launches higher education support campaign

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Business Higher Education Council (VBHEC) today kicked off a broad-based, bipartisan initiative, Grow By Degrees, to build support for Virginia's colleges and universities.

University scientists warn Asia of widespread invasive pest threat

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In May, scientists discovered an invasive mealybug in the papaya orchards of Bangladesh.

Powe Award supports development of more robust thermoelectric materials

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Jeremiah T. Abiade, assistant professor in materials science and engineering and in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, has received a Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award for his research to increase the electrical output of thermoelectric (TE) materials and devices.

Powe Award supports infectious disease research

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Pablo Sobrado, assistant professor of biochemistry with the infectious disease research group at Virginia Tech, has received a Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award for his research on enzymes that are essential for infection in two important human pathogens.

Audrey Zink-Sharp appointed wood science and forest products interim department head

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Audrey Zink-Sharp has been appointed as interim head of the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources.

Center for Geospatial Information Technology announces new director and restructuring

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Randy Dymond, founding director of the Center for Geospatial Information Technology and Erv Blythe, Virginia Tech's vice president for information technology, have formed a partnership to create a restructured entity to advance geospatial science and research at Virginia Tech through collaborations with Virginia Tech faculty and administrators, research centers, local, state and federal agencies, and external partners.

National Science Foundation supports Virginia Tech engineer in efforts to improve public school infrastructure

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

With more than 53 million children in the United States spending time in some 135,000 school buildings across the country, concern about the possible indoor pollution they are exposed to for several hours a day is understandable. Possible contaminants include asbestos, lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radon, pesticides, and biological agents such as fungi and bacteria.

Research professor Jack Harrald appointed chairman of National Research Council Disasters Roundtable

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Jack Harrald, research professor, Virginia Tech Center for Technology, Security, and Policy has been appointed chairman of the Disasters Roundtable, a standing committee of the National Research Council (NRC) which functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Veterinary college alumna, Melinda Cep, earns prestigious science fellowship

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Melinda Cep, of Cordova, Md., a member of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech's Class of 2009, has been named one of two 2009-2010 American Veterinary Medical Association Congressional Science Fellows.

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute researchers develop new method for breast cancer biomarker discovery

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Three researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have developed and evaluated a new one-step bioanalytical approach that allows them to profile in detail complex cellular extracts of proteins. The method has allowed the scientists to look at how the levels of proteins change in breast cancer cells when they are treated with hormones or cancer drugs like tamoxifen.

College of Natural Resources doctoral student receives Environmental Protection Agency fellowship

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Christine Bergeron of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, a doctoral student in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, received a fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Center for Environmental Research for her research on the reproductive success of American toads.

Fraternity-organized Flex Out Hunger donation program proves successful once again

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The brothers of the Virginia Tech chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity raised $10,401.34 for the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program (MCEAP) through the annual Flex Out Hunger program.

Washington Alexandria Architecture Center students merge creative concepts of dance and space to design dance studio in Arlington

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Elements of dance and dance-theatre -- including movement and exercise, flowing costumes, and expressive lighting --inspired students in the Architecture Master's design studio at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center to imagine innovative ways of merging public and private space for a dance studio in nearby Arlington.

New 16-slice Computed Tomography scanner installed in Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A new Toshiba Aquilion 16-slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner that will significantly improve imaging quality and speed has been installed in the Horace E. and Elizabeth F. Alphin Radiology Center Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

College of Natural Resources graduate student launches northern snakehead website

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Nicolas Lapointe of Ottawa, Ontario, a doctoral candidate in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, has launched a website about the northern snakehead, a non-native fish species living in the Potomac River and elsewhere in the region.

Paul Estabrooks named Society of Behavioral Medicine Fellow

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Paul Estabrooks of Blacksburg, Va., associate professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was elected into the Society of Behavioral Medicine College of Fellows.

Pamplin College faculty listed among the world's top 50 tourism scholars

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The world's top 50 tourism scholars include hospitality and tourism management faculty at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business, according to a study published recently in "Tourism Management" journal.

Students volunteered 2,867 hours as Hokie Ambassadors

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

When you see a student walking backwards around campus, leading a crowd of eager faces, know it is Virginia Tech's motto, "Ut Prosim" (That I May Serve), in action. Each year, students donate their time as Hokie Ambassadors in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Pamplin students explore international business and culture this summer

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This summer, 139 students in Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business will be studying abroad on six faculty-led programs to Europe.

Anne McNabb honored with College of Science Diversity Award

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Anne McNabb of Blacksburg, Va., a professor of biological sciences and associate dean of Virginia Tech's Graduate School, has been named this year's Diversity Award winner in the university's College of Science.

University's eCorridors program assists Alaska in assessing broadband

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech's eCorridors program and the Northwest Arctic Broadband Task Force recently conducted a weeklong experiment in an effort to provide a 'snapshot' baseline assessment of broadband conditions in Alaska.

William Bain recognized as 2009 Virginia Farmer of the Year

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Cooperative Extension has selected William "Billy" Bain of Dinwiddie as the Virginia Farmer of the Year, an award that applauds individual contributions to the commonwealth's agricultural industry.

Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approves new Master of Public Health program

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors has approved a new Master of Public Health degree program that will be based in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and operated as a collaborative program with the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

Virginia Tech, IBM to partner with Arlington County on emergency system informatics initiative

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Communities, particularly those in metropolitan areas, exist in an increasingly complex world where catastrophic events can devastate human lives and destroy the fabric of a functioning community constructed over decades. Virginia Tech researchers have for several years been developing and implementing sophisticated high performance computing-based methods for analyzing social systems and societal infrastructures for these challenges. Now, Virginia Tech, IBM, and Arlington County are partnering in a new project to develop informatic support for local government decision makers.

Jamie Bishop: A Retrospective on display in Blacksburg April 15 to July 14