The Roanoker - March/April 2019 - 85

And there's more ...
You've seen a good bit of what Virginia
Tech does that is causing interest
nationally and internationally to surge. But
there's a good bit more. Here's some of it:

AND THERE'S MORE ...

YOU'VE SEEN A GOOD BIT OF WHAT VIRGINIA TECH
DOES THAT IS CAUSING INTEREST NATIONALLY AND
* INTERNATIONALLY
The Virginia Tech Corps
of Cadets
TO SURGE.
BUT THERE'S A GOOD
MORE. HERE'S
SOME
has the highestBIT
commissioning
rate
- OF IT:

79 percent-of all the senior military
and service academies in the nation.
* The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has the highest
Understand
the competition:
Point, all the senior military
commissioning
rate - 79West
percent-of
Annapolis,
the Air academies
Force Academy,
VMI,
and service
in the
nation. Understand the
competition:
West Academy
Point, Annapolis,
the Air Force Academy,
Citadel,
Coast Guard
and the
like. VMI, Citadel, Coast Guard Academy and the like.
* The P. Buckley Moss Arts Center opened in 2013 and has
* The
P. Buckley Moss Arts Center
150,000 square feet, including a 1,250-seat performance
opened
in
and
hasof150,000
square initiatives of former
hall. 2013
This is
one
the capstone
feet, including
1,250-seat
performance
Presidenta Charles
Steger's
goal to create a Top 10
University
Tech.
hall. This
is one ofatthe
capstone initiatives
* TorcPresident
Robotics,
a Blacksburg
startup that grew out
of former
Charles
Steger's goal
of a research project at Virginia Tech, produced an
to create
a Top 10 University at Tech.
autonomous shuttle bus service recently launched
* Torc
Robotics,
a Blacksburg
startup
in France.
Torc
has licensed
the self-driving vehicle
that grew
out of to
a research
technology
Transdev project
in orderatto develop a shuttle
busTech,
that can
carry up
16 passengers.
Virginia
produced
an to
autonomous
* Virginia
Tech Intellectual
Properties
shuttle
bus service
recently launched
in recently launched
the Center for New Ventures, which will turn Tech
France.
Torc has licensed the self-driving
inventions into what it calls "applied innovations."
vehicle
technology
to Transdev
in order entrepreneurs, and
The
center "will
support industry,
to develop
a shuttle
bus that
carry up business planning,
investor
outreach
and can
engagement,
and economic development."
to 16 passengers.
Tech is Tech
and has
been a leader
in drone technology (and
**Virginia
Intellectual
Properties
law), food technology (more food from less land) and
recently
launched the Center for New
recycling technology (biodegradable plastic bags from
Ventures,
which will turn Tech inventions
plants).
into* what
it calls "applied
innovations."
The Virginia
Tech Mid-Atlantic
Aviation Partnership is
in twosupport
federal drone-integration
programs and
The involved
center "will
industr y,
is an international
leaderoutreach
in drone technology.
entrepreneurs,
and investor
* Virginia Tech's Microcel technology, developed in the midand engagement,
business planning, and
1980s by Tech professors of mining and mineral engineering
economic
development."
separates coal and other minerals from impurities.
* Tech
and has
been a leader
in drone are marketing the
Twoislarge
equipment
manufacturers
technology
the food
minerals
and coal industries.
technology
(and to
law),
technology
*
The
Institute
for
Creativity,
Arts, and Technology works
(more food from less land) and recycling
in 3D and immersive environments, including the Cube,
technology
(biodegradable plastic bags
an experimental living laboratory among the most
from plants).
technologically advanced venues for that discipline.
* WellDog of Virginia Tech and Carbon GeoCycle are
working together on the world's first successful direct
v e r i f i c a t i o n o f c a r b o n d i ox i d e s e q u e s t e r e d i n a n
underground rock, described as "our best way to slow
and reverse climate change," by John M. Pope, chief
executive officer of WellDog.
* The Calhoun Discovery Program is a collaborative
learning project allowing students to form connections
between their academic majors and other disciplines
while working in industry, the old co-op education
model. President Tim Sands is especially enamored of
this program.
* In its most recent graduating class, all 41 members of
the VTC School of Medicine class were matched with a
residency program. It was the school's fifth 100 percent
Match Day. -DS

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I M PA C T U : V I R G I N I A T E C H

Montgomery County Board of Supervisors we hoped
to eventually have an economic impact of $100 million.
We do that every two years now."
The VTTI road bed has been approved as a flighttesting facility. It is also ground zero for testing
driverless vehicles, one of the hottest items in the
automotive industry.
THE COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES and
the Environment is the evolution of the agriculture
department: cow college. That department has moved-
as the need arose-to forestry research, forestry and
wildlife and on to the environment and natural
resources.
"It has allowed us to remain contemporary," says Paul
Winistorfer, dean of the College of Natural Resources
and Professor of Wood Science and Forest Products.
"Academic programs need to change, to upgrade
curriculum and to modernize courses."
Tech now offers a bachelor's degree in water
management and prominent among its researchers
is Prof. Marc Edwards. He and Michigan State
pediatrician/professor Mona Hanna-Attisha were
honored by Time magazine as being among the
nation's most influential people. They figured out what
was happening to Flint, Michigan's water and the
story became a national sensation. They were the 2016
commencement speakers at Tech. Edwards' team earned
a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. EPA.
Among projects in the college are those dealing with
packaging systems where wood is the largest source of
materials. Packaging is the third-largest sector in the
world economy, says Winistorfer. "We must solve the
renewable materials problem for the planet. Tech plays
a central role in meteorology," he says. That's climate
change and it "means saving lives" ... again.
Tech has had the No. 1 forestry program in the U.S.
for the past four years, Winistorfer says, and because
Virginia is 65 percent forest, it results in $20 billion
added to the economy.
All this has resulted in a doubling in enrollment
in the college during the past five years. It has 1,050
undergrads and 300 graduate students.
ASSOCIATE DEAN JACK LESKO puts the
problem/solution where it belongs: first.
"Virginia Tech's College of Engineering continues
to recruit top faculty talent that drives innovations in
research and education," he says. "Future state-of-theart facilities will expand our ability to compete for and
attract top faculty talent and external research funding
from the federal government and industry. This growth
has been driven by the demand state-wide, nationally
and internationally, for engineering degrees. This in turn
has made getting into Virginia Tech and the college
more competitive, attracting some of the best students."
MARCH/APRIL 2019

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The Roanoker - March/April 2019

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