BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: The Moss Arts Center celebrates the talent and creativity of New River Valley student artists with its newest exhibition, which features work from 42 students from Shawsville Middle School. "Young Artists: Layers of Me" debuts with an opening reception on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 5-7 p.m. in the center's Grand Lobby. Open for a limited time, the exhibition runs through Saturday, Jan. 11. Under the guidance of Shawsville Mid  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: A transformative experience in Israel connected Eva Collakova, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with experts in food science to collaborate on innovative research and engage with diverse local communities. Made possible through the Fulbright Distinguished Professor Fellowship, Collakova's four-month visit to the Gilat Volcani Institute for Arid and Semi-Arid Agriculture was centered  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Nate Williams approached death in the same way he approached life with love, laughter, and a longing to leave a legacy. "He never wanted to be known as the 'sick' friend," Williams' wife, Faith, said. "He just wanted to be the friend." Williams '09, who graduated from the university with a degree in architecture, passed away in 2020 after a two-year battle with colon cancer. But he was such a wonderful person that a gro  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: John Gordon Casali, the John Grado Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, retired in May and has been conferred the title of John Grado Professor Emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. The emeritus title may be conferred on retired faculty members who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary   more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 24 -- Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued the following news release on Dec. 23, 2024: A BCI Special Agent Supervisor has joined the distinguished ranks of law enforcement professionals who have graduated from the FBI National Academy, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today. BCI Special Agent Supervisor Kevin Barbeau graduated on Dec. 12 from the 292nd session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He joins 55,797 graduates who have completed the pr  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: James Westwood has come to believe that parasitic weeds are not just cunning adversaries but also likely to be potential heroes in plant genomics. "I've come from the background of trying to think about practical control of parasitic weeds, and now I've come around to thinking about it as a tool where it's used for something good," said Westwood, professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. "I was not pr  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Adelai Silberberg, a Virginia Tech senior studying civil and environmental engineering, embodies the spirit of adventure and purpose. Balancing her passion for scuba diving with her engineering pursuits, Silberberg has developed unique perspectives that guide her academic and professional journey. Her strong leadership capacities and academic accomplishments earned her the College of Engineering's Warren F. Cline schola  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Seven Virginians earned the FFA's highest honors for their longstanding contributions to agricultural education at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, held in Indianapolis, Oct. 23-26. The Honorary American FFA Degree, which recognizes individuals who have provided exceptional service on a national level to agriculture, agricultural education, or FFA, was awarded to the following Virginians: Philip Haynie II, the f  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Signal Knob Middle School's Virginia FFA chapter was named the 2024 National Middle School Model of Excellence winner during the 2024 National FFA Convention & Expo in October in Indianapolis. The chapter beat out more than 9,000 other middle schools to be recognized as the best in the nation for its efforts to grow leaders, build communities, and strengthen agriculture. "I'm incredibly proud," said Dakota Stroud, an agr  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: The manic pace of sharing, storing, securing, and serving data has a manic price power consumption. To counter this, Virginia Tech mathematicians are leveraging algebraic geometry to target the inefficiencies of data centers. "We as individuals generate tons of data all the time, not to mention what large companies are producing," said Gretchen Matthews, mathematics professor and director of the Southwest Virginia node o  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Virginia Tech faculty and student expertise was recently on display for government and industry leaders brought together by Amazon. "It's always good for us to be able to get the word out about the research we're doing," said Alyse Jones, research associate in the Virginia Tech National Security Institute. "Especially when we're being highlighted by Amazon as an example of a great partner to work with." Jones was among   more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: The call came at 8 on a Monday morning. "Izzy, I got a problem," the voice of Charlie Herbert, founder of the Giles Community Garden, cracked through Izzy Largen's phone speaker. It was Sept. 30, just two days after Hurricane Helene had caused devastating flooding throughout the southeast, including Giles County. Largen, assistant director for food access initiatives with VT Engage, met Herbert through Thrive, a netwo  more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: At the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute, Maria Prawati, a Fulbright scholar and an English literature professor at Indonesia's Bina Nusantara University, found what she describes as the "perfect place" to do her research. The institute's diverse international students, experienced faculty, and commitment to cultural exchange provided an ideal laboratory for her to study intercultural communication and languag  more