Research

Shashank Priya to host world energy harvesting conference at Virginia Tech

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Shashank Priya will host a two-day conference Aug. 7 and 8 on campus, bringing together a group of international experts on energy-harvesting and its applications.

Suspicion resides in two regions of our brains, with our baseline level of distrust distinct from our inborn lie detector

Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists and their colleagues have discovered two distinct sites for suspicion in the brain: the amygdala, which correlates strongly with a baseline distrustfuless, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which acts like a cerebral lie detector.

Geoscientist Patricia M. Dove receives top scientific honor

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Geoscientist Patricia Dove joins the ranks of scientists such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison as a newly elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Robert Neal and Catherine Larochelle receive 2012 Outstanding Dissertation Awards from Graduate School

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The 2012 Outstanding Dissertation Awards went to doctoral candidates in biomedical engineering and agricultural and applied economics.

Virginia Tech and University of Tuscia lead international research team to unravel origin of devastating kiwifruit bacterium

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

An international research team led by Virginia Tech Associate Professor Boris Vinatzer and Giorgio Balestra of the University of Tuscia in Italy has used the latest DNA sequencing technology to trace a devastating pathogen back to its likely origin.

World-renowned researchers coming to international polymer meeting at Virginia Tech

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Thousands of researchers from around the world are coming to Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus for the World Polymer Congress from June 24-29. One of the main presenters will be Robert H. Grubb, the 2005 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. The meeting organizers are seeking volunteers to help for a variety of jobs.

Computer scientists' paper among best in history of high-performance distributed computing

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Heshan Lin, research scientist, and Wu Feng, associate professor, both of the computer science department; and Mark Gardner of information technology, wrote the paper which is included in the listing of the best 20 papers in the 20-year history of the ACM International Symposium on High-Performance Parallel and Distributed Computing.

New aerospace vibration and acoustics lab opens

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Local, regional, and commonwealth officials joined researchers, engineers, and students at a dedication ceremony in April, celebrating the new National Institute of Aerospace Research and Innovation Laboratories at 1100 Exploration Way, in Hampton, Va.

University announces 2012 football helmet ratings; two more added to five-star mark

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech released today the results of its 2012 rating for adult football helmets that is designed to assess a helmet's ability to reduce the risk of concussion.

Greater transparency leads to better fund performance, new finance research shows

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Greg Kadlec co-authored a recent study that offers new empirical evidence on the role of disclosure, finding that greater transparency about a mutual fund's operating expenditures lowers the fund's conflicts of interest and improves return performance.

Walter O'Brien receives IGTI Aircraft Engine Technology Award for 2012

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Walter F. O'Brien, who holds the J. Bernard Jones Professorship of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, will be awarded the 2012 Industrial Gas Turbine Institute, Aircraft Engine Technology Award at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Turbo Expo.

New tire research center begins selection of initial projects

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The Center for Tire Research, directed by Saied Taheri, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, in partnership with the University of Akron, will hold its first industry advisory board meeting on June 4 and 5 in Blacksburg, Va.

T. Daniel Crawford receives 2012 Alumni Award for Excellence in Research

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

T. Daniel Crawford has since been recognized for his groundbreaking work in theoretical and computational chemistry.

Stephen Prince receives 2012 Alumni Award for Excellence in Research

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Stephen Prince was recognized for his groundbreaking work in cinema studies that has advanced the understanding of film as an aesthetic and social medium.

Lack of sleep may produce unethical behavior, management research shows

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Christopher Barnes and three other scholars conducted four studies in different settings and situations to examine the influence of low levels of sleep in decision-making situations involving ethical considerations. They consistently found that people were more likely to behave unethically when they were short on sleep.

Michael Saffle receives 2012 Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

An international musicologist and scholar on composer Franz Liszt adds another honor to his already full plate of accolades.

Alireza Salmanzadeh, Katelin Shugart-Schmidt named 2012 Graduate Man and Woman of the Year

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Alireza Salmanzadeh says he plans to continue his cancer research. Katelin Shugart-Smith says she hopes to work alongside legislators to help turn scientific discoveries into meaningful environmental policies.

IBM awards prestigious fellowship to Virginia Tech's Min Li

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Min Li, a computer science doctoral candidate in Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, has received an IBM Fellowship, an intensely competitive worldwide program that honors exceptional Ph.D. students who have an interest in solving problems that are fundamental to innovation.

10th annual Undergraduate Research and Prospective Graduate Student Conference to be held April 19

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to observe the oral and poster presentations on April 19 in Squires Student Center. A diverse set of research topics and creative scholarship will be featured by undergraduate student researchers.

Virginia Tech participates in Northern Virginia Technology Council event to explore university and business partnerships

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech participates in second annual University Technology Exhibition sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council.

Virginia Tech computer science students win international contest for third straight year

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

For the third consecutive year, a team of Virginia Tech doctoral students of the College of Engineering's Department of Computer Science and Center for Human-Computer Interaction has won first place in the 3D User Interfaces contest.

Joseph Tront named director of education for Hume Center for National Security and Technology

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Joseph G. Tront, who is the W.S. "Pete" White Professor of Innovation in Engineering at Virginia Tech, is the newly appointed director of education of the university's Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology.

Joint WVU-Virginia Tech symposium to explore energy issues

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The April 25 symposium draws presidents of both universities and key researchers.

Prestigious National Institutes of Health training program answers biomedical research need

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Six veterinarian trainees will be funded by this grant to conduct cutting-edge biomedical research through this National Institutes of Health training program, starting July 1.

Naren Ramakrishnan, data mining researcher, named Thomas L. Phillips Professor of Engineering

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Naren Ramakrishnan directs the Discovery Analytics Center where faculty and students study knowledge discovery problems in important areas of national interest, including intelligence analysis, sustainability, neuroscience, and systems biology.

Padma Rajagopalan receives Robert H. Hord Jr. Chemical Engineering Fellowship

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The fellowship acknowledges and rewards tenure-track faculty in junior ranks in the Department of Chemical Engineering who have shown exceptional merit in research, teaching, and/or service.

Shashank Priya, groundbreaking researcher in energy harvesting, receives Turner Fellowship

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Since 2007, Shashank Priya has been the principal or co-principal investigator on research grants totaling more than $23 million.

Museum's 'Second Saturday Science' program to showcase exhibitions from the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The research institute will bring projects to the Science Museum of Western Virginia on April 14 at 11 a.m.

Raffaella De Vita wins National Science Foundation award to study pelvic floor disorders

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Raffaella De Vita is leading a national study on pelvic floor disorder, including seeking out new treatments and providing new ways to prevent organ prolapse.

Jason Lai, inventor of energy-savings devices, named James S. Tucker Professor

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Lai is internationally recognized as an expert in energy efficient electronic technologies for transportation and industrial automation.

An expert in gerontology shares her thoughts on aging and well-being

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Rosemary Blieszner, who was recently reappointed as an Alumni Distinguished Professor, shares her views on aging well.

Wu Feng, internationally known computer scientist, receives Turner Fellowship

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In 2011, Wu Feng unveiled HokieSpeed, a supercomputer with an energy efficiency that makes it the highest ranked commodity supercomputer in the United States on the Green500 list.

Stefan Duma, recognized brain trauma expert, named Harry Wyatt Professor in Engineering

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Stefan Duma is internationally recognized for his landmark studies in injury biomechanics and traumatic brain injury.

Kathleen Alexander's work in Botswana attracts attention of U.S. ambassador

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Kathleen Alexander gave an overview of her research and outreach program in Botswana to U.S. Ambassador Michelle Gavin, who attended the opening of a women's craft center that was funded with part of a $2.6-million grant spearheaded by Alexander.

Virginia Tech launches new tire research group with National Science Foundation

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech is establishing a new tire research center with the funding from the National Science Foundation. The Center for Tire Research will focus on developing new tire materials, in addition to manufacturing, modeling and simulation, and testing of tires.

X.J. Meng elected to the American Academy of Microbiology

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. X. J. Meng of Blacksburg, Va., a virologist in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

UPS grant marks 16th year of support for Virginia Tech's industrial and systems engineering

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

The United Parcel Service (UPS) Foundation has for the 16th consecutive year awarded an academic grant in the amount of $40,000 to Virginia Tech's Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Obama highlights Virginia Tech partnership with Rolls-Royce at plant speech

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

President Barack Obama touted the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, a private-partnership between Rolls Royce North America and Virginia Tech and other leading Virginia universities during his March 9 visit to the Rolls Royce Crosspointe plant in Prince George County, Va.

Virginia Tech wildlife researchers explore DNA research to help save Nepal's Bengal tigers

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Associate Professor Marcella Kelly and Kanchan Thapa, a doctoral student in wildlife science, are collecting and analyzing DNA samples from Bengal tigers to help conserve this endandered species.

Kathleen Alexander finds brucellosis pathogen persists in Botswana buffalo, may pose a threat to humans

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Alexander's study found that buffalo may not only be a potential source of the brucellosis pathogen for Botswana's domestic cattle, but they may also pose a threat to humans who consume buffalo meat.

Harold 'Skip' Garner steps down as executive director of Virginia Bioinformatics Institute; Dennis Dean named interim executive director

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:01:46 -0500

Garner will lead the Medical Informatics Systems division at the institute and focus on his scholarly research.

Virginia Issues & Answers examines changing demographics, redistricting, voter behavior, and school funding in the commonwealth

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The winter 2011-12 issue of Virginia Issues & Answers, a public policy forum published by Virginia Tech's Office of University Relations, explores the impact of these changing demographics on redistricting, voter behavior, and school funding across the state.

A big discovery in the study of neutrinos, tiny particles that have a big role in the universe

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech researchers are part of an international collaboration that has discovered new information about a tiny particle called a neutrino that is part of everything from galaxies to tea cups. Neutrinos formed shortly after the big bang. The new knowledge about the will help scientists understand how and why they came to be.

Scientists awarded grant for mosquito egg production research

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech biochemists are working to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that regulate mosquito egg production, in order to identify target molecules that can be used for mosquito control.

Nowhere to hide: New study finds future of Sumatran tigers threatened by human disturbances

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The study, conducted by Virginia Tech and World Wildlife Fund, is the first of its kind to systematically investigate the use of different land cover types for tiger habitat.

Outstanding Performance in Laboratories award recognizes staff contributions

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Both a team and an individual's contributions to the university's research and education missions have been recognized with the Outstanding Performance in Laboratories award.

Special Collections open house displays rare treasures

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

A first edition of James Joyce's "Ulysses;" the bill of sale for a slave boy; and a letter from Charles Lindbergh to astronaut Michael Collins are among some of the items that may be on display during the first Tuesday open house events at the University Libraries.

Virginia Tech, Wake Forest University announce youth football publication and new 'KIDS' head impact study

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Virginia Tech -- Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences announces the first-ever publication with data on head impacts from youth football players. The paper is published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering and is available online.

Mark Stremler invited to Indo-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Stremler, a Virginia Tech engineering faculty member, is one of 60 young engineers selected by the organizers of the 2012 Indo-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium to attend this global meeting.

Product design and development symposium planned as part of Black History Month

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

A mini-symposium in celebration of Black History Month at Virginia Tech will explore the role of African-Americans in contemporary industrial and product design.