National Capital Region Highlights
Barbara Allen and Daniel Breslau organize the Society for Social Studies of Science 2009 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Organizing a conference with more than 1,000 attendees from around the globe is no small task. Just ask Barbara Allen, associate professor and director, Science and Technology Studies (STS), National Capital Region, and her Blacksburg colleague, Daniel Breslau, associate professor, STS, who co-chaired the recent 2009 Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S). The two of them have been organizing the four-day event in the Washington D.C. area for the past two and a half years, tending to a myriad of tasks and details along the way.
ARI awarded grants from National Science Foundation and Department of Defense to continue research on smart grid technologies
The Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute (ARI) has received two three-year grants, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and from the Department of Defense (DOD) US Army Corps of Engineers Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), to continue research on smart grid technologies begun last year.
Community Café opens its doors at Northern Virginia Center
With a snip of scissors, the Virginia Tech/University of Virginia Community Café officially opened its doors earlier this week at the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church. The Café located on the first floor of the Center, occupies the space that housed the bookstore until last spring. It has been renovated and attractively designed as a meeting place for the entire graduate school community.
Joe Schilling works with communities to assess and revitalize vacant properties
With the current surge in property foreclosures, thousands of vacant buildings are contributing to community decay in cities across the country. As director of Policy and Research for the National Vacant Properties Campaign (NVPC), a Washington D.C. area program he helped launch, Joe Schilling, professor, Urban Affairs and Planning, and associate director for the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech in the National Capital Region, is working directly with communities to assess vacant property and support their vacant property revitalization efforts.
MLA student Allison Thurmond receives honor award for design
at 2009 ASLA National Meeting
"Reconciling Purity and Nature: A Bathing Pool for Daingerfield Island" has won Allison Thurmond (MLA '10) a National Student Honor Award in the General Design Category from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Thurmond's design, which reinterprets a swimming hole using ecological processes and ancient hydrologic techniques, emerged as a response to a studio program for an aquatic center, led by Associate Professor Paul Kelsch at the Virginia Tech Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC). Thurmond accepted the award at a recent ceremony which she and Kelsh attended during the ASLA annual meeting in Chicago. Associate Professor Paul Emmons was also part of the studio at WAAC.
Matthew Dull, CPAP Alexandria, teams with Blacksburg Colleague to research presidential appointees and contribute to debate on reforms
Matthew Dull, assistant professor, Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP), Alexandria, and his CPAP colleague in Blacksburg, assistant professor Patrick Roberts, are collaborating on a research initiative, the Appointees Project. The project was developed to inform public deliberation about the role of presidential appointees in the American political system and contribute to the debate about proposed reforms to the appointments process in federal government agencies.
NVC hosts reception for new associate deans of the Graduate School
Faculty, staff, and students were invited to a recent reception at the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) to welcome the newly appointed associate deans of the Graduate School, Rosemary Blieszner and Janet Rankin. They were introduced by Karen DePauw, dean of the Graduate School, who explained that the associate deans' positions are 50 percent half-time calendar year appointments to allow Blieszner and Rankin to continue teaching and research in their respective academic departments.
LUMENHAUS arrives at National Building Musem; Siemens sponsors related Sustainability Lecture
LUMENHAUS, an innovative solar house designed and constructed by a team of Virginia Tech faculty and students for the U.S. Department of Energy 2009 Solar Decathlon, has arrived in the National Capital Region from Blacksburg. Through September 27, it is on exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., located outside the building at the intersection of 5th and F Streets. The team is making final improvements on the house before it moves to the National Mall to participate in the competition, which begins October 9.
Construction is underway for Virginia Tech's major research center in the Ballston area of Arlington, in the National Capital Region
Joining Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger recently on a visit to the site of the research center in Ballston are (left to right) Seong K Mun, professor of Physics and research fellow at the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Study; Steger; Jim Bohland, vice president and executive director, Virginia Tech National Capital Region Operations; John Dooley, vice president for Outreach and International Affairs; Ted Settle, director, Office of Economic Development; and Bob Walters, vice president for research.
MLA students record Washington D.C.'s original boundary markers; photos appear in new issue of Virginia Tech Research magazine
Inspired by “line walking,” a common practice in the field of archaeology, Laurel McSherry, program director, master of landscape architecture (MLA), led 21 enthusiastic students on an expedition to the nation’s capital to create temporal recordings of the city from eight geographically separate vantage points.
Annals of the Association of American Geographers publishes article co-authored by SPIA Director Gerry Kearns
“Vital Geographies: Life, Luck, and the Human Condition,” an article by Gerry Kearns, professor, Government and International Affairs and director, School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and Simon Reid-Henry, Department of Geography, Queen Mary, University of London, has been published in the most recent (Volume 99, Issue 3, 2009) Annals of the Association of American Geographers.
Language and Culture Institute launches English Language Program in National Capital Region, prepares international Fulbright Scholars to attend U.S. universities this fall
The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute (LCI), newly established in the National Capital Region, launched its first English Language Program (ELP) classes this summer with six international Fulbright scholars from the countries of Chile, Russia, Syria, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. The students were placed into the LCI by the U.S. Department of State as part of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program which requires international students to complete pre-academic" English before moving on to earn advanced degrees in a variety of majors at universities across the United States.
Executive MBA cohort travels to Finland and Russia on 10-day residency, culmination of 18-month program
A group of 25 students in the Shenandoah Cohort of Virginia Tech’s Executive MBA (EMBA) program travelled to Helsinki, Finland, and Moscow, Russia, for 10 days this summer, a culmination of their 18-month program.
The residency, led by EMBA Executive Director Charles Jacobina, incorporated both business and culture. Ambassador Ilkka Heiskanen provided an overview of the country at the U.S. Embassy in Finland and AMCHAM (the American Chamber of Commerce) arranged briefings by Microsoft Finland, Coca-Cola Finland, and Mirasys Ltd. Cultural experiences included a Helsinki samba festival and a visit to Suomenlinna, one of the several hundred islands that comprise Finland, where the students had an opportunity to dine in a number of traditional Finnish restaurants.
George Makrinos and John Foley bike across Europe; chart journey from Athens to London on the web
George Makrinos’ love of bicycling and sense of adventure finds him biking a 4,000 kilometers tour through the continent of Europe this summer. Makrinos, a Virginia Tech alum and adjunct faculty at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC), last summer completed a 56-day, 14-state bicycle tour across America. For “bike-EU” he is joined by an equally avid rider and enthusiast, Virginia Tech architecture alum John Foley.
CPAP names leading public management scholar Valerie Lemmie as second Inclusive Management Fellow
Commissioner Valerie Lemmie, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), a leading scholar on the subject of public management in enhancing democracy, was inaugurated last week as the second Inclusive Management Fellow of the Coast-to-Coast Inclusive Management Initiative within the Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP) and the School for Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at Virginia Tech, National Capital Region.
Virginia Tech alumna Regina E. Dugan named 19th director of DARPA; will lead agency in opening new technology frontiers
The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that Regina E. Dugan, who earned her master's and bachelor's degrees at Virginia Tech, has been selected as the 19th director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA is the principal agency within the DoD for research, development, and demonstration of concepts, devices, and systems that provide highly advanced military capabilities for the current and future combat force. In this role of developing high-risk, high-payoff projects, DARPA compliments and balances the overall science and technology program of the DoD.
CTSP Director Bruce Lawlor named to Pictometry board
Retired Maj. Gen. Bruce M. Lawlor, director of the Center for Technology, Security, and Policy (CTSP) at Virginia Tech, has been appointed to the board of directors of Pictometry International Corp., a leading provider of geo-referenced, aerial image libraries and related software headquartered in Rochester, NY.
Hundreds visit Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center open house to celebrate 25th anniversary
Nearly 500 visitors helped Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC), Leesburg, VA, celebrate its 25th anniversary at a recent open house where a variety of demonstrations on live horses provided a first-hand look at the center's high-quality health care services for all ages and breeds of horses.
Artist/muralist Rik Freeman brings his Chittlin's Circuit Review series based on the blues to Northern Virginia Center
In 1994 artist/muralist Rik Freeman wrote “The Ballad of the Grit Girl,”the inspiration for his 2008 painting by the same name. It is included in Freeman's exhibit of oil on canvas paintings, The Chittlin Circuit Review, displayed on the first floor of the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) at 7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church. The show runs until June 27.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Hartmann offers insights to SPIA students on achieving high performance local government in hard times
Facing budget cuts is never easy but Alexandria City Manager Jim Hartmann is up to the challenge. The City has 260 fewer positions than last year and 117 of them have been permanently eliminated, according to Hartmann. “When budgets are cut, it creates an opportunity for change,” he told School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) students during a “Conversation on High Performance Local Government in Hard Times.” Adjunct faculty Tom Hickok, who teaches a High Performing Local Governments class, invited Hartmann to Virginia Tech and conducted the recent interview.
Elizabeth Morton appointed to advisory group for Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment
Elizabeth Morton, professor in practice, Urban Affairs and Planning, and director of the Planning Academy at Virginia Tech, was recently appointed to the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization and Reinvestment (OCRR) Advisory Group. The group assists the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and agency staff with strategic redevelopment and investment opportunities within targeted commercial areas that align with the community's vision and improve the economic vitality, appearance, and function of those areas.
Elizabeth Schilling presents final 2008-2009 New Metropolis lecture; series will resume in the fall with focus on international issues and climate change
Elizabeth Schilling, interim program manager, Smart Growth Leadership Institute, Washington, DC, presented the final lecture in the 2008-2009 New Metropolis Lecture Series, sponsored by Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP) in Alexandria. Schilling’s presentation LEED for Neighborhood Development: The Next Wave of Code Reform? focused on the new LEED rating system for making a neighborhood green and how the rating system works as a tool for planners.
WAAC students merge creative concepts of dance and space to design dance studio in Arlington
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 (WAAC) to imagine innovative ways of merging public and private space for a dance studio in nearby Arlington.
National Capital Region honors Michele Eldredge, administrative assistant, Human Development, with 2009 Outstanding Staff Award
Michele Eldredge, administrative assistant, Human Development, was recognized by Virginia Tech National Capital Region as the 2008 Outstanding Staff Award winner during a recent staff appreciation celebration. The award is presented annually in recognition of “consistently exceptional service to the university” and carries a $500 prize.
In making the announcement, Jim Bohland, vice president and executive director, National Capital Region Operations, said that in her nomination Eldredge was cited for having “consistently shown outstanding commitment and dedication to the students, her program, and Virginia Tech” for the past 12 years.
National Capital Region faculty honor Rosary Lalik as Last Lecture Series speaker
Rosary Lalik, associate professor emerita and former director of Graduate Education Programs, was chosen by the National Capital Region Faculty Association as the speaker for the second annual Last Lecture Series. The Last Lecture Series was inaugurated last year to honor faculty in the region for service to the university and dedication to Virginia Tech's graduate programs. Each speaker is invited to choose a topic of his/her choice to present to an open audience, which includes current and former colleagues, students, alumni, and friends. The lecture takes place on Virginia Tech's official Reading Day, the day after classes end and before exams begin.
Ralph Buehler presents report for Brookings Institution about sustainable transportation in Germany and the United States
Ralph Buehler, assistant professor, Urban Affairs and Planning, has coauthored a report on policies/planning, travel behavior, and sustainable transportation in Germany and the United States, released by the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program during a recent event at the German Embassy in Washington, DC. There, Buehler presented the peer-reviewed report, “Making Transportation Sustainable: Insights from Germany,” which he authored with John Pucher, Rutgers University, and Dr. Uwe Kunert, German Institute of Economic Research, DIW Berlin, Germany.
Gerard Toal's career award lecture published in current issue
of Political Geography
Last year Gerard Toal, professor and director of Virginia Tech’s Government and International Affairs (GIA) program in the National Capital Region, was honored with a career award in the field of geography by the Political Geography Specialty Group and Elsevier, publisher of the journal, Political Geography. This recognition included an invitation to lecture at the Association of American Geographers annual meeting. A modified and expanded version of Toal's lecture has been published in the current issue of Political Geography.
Joseph Wang leads research to differentiate between aggressive and slow growing cancers; strives for more tailored patient treatment
A team of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) researchers led by Yue (Joseph) Wang, professor of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering, has helped identify biomarkers that can differentiate between aggressive and slow growing prostate cancers and between different levels of aggressiveness in ovarian cancers.
National Capital Region Remembers April 16, 2007
The Virginia Tech Community in the National Capital Region honored those who lost their lives and those who were injured in the campus tragedy of April 16, 2007 in a number of ways yesterday.
At the campus in Old Town Alexandria, a "green giant"magnolia tree was planted on the corner of Patrick and Henry Streets at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC).
Students, faculty, and alumni from CPAP Alexandria participate in
High Table
For centuries Oxford and Cambridge Universities have maintained a tradition that faculty and students eat together wearing their academic regalia. They may be joined on these occasions by Fellows of the college, usually graduates who have distinguished themselves in some way. Honored guests are seated at the High Table and, typically, one of them is asked to speak on a substantial topic.
NCR launches new social networking site to help foster greater sense of community
The National Capital Region (NCR) has launched a social networking site, hokies.ncr.vt.edu, designed to support our graduate programs, to help graduate students connect, and to let prospective, current and former students interact with one another and with faculty and staff. Hosted on Ning.com, the site is managed by the Graduate Students Services Office (GSSO) and has features similar to Facebook, allowing members to share images, create blogs, chat, post events, and create groups and threaded discussions, etc. Unlike Facebook and other mega-sites, though, hokies.ncr.vt.edu is a controlled-access site, so new members have to be approved before they can get beyond the main page.
More than 1,500 prospective job applicants and 79 employers join for 18th annual job fair at NVC; event raises in excess of $25,000 for scholarship fund
More than 1,500 prospective job applicants attended the 18th Annual Northern Virginia Regional Job Fair at the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church where 79 employers, ranging from private companies to government agencies, were represented. The annual job fair is a fundraiser sponsored by the Virginia Tech National Capital Region (NCR) Alumni Association. The group raised more than $25,000 for scholarships which are awarded to National Capital Region-area high school seniors who have been accepted at Virginia Tech. The event is free for those who attend, however, employers are charged a fee to participate.
Landscape architecture pioneer Rosa Grena Kliass gives lecture at Washington Alexandria Architecture Center
McSherry (left) and Kliass
Rosa Grena Kliass, who began her career in landscape architecture more than fifty years ago, is a renowned pioneer in the field. Last week, Kliass, visiting from her native Brazil, gave a lecture on Scale and Significance: Main Issues for Landscape Architecture at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) before a full house of students, faculty, administrators, and other interested visitors. She was introduced by Laurel McSherry, director of Virginia Tech's master's landscape architecture program in the National Capital Region.
Computer science doctoral students win second prize in poster contest
at National Academy of Engineering's Grand Challenges Summit
Jing (David) Dai presenting
the winning poster
Jing (David) Dai, Arnold Boedihardjo, and Feng Chen, doctoral students in the Computer Science program, were awarded second prize in the Security Category of the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) Grand Challenges Summit poster contest. The judging took place during the two-day summit held March 2-3 at Duke University in North Carolina. The poster, "HOMES: Highway Operation Monitoring and Evaluation System," introduces an advanced transportation information system developed in the Spatial Data Management Lab at the Falls Church Northern Virginia Center (NVC), in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Karen Akers, director of Northern Virginia Center, recognized for commitment to Falls Church City Public Schools
Karen Akers, director of the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) was named Business in Education (BIE) Partner of the Week by the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS). Akers was recognized for serving on the BIE Advisory Committee, volunteering as a presenter for Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School Career Week, and providing meeting space at NVC for FCCPS in-service training with administrators and teachers.
Professor Susan Piedmont-Palladino, curator at National Building Museum, conducts online video tour of Green Community; exhibit runs through October 25
Susan Piedmont-Palladino, professor, Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC), and curator at the National Building Museum, Washington DC, is narrator for an online video tour of the museum's current Green Community exhibition showing what makes a community green. A green community conserves its land, offers multiple transportation options, provides open spaces, and uses natural and cultural resources wisely.
Beverly Bunch-Lyons researches first rural NAACP in Falls Church; finds early Tinner Hill community activists fought segregation and contributed to civil rights history
Bunch-Lyons at Tinner Hill
arch in Falls Church
(Photo by Jim Stroup)
The NAACP is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with more than 1,700 branches worldwide. But when the NAACP was nine years old, the first rural chapter was in Falls Church, Va., when the now-metropolitan area was considered the rural South. On Tinner Hill, just a few miles away from Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church, stands a 15-foot pink granite archway. Erected in 1999 by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, the memorial honors two men who, in June 1918, helped found the first rural branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): Edwin Bancroft "E.B." Henderson and Joseph B. Tinner.
Virginia Tech YouTube site wants more videos, WAAC's Boxes still a favorite
The Virginia Tech YouTube website features a wide variety of Virginia Tech-related videos including Virginia Tech Boxes, produced by students at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC). Boxes has been designated a "favorite" and has had more than 36,000 views since it was posted a year ago. Set to music, the video follows a group of architecture students as they parade through a wintry Old Town Alexandria in large cardboard boxes.
Virginia Tech alum authors How Fit is Your Business, draws parallel between personal health and business fitness
Mark Richardson, CR, a Virginia Tech alum (Arch '78), has authored a new book titled How Fit is Your Business? A Complete Checkup and Prescription for Better Business Health (Advantage Media, 2008). The book transcends the business arena, drawing a unique parallel between personal health and the health and fitness of a business.
"We know what the concept of being fit and healthy means on a personal level but there are many misconceptions of what fit means to a business," said Richardson. "Much like wellness, the paradigm of business has changed. How Fit is Your Business? is designed to take the reader through a fitness check up, drilling through ten elements of business fitness."
Red Cross volunteer Denise Orden takes VT-ENGAGE to Washington DC National Mall for presidential inauguration
(Photo by Heidi Sung)
Denise Orden (on the right with a fellow volunteer), associate director for operations in the National Capital Region, was one of millions of people in Washington DC for events surrounding the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. She spent two full days (Sunday, January 18, and Tuesday, January 20) on the Mall as a Red Cross volunteer. VT-ENGAGE is Virginia Tech's volunteerism initiative through which faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the university can honor those we lost April 16 through community service. Orden has been a Red Cross volunteer for the past two years.
Energy Efficiency Market newsletter interviews with Saifur Rahman about Obama's energy proposals now available on podcast
Saifur Rahman, professor and director, Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute (ARI), serves as vice president of new initiatives and outreach for the IEEE Power and Energy Society. In that capacity, he was interviewed three times over the past few months by the Energy Efficiency Markets newsletter about President-elect Barack Obama's energy proposals and their effect on the world wide energy crisis. The interviews are now available on the publication's Podcast website and can also be accessed from the links below.
David Orden addresses global agricultural policies at two recent international conferences
David Orden, director of the Global Issues Initiative (GII), Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE), addressed agricultural policies in a global context at two recent international conferences.
The first event was an expert workshop at the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy, where he presented the lead paper on "Farm Support Policies of the United States." The purpose of the workshop was to develop recommendations for policy initiatives for the director general of the FAO.
Fred Krimgold interviewed for Dan Rather Reports story on the future of Galveston, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike
Fred Krimgold, director, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Program, Virginia Tech, National Capital Region, was interviewed for a taped segment about the future of Galveston, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike on Dan Rather Reports, which aired on HDTV, Tuesday, December 16. This past September, the tropical storm caused such massive destruction to the city that, according to Krimgold, the property damage alone could be as high as $18 billion.
Barbara Allen runner-up in Dance Your Ph.D. video competition sponsored by American Association for the Advancement of Science
Barbara Allen, associate professor and director, Science and Technology Studies, Virginia Tech National Capital Region, danced her way to a runner-up award in the video competition, Dance Your Ph.D., sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Allen, in the role of "expert" scientist, was joined by six performers from the local Bowen McCauley Dance (BMD) troupe to interpret the findings of her dissertation: "Uneasy Alchemy: Citizens and Experts in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor Disputes" (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Science and Technology Studies, 1999).
Eco-City Studio launches blog to encourage community involvement in City of Alexandria sustainability efforts
The Eco-City Studio, Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, recently launched the Eco-City Alexandria Blog to enable and support a healthy conversation between members of the Alexandria community and the City of Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission (EPC). The blog offers Alexandria residents, employees, businesses, organizations, associations, and city government an opportunity to share ideas about how to make the City of Alexandria ecologically sustainable. Ecological sustainability employs a systems approach to address the environmental, economic, and social elements of an eco-city.
Nick Stone, National Capital Region Operations, chosen to participate in university's 2008-2009 Executive Development Institute
Nick Stone, deputy director, National Capital Region Operations, is among 21 scholars selected by University Organizational Development (UOD) to participate in the 2008-09 Executive Development Institute (EDI), designed to cultivate Virginia Tech's leaders by providing multiple approaches to career enhancement and development. EDI is a personalized awareness-building and goal-setting program that complements other educational activities, current or future leadership course work, coaching, or "community of practice" involvement.
Randy Murch discusses 'Anthrax 2001 and Beyond' at international conference on bioterrorism
Randy Murch, associate director, Research Program Development, National Capital Region, and an adjunct professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, was invited to give a presentation on “Bioterroism: Investigation & Prosecution – Anthrax 2001 and Beyond ” during a recent Wilton Park, United Kingdom, conference on the Counterproliferation of Biological Threat Agents.
Urban Affairs and Planning students in Alexandria welcome visitors
from the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
Virginia Tech's Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP) recently welcomed a group of visiting students from the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. The students traveled to the metropolitan Washington D.C. area to study suburbanization in the United States. Heike Mayer, associate professor, UAP, and co-director, Metropolitan Institute; Ralph Buehler, assistant professor, UAP, and a number of graduate students from Virginia Tech's UAP program in Old Town Alexandria, joined the German students for a module class to examine Arlington County as a best practice case in urban regeneration. The visit was documented by a film crew for a future documentary on the history of Smart Growth in Arlington.
New Board of Visitors member Doug Fahl focuses on recruiting more active alums and advocating for stronger Virginia Tech presence in National Capital Region
Virginia Tech's motto Ut Prosim (that I may serve) is not something that Doug Fahl, executive vice president, Dewberry & Davis LLC, takes lightly. To me, it is a philosophy that continues to make a difference in my life," he says with conviction.
Fahl has dedicated countless hours of service to his alma mater. He has worked tirelessly to encourage fellow alums to support the university and is a strong advocate for increasing Virginia Tech's presence in the National Capital Region.
Robert Lang, co-director of Metropolitan Institute, interviewed about suburban voting patterns during 2008 presidential campaign
Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, major media outlets, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today have interviewed Robert Lang, co-director, Metropolitan Institute (MI) at Virginia Tech, about suburban voting patterns and their importance on election outcomes. Most recently, Lang was quoted extensively in a Monday, October 20th front-page story in The Washington Post, “Democrats See Opportunity In Outer Suburbs' Troubles.”
Five FDA students are first to receive graduate degree from
Virginia Tech - Georgetown University joint program
(Photo by Sorell Schwartz,
Georgetown University)
Five students from the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) are the first to be awarded the joint Master of Science in Biomedical Technology Development and Management (BTDM) degree from Virginia Tech and Georgetown University. The new BTDM degree, which draws on the strengths of Virginia Tech's science and technology programs and Georgetown's basic and clinical medical research assets, represents the first collaboration of this kind between the two universities.
Rosary Lalik honored at retirement reception celebrating her 26-year career in the School of Education
(Photo by Gabriella Belli)
University faculty, staff, graduate assistants, students, friends, and family members gathered recently at a retirement reception for Rosary Lalik to recognize and celebrate her 26-year career at Virginia Tech. Lalik, an expert in literacy studies, relocated to the northern Virginia campus from Blacksburg in 2000 and has served as director of Education programs for the last four years.
Local artist Lisa Neher gives talking tour at Northern Virginia Center; exhibit is part of Falls Church Arts/Gallery Without Walls program
(Photo by Lise Visser)
Local artist Lisa Neher recently conducted a talking tour of her 18 oil paintings which were displayed for more than two months at the Northern Virginia Center (NVC). The exhibit, on the first floor lobby level and in the library, was mounted in conjunction with the Falls Church Arts/Gallery Without Walls program to present artists’ works in venues which include local buildings and businesses.
Michael Badawy gives keynote address on global competitiveness at International Conference on Management of Innovation and Technology in Bangkok
(File Photo)
Michael Badawy, professor, Management of Technology and Strategic Management, Pamplin College of Business, was invited recently to give a keynote address at The International Conference on Management of Innovation and Technology in Bangkok, Thailand. Badawy explored the question: “Are We Losing the Battle in Managing Technology for Global Competitive Advantage?” The conference brought together scholars, educators, industrialists, and entrepreneurs interested in improving research and development, and business applications in innovation and technology management across a global network of diverse platforms.
The Energy Efficiency Partnership of Greater Washington, founded and facilitated by Virginia Tech in the National Capital Region, featured in The Voice of Technology
The Fall 2008 issue of The Voice of Technology, published by the Northern Virginia Technology Council, prominently features the Energy Efficiency Partnership (EEP) of Greater Washington. EEP, an initiative founded and facilitated by Virginia Tech in the National Capital Region, aims to reduce energy use through building retrofits. In the article, “Do More By Using Less,” Laurel Colless, director of the EEP and senior project associate for research at Virginia Tech, joins other EEP partners and “green” advocates to explain why helping the environment is also good for business.
Nine Virginia Tech student fellows honored at recent convocation for completing Washington Semester program
Valerie Lemmie (left)
and Anne Khademian
Nine Virginia Tech student fellows were honored recently at a special convocation ceremony for having successfully completed an 11-week Washington Semester program in the National Capital Region. Students from the School of Public and International Affairs in Blacksburg who received certificates for this summer's program are: Olivia Leonard, Ryan Little, Jackie Pontious, Erin Taylor, Michelle King, Dan Dunn, Andrew Robb, Brian Reid, and Kelley Umberger. The convocation guest speaker was Valerie Lemmie, Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. This is the 14th year that Virginia Tech has offered this program.
'Critical Geopolitics' expert Gerard Toal writes opinion column on Ossetia conflict published recently in Irish Times
Gerard Toal, professor of Government and International Affairs, National Capital Region, is an expert in the intersecting field of geography and international relations known as "Critical Geopolitics."
A native of Ireland, Toal wrote a recently published opinion column in Irish Times, "Ossetia ordeal ill-served by cold war logic." He says that Cold War geopolitics is back with deep ethnic tensions, an impetuous Georgia and Russian fears all playing a part in the Ossetia conflict.
George Makrinos bikes across America to fulfill a personal dream, to encourage alternate modes of transportation, and to benefit charities
Ask George Makrinos what he did on his summer vacation and his reply will take you on a 3,360 mile journey across America. Beginning in San Francisco, Makrinos, a Virginia Tech alum and current adjunct faculty at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC), rode his 21-speed titanium frame mountain bike for 56 days through 14 states and four time zones. Built for touring, the bike carried four pannier bags containing everything he needed: tools, tent, maps, sleeping bag, clothing, and electronics, which included a laptop, digital camera, and GPS...
Virginia Sustainable Building Network honors Virginia Tech with Best Green Business Innovation Award for founding the Energy Efficiency Partnership of Greater Washington
Laurel Colless
Virginia Tech received the Best Green Innovation Award from the Virginia Sustainable Building Network (VSBN) recently for its role as founder and facilitator of the Energy Efficiency Partnership (EEP) of Greater Washington. Laurel Colless (at podium), senior project associate for research at Virginia Tech, National Capital Region, and EEP director, accepted the award on behalf of Virginia Tech. The presentation was made during VSBN’s 13th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting in Richmond recently, where Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine gave the keynote address.
Pamela Murray-Tuite, assistant professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, named Business in Education Partner of the Week by Falls Church City Public Schools for organizing internship at Northern Virginia Center
Pamela Murray-Tuite, assistant professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recently named Business in Education (BIE) Partner of the Week by the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) for organizing an internship program for George Mason High School students. Internships were open to students during the school year and during the summer at the Northern Virginia Center. Murray-Tuite was also cited by FCCPS for speaking on Career Day to seventh grade students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School...
G. Wayne Clough, former dean of Virginia Tech's College of Engineering is elected Secretary of Smithsonian Institution; award winning engineer brings unique combination of experience to position
G. Wayne Clough, who served as dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech from 1990 to 1993, was unanimously elected the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian by the Institution's Board of Regents earlier this year, and officially assumed his position July 1. Clough joined Virginia Tech in 1983 as a professor of civil engineering and was later promoted to department head before being named dean of the department.
He left Virginia Tech to serve as president of his alma mater, Georgia Tech, where he had earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering...
NVTC summer internship launch offers opportunity to dialogue with Virginia's Secretary of Technology, network, and identify strategies for success
(left to right): Noblis intern Seva
Burmaka, Hsuing Kai-Ping,
and Kavya Sambana
(Photo by Harry Cummins, Noblis, Inc.)
The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) Workforce Committee recently launched this summer's internships at a meeting organized by Barbara Bennett, associate director, Outreach Program Development, Virginia Tech National Capital Region, and co-chair of the committee. Student interns and their supervisors at NVTC member companies gathered to dialogue with guest speaker, Aneesh P. Chopra, Secretary of Technology, Commonwealth of Virginia, to network with one another, and to identify strategies to make most of summer internship opportunities...
Virginia Tech announces plan to build major research center in National Capital Region; Ballston location identified with expected occupancy in 2010
(Photo by John McCormick)
Congressman Jim Moran, of Virginia's Eighth Congressional District, was a guest speaker at the Arlington Westin Gateway when Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger (seated at right) announced that Virginia Tech will build a major research center in the Ballston area of Arlington. The building is part of a larger JBG Companies' development project located on the 800-900 block of North Glebe Road...
CNBC Business Nation interviews David Orden, professor in the Virginia Tech Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment (ISCE), for segment on the thriving U.S. tobacco industry
Despite the proliferation of anti-smoking rules, and an ever-growing emphasis on health, tobacco farmers are thriving in the U.S., with some 350 million acres devoted to tobacco farming. The industry's growth is attributed, in large part, to the government's 2004 disbanding of the quota system for tobacco farmers. Orden is interviewed in the CNBC segment, "Growing The Golden Leaf,"about how agriculture can benefit from a free global market...
Virginia Tech Hybrid-Electric Vehicle takes detour to Northern Virginia Center; team works four years to design and build the fully functional car for national competition
The Virginia Tech Hybrid Electric Vehicle and a team of ’08 Mechanical Engineering graduates took a short detour to the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) recently on the way to Washington D.C. for the General Motors (GM) and U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility student engineering competition. For the past four years, the Virginia Tech team has been working to design and build a fully-functional hybrid electric vehicle based on the competition’s requirements. The team made some last minute repairs to the vehicle at the NVC parking lot, which attracted the attention of a number of staff, faculty, and students.
National Capital Region honors Myriam Lechuga, School of Public and International Affairs, with 2008 Outstanding Staff Award
Virginia Tech National Capital Region honored Myriam Lechuga, administrative assistant, School of Public and International Affairs, with the 2008 Outstanding Staff Award during a recent staff appreciation luncheon. The award is presented in recognition of “consistently exceptional service to the university” and carries a $500 prize.
In the outpouring of support by the faculty and students in the department, Lechuga was lauded as “an exceptional individual who does everything within her power to improve the quality of work life for faculty, staff and students,” as a “thorough and creative problem solver,” and as having a “gracious and diligent spirit.”
David Trauger, honored by NCR Faculty Association as first speaker in the 'Last' Lecture Series, discusses The Great Transformation: 2001-2030
(Photo by Justin Davenport)
David L. Trauger, director of the Natural Resources Program and associate dean of the Graduate School was chosen by the National Capital Region Faculty Association to give the first 'Last' Lecture of the Last Lecture Series. Trauger, who is retiring from Virginia Tech after seven years, was presented a plaque by the Faculty Association with "esteem and admiration for his dedication to graduate education and the Virginia Tech community in the National Capital Region."
The Last Lecture Series allows the speaker to choose a topic of his/her choice and present it to an open audience including current and former colleagues, alumni, and friends. Trauger spoke about The Great Transformation: 2001-2030...
David Orden, professor in the Virginia Tech Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE), joins panel on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show
Rising food prices have become a critical global issue and world leaders are looking for solutions that will ease the crisis. David Orden joins a panel
of experts to discuss the world's rising food prices: what's behind the higher prices and what can be done
about it.
- Listen to the broadcast which aired on April 16, 2008.
WAAC professors and students create visionary scenarios for Annapolis in the year 2060 at charrette to address economic, ecological, and demographic pressures
What will Annapolis look like in the year 2060?
A group of Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) faculty and students were among several universities to accept the challenge of imagining - - and designing - - the answer to that question when they participated in a recent design charrette sponsored by the enVISIONing Annapolis Foundation. The WAAC team worked on long-term strategies that address how Annapolis might adapt to the many economic, ecological, and demographic pressures it is already facing.
Participating from Virginia Tech were Architecture Professors Paul Emmons (who served as the team leader) and Marcia Feuerstein, Landscape Architecture Professor Laurel McSherry, and Adjunct Professors Steven Siebert and Leo Salom. Ellen Sullivan, a Ph.D. student, graduate architecture students Lesley Golenor, Matthew Valentine, Josh Housdan, and Beth Barrett, undergraduate architecture student Michael Ford and undergraduate landscape architecture student Ryan Catlett...
Graduate students from Virginia Tech National Capital Region and George Mason University team up on local environmental community service project to support The Big Event 2008
The Big Event, Virginia Tech's largest community service project, is held each spring in Blacksburg. Students come together on this day to say thanks to surrounding communities in the area for being a gracious host to the university for nine months out of the year and for their continuous support. For the first time this year, the National Capital Region Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) put a local twist on The Big Event. Virginia Tech graduate students teamed up with graduate students from nearby George Mason University to work on a community service project to benefit the northern Virginia community...
National Capital Region Remembers April 16, 2007
(Photo by Justin Davenport)
A moving harp solo by Virginia Tech National Capital Region alumnus Christine Van Dyke, melodic tolling bells, and a moment of silence set a somber, yet hopeful tone as faculty, staff, students, and alumni gathered at the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church for the dedication of a bronze plaque mounted on Hokie Stone. The plaque marks the site of a bench, also made from Hokie Stone, and a Japanese maple tree dedicated last summer in honor of those who lost their lives on April 16, 2007.
"This small site gives us a place where we can come to reflect and remember that while spring has been a time of great tragedy in our community, it is also a time of replenishment, beauty, and hope,"said Jim Bohland, vice president and executive director of National Capital Region Operations...
National Capital Region Alumni Association kicks off VirginiaTechforLife nationwide blood drive program in Alexandria; second drive scheduled April 16 at Northern Virginia Center
WAAC students Jeff Gowen
and Keri Kennedy
The National Capital Region Virginia Tech Alumni Association kicked off the VirginiaTechforLife campaign at the local office of the American Red Cross in Old Town Alexandria on April 1. This was the first of more than 30 blood drives sponsored by Virginia Tech alumni chapters across the country during the month of April,
A second blood drive, at the Northern Virginia Center, 7054 Haycock Road, will be held on April 16, from 2 to 8 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments
are preferred. To set up an appointment to donate call:
1 800-GIVE LIFE...
NCR graduate students Vidhya Dass and Elizabeth Brennan take spotlight in Washington Post Metro section on Saturday, March 29, for offering futuristic alternatives to traditional peak cherry blossom forecasts
(Photo by Lois Raimondo, The Washington Post)
Using computer modeling/artificial intelligence they learned in a class taught by Chang-Tien Liu, assistant professor, Computer Science, Dass
and Brennan worked with Rob DeFeo, National Park Service chief horticulturist, who, for 16 years, has been consulting nature to determine when
the cherry blossoms will bloom in Washington....
Cargo honored with meritorious service award from ODK and invited to speak at celebration of newly named Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at ASU
(Photo by Felipe Ruiz,
Arizona State University)
Russ Cargo, director of the Nonprofit and Civil Society Program in the Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG), National Capital Region, has garnered recognition among his peers in the field of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership both through his work at Virginia Tech and his role as president of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC).
Cargo was recently awarded the Eldridge W. Roark, Jr., Meritorious Service Award at the 2008 Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Society, Inc., National Leadership Summit and Convention held in Atlanta. The honor recognizes his work as director of the organization's signature leadership development program, Campus Leaders Today, Community Leaders Tomorrow (CLT2) since its inception in 2004...
Three WAAC students design finalist entry for Washington Post Peeps contest
(Photo by Matt Valentine)
"Peeps Atop a Skyscraper (c. 1932)", a diorama designed by three Virginia Tech Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) students -- Lesley Golenor, Jenn Seiss, and Matt Valentine Peeps - is a finalist in The Washington Post Peeps Show II contest.
Thirty-seven dioramas made with Marshmallow Peeps were chosen as finalists from more than 800 entries sent to the Post for the second annual competition ...
Fun With Physics draws crowd of all ages at Northern Virginia Center
Nearly 200 enthusiastic visitors, ranging from primary school age students to retired Virginia Tech alumni, gathered at the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church recently for Fun with Physics, a family-friendly afternoon event designed to prove that science can be fun, fascinating, and exciting. The event was sponsored by Virginia Tech's Department of Physics and the College of Science.
Students from the Physics Outreach Team, equipped with dozens of hands-on demonstrations and physics-related toys, introduced some intriguing phenomena. Optical illusions showed coins in the wrong place, and metal rings were tossed high in the air by the effects of electromagnetic induction...
Two grants awarded to Advanced Research Institute to study smart grid
The U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program have both awarded grants to the Advanced Research Institute, Virginia Tech, National Capital Region, to build simulation-based models of an Intelligent Distributed Autonomous Power System (IDAPS) microgrid. Components of an IDAPS microgrid include distributed energy resources (DERs), grid interfaces, distribution circuits, customer loads, and an IP-addressable control architecture that represents the decision support system of the smart grid...
Traveling exhibit honoring life of civil rights champion and educator, Mary Ellen Henderson, runs through March 1 at Northern Virginia Center
(Photo by Justin Davenport)
In celebration of Black History Month, Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center(NVC) is hosting A Radiant Spirit: the Journey of Mary Ellen Henderson, a traveling exhibit honoring local area civil rights champion and educator, Mary Ellen Henderson.
Henderson, a long-time Falls Church resident and educator, worked tirelessly as teacher, principal, and social activist to achieve equal rights for African Americans. She was a beloved teacher and principal of the Falls Church Colored School for 31 years. On September 18, 2005, the Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in Falls Church, was named in her honor on what would have been her 120th birthday...
CPAP student Beth Offenbacker receives prestigious award from American Society of Public Administration
Beth Offenbacker, a Ph.D. student in the School of Public Administration and Policy (CPAP), Virginia Tech, National Capital Region, has been awarded the prestigious 2008 James E. Webb Award by the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) for presenting the most outstanding paper at the organization's 2007 annual conference.
Offenbacker's presentation, "New Zealand Local Government: Creating a Meaningful Connection Between Participatory Budgeting and Performance Budgeting," was chosen for the award from among all papers presented at the annual ASPA conference...
CPAP honors Distinguished Professor John Rohr at reception in Alexandria
CPAP student Emily Cuykendall
greets Prof. Rohr as he arrives
at CPAP, Alexandria
John Rohr, Distinguished Professor, Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP), was honored recently at Virginia Tech's Alexandria campus on the occasion of his impending retirement from the university after 29 years of service. Recent Ph.D. graduates Gail Ledford, and Anne Simeone, current Ph.D.students James Meutzel, John O'Brien, and Beth Offenbacker, Visiting Professor Colleen Woodward, and Melony Price-Rhodes, project director, Institute for Public Policy and Governance, made special presentations for Professor Rohr before nearly 50 CPAP students, faculty, staff, and friends...
Washington Alexandria Architecture Center hosts president of Bahcesehir University
(Left to right) Jaan Holt, director, Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) in the School of Architecture + Design, Virginia Tech, National Capital Region, Deniz Ülke Aribogan, president, Bahcesehir University, Turkey, Kaan Okten, vice rector, Bahcesehir University, and Jack Davis, dean, College of Architecture and Urban Studies toured the college's facilities in Alexandria recently, following Ülke Aribogan's guest lecture on Fighting Terrorism not Terrorists: Turkey and the PKK...
Cargo invited to speak at Mandel Center dedication
Russell Cargo, director, Nonprofit and Civil Society Program, Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG), was an invited speaker at the recent dedication of the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations on the Case Western Reserve University campus, Cleveland, Ohio. One of the first nonprofit academic centers in the country, the Mandel Center is now the first to be housed in its own building.
"In so many ways, the Mandel Center has been a leading contributor both to the remarkable growth and recognition of the nonprofit sector and to the development of nonprofit management as an academic discipline," said Cargo...
Michael Badawy chairs only National Academy of Management Session web cast globally
Michael Badawy, professor, Management of Technology and Strategic Management, Pamplin College of Business, National Capital Region, recently organized and chaired an "All Academy Show Case Session," at the Annual National Academy of Management conference recently held in Philadelphia. The session title was How Can Business Schools Do Well by Doing Good? An Action Agenda for Refocusing Business Education. Badawy's session was the only one chosen by the National Academy Program Committee to be web cast live and globally a first in the Academy's 70-year history...
Virginia Tech Board of Visitors benefits from George Nolen's business and leadership acumen, serves on Finance and Audit Committee
What do New York City, northern Virginia, and Blacksburg have in common?
They are all considered home to Board of Visitors member George Nolen. And for good reason.
As president and chief executive officer of Siemens Corporation, Nolen divides his time between New York City and Reston, Virginia. But, he says, there is a third place where he always feels at home and that is Blacksburg. "Blacksburg and Virginia Tech provide a strong centerpiece for my family," Nolen says.
Nolen, one of seven children, grew up in the Washington D.C. area...
Virginia Tech, Hannon Armstrong, and Pepco Energy Services have launched an Energy Efficiency Partnership aimed at 'greeting' Greater Washington D.C.
President Charles W. Steger, launching
the Energy Efficiency Parternship
Energy efficiency financier Hannon Armstrong has committed $500 million over the next five years for retrofits that will decrease energy use and significantly cut carbon emissions...
Alumnus Mike Anzilotti serves on Board of Visitors, focuses on university goals to achieve diversity and promote Hokies Respect
Hokie Spirit is something that Michael Anzilotti, president of Virginia Commerce Bancorp Inc., and member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, knows a lot about - from personal experience.
He will proudly tell you he is a graduate of Virginia Tech, as are his two children, and his daughter-in-law. And one day he hopes to boast that his four grandchildren are graduates of the university, too. "They're young, but we're already dressing them up in Hokie attire," he quips.
Anzilotti has been an active alumnus since earning an undergraduate degree from the Pamplin School of Business in 1971...
Dedication drives Shelley Duke's commitment to Virginia Tech, serves on Board of Visitors and EMC Council
Native Californian Shelley Duke found her way to Virginia Tech more than two decades ago via the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) in Leesburg, one of the three campuses of the Virginia -Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM). Duke, owner and manager of Rallywood Farms for the past 12 years, entrusted her horses' care to veterinarians at the EMC, and ultimately, became a major supporter of and advocate for the Center. Former EMC director, Dr. Frederick Fregin asked Duke to launch a volunteer program for the EMC hospital. The success of that program led her to an appointment on the VMRCVM Advisory Committee, and an introduction to the Blacksburg campus, which she embraced wholeheartedly. She was appointed to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors by Governor Mark Warner in 2005...
The Hope Project launched to serve disabled veterans with traumatic brain injury and their families
Marianne Talbot and Vince Callahan
Recently, a dedicated group of elected officials, educators, and health and human services agency representatives from the national capital region gathered at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church, Virginia, to kick off The Hope Project. This project will serve disabled veterans with traumatic brain injury and their families. The project is a result of the unwavering efforts of Marianne Talbot, Ph.D., a recent graduate of Virginia Tech's Human Development program and president of the National Rehabilitation and Rediscovery Foundation, Inc., (NRRF), the lead agency for The Hope Project...
Toal's research in war-torn Bosnia featured in Virginia Tech Research magazine
Gerard Toal, professor of Government and International Affairs, and Director of Virginia Tech's Master of Public and International Affairs Program in the National Capital Region, studies war and the roadblocks to recovery in Bosnia as local, national, and international agencies try to cope with disruptions to people, economies, and environments.
His story appears in the latest issue of Virginia Tech Research magazine...