Wednesday - December 4, 2024
*Public Policy Tipoffs Involving Virginia Newsletter for Tuesday November 19, 2024 ( 19 items )  

'Curious Conversations' podcast: Carrie Fearer talks about forest health and natural disasters
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Carrie Fearer joined Virginia Tech's "Curious Conversations" to talk about forest health in the wake of natural disasters. She explained how storms and disturbances affect forest ecosystems, the importance of human interaction in promoting healthy forests, and the opportunities for restoration following catastrophic events. She also emphasized the significance of native species and the role of decomposition in maintaining  more

2025 AIAA Dryden Lectureship in Research Awarded to Tim C. Lieuwen, Georgia Institute of Technology
RESTON, Virginia, Nov. 18 [Category: Aerospace] -- The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics issued the following news release: Lecture Set for 7 January During 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2025 AIAA Dryden Lectureship in Research is awarded to Tim C. Lieuwen, Regents' Professor, David S. Lewis Jr. Chair, and Executive Director of the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Institute of Technology i  more

2025 AIAA Durand Lectureship for Public Service Awarded to The Boeing Company's Kevin G. Bowcutt
RESTON, Virginia, Nov. 18 [Category: Aerospace] -- The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics issued the following news release: Lecture Set for 6 January During 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2025 AIAA Durand Lectureship for Public Service is awarded to Kevin G. Bowcutt, Principal Senior Technical Fellow and Chief Scientist of Hypersonics for The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif. Bowcutt wi  more

A legacy of three mechanical minds drives on
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: The legacy of a family of engineers is a unique one. The common thread of learning how things work requires more than handing down a set of wrenches it means passing on a curiosity that motivates the need to discover new answers. For John Thomas Bobbitt IV '24, his father, John Thomas Bobbitt III '91, and his father, John Thomas "Tom" Bobbitt '67, the love for mechanical engineering started with a love for cars. The past  more

APTA 2024 House of Delegates Election Results Announced
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Nov. 18 [Category: Health Care] -- The American Physical Therapy Association issued the following news: APTA has announced the newly elected or reelected members of the Board of Directors and officers, and of the Nominating Committee. Elected or reelected to the Board: Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD, was elected APTA president for a three-year term. Skye Donovan, PT, PhD, was elected APTA vice president for a three-year term. Robin L. Dole, PT, DPT, EdD, was elected vice  more

Ascension St. Agnes Hospital Nurses Demand Vote to Remove NNOC/NNU Union Officials
SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation issued the following news release: Baltimore, MD Nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore are demanding a federal labor board hold a vote to remove National Nurses United (NNU) union officials from their workplace. St. Agnes Nurse Jennifer Delaney submitted a union decertification petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on November 15 on behalf of hundreds of her colleagues. Delaney fi  more

AUSA Hosts Hot Topic on Long-Range Fires
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Nov. 18 [Category: National Defense] -- The Association of the U.S. Army issued the following news: Registration is open for an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic on long-range precision fires. Scheduled for Dec. 3 at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the daylong Hot Topic is titled "Land-Based Fires in Large-Scale Combat Operations." During the event, speakers and panelists will highlight the integration of ground-based fires within the broader context of mul  more

Deep Roots and Perseverance Highlight the Black Experience in Appalachia, VCU Professor and Co-Author Share
RICHMOND, Virginia, Nov. 19 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news: * * * In a presentation tied to 'Tales of Koehler Hollow,' Christopher A. Brooks and Naomi Hodge-Muse trace a rich tradition in rural Virginia. * * * By Dina Weinstein A Virginia Commonwealth University professor and his latest book's co-author, whose family is at the heart of the story, highlighted in a recent public session the grit and richness of the Black experience in Appalachia. Christopher A.  more

Doctoral student tackles barley yellow dwarf virus threatening wheat crops
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: With expertise in plant pathology, entomology, and molecular biology, Shirin Parizad is well-equipped to address the challenges posed by vector-borne plant viruses in agricultural fields. While obtaining her Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Tehran, she realized that understanding insect vectors or how insects transmit disease is critical for minimizing the transmission of plant viruses in crops. After dec  more

Experts available: Thanksgiving travel, politics at the table, Trump's cabinet appointments, hurricane impacts on forests, and more
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu. Thanksgiving Story Ideas Holiday travel without the headache When is the best time to hit the road? How do you avoid the congestion and traffic snarls that come with millions traveling for Thanksgiving? Transportation infras  more

Federal Agencies Sued for Giving Unlawful Approval for Mining in Nolichucky River Gorge
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Nov. 19 -- The Southern Environmental Law Center issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2024: ERWIN, Tenn. -- The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of American Rivers and American Whitewater, sued several federal agencies on Monday, saying the agencies violated federal law by allowing a rail company to mine the Nolichucky River in East Tennessee. Recently CSX Transportation, a major railroad company, began mining the Nolichucky's riverbed for rock   more

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff company translates science into peptide drugs targeting cancer stem cells
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Scientific progress often follows a prolonged path, but bioentrepreneur Samy Lamouille believes his dedication toward this pursuit will ultimately pay off for brain cancer patients. Acomhal Research Inc. is a biotech startup that Lamouille and co-founder Rob Gourdie spun out of their research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in 2016. The company, dedicated to providing novel therapeutic approaches to p  more

Holiday travel: Traffic expert offers advice for avoiding congestion
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Nobody enjoys sitting in traffic, especially during the holidays. Hesham Rakha, director for the Center for Sustainable Mobility at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, said if you are going to avoid traffic when traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas, "you're going to have to make some sacrifices." "You have to choose temporal times where people don't want to travel," Rakha said. "Play the devil's advocate to t  more

Idaho Joins S2S DHR; Delaware, Florida, Idaho, and Oklahoma Implement CDLIS Solution for DACH
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Nov. 19 -- The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators issued the following news: AAMVA congratulates Idaho on successfully implementing AAMVA's State-to-State (S2S) Verification Service Driver History Record (DHR) and Delaware, Florida, Idaho, and Oklahoma for successfully implementing the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) solution to connect to the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) on November 17, 2024. All migration activities have c  more

Johns Hopkins University Press and NSTA Team Up to Release New AI Guide for K-12 Teachers Nationwide
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Nov. 19 -- The National Science Teaching Association issued the following news release: MCLEAN, Va.--November 18, 2024--Johns Hopkins University Press (Hopkins Press) and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) have joined together to release a new resource for K-12 teachers for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom. Launching next week, Learning with AI: The K-12 Teacher's Guide to a New Era of Human Learning, published by Hopkins Press   more

VCU Alum and Restaurateur Chris Tsui Will Be Featured Commencement Speaker
RICHMOND, Virginia, Nov. 19 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news on Nov. 18, 2024: * * * Tsui, founder and president of EAT Restaurant Partners, will address the university's newest graduates at the Dec. 14 ceremony. * * * By Mike Porter Chris Tsui, founder and president of EAT Restaurant Partners, will be the featured speaker at Virginia Commonwealth University's December commencement. Tsui came to the United States at a young age, and his parents settled in Richm  more

VCU: Class of 2024 - Auto Care Shop Owner Leslie Jarvis is Driven by Business, Sustainability and Parenthood
RICHMOND, Virginia, Nov. 19 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news: * * * A pact with her son and an enduring commitment to environmental stewardship propelled her VCU journey. * * * By William Lineberry, University College & Honors College Leslie Jarvis is not afraid of a challenge. Running a small business, pursuing college as an adult learner, advocating for policy change - she does not shy away. Jarvis will graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University this fall  more

Veterans center hosts its first event with Northern Virginia Amplify
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: Over 45 military spouses from across the D.C. area converged for an intensive two-day career development workshop on Oct. 3 and 4 at the Virginia Tech Research Center Arlington. Northern Virginia Amplify, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Hiring Our Heroes program, was the first-ever event hosted by the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus' Boeing Center for Veteran Transition and Military Families. Amplify  more

Virginia Tech and international team win global XPRIZE challenge
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 18 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: "Ok, so it was TOTALLY worth it." The above came via text from Virginia Tech biologist Julie Allen from the G20 Social Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just minutes after learning that her team earned the grand prize for XPRIZE Rainforest. Allen's team received $5 million for its ability to autonomously survey 100 hectares of tropical rainforest in 24 hours and produce the most impactful real-time insights within 48 ho  more