Table of Contents

Publication Info

Message from the President

Letters to the Editor

Around the Drillfield

How Tech Ticks

Matter of Scale

Randall BillingsleyReturn on Investment

TheFlourish of Discovery

In Latham Hall, philanthropy helps research take root

Planting the seeds for faculty research

Catching the research bug

Cultivating undergraduate excellence

Home-Field Advantage

Together, Hokies win

Grand Design

Center for the Arts inspires community

New institute unites art, science, and technology

Monumental goal, fitting celebration

One for the ages

The campaign touched every corner of campus. In many places, the impact is already evident. Here are but a few samples:

Open house showcases Viginia Tech

The Virginia Tech artifacts you cherish

Next-Generation Leaders

Living Pylons

Sister, Soldier, Surgeon

For one alumna, Ut Prosim means faith, medicine, and charity

Dream Catcher

Alumni Association

Chapter Scholarships

Mauricio Castro, Class of 2013, business information technology

Alyssa Hoffmaster, Class of 2012, Spanish

Kristianne Macaraeg, Class of 2013, chemical engineering

2012 and 2013 Travel Tours

2012 Travel Highlight

2012 Travel Highlight

Black Alumni Reunion | March 15-18, 2012

2012 Drillfield Series

Food for Thought: Exploring Virginia Wine and Fine Cuisine

Focus on Photography II

Hokie Fitness, Health, and Wellness

HokieCation: Family-fun vacation, Hokie-style

Alumni Association Board of Directors ballot

Virginia Tech’s Columbarium

Book Notes

Nonfiction

Nonfiction

Critical/Reference

Biography/Memoir

Fiction

Poetry

Children’s/Teen

Featured Author: Frankie Y. Bailey, ‘Forty Acres and a Soggy Grave’

Class Notes

‘60s

‘64

‘68

‘70s

‘70

‘72

‘73

‘75

‘77

‘78

‘79

‘80s

‘80

‘82

‘83

‘84

‘85

‘86

‘87

‘88

‘89

‘90s

‘90

‘91

‘92

‘93

‘94

‘95

‘97

‘98

‘99

‘00s

‘00

‘02

‘03

‘04

‘05

‘06

‘07

‘08

‘09

‘10s

‘10

‘11

Weddings

Births and adoptions

Deaths

Obituaries

Alumni carve out niche in legal industry

NASA mission control center named for alumnus

Publication Info

Winter 2011-12, Vol. 34, No. 2

On the cover: At Virginia Tech, private giving is just as foundational as Hokie Stone. The photograph was taken by Jim Stroup. On the stone’s face, campaign imagery originally illustrated by Doug Thompson was adapted by Robin Dowdy.

Editor

Jesse Tuel

Assistant Editor

Denise Young

Art Director

Robin Dowdy

Graphic Designers

Tiffany Pruden

Shelley Cline

Creative Services Manager

Glen Duncan

Graduate assistants and interns

Olivia Kasik

Rommelyn Conde ‘07

Copy Editors

Juliet Crichton

Richard Lovegrove

Webmaster

Juliet Crichton

Contributors

Andrea Brunais, Deirdre Byrne ‘78,

Dave Hunt, Amy Ostroth M.A. ‘97,

Albert Raboteau, Rock Roszak ‘71

Photographers

Michael Kiernan

Ryan Stone

Jim Stroup

Logan Wallace

Business Manager

Paula Vaught

Alumni Notes

Shirley Fleet

Director of Marketing and Publications

Melissa Richards

Associate Vice President for University Relations

Larry Hincker ‘72, M.B.A. ‘94

Vice President for Alumni Relations

Tom Tillar ‘69

Address changes and circulation inquiries should be mailed to the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center (0102), Blacksburg, VA 24061, or sent via email to alumnidata@vt.edu. Alumni notes should be mailed to Alumni Notes, Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center (0102), Blacksburg, VA 24061, or sent via email to fleets@vt.edu.

Advertising opportunities are available throughout the magazine, and alumni may promote their businesses in the Class Notes section. For advertising rates and information, contact vtmag@vt.edu.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. The university is subject to Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistant Act of 1974, Federal Executive Order 11246, Virginia’s State Executive Order Number Two, and all other applicable rules and regulations. Anyone having questions concerning any of those regulations should contact the Office for Equity and Access, Southgate Center, Ste. 179 (0319), Blacksburg, VA 24061, 540-231- 9331.

Message from the President

By Charles W. Steger ‘69

The Generosity of Thousands

Photo by Logan Wallace

You did it.

You helped us raise $1 billion—to be exact, $1,112,703,977—to secure the future of Virginia Tech.

We are devoting most of this edition of the university magazine to stories of university excellence driven forward by the recently concluded Campaign for Virginia Tech: Invent the Future. Generating such prodigious resources was no easy task, but Hokie generosity and commitment showed their strength over the past eight years.

In these pages, you will see how you and your fellow Hokies have made a difference in the lives of thousands. Here are stories about gifts, large and small—from a first-time gift donated by a young alumna just starting her career to a major contribution from an established alumnus that enables critical growth in the university’s life sciences research efforts. Here are the stories of a university finding ways to invent the future.

Achievements of this magnitude happen only because of the vision and dedication of extraordinary people. We were blessed throughout the campaign’s “quiet” and public phases to have been led by stellar Hokies such as Gene Fife (business administration ‘62), Bill Holtzman (horticulture ‘59), John Lawson (geophysics ‘75), and Dave Calhoun (accounting ‘79). The university was fortunate to have the strong leadership of Betsy Flanagan, vice president for development and university relations, at the helm of the fundraising team throughout the campaign.

Nearly 900 volunteers—either alumni or friends—zealously exerted themselves while encouraging others to participate. They helped us host 21 events in nine states and Washington, D.C.

Through your generosity, you not only helped us surpass our campaign goal but also funded 563 endowed scholarships; 55 endowed funds supporting faculty chairs, professorships, or fellowships; and 181 endowed funds supporting programs in academics, research, Extension, or University Libraries. The funds are now generating income to help us attract the world’s brightest minds, extend the reach of discovery, and help students attend college. In all, you created 1,000 endowed funds. More than 169,000 contributors made 531,117 gifts throughout this campaign, a number that is simply astonishing. Against that backdrop, a thank-you seems inadequate; still, I thank you all.

Americans are a generous lot. No other nation in the world generates so much compassion and philanthropy. At our university, the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), our desire to serve our country and help others, spills over into a generosity of spirit that will help others for generations.

As we exit the aura of a fundraising campaign, we do not exit an era of need. There are young people who need our help. To remain internationally competitive, our nation must increase the percentage of its populace with advanced education. I see a continuing need to assist underrepresented and first-generation students. Only as our nation continues to extend the benefits of higher education will we maintain our worldwide leadership.

As governments increasingly retrench and pull back institutional support, universities like Virginia Tech are becoming more and more self-sufficient. Today, private support is how we maintain the competitive edge in which we advance science, prepare future generations to lead, and extend knowledge into our communities to solve problems.

An accomplishment on the scale of this campaign provides cause to celebrate and look back with pride. It also provides inspiration and resources for extraordinary achievements in the future. You can be certain that your continuing commitment and involvement have a major impact not only on Virginia Tech, but on all the communities and people that we serve.

Letters to the Editor

On the fall edition

[The fall edition was] the best issue I’ve read since my 1989 graduation. I especially enjoyed “How Virginia Tech Was Won” (the history caught my interest); Sharon Johnson, [who] makes me wish I had continued French after high school [and] makes me wish I was taking classes at Tech with my family living nearby; [the “tiny tackler” letter from Sarah Milans] brings passion to my heart for children with special needs and parents dealing with them; and the winner is [Book Notes]. After checking off the books I’ve read, I want to go read what I almost missed. Keep up the great work!

Diane Humphreys Tegtmeyer (education ‘89)

Virginia Beach, Va.

The Allen family has been a Virginia Tech family for some years. [My husband, one son, and daughter-in-law graduated, and another son attended.] So you can understand why I was very interested in “How Virginia Tech was Won.”

I am almost 91, but I remember visiting in Ironto, Va., as a 12-year-old to see my uncle Dabney Burkett, whom I was told was one of the early graduates of Virginia Tech. The year I first saw him was 1933, and he looked about as old as the [1877-78 Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (VAMC)] faculty. Apparently after finishing at Tech, he was able to buy a large spread of land on which he built a home, and he adopted an Indian girl named Pearl Ironto. He named the town Ironto for her.

I read every word of [the] article and enjoyed knowing more about early Virginia Tech. … Just know that your article made an elderly Southern lady very happy.

Mildred Allen

Chesterfield, Va.

I really enjoyed [Juliet Crichton’s] article. As an alumnus of the [Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets] Highty-Tighties, [a history graduate], and finally a former student of Peter Wallenstein, I enjoy very much the opportunity to discover Virginia Tech’s origins.

I would love to see [Lane’s and Minor’s] mug shots, though! Ha! Well done, thank you.

Carlton “Bubba” Fox (political science ‘99, M.A. history ‘01)

Glen Allen, Va.

Editor’s note

Neither inferring Palestinian statehood nor intending to make a political statement, Virginia Tech Magazine used “Palestine” in the fall edition profile of Bashar Masri ‘83 to refer to the geographic region in which Masri is working. Although the word is commonly used in this manner in mainstream publications that adhere to Associated Press style, we could have employed the adjectival form—such as “Palestinian territory”—to avoid any inferences.

Corrections

In the fall 2011 edition’s Book Notes, the degree information for Charles H. Lytton (agriculture education ‘86, M.S. curriculum and instruction ‘92), author of “New River Bonnets, Apple Butter and Moonshine,” was incorrect. Also, the Class Notes entry for Jim Short (chemical engineering ‘52) should have noted that he retired from the Hampton Roads Sanitation District. Virginia Tech Magazine regrets the errors.

Something on your mind? Contact us at vtmag@vt.edu; 540-231-5852; or 105A Media Building, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

Around the Drillfield

NSF grant funds study of endangered amphibians

Photo by Brian Gratwicke

Amphibians are among the most-threatened creatures on earth, with some 40 percent of amphibian species classified as endangered or threatened. One of their primary threats is a rapidly spreading disease that attacks skin cells, a fungus called chytridiomycosis.

Lisa Belden, associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Science, is leading a team of researchers from Virginia Tech, James Madison University, Villanova University, and the Smithsonian Institution who will study the microbial communities living on the skins of frogs that are surviving the fungal scourge. The effort is one of 11 new Dimensions of Biodiversity projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with the aim of transforming, by 2020, “how scientists describe and understand the scope and role of life on earth,” according to an NSF news release.

University mourns a fallen officer

Deriek W. Crouse

The university mourns the loss of Deriek W. Crouse, a Virginia Tech police officer who was murdered during a traffic stop on campus on Dec. 8. The U.S. Army veteran joined the Tech police department on Oct. 27, 2007, and served in the patrol division. He is survived by his wife, five children and step-children, and his mother, his father, and two brothers.

A memorial fund has been established to support the needs of Crouse’s family. Donations can be made online by visiting https://sites.google.com/site/hokiesforcrouse/. For information on the fund—including how to mail a check—visit http://www.vt.edu/in-memoriam/fund-information.html. To read more about Crouse, visit http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2011/12/120811-unirel-crousememoriam.html.

Board of visitors approves graduate degree offerings in nuclear engineering

At its November meeting, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved offering master’s and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering. The university will now send the proposal to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for confirmation. The proposed starting date for the new degree programs is spring 2013.

Tech’s College of Engineering revived its nuclear engineering program in 2007, and soon started offering graduate coursework that allows students to earn a master’s of mechanical engineering with a nuclear certificate.

Researchers hope to help people ‘sleep tight’

The Arlington Innovation Center: Health Research, of Virginia Tech’s National Capital Region, has been awarded a $1.5 million cooperative research and development agreement from the U.S. Army for neuroimaging studies of human performance. The agreement also includes an option for approximately $3 million of future work based on availability of funding.

“The central scientific effort of this project will be to improve our understanding of how the brain stem and thalamus regulate sleep in humans and how these systems are affected by stress and sleep restriction,” said Seong K. Mun, professor of physics, research Fellow, and director of the center.

Department strives to increase female representation in computer science

As a founding member of the National Center for Women & Information Technology’s Pacesetters program, the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering is striving to increase the number of women in its ranks.

Barbara Ryder, professor of computer science and the department head, and two additional departmental faculty members, Manuel Perez-Quinones and Scott McCrickard, are pursuing what they called “designer minors,” which allow students to combine computer science with such disciplines as business, mathematics, and psychology. By targeting outreach efforts to high schools, they also are working to increase the number of women graduating from college with technical degrees.

In the department, 35 percent of the recent master’s graduates and 25 percent of the recent Ph.D. graduates were women. The department also has six female teaching and research faculty members.

Endowment performance recognized with award

The Virginia Tech Foundation received the 2011 Award for Excellence for Mid-size Nonprofit of the Year from the Foundation and Endowment Intelligence (FEI) information service. FEI cited an endowment performance that placed the foundation “solidly in the top quartile of performers.” The endowment earned a 19.6 percent return for fiscal year 2011 and topped $600 million for the first time in 2011.

Bloomberg dubs Blacksburg best place in the U.S. to raise a family

Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Blacksburg No. 1 on its list of best places to raise kids. The publication cited “excellent schools, combined with an affordable cost of living, relatively low crime, and plentiful amenities” as reasons for the town’s jump from its previous No. 6 ranking. The report also notes the economic impact of Virginia Tech as the town’s largest employer, the presence of Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s 140-plus companies and 2,200 employees, and the success of tech start-ups such as Modea, an advertising agency founded by Tech alumni.

Electronic health records save money but pose risks

Electronic health records (EHRs) can potentially save billions of dollars in health care costs and increase patient safety, but have considerable privacy risks in the United States, more so than the European Union (EU), according to a new study co-authored by Pamplin College of Business Professor Janine Hiller.

Strengthening the legal and technical safeguards, she said, would significantly minimize the privacy and security risks and address public concerns about EHRs. Hiller’s study examined the benefits and drawbacks of EHRs and the adequacy of U.S. laws to meet the challenges posed by the risks and concerns and compared EU and U.S. legal approaches to EHRs.

At iCAN, students ‘sculpt’ for a cause

In a unique twist on a canned food drive, the Center for Student Engagement and Community Partnerships’ iCAN event featured sculptures made entirely of canned goods. Part of the center’s Season of Service initiative, this year’s event and its seven participating teams raised more than 5,200 pounds of food worth $1,000 to benefit several local hunger-relief agencies. The SERVE living-learning community team won first place with a rendition of Lane Stadium.

Software allows for putting smart phones on lockdown, wiping data

A team of Virginia Tech researchers has created software to remotely put smart phones under lockdown in order to protect users and information. The phones are given permission to access sensitive data while in a particular room, but when the devices leave the room, the data is completely wiped. The software also enables central control of phone features, such as preventing a smart phone’s camera or email from working.

“There are commercial products that do limited versions of these things, but nothing that allows for automating wiping and complete control of settings and apps on smart phones and tablets,” said Jules White, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “This system provides something that has never been available before. It puts physical boundaries around information in cyberspace.”

Uses abound. A general could access classified intelligence in a secure facility without worrying about losing a phone later. A doctor or nurse could consult a patient’s electronic records, but couldn’t leave the examination room with the records. In order to prevent distraction at school, parents could restrict their children’s text messaging.

VT KnowledgeWorks announces merger and expansion

Photo by Michael Kiernan

VT KnowledgeWorks and the Business Technology Center, two Virginia Tech offices that promote economic development by providing a range of services to technology-based businesses, have joined forces to create a single, comprehensive entrepreneurship-assistance program. The merged VT KnowledgeWorks will launch an “in-reach” program aimed at helping Virginia Tech inventors commercialize their discoveries in a more timely manner.

Bats’ shape-shifting ears make hearing more flexible

Courtesy of Tech’s Bio-Inspired Technology Laboratory

“Certain bats can deform the shapes of their ears in a way that changes the animal’s ultrasonic hearing pattern. Within just one-tenth of a second, these bats are able to change their outer ear shapes from one extreme configuration to another,” said Rolf Mueller, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech.

Along with Ph.D. student Li Gao and master’s candidate Sreenath Balakrishnan, Mueller wrote a paper that appeared in the Physical Review Letters. Weikai He and Zhen Yan, both in the School of Physics at Shandong University, also contributed to the study.

Mueller said, “In about 100 milliseconds, this type of bat can alter his ear shape significantly in ways that would suit different acoustic sensing tasks. [By comparison], a human blink of an eye takes two to three times as long.”

Celebrities find ‘The Way’ to Tech

(From left) Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez

Photo by Ryan Stone

Two determined Virginia Tech faculty members, John Boyer and Annie Hesp, managed to convince Martin Sheen and Emilo Estevez to bring their new movie, “The Way,” to Virginia Tech in September. The film tells the story of a man’s trek along the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) in Spain.

Bill Cosby

Photo by Jim Stroup

Sheen and Estevez weren’t the only celebrities to make a stop in Blacksburg. comedian Bill Cosby was the featured performer at Virginia Tech Union’s annual Laughriot Homecoming Comedy Show on Oct. 20. Cosby tickled the funny bones of a full house in the Burruss Hall Auditorium.

How Tech Ticks

Matter of Scale

By Jesse Tuel

Photos by Jim Stroup; Microscopic Images Courtesy of Mitsu Murayama

In Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center, on a building site selected for its seismic passiveness, in a cubed room whose temperature won’t deviate more than a 10th of a degree, behind ceiling-high curtains that block out the most benign air flow, a multimillion-dollar transmission electron microscope (TEM) sees individual atoms that are much less than one nanometer in size. (A human hair is 80,000 nanometers wide.) Such precision requires the utmost stillness.

Acquired about five years ago, the microscope was first housed in Derring Hall. The instrument is so sensitive that researchers could tell if someone was walking in the building or if a car was being driven in the parking lot.

The TEM is now housed in the Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory (NCFL), specifically designed for such delicate devices. “If Mitsu [Murayama, an associate professor of materials science] is taking an image at atomic resolution, we don’t even talk in this room,” said University Distinguished Professor of Geosciences Michael Hochella Jr. (geological sciences ‘75, M.S. ‘77).

A mineral called schwertmannite, magnified 6,000 times

Magnified 10,000 times

Magnified 275,000 times

Magnified 300,000 times

*Magnification numbers are estimated

In the span of one second, approximately 10 billion electrons are fired downward, screaming at nearly the speed of light through a column so highly evacuated of air that the cylinder’s atmospheric properties are close to that of outer space. Magnetic lenses focus the electron beam’s trajectory toward where the sample rests below. Whereas a light microscope bends light rays to produce an image, the TEM capitalizes on the incredibly small wavelength of electrons to detect the electrons’ reaction when they pass through the sample.

The results are stunning. By stitching together 130 TEM images of a mineral called schwertmannite, Murayama has produced a three-dimensional view of a mineral sample pulled from a river adjacent to ancient mining sites in Spain. Zooming into the 20-nanometers-wide mineral whiskers, the microscope reveals layers of atoms, like beaded necklaces stacked on the computer screen. With this atomic-level view, researchers can examine whether arsenic, which tends to bind itself to the mineral and is thus ferried to the ocean, is encapsulated in the mineral’s interior or, more dangerously, exposed to the water on the exterior.

“It’s these details that tell us how these materials behave in nature and whether they’re going to be dangerous,” said Hochella, who was the first in the emerging field of nano-bio-geochemistry to use an instrument like the TEM to study surface properties at the atomic level. From arsenic in Spanish rivers to acid-mine drainage in Germany to toxic metals in Montana’s Clark Fork River, the work reveals how the planet functions and how humans impact the environment.

A transformer ramps up the incoming 220 volts and, through a black cord as thick as a baseball bat, hurls a walloping 300,000 volts of juice into the microscope.

All the sophisticated gadgetry must have the personnel to match. Murayama said it was Hochella’s persistence that led the university to recognize the microscope as an instrument proportionate to Tech’s reputation in engineering and the sciences, and ultimately, to acquire the devices.

Murayama himself has nearly 20 years of experience producing and interpreting atomic-level images; the schwertmannite images on his computer screen were preceded by two months of careful sample preparation by Ph.D. student Rebecca French.

Hochella noted that entire careers of scientific discovery are devoted to understanding and utilizing an instrument like the TEM. “It’s almost like we’re going to the moon with every mission,” said Hochella. “And if you don’t dedicate your life to going to the moon, you’re not going to get there.”

To see a video of the mineral rotating, scan the code with your smartphone or visit www.vtmagazine.vt.edu.

Randall Billingsley

Return on Investment

By Rommelyn Conde ‘07

In a meeting of future CEOs, area managers, and financial analysts, Randall Billingsley quietly observes “spirited discussions” as the group talks about the best course of action for managing a multimillion-dollar equity portfolio. Even though the scenario sounds like everyday happenings on Wall Street, this one occurs weekly in Room 1028 of Pamplin Hall. As a faculty advisor for the Student-Managed Endowment Educational Development (SEED) program, Billingsley interjects his thoughts into the conversation sparingly, allowing students to come to their own conclusions. Although he advises closely, Billingsley leaves in student hands the responsibility of investing a $4.3 million endowed fund held by the Virginia Tech Foundation.

Photo by Jim Stroup

During his 29 years at Virginia Tech, Billingsley, an associate professor who has served as assistant head of the Department of Finance, has remained committed to practical learning and critical thinking through initiatives such as SEED. Billingsley’s dedication to helping students “learn how to learn” was a key factor in his winning of the university’s 2011 William E. Wine Award for excellence in teaching.

The award came as no surprise to those who know and work with Billingsley, especially his wife, Bonnie Billingsley, a professor in the School of Education. “She wasn’t surprised, but I really have to thank my wife. Much of her work is on how to be an effective teacher, so I bounce ideas off her,” said Billingsley. “SEED has been the context that’s really allowed me to teach in a way where I can add value to students’ intellects and, in the process, develop relationships with them.”

Supported by the Virginia Tech Foundation, SEED offers students real-world experience beyond the classroom. “It’s one thing to talk about how to manage money, and it’s a whole other thing to get students to manage money,” said Billingsley. He credits former colleague and friend Don Chance for developing the concept for the program and SEED co-advisor Art Keown, the R.B. Pamplin Professor of Finance, for helping to guide the organization. Aside from professional development, “SEEDlings,” as Billingsley affectionately calls them, also benefit from a stronger bond with the university. “By managing Tech funds and being successful, the students are, in a way, giving back to Tech. [SEED is] also great for the foundation, [which is] interested in doing something that supports students and the broader community. It’s a win-win for all,” said Billingsley.

With Billingsley’s guidance, SEED has outperformed the market and other professionally managed funds. SEED’s success has attracted attention from investment-banking organizations that typically recruit from Harvard and other Ivy League counterparts. Billingsley and his Pamplin colleagues are working on making the university, already a target school for Citigroup, a recruiting ground for other well-known companies. “We want to continue to focus on our training program and keep relationships with companies like Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and other Wall Street firms,” said Matt Milroy, a senior finance major and SEED chief investment officer.

The skills afforded by the SEED experience provide a competitive advantage: Prior to graduation, several students already have landed finance-related jobs and internships. “All of this really goes back to the finance department and Dr. Billingsley, who foster this kind of learning,” Milroy said.

Billingsley recognized early on that teaching presents a lifelong learning opportunity. Concentrating on courses in investments and derivatives, he has taught all over the United States, Europe, and Asia and has consistently garnered strong evaluations from students at the university and industry levels. At Tech, Billingsley initially developed a course on equity valuation and portfolio management as a vehicle to train SEED students prior to managing the foundation fund. The course is open to all finance majors, but SEED students are required to take it.

Striving to reach beyond the standard lecture format in the classroom, Billingsley relies on engaging conversation in his teaching. “To me, I teach the way I like to be taught. What I want to do is cultivate some sort of intuition about the best way to solve a problem by getting students to put themselves in the situation,” he said. Nonetheless, finding common ground between students and difficult financial concepts can be challenging. To offset such challenges, Billingsley’s teaching philosophy focuses on providing frameworks that students can use for creating solutions. “I came in not knowing anything about finance,” said Nick Wasilewski, a senior majoring in chemical engineering. “Dr. Billingsley would walk with me every day after class and even meet with me on the weekends. Knowing my strengths, he used mathematics as a basis for explaining concepts and helped me approach it in a way I understood.” Wasilewski now serves as SEED co-chief executive officer.

In his dossier submitted for the Wine Award, Billingsley shared an example of how he explained the recent financial crisis to students. Instead of lecturing, he sparked a class discussion by asking a question. “I wove a framework for identifying and understanding the causes and consequences of the financial crisis. Posing questions and directing the resulting discussion is the best way I can make a difference in students’ intellectual development and help refine their critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Billingsley said.

“Dr. Billingsley challenges the way you think. The learning curve in his class was huge,” said Chris Haake, a senior finance major and SEED co-chief executive officer. “I was able to take the level of thinking I used in his class and apply it not only to SEED, but to other classes.”

In addition to his involvement in SEED, Billingsley has provided consultation to the CFA Institute, formerly known as the Association for Investment Management and Research; the Virginia Retirement System; and firms such as BellSouth Telecommunications, Sprint, and UBS. He also serves as an expert witness for issues concerning public utility cost of equity determination and investment-related litigation. “I’m not unique in being a professor who really tries to engage students,” said Billingsley. “Looking at it from a finance risk-and-return perspective, [I can say that] my involvement in SEED does require an enormous commitment of time and energy, but the relationships I’ve formed with students as a result have provided a really nice return.”

Rommelyn Conde (communication ‘07) is a graduate assistant for University Relations.

TheFlourish of Discovery

In Latham Hall, philanthropy helps research take root

By Denise Young, Rommelyn Conde ‘07, and Olivia Kasik

Photo by Jim Stroup

Framed by ongoing switchgrass research, Professor of Biological Sciences Erik Nilsen (left) and graduate student Jackson Mitchell work in the Biological Sciences-Virginia Bioinformatics Institute Plant Growth Facility.

From new buildings to named professorships, from state-of-the-art lab equipment to scholarships, the support generated by the recently completed Campaign for Virginia Tech: Invent the Future is already shaping the university by taking research to the next level.

A remarkable microcosm of how private funding spurs innovation across the university is found in Latham Hall, home to 38 research teams and 200 researchers—faculty, postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate—from 10 departments in three colleges.

Buzzing with the promise of discovery, the hall serves as an incubator for ideas. On the fourth floor, Amy Brunner, associate professor of forest resources and environmental conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, studies trees at the microscopic level, tracing their genetics and identifying key genes that play a role in helping particular species grow stronger and faster. Without the private funding that supplied start-up equipment, Brunner’s research would have lacked the necessary foundation to properly thrive.

In fact, private funds supplied much of the equipment housed in the building’s 84,277 square feet of space. That equipment will allow research teams to uncover safer insecticides to kill disease-spreading mosquitoes, improve watershed and riparian management, and discover how to recycle nitrogen from organic wastes without adverse environmental impacts—just a few of the many studies being conducted in Latham labs.

Nurtured by philanthropic support, the seeds of discovery and learning planted today at Virginia Tech will bear fruit for years to come—much like this eastern redcedar, which dates back to 1843 and was part of a College of Natural Resources and Environment research project at The Cedars Natural Area Preserve in Virginia’s Lee County.

“It’s fair to say that the success of research in Latham is due to our ability to attract funds from diverse sources,” said John McDowell, Latham Hall director and associate professor of molecular plant pathology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Those funds include a $5 million commitment from the building’s namesakes, William C. “Bill” (general agriculture ‘56) and Elizabeth H. Latham, and generous support from such sources as commodity groups, growers associations, and private industry. The $5 million endowment from the Lathams will provide the college with laboratory equipment, undergraduate research stipends, graduate student fellowships, and other forms of support for years to come.

Photo by Jim Stroup

Associate Professor Amy Brunner’s research, which aims to develop viable biofuels, quietly progresses in this Latham Hall growth chamber.

Planting the seeds for faculty research

Brunner’s lab looks like any other: stainless steel sinks, microscopes and computers, and carefully labeled drawers and cabinets. Student researchers focus carefully on their work. Discovering the secrets to tree DNA is no easy task.

In the field of tree genomics, Brunner studies the genetic pathways of trees, finding ways to identify key genes and manipulate them to produce a desired result, such as a specific tree-crown architecture that results in greater biomass yield. Of particular interest are the species and hybrids of the genus Populus, commonly referred to as poplars, cottonwoods, and aspens. Because poplar is fast-growing (up to 12 feet per year), it also holds potential as a source for biofuels.

“Startup funds were vital because when I came to the department [in 2005], no one was doing what I was doing,” said Brunner. “That [funding] was really key.”

McDowell agreed. “These sorts of investments at an early stage in a faculty member’s career are an essential factor. [The investments] are typically recouped many times fold.”

Once a gene is isolated and manipulated—say, to encourage a tree to take up nitrogen from the soil at a particular growth stage—several test plants are moved to the growth chamber down the hall. Some of the small shoots of plants will eventually make their way to a greenhouse on campus. Some will even take root at the Reynolds Homestead Agricultural and Research and Extension Center (AREC) for field testing.

Private funds support the Reynolds Homestead, where the AREC is located. Without the AREC, forestry researchers like Brunner would be unable to examine how the tree genomics plays out in natural conditions. “It’s really important, especially if you want to make your research translational—if you’re trying to improve a biomass crop or understand the ability of a natural population to adapt to changing conditions. You need both the controlled conditions of a greenhouse and the natural conditions,” said Brunner.

Helping to meet a growing demand on a smaller land base, Brunner’s research will one day translate to practical applications. As demand increases for wood, fiber, and biofuels, simply increasing the land base on which trees are grown isn’t enough. “It’s just not sustainable—or even feasible—in some places,” said Brunner.

Such groundbreaking research is often not possible without private support, noted McDowell. “Private funds allow researchers to explore ideas that federal sources of funding might be hesitant to support because [the ideas are] high-risk. Often times, seed money from private sources can fund the proof-of-concept experiments to show that an idea has merit.”

In other words, philanthropy provides the fertile soil for innovation to flourish.

Catching the research bug

Surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest, entomology graduate student Jake Bova focused his attention on a minuscule insect, the eastern tree hole mosquito. Although most people swat the air at the sight of a mosquito, Bova spent his summer placing traps to attract the detested insects. He conducts research on vector-borne diseases in mosquitoes and ticks, focusing on newly emerging diseases in Southwest Virginia.

In the medical entomology lab in Latham Hall, Bova compares mosquito eggs to the number of adults collected. In the lab’s insectary, he hatches the eggs and tests for rates of infection. Bova’s research primarily centers on the La Crosse virus, a neurological disease passed on by adult mosquitoes to their eggs. When an infected mosquito bites a human, the transmitted virus can cause nausea, headaches, joint pain, and, in some cases, brain damage. “These symptoms happen in a lot of other diseases, so it may be very underreported. But we’ve seen [La Crosse] around here, and there’s a need for it to be monitored,” said Bova.

As Bova continues to track the presence of La Crosse in the area, his research on the blacklegged tick is in its early stages. Blacklegged ticks carrying Lyme disease cause symptoms similar to those of

La Crosse and other ailments, such as fever, fatigue, and skin rash. Severe cases can cause heart and nervous system damage. “It’s still early in the process, and we’ll need cooperation from the public to collect samples and assess the situation,” Bova said. Research produced by Bova and his team in Latham Hall will help inform the development of surveillance programs for Virginia.

Bova, whose grandfather also attended Tech, initially majored in building construction. Realizing his interests lay elsewhere, Bova found a better fit in entomology; with the support of a swimming scholarship, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2008. “I’ve always loved science, and the people in [the entomology] department have the passion for science that I was looking for.”

When he’s not hatching mosquitoes and conducting tests, Bova teaches principles of biology undergraduate labs. He often relates his own research to class discussions. “I enjoy passing on knowledge and also learning from my students. I like the social interaction involved,” he said.

In a lab session on polymerase chain reactions—the process of producing copies of a DNA sequence—Bova used a YouTube video to explain the concept to students. “I remember being an undergrad and doing my best in classes where professors engaged their students, so I try to help facilitate that in my teaching.”

Photo by Jim Stroup

Entomology graduate student Jake Bova researches vector-borne diseases.

Bitten by the research bug, Bova plans to continue after graduate school, although not necessarily in academe. He entertains the thought of applying his research in the military. “There’s a phenomenal preventive medicine program with the Army,” he said. “I’ve always been intrigued about joining the military from that perspective.”

Cultivating undergraduate excellence

In a Latham lab run by biological sciences Associate Professor Dorothea Tholl, senior biological sciences major Tim Nguyen is examining the chemical communication of plants with their environment. More specifically, Nguyen is learning how phytochemicals protect the roots of plants against soil-borne pests and pathogens and exploring the cell-specific organization and molecular regulation of chemical defenses in roots.

Funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates supplement, Nguyen’s research project aims to uncover natural ways for plants to protect themselves from their “enemies.” The goal is to eventually apply this knowledge to develop novel and sustainable pest/pathogen control strategies.

Nguyen came to Tech as a business major, but he soon realized that any job revolving around office work was not for him. Remembering his affinity for playing outside and reading National Geographic as a child, Nguyen decided in his sophomore year to switch his major to biological sciences.

Photo by Jim Stroup

Senior biological sciences major Tim Nguyen is learning how to protect plant roots in Associate Professor Dorothea Tholl’s lab.

He then began working in Tholl’s lab as a summer intern in May 2010. He had discovered the opportunity through the Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program, an academic enrichment program that received additional gifts during the course of the campaign.

Combined with Tholl’s mentoring, the lab experience has helped Nguyen gain invaluable knowledge. “I’ve seen [Nguyen] grow in terms of his understanding of how to approach research, how to troubleshoot protocols and experimental approaches, and how to communicate with the graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other scientists,” Tholl said.

In addition, Nguyen has gained experience in one of life’s toughest lessons: time management. “Before I started working in the lab, sometimes I was productive, sometimes I wasn’t. But the moment I started working in Dr. Tholl’s lab, it forced me to be more efficient with the time I have,” he said. Currently, Nguyen devotes about 10 to 15 hours per week to lab work.

Tholl’s lab team currently is comprised of one postdoctoral fellow, two graduate students, and three undergraduate students, including Nguyen. “Any student benefits from undergraduate research, not only [gaining] an understanding of lab skills and a sense of how things are done, but also [gaining] maturity and a sense of independence,” she said.

Tholl was recruited to Virginia Tech with the promise of funding to establish her lab—and she said that about $150,000 from the Fralin Life Science Institute fulfilled that promise. Several endowed Virginia Tech Foundation funds, such as one from Horace Fralin that provides more than a quarter-million dollars a year to the institute, support life sciences research across the university and allow students like Nguyen to benefit from undergraduate research experiences.

In the spring 2012 semester, Nguyen will present his research at two undergraduate research conferences at Tech, the Molecular Plant Science Mini-Symposium and the Virginia Tech Biological Sciences Research Day. Following graduation, Nguyen intends to spend a year gaining clinical experience before applying to medical school. He looks forward to the challenge of medical school and even entertains the idea of becoming a surgeon. According to Tholl, Nguyen has acquired skills that will benefit him, no matter where his career takes him. “His undergraduate research experience has prepared him well for his future studies and professional development,” said Tholl.

Photo by Michael Shroyer

Like so many Virginia Tech research and teaching spaces, Latham Hall is abuzz with discovery.

In a Latham Hall growth chamber, rows of metal shelves house Plexiglas cubes, each carefully labeled and containing a tree seedling. The secret to the future of viable biofuels might one day grow out of this room.

For Virginia Tech, such a discovery wouldn’t be a first. New revelations appear every day in the labs and classrooms in Latham, where researchers are hard at work unearthing the mysteries of the sciences, from forestry to agriculture to biochemistry and more.

Rommelyn Conde (communication ‘07) is a graduate assistant for University Relations. Olivia Kasik, a senior majoring in professional writing and psychology with a minor in philosophy, was a magazine intern.

Home-Field Advantage

Together, Hokies win

By Jesse Tuel

Photo by Jim Stroup

Game face: Hours before the Oct. 22 game versus Boston College, Chuck Fontana ‘60 took a break from tailgating to survey the stadium.

There’s a time and a place Chuck Fontana (business administration ‘60) won’t likely ever forget.

On Nov. 26, 1999, Fontana was bounding across Lane Stadium’s Worsham Field, a grandchild perched on his shoulders, celebrating Virginia Tech’s win over Boston College. Michael Vick and the Hokies, undefeated at 11-0, had just cemented their shot at the national championship, and a cameraman asked Fontana what it felt like.

To the Hokie Nation, Fontana’s sentiment is hardly hyperbole. But in the late 1990s, Lane Stadium was ready for a facelift. When Director of Athletics Jim Weaver arrived in the fall of 1997, he recognized that the environment fostered by Head Coach Frank Beamer—one of continuity and stability—meant the program was poised for long-term success. Years later, it’s apparent that a trek to a title game and 18 consecutive bowl games have a way of raising the stature of a football program.

After the 1999-2000 season, seats and a much-needed visitors’ locker room for football and other sports were added behind the south end zone. Later, the westside expansion, rising six stories in time for the 2006 home opener, became one of the most visible structures on campus. The expansion houses a press box, a president’s box, luxury suites, indoor and outdoor club seating, a memorabilia area, a ticket office, and athletic fundraising offices. The entire third floor, meanwhile, accommodates Student Athlete Academic Support Services, which assists students on all athletics teams.

“I DON’T KNOW,” FONTANA SAID. “IT MUST BE FOOTBALL HEAVEN.”

When Fontana took one of his grandsons on a tour of the newly opened expansion, he proudly pointed out the wall of All-Americans—the Academic All-Americans. “That’s what you have to aim for right there,” Fontana told the boy.

In the mid-1980s, after 23 years with the U.S. Air Force, Fontana retired as a colonel and landed a job with Lockheed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Back then, he’d scour the sports section’s fine print to find Hokie football scores, and University of Miami and Florida State University fans would ask him who the Hokies were. “Now they know,” said Fontana, who retired in 2006 as logistics program manager for the United Space Alliance shuttle operations. Although he and his wife, Betty, maintain a home in Florida, they live in the New River Valley during football season.

Watching as the football program and the university gained prominence side by side, Fontana was energized by the westside expansion; he said the decision to make his first major gift to the university was a “no-brainer.” “If you have pride in the school, you try to enhance that the best you can,” Fontana said. “This is one of the places I built my foundation. You have to take care of it for those that follow.”

A similar attitude is reflected across the Hokie Nation: In the eight-year Campaign for Virginia Tech, athletics donations accounted for $226.89 million. The westside expansion itself received $13.11 million in commitments.

Donors like Fontana see their philanthropy as an investment in—and appreciation of—the family feeling of football and the continuity of athletic programs in general.

“Togetherness” is the term Beamer uses. “From our alumni and the people who support us to the students, when we all get in that stadium, everybody has the same goal,” said Beamer, who just finished his 25th season at Tech. “We are extremely fortunate to have tremendous support. By some generous donations, we’ve built what I think is one of the great stadiums in the country—one of the loudest, most exciting stadiums there is. You put fans in there, and they really help us win.”

Those partial to Hokie sports know there’s no finer sight than a sold-out, rockin’ Lane Stadium on game day. In the westside expansion’s press box, members of the media are reminded before kickoff that cheering for either team is prohibited, a rule which is especially hard to follow when the thunderous jumping that accompanies “Enter Sandman” sends tremors through the stadium.

For his part, Fontana confesses that he doesn’t have a lucky jersey or any other pre-game ritual. “No matter what I do, it doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “It’s between the ears of the players.”

On the contrary: Consider what he and countless other fans have helped to build. Hokie confidence has a way of spilling off the field and into other university initiatives, and it’s not a stretch to believe that athletics unites the university, the communities of the region, and the entire Hokie Nation.

Grand Design

Center for the Arts inspires community

By Denise Young

Photo by Ivan Morozov

Construction of the center is under way at the intersection of Main Street and Alumni Mall. Slated for occupancy in late summer 2013, the center will host a fall season of preview events, followed by official dedication festivities in spring 2014.

Students won’t be the only ones to reap the benefits. “[The center is] here as much for the community as it is for Virginia Tech,” Waalkes said. “We see it … blurring the lines between the university and the community.” By offering new programs for area residents, fostering cultural tourism, and attracting young professionals and retirees alike to the area, the center will offer regional economic benefits.

Photo by Michael Kiernan

The Vocal Arts and Music Festival, which will celebrate its third season in summer 2012, serves as a perfect example of how the center, even in its nascent stages, is blending university and community. The festival brings vocal coaches, musicians, and rising opera stars from around the world to Blacksburg for two weeks of master classes and world-class performances. The vocalists audition with International Vocal Arts Institute founders Joan Dornemann and Paul Nadler, both of the Metropolitan Opera, to vie for a spot in the festival. During the festival, the vocalists are immersed in rigorous training and rehearsals with the coaches—many of whom are legendary in the opera world—and perform almost nightly.

WIDELY RECOGNIZED FOR ITS STRENGTHS IN SUCH FIELDS AS ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE, VIRGINIA TECH NOW AIMS TO PUT ITSELF ON THE MAP IN ANOTHER ARENA: THE ARTS.

Late in the campaign, the Center for the Arts was added to the list of capital projects. Private funding is expected to cover 30 percent of the project—or $28 million, of which about $18 million is still to be raised—along with 29 percent in state support and 41 percent from university and other sources, according to Waalkes.

Having a strong arts presence on campus is vital for Virginia Tech’s continued growth and success, Waalkes concluded. “We’re continuing to think forward even as we celebrate this incredible milestone—the closing of a $1 billion campaign.”

RUTH WAALKES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT VIRGINIA TECH, SAID THE CENTER WILL NOT ONLY ADD TO THOSE EXISTING STRENGTHS, BUT ALSO HELP THE UNIVERSITY REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER TOP-TIER INSTITUTIONS THAT ALREADY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT FINE ARTS PRESENCE ON CAMPUS. “YOU CAN’T REALLY SEPARATE THE ARTS AND CREATIVITY FROM OTHER ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES SUCH AS ENGINEERING,” WAALKES SAID. “THE CENTER WILL CONNECT THE ARTS TO OTHER AREAS IN MEANINGFUL WAYS.”

Photo by John McCormick

On cue:

Performances during the 2011 Vocal Arts and Musical Festival gave arts patrons a glimpse of what the Center for the Arts will offer.

New institute unites art, science, and technology

The boundaries of art are not confined to the swirling brushstrokes of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” or the high notes of Puccini’s “La Boheme.” For researchers at the newly established Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), art extends right to the center of scientific research and discovery.

“Through art and design, we experience technological innovation and explore new realms of scientific inquiry,” said Benjamin Knapp, ICAT director. Acting as a hub for research that transcends the boundaries between art and science, the institute will help support both ongoing and new transdisciplinary research on campus.

ICAT will go one step further, promoting the use of this research in the development of new materials and methods for teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines in pre-K-12 and higher education environments.

To see a virtual flythrough of the Center for the Arts or listen to a podcast interview with ICAT Director Ben Knapp, visit the online version of this article at www.vtmagazine.vt.edu.

Monumental goal,

fitting celebration

Photo by Jim Stroup

(from left) Campaign co-chair David Calhoun ‘79, quiet phase chair Gene Fife ‘62, President Charles W. Steger ‘69, Vice President for Development and University Relations Elizabeth A. Flanagan, and campaign co-chair John Lawson ‘75. Quiet phase vice-chair Bill Holtzman ‘59 is below.

One for the ages

In a testament to the dedication of the Virginia Tech community, an ambitious goal was stretched and then exceeded—and, rightly so, celebrated. Before the Campaign for Virginia Tech: Invent the Future was launched in 2003, the university’s fundraising consultants said that an $800 million goal was possible, but cautioned that it would be a stretch. University leaders and volunteers knew something the consultants didn’t know and boosted the goal to $1 billion. “We followed our instincts,” said President Charles W. Steger. “Our outside experts couldn’t know what it’s like to be inside the Hokie Nation. They don’t know the depths of support our friends and alumni have for this institution. And they had no idea what happens when you challenge the Hokie Nation with a goal.”

What happens is $1.11 billion raised, and a fitting celebratory gala on Nov. 12, 2011, attended by about 1,000 generous donors.

Photo by Michael Kiernan

The campaign touched every corner of campus. In many places, the impact is already evident. Here are but a few samples:

“I equate the university as kind of a human body. The students are the body that we’re trying to nourish; the administration, the faculty, and the staff are all the nerves, the bones, the muscle, the blood, and the fiber of that body … and the library is the heart of that body.”

—F. Richard “Dick” Quible (civil engineering ‘53), who died in 2009, was co-chair of the campaign committee focused on University Libaries.

Photo by Logan Wallace

“I felt that to do a good job we needed more support, more things to take care of the students. There’s a greater need now than I think there was during my career because obesity is increasing annually.”

—Dr. Charles W. Schiffert, namesake of the health center on campus and the university’s former student health director, made a $1 million commitment to create the Dolores S. Schiffert Health Education Endowment, named for his late wife. It was a record commitment to a program within the Division of Student Affairs.

“I wanted to ensure that there will always be a place for horses within the mid-Atlantic region to be treated when they are critically ill or injured. In terms of equine surgery and internal medicine, I just don’t know where you can find better care and knowledge at work.”

—Shelley Duke, owner and manager of Rallywood Farm in Middleburg, Va., who pledged a gift of more than $10 million through her estate to Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.

Photo by Jim Stroup

“Dad’s passion and lifetime interest in the 4-H program have impacted not only my life but my husband’s as well. In the spirit of giving, we are hoping that our contributions … will help to enrich the lives of our youth and to continue the exceptional work being done at the 4-H Center at Smith Mountain Lake.”

—Jean Skelton Montague, daughter of the namesake of the W.E. Skelton Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake, who, with her husband, John Montague, contributed generously toward a new welcome center at the 120-acre facility in Wirtz, Va.

Open house showcases Viginia Tech

On Nov. 12, Virginia Tech held its first university-wide open house, offering the community, alumni, and friends the opportunity to observe learning and discovery in action. Thousands of visitors participated.

Photo by Logan Wallace

Photo by Ryan Stone

Photo by Logan Wallace

To access a wealth of coverage—stories, photos, video, and more—about the campaign’s impact and the November celebration, visit www.vtmagazine.vt.edu.

The Virginia Tech artifacts you cherish

Photos by Michael Kiernan

The same passion for Virginia Tech that led tens of thousands of you to participate in our fundraising campaign has no doubt led many of you to keep mementos of your relationship with the university. Whether it’s a ticket stub from the first football game you attended or a copy of that first paper you aced—or even, as is the case with Gene Swartz (business administration ‘66), the original architectural models for two of our iconic Pylons—we’d love to see the keepsakes you cherish. Visit http://univrelations.unirel.vt.edu/vtmag-campaign/ to upload photos and descriptions of your mementos, and see the items your fellow Hokies have submitted. Meanwhile, if you know the whereabouts of the other six Pylon models—a total of eight models, each one about 30 inches tall, were distributed to the committee members who were charged with developing the War Memorial, which was built between 1951 and 1960—by all means, let us know at vtmag@vt.edu.

Next-Generation Leaders

By Rock Roszak ‘71

Photo by Ryan Stone

(From left) Bob Archer ‘69, Kelsey Ginn, and Jim Archer ‘72

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets had great success in the recent comprehensive campaign, first eclipsing its original goal of $30 million and then surpassing the revised goal of $35 million adopted by the corps. The corps had three priorities for the campaign: funding for scholarships, the improvement of Lane Hall, and the Rice Center for Leader Development. All three areas are critical to the corps’ future.

Brothers Bob Archer (marketing ‘69) and Jim Archer (industrial engineering ‘72) are excellent examples of alumni stepping forward to keep the corps’ growth robust. They established the VTCC Archer Family Endowment, the earnings of which will fund the Archer Family Scholarship until construction begins on the hall. In their minds, it is hard to imagine the corps without Lane Hall, which links the corps to a proud past and points to a bright future of service.

Former Commandant of Cadets Gen. Jerrold Allen’s vision, which is further evolving under the leadership of current Commandant of Cadets Gen. Randal Fullhart, proposes top-notch facilities to complement the world-class leadership program currently being taught in the Rice Center and in our outstanding ROTC detachments. Cadets deserve the best in residence and academic facilities so that the corps can continue to attract the best student leaders—leaders who will go on to great careers in both military and civilian fields.

The immediate beneficiary of the Archers’ generosity is Kelsey Ginn, a Civilian-Leader Track cadet and the first recipient of the Archer Family Scholarship. Growing up in Salem, Va., Ginn attended Tech football games with her father. For her, the most memorable part was not the game but watching the cadets march down the road to the stadium.

Ginn has excelled in the corps, becoming a fire team leader as a sophomore and serving on the Golf Company training cadre as a junior. She is also active outside the corps, competing as a vault and floor specialist on Tech’s gymnastics team. Ginn’s opportunities exist because of the generosity of the Emerging Leader Scholarship that the Archer endowment funds.

Lane Hall will house the Rice Center for Leader Development, an existing program that is already benefitting from the campaign. The earnings from the $380,000 committed to the center during the campaign will improve our annual national leadership conference by increasing the number of invitations we extend, as well as allowing for additional activities for visiting cadets and developing a program for faculty delegates.

Exceeding our goals in the campaign will have lasting effects on the Corps of Cadets by way of scholarships, facilities, and leader development—and we’re just getting started.

Col. Rock Roszak ‘71, U.S. Air Force (retired), is the alumni director for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.

Living Pylons

honor * leadership * service * ut prosim * brotherhood * sacrifice * duty * loyalty

Sister, Soldier, Surgeon

For one alumna, Ut Prosim means faith, medicine, and charity

By Deirdre Byrne ‘78

Photos courtesy of Deirdre Byrne

My calling to religious life, which is a lifelong commitment to service, began when I was a young girl growing up in McLean, Va., in a very devout Catholic family. My parents were daily Mass-goers, which gave them the spiritual nourishment, strength, and joy to do the work they do, and that always inspired me. My father was a busy thoracic surgeon who still made it a priority to attend Mass every day before going to the hospital. My mother would get us ready for school and then dart off to the 9 a.m. Mass—no small commitment since she was raising eight children. From the faithful, loving example of my parents, my brothers and sisters and I learned what it means to have Christ within you. Parents should never underestimate the influence they have on their children’s spiritual lives.

Deirdre “Dede” Byrne (biology ‘78) in a medical tent in Sudan in 2009.

Growing up, I looked at the events of the world around me through a religious lens in an attempt to find their deeper meaning. The religious life—serving Christ by serving the poor—was a constant draw for me and led me to take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Serving the sick, the poor, and wounded soldiers as a surgeon was a triple gift from God, and He entrusted me with an awesome gift that I do not take for granted. I have to admit what unfolded in my life was not preplanned. “We propose, and God disposes,” as the proverb says.

My years at Virginia Tech (from 1974-78) would provide a solid foundation for both my medical career and my religious calling. I was a biology major aspiring to go to medical school, and the programs prepared me well. I had fantastic, caring professors and enjoyed interacting with my fellow students. Because I felt the call to religious life even in college, I became involved in service-oriented activities; my participation in the Newman Community at Virginia Tech (a Catholic campus ministry) provided a connection to the church even during the rigors and routines of my studies.

After graduating from Tech in 1978, I attended Georgetown Medical School on a U.S. Army scholarship. Knowing your calling doesn’t come without challenges and sacrifice. Having completed a residency in family practice, I finished my second residency in general surgery in 1997. Like many female doctors, I spent my “dating years” working 120-hour weeks in the hospital. In my case, the work was a blessing, as it strengthened my vocation to serve as a religious sister-doctor. I was sustained during this grueling surgical training by daily reception of the Eucharist and stolen moments in the hospital chapel for quiet reflection on the scripture readings for the day. Following my parents’ example of communion with and reliance on the Lord saw me through this time in my life. This was spiritual sustenance for me. It was in this same year that, by the hand of God, I had the opportunity to serve as Mother Teresa’s doctor for five days during her visit to Washington. This was an affirmation that the work I was doing was, in fact, part of God’s plan for me.

On Sept. 11, 2001, I was in Manhattan helping a religious sister who was getting some medical checks when the twin towers crumbled to the ground. Officials were calling for doctors and specifically surgeons, and so by the end of the day, I had made my way to Ground Zero with some of the sisters. I saw firsthand the destruction of the towers and, more tragically, human life.

In tandem with this experience, I met a priest who had served as a Catholic chaplain during the Vietnam War; he introduced me to the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts, a religious order that included a medical component, and it was a perfect fit for me. I started my formation in 2002, took my first vows in 2004, and recently made final vows.

Because our Italian-based Little Workers community had experienced the integrity and goodness of the U.S. troops who freed them from German occupation during WWII, I was called back to active military service to support our wounded soldiers, post-Sept. 11, with the blessings of my mother general. I served first at Walter Reed Army Hospital and then in Afghanistan as a military surgeon reservist in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

I now practice medicine at the Spanish Catholic Center in Washington, D.C. It is a blessing to serve the humble, hardworking people of this community. Through my religious order, I am still able to help others around the world in need of medical care. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I provided relief services to victims near Port Au Prince, and I travel to Sudan and Kenya every year.

Christ is the servant of servants, and in spite of my human frailties, I aspire to imitate his call to serve. The vocation of sister-soldier-surgeon affords me triple the opportunity to serve, most importantly as the healing touch of Christ and to make him known, loved, and served throughout the world.

Sister Dr. Deirdre “Dede” Byrne (biology ‘78) is a general surgeon at the Spanish Catholic Center in Washington, D.C., and a fully professed member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. She holds the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

In a series of alumni-penned essays, we want to share with readers the stories from your diverse academic, personal, and professional backgrounds that express how you live out the Pylon values. To be considered, select a Pylon value and send a 100-word abstract to vtmag@vt.edu.

Dream Catcher

By Andrea Brunais

Photos Courtesy of Chris Kugelman

‘94

Chris Kugelman ‘94

Fans of the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” can only imagine what it’s like to be aboard those Bering Sea vessels. The ships pitch and roll against waves that can reach as high as 30 or 40 feet. Cameramen dodge sliding half-ton crab traps and dance around ropes that could sweep them overboard—all while gripping expensive equipment and heeding the bellows of grizzled captains.

None was more gruff and tattooed than the late Phil Harris, the chain-smoking captain of the Cornelia Marie, recalled Emmy-winning cameraman and producer Chris Kugelman (exercise science ‘94). “The first few days on any boat, I would make it my business to keep a low profile until the captain got to know me. The captains and crew were always yelling at the cameramen. They’d get irritated when we’d mess things up or get in their way. A lot of this was in good fun, as they were initiating us.”

Kugelman with young Tibetan monks

Kugelman, part of the “Deadliest Catch” team that won an Emmy in 2011 for Outstanding Cinematography in a Reality Series, successfully ducked Harris until the third day. Then Harris called for him.

“I thought, ‘This guy’s going to scream at me for doing something to his boat,’” Kugelman recalled, laughing. “Instead, he asked, ‘Are you the one who does ‘Orangutan Island’?’”

It turned out that “Orangutan Island” was the captain’s favorite show. Kugelman, the show’s producer, had spent month-long stints over two years with the young, orphaned orangutans while the primates were being trained in life skills for survival in the wild. The Animal Planet show drew a fanatical following of viewers who loved the orangutans’ endearing personalities and followed their harrowing trials.

Opilio crab in a basket scale on “Deadliest Catch”

“Did you live on that island with those monkeys?” Harris asked.

“We talked about that show for three hours,” Kugelman said. “After that, I could do no wrong on his boat. He actually turned out to be the most warm-hearted guy, a big teddy bear.”

Kugelman, now a staff producer for National Geographic Television based in Washington, D.C., spent time on two other “Deadliest Catch” boats: the Wizard, which is sometimes captained by Keith Colburn—hot-tempered and briefly famous for roughing up a cameraman—and the Northwestern, captained by Sig Hansen. Kugelman and his colleagues also won the Outstanding Producers award from the Producers Guild of America in 2011 for “Deadliest Catch.”

“It’s as dangerous as the show portrays it, especially for the cameramen,” Kugelman said. “We’re not experienced on these ships, and there are big heavy pieces of machinery swinging around, plus the hold where they put the crabs. You could fall in there. You’ve got giant waves, the boat moving the entire time, and your eyes glued to the camera. When a big wave would come, the crew would shout at us to find something to grab onto, saying, ‘What, are you an idiot?’”

Tibetan Buddhist temple in Nepal

As a producer, director, and cameraman, Kugelman enjoys a career most people can only dream of. His work has taken him to every continent, including Antarctica, providing a creative outlet while satisfying a quest for adventure.

Kugelman’s ties to Virginia Tech date to boyhood. He attended summer camps held by the Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center, part of Virginia Cooperative Extension, where he took his first photography class and first encountered John Dooley, now Tech’s vice president for Outreach and International Affairs.

Dooley, who directed the center in Front Royal, Va. throughout the ‘80s, remembers taking the high-spirited youngster aside for earnest talks about what it meant to be a “model camper.” The 10-year-old Kugelman and his equally mischievous older brother were given to pranks, like toilet-papering other cabins or sneaking over to the girls’ quarters.

“They knew they were in trouble, but I let them stay at camp,” Dooley remembered. “I said, ‘You’ve got to prove to me that you’re model campers.’”

Later becoming a camp counselor and then coming to Blacksburg for his undergraduate study, Kugelman stayed in touch with Dooley. “He really inspired people to go on and do good things with their lives, and he inspired me,” Kugelman said.

Kugelman went to New Zealand for graduate work, studying natural history and wildlife filmmaking and communication at the University of Otago in Dunedin. His first project after graduation was an independent film that told the story of a Tibetan refugee, a protester who had been jailed and tortured.

His most recent show is National Geographic’s series “Dangerous Encounters,” hosted by crocodile expert Brady Barr. The series takes Kugelman across the globe in pursuit of hippos, crocs, pythons, and other predators.

But, like Harris, Kugelman has a soft spot for the primates of “Orangutan Island.”

Kugelman with captain and crew of the Northwestern

“At first they all looked alike to me,” he said of the Borneo island population. “They all had red hair and all walked around on all fours. But after you spend time with them, their personalities come through. Their haircuts look different. They are so humanlike. They are completely engrossing.” He is so moved by the orangutans’ heartbreaking habitat loss that he’s hoping to take part in a feature-film-length documentary if money can be raised.

Films such as the Tibetan project are what he terms “soul food,” and he’d like to do more of them. He and a former classmate from New Zealand hope to make films for nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations devoted to human-relief efforts or wildlife assistance.

TV shows pay the bills, but Kugelman’s heart is with projects that help others. “The idea is to use the craft to get messages out that need to be out there.”

Andrea Brunais is the communications manager for Outreach and International Affairs.

Alumni Association

We’ve come a long way: Built in 1899 as a YMCA building with the help of alumni donations, the first campus building to utilize native limestone is known today as the Performing Arts Building.

Beginning with a campaign in the late 1890s that raised $20,729 in donations to build a YMCA building, alumni have understood the power of private support. Little did those late 19th-century donors know, but they were laying the foundation for major campaigns in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. With the most-recent campaign breaking the magical billion-dollar mark, our deepest gratitude is extended to all alumni, friends, foundations, corporations, and others who helped achieve this milestone.

A successful campaign is not an ending. Rather, it is the beginning of a new foundation of support that will encourage others to generously support the university efforts to which they’re most connected. Through the years, our Alumni Association has pursued a principal mission of engaging alumni. We want them to continue to be an integral part of the success of various facets of the university—teaching, research, outreach, alumni engagement, athletics, or capital expansion—and to feel some ownership of those elements. We strive to help make these connections possible.

We understand that it is often difficult for some alumni to return to visit campus. Nonetheless, we try to create many opportunities or “excuses” throughout the year for visits to happen. If alumni are unable to return, perhaps they are able to attend chapter events, Hokie Club events, or away games. All are meaningful expressions of being part of the Hokie Nation.

During this winter, spring, and summer, we invite you to visit campus for the association’s Drillfield Series, the traditional spring football game, the challenge of the new Pete Dye River Course, camps for kids, summer orientation for new students, or an admissions weekend for future college applicants—plus many more opportunities. Simply put, it is important to connect with other alumni in celebration of your university’s successes. Thanks to you, Virginia Tech’s star continues to rise.

Photo by John McCormick

Vice President for Alumni Relations

Chapter Scholarships

More than 60 chapters sponsor freshman scholarships

Virginia Tech Alumni Association chapters build strong relationships among alumni and students, enhancing the university’s community image while supporting university students. By awarding scholarships annually to students attending Tech from their chapter areas, alumni chapters provide a tremendous benefit. Since the first chapter scholarship was awarded in the late 1960s, the program has grown every year.

Chapters use a variety of programs to engage local alumni and raise scholarship funds, including hosting golf tournaments, wine-tasting events, silent auctions, career fairs, and more. They also conduct service projects and community events. More information about individual scholarship programs may be found on chapter websites via www.alumni.vt.edu/chapters.

Three excellent examples of students benefiting from this program are Mauricio Castro, Alyssa Hoffmaster, and Kristianne Macaraeg, who received scholarships in their freshman years.

Chapter

Awards

Total

Alleghany Highlands

10

$5,300

Amherst-Nelson

1

$1,000

Annapolis

2

$2,000

Atlanta

2

$3,000

Augusta (Staunton)

1

$300

Baltimore

1

$2,500

Central Florida

1

$1,000

Central Pennsylvania

1

$500

Central Virginia (Lynchburg)

2

$500

Charlotte

2

$4,000

Charleston (South Carolina)

1

$500

Chattanooga

2

$2,000

Chicago

1

$2,000

Cincinnati

1

$1,000

Coastal Carolina

(Wilmington, N.C.)

1

$2,500

Columbia (South Carolina)

1

$500

Connecticut

7

$2,200

Dallas/Fort Worth

1

$2,000

Denver

5

$8,000

East Tennessee

1

$1,000

Eastern Shore

3

$3,000

Emporia

2

$1,000

First State (Delaware)

2

$4,000

Franklin Co./Smith Mountain Lake

4

$4,500

Fredericksburg

6

$6,000

Houston

1

$2,000

Iowa

1

$300

Jacksonville (Florida)

1

$500

Kentuckiana

1

$500

Knoxville

2

$1,200

Loudoun County

8

$10,500

Middle Tennessee

6

$7,500

Minnesota

1

$1,000

National Capital Region

9

$32,000

NC Triad (Winston-Salem,

Greensboro)

3

$6,000

New England

1

$1,000

New Jersey

4

$2,000

New River Valley

7

$3,500

New York City

3

$4,000

Outer Banks (North Carolina)

4

$3,500

Palmetto (South Carolina)

1

$1,000

Patrick Henry (Martinsville)

1

$500

Peanut (Suffolk area)

1

$750

Peninsula (Newport News)

4

$4,000

Philadelphia

1

$1,000

Pittsburgh

2

$1,000

Prince William (Manassas)

3

$3,000

Research Triangle (Raleigh,

Durham)

1

$1,000

Richmond

5

$10,000

Roanoke

4

$4,000

Rockbridge (Lexington)

1

$1,500

San Antonio

1

$1,000

Seattle

1

$1,000

Shenandoah (Winchester)

7

$3,500

South Florida

2

$1,600

Southside (Virginia)

4

$1,600

Southwest Virginia

3

$1,500

Tampa Bay

1

$1,000

Tideneck (Virginia Northern Neck)

6

$3,000

Tidewater (Virginia Beach, Norfolk)

6

$12,500

Tri-Cities (Petersburg)

5

$5,000

Western North Carolina

1

$1,000

Williamsburg

3

$3,000

TOTAL

177

$199,250

Mauricio Castro, Class of 2013, business information technology

Hometown: Coral Springs, Fla.

Home chapter: South Florida

Mauricio Castro has been attracted to technology and the Internet for as long as he can remember. “I received my own AOL account from my parents when I was just 6 years old,” Castro said. Since then, he’s been interested in utilizing technology to its fullest, and his coursework and internships through Virginia Tech are teaching him to do just that.

Being awarded his local chapter’s scholarship made a significant impact on Castro’s ability to attend Tech. “If I [hadn’t received] the scholarship, it would have been a tough decision between going here or going to an in-state college in Florida. The scholarship swayed me toward Virginia Tech.”

The South Florida Chapter also provided an opportunity for Castro to meet other students from his area and experience Hokie Spirit away from campus. “My dad and I went to the VT-Miami game at Sun Life Stadium, and we found the visitor’s section filled with people I recognized from the South Florida chapter.”

Alyssa Hoffmaster, Class of 2012, Spanish

Hometown: Lancaster, Pa.

Home chapter: Central Pennsylvania

Alyssa Hoffmaster has been studying Spanish since she was 5 years old, and she wanted to continue her passion for the language in college. “I love that my classes are small, and I’ve gotten to know the other Spanish majors very well,” she said. Hoffmaster enjoys the unique learning opportunities that are part of the Spanish program at Virginia Tech, including teaching Spanish to elementary school students in an after-school program.

Receiving the Central Pennsylvania Chapter scholarship was a significant moment for Hoffmaster. “I won the scholarship my senior year of high school, and it made me so excited to go to Virginia Tech.” The summer before her freshman year, she was drawn to the university’s Hokie Spirit and sense of community when she attended the chapter’s welcome picnic and scholarship recipient reception. “This was a great way to get to know people and hear about their experiences at Virginia Tech.”

Hoffmaster also minors in business, and she hopes to craft a career that combines Spanish with the business knowledge she is gaining.

Kristianne Macaraeg, Class of 2013, chemical engineering

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.

Home chapter: Tidewater

For Kristianne Macaraeg, chemical engineering was an opportunity to combine her passion for calculus and chemistry in an academically rigorous program. “I love the challenge,” she said, “and because it is so challenging, the professors in my field have stressed the importance of working in groups. As a result, we’ve all gotten to know each other well. I enjoy spending time with my classmates, doing homework or just hanging out.”

Macaraeg’s first interaction with the Tidewater Chapter was her scholarship interview. “I was nervous at first, but I immediately warmed up to the interviewers because they were so welcoming. Their descriptions about their time at Virginia Tech made me excited to start college life.”

Winning the scholarship gave Macaraeg a sense of accomplishment for her achievements in high school, eased her financial situation, and encouraged her to work hard while at Tech, a place she has come to love. “The Hokie Spirit on campus gives me a sense of belonging. Although Virginia Tech is a large university, I feel that our campus is really a close-knit community.”

2012 and 2013 Travel Tours

Life should be experienced and explored.

Broaden your horizons and breathe in new adventures with other Hokies. For more information, visit www.alumni.vt.edu/travel, call 540-231-6285, or email alumnitravel@vt.edu.

Treasures of Costa Rica

AHI Travel

Feb. 27-March 10 | $3,895*

Asian Explorations

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Nautica)

March 23-April 9 | $3,999* (air included)**

South Africa

Go Next

April 12-21 | $3,999*

Optional Victoria Falls extension | $1,799

Living Abroad in Ecuador

AHI Travel

May 3-June 2 | $3,495*

Historic Reflections: Mediterranean

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Riviera)

May 25-June 5 | $3,299*

(air included)**

European Mosaic

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Riviera)

June 16-27 | $3,999*

(air included)**

Italy: Tuscany with Florence

AHI Travel

June 20-28 | $2,795*

Waterways of Russia

AHI Travel

July 4-17 | $4,111*

Best of Australia

Continuum Education Travel

July 14-24 | $3,500*

Optional Fiji extension

July 23-26 | $1,500*

Scotland: Stirling

AHI Travel

Aug. 15-23 | $3,050*

Italy: Apulia

AHI Travel

Sept. 4-12 | $2,395*

Canada and New England: Fall Foliage

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Regatta)

Sept. 25-Oct. 7 | $3,999*

(air included)**

India and Nepal

AHI Travel

Oct. 14-28 | $5,595*

Aegean Marvels

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Marina)

Oct. 31-Nov. 8 | $1,499* (air included)**

Ancient Civilizations

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Nautica)

Nov. 4-15 | $2,549* (air included)**

NEW 2013 TRAVEL TOURS ANNOUNCED!

Ancient Mysteries of the Americas

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Regatta)

Jan. 5-23 | $3,499* (air included)**

Caribbean Discovery

Go Next (Oceania Cruises’ Riviera)

Feb. 12-22 | $1,999*

* Dates and prices are subject to change. Pricing is per person based on double occupancy without air, except as noted.

** Free air is based on depature from select North American gateway cities.

www.alumni.vt.edu/travel

2012 Travel Highlight

Best of Australia

July 14-24 I $3,500*

From lush green rainforests to the isolated Outback and diverse coral reefs, Australia epitomizes a land of extremes. Explore the highlights of this vast continent on a 10-day tour, which includes the iconic sights of Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, and the ancient rainforests of Daintree National Park. Join the optional four-day extension to the exotic Fijian Islands and enjoy pristine white sand beaches and a welcoming traditional culture.

2012 Travel Highlight

South Africa

April 12-21 | $3,999*

Optional Victoria Falls extension | $1,799

An amazingly diverse land unequalled in beauty and splendor, South Africa boasts terrain ranging from bushveld to deserts and grasslands, from snow-capped peaks to wide, unspoiled beaches and coastal wetlands. Home to the “Big Five” animals (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard) as well as a variety of other wildlife and rare plant species, South Africa contains some of the world’s most astonishing creatures and remarkable landscapes.

Explore bustling Cape Town, with its dramatic Table Mountain backdrop. Travel South Africa’s coastline to Cape Point and visit the wine country near Cape Town. While staying at the Kapama River Lodge, northeast of Johannesburg, enjoy the wild excitement of morning and evening game drives in open safari vehicles in the Greater Kruger National Park region. Visit historical sites in Soweto, including the Apartheid Museum and the Nelson Mandela House. An optional extension to Victoria Falls in Zambia, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is available.

Black Alumni Reunion | March 15-18, 2012

All black alumni are invited to campus for the Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Reunion this March. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit both familiar and new places on campus as you reminisce with friends and meet fellow alumni at mini-reunions, such as those for Greek life and athletics.

In addition to providing time to reconnect with fellow Hokies, the reunion features an exciting program. On Friday, March 16, explore career and personal development opportunities and discover how you can assist Virginia Tech’s recruitment efforts. Plan your time together with fellow classmates and friends at the evening kick-off reception and then enjoy the Overton R. Johnson step show and decade parties for ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s graduates.

On Saturday, March 17, join students at your college’s hosted lunch and participate in this year’s forum topic, “Building the Black Alumni Network.” At the Black Student Panel, alumni will have the opportunity to mentor students and hear about their experiences.

The highlight of the reunion is the Influential Black Alumni awards dinner, at which this year’s honorees will be recognized. Additionally, Black Alumni Scholarship donors will be recognized as part of the goal to endow the scholarships, which are designed to help the next generation of students.

Courtesy Photo

(From left) Michael Swain ‘84, J.D. Shelby-Lucas ‘90, Randy Lucas ‘91, and Mark Cartwright ‘87

Make plans now to join the reunion in March. To register or for more information, visit www.alumni.vt.edu/blackalumni/reunion.

2012 Drillfield Series

Designed for alumni and their families, the Drillfield Series offers a variety of weekend programs featuring special themes and a stay on campus. Special lodging rates are available at The Inn at Virginia Tech. Visit www.alumni.vt.edu/drillfieldseries for more information, tentative schedules, and registration.

Food for Thought: Exploring Virginia Wine and Fine Cuisine

Feb. 3-5, 2012

Join us for an elegant, fun, and informative exploration of the wine industry with academic and industry experts. Stroll through sensational food stations, sample wine pairings, and dance the night away to the music of a live band. Enjoy the beautiful Inn at Virginia Tech. Registration: $145. Lodging: $99/night.

Focus on Photography II

May 4-6, 2012

Do you want to take better pictures, but aren’t sure where to start? Our experts can help. Take your photography to the next level while you discover and capture the sights on Tech’s campus. Topics include camera modes and functions, aperture and shutter speed, exposure, lighting and composition, and more. Several meals are included. Registration: $135. Lodging: $99/night.

Hokie Fitness, Health, and Wellness

June 1-3, 2012

Kick off your summer with a vacation weekend focusing on healthy lifestyles. Topics include fitness and nutrition, healthy cooking, child development, functional living, and more. Enjoy special access and demonstrations at our renowned student fitness center. Or perhaps choose an invigorating outdoor activity in the surrounding area, led by Virginia Tech’s Venture Out staff. Several meals and shuttle rides are included. Registration: $139. Lodging: $99/night.

HokieCation: Family-fun vacation, Hokie-style

July 5-8, 2012

What better way to find your summer fun than by exploring programs and activities at Virginia Tech? Join this special vacation opportunity for families to enjoy outdoor adventures, campus tours, and demonstrations. Experience what it’s like to be a junior gardener or tour Hahn Horticulture Garden. Learn about healthy nutrition for the whole family. Visit our recreational sports facilities. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of Lane Stadium. An optional Cascades hiking adventure is available through Tech’s Venture Out program. Several meals and shuttle rides are included. Registration: $149, children’s rates of $89/$69. Lodging: $99/night.

Alumni Association Board of Directors ballot

The Alumni Association Board of Directors nominating committee has proposed the following nominees for election to three-year terms from 2012 through 2015. Please vote for up to seven nominees and return the ballot by April 15. Results will be announced at the Alumni Association board meeting in late April.

___Kendley J. Davenport ‘84, Chicago, Ill., public administration/management

___Colin L. Goddard ‘08, Washington, D.C., international studies

___Lisa Glasscock Miller ‘87, Staunton, Va., veterinary medicine

___Jean Skelton Montague ‘69, Midlothian, Va., English

___Jay S. Poole ‘78, Glen Allen, Va., agriculture education

___A. Carole Pratt ‘72, Pulaski, Va., biology

___Philip S. Thompson ‘77, Collierville, Tenn., materials science and engineering

Write-in Nomination______________________________________________________

Signature_______________________________________________________________

Return to: Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center (0102), Blacksburg, VA 24061

Virginia Tech’s Columbarium

Photo by John McCormick

Many campuses have a columbarium where alumni and others may choose to be interred. Virginia Tech’s columbarium, on a grassy knoll near the Duck Pond, is footsteps away from the Holtzman Alumni Center, and several reservations have been received since the 2011 announcement of the columbarium’s construction.

The Hokie Stone structure houses 60 niches that may be purchased for individual or dual interments. Each niche is covered with a maroon granite face, on which names are engraved and filled with gold lettering. Behind the columbarium, a walkway leads to a terrace area, which is designed to accommodate expansion. For more information, contact Josh Burnheimer at 540-231-6285 or ffburnie@vt.edu.

Book Notes

Submission guidelines are available online at www.vtmagazine.vt.edu/bookreview.html. To submit a book, mail it to Book Notes, Virginia Tech Magazine, 105 Media Building, Blacksburg, VA 24061. You can also email a high-resolution cover image, along with your name, the name of the publisher, the genre, and a brief description of the book, to vtmag@vt.edu. We must receive the book within one year of its publication date.

Books By Faculty And Staff

Nonfiction

James Robertson, Alumni Distinguished Professor of History, “Untold Civil War: Exploring the Human Side of War,” historical, National Geographic Books.

Books By Alumni

Nonfiction

Critical/Reference

Janis Ericson (family and child development ‘99), “I Know I Need to Change, But How? A Guide to Taking Control of Your Life and Work,” iUniverse.

William Fox (mechanical engineering ‘65), “Downtown Newport News,” historical, Arcadia Publishing.

John Hildebrand (civil engineering ‘50), “The Life and Times of John Brown Baldwin, 1820-73, a Chronicle of Virginia’s Struggle with Slavery, Secession, Civil War, and Reconstruction,” Lot’s Wife Publishing Company.

Douglas O. Hubbell (chemical engineering ‘66, M.S. ‘66), “Managing for Profits: How to Increase and Maintain Profitability,” CreateSpace.

David K. Jones (physical education ‘78), “10 Demandments of Creativity: How To Turn Your Kid’s Creative Juice Loose!,” International Flip Society.

Jimmy Page (health and physical education ‘89, M.S. ‘95), et al., “Wisdom Walks,” inspiration/devotional, Summerside Press.

Neil F. Payne (M.S. wildlife ‘64), “Wildlife Delights and Dilemmas, Newfoundland and Labrador,” DRC Publishing.

Scott Rowan (English ‘91), et al., “The Urban Cyclist’s Survival Guide,” Triumph Books.

Mike Waddell (management ‘80, M.B.A. ‘84), “Perform at Your Best: By Getting Your Head in the Game,” self-improvement, CreateSpace.

Biography/Memoir

Michael Abraham (mechanical engineering ‘76), “Harmonic Highways: Motorcycling Virginia’s Crooked Road,” memoir, Pocahontas Press.

James E. Dalmas (electrical engineering ‘59), “The du Pont Family and the Street Railway Industry,” historical, Jack L. Shagena Jr.

Bryan Steverson (metallurgical engineering ‘65), “Amazing Baseball Heroes, Inspirational Negro League Stories,” Tennessee Valley Publishing.

Thomas T. Wiatt (civil engineering technology ‘80), “That Was Jamaica: My Adventures in Negril,” memoir, travel, PublishAmerica.

Fiction

Jim Crowgey (electrical engineering ‘60), “Forever Eagles,” novel, Southern life, Trafford Publishing.

Lisa Norris (forestry and wildlife ‘79), “Women Who Sleep With Animals,” short stories, Stephen F. Austin University Press.

Tom Somma (M.S. biochemistry and nutrition ‘71), “Midori and the 1,000 Stitch Belt,” novel, Imperialistic Japanese Army, WWII era, Outskirts Publishing.

Poetry

Lynda Allen (communication ‘89), “Illumine,” Peace Evolutions LLC.

Portia Y. Bookhart (Ed.D. curriculum and instruction ‘99), et al., “Black Man, I Choose You,” Infinity.

Children’s/Teen

Jaclyn Gotch (psychology ‘01), et al., “The Itty Bitty Guide to Trees: A Children’s Identification Guide to Trees of the Inland Northwest,” Inkwater Press.

Featured Author: Frankie Y. Bailey, ‘Forty Acres and a Soggy Grave’

As a faculty member in the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany-SUNY, Frankie Y. Bailey (psychology ‘74) specializes in crime and mass media/popular culture and crime history. Bailey’s books include “African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study” (2008), for which she received the International Mystery Readers’ Macavity Award; “Wicked Danville: Liquor and Lawlessness in a Southside Virginia City” (2011); and “Forty Acres and a Soggy Grave” (2011), the fifth mystery featuring fictional crime historian Lizzie Stuart. Bailey is now at work on a police procedural novel set in 2019. The 2011-12 president of Sisters in Crime, an international organization for female writers of crime fiction, Bailey is also a past executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America. Below is a brief excerpt from Bailey’s latest book, “Forty Acres and a Soggy Grave” (Silver Dagger Mysteries):

Friday, Sept. 10, Eastern Shore of Virginia

All I needed to do was get through this weekend without making Quinn’s friends wonder what on earth he saw in me. All I needed to do was charm their socks off.

But first I needed to get him to tell me what was wrong. Preferably before we were in the midst of the weekend gathering of his old West Point buddies.

I replaced the cap of my yellow highlighter, closed the guidebook to “off the beaten track” Eastern Shore that I had been trying to read, and twisted in my seat to face Quinn.

John Quinn. As enigmatic as 007 in his dark glasses that shielded his eyes from both the late afternoon sun and me.

He should have been driving an Aston Martin instead of my Ford Focus.

“We need to talk,” I said.

“About what?”

“About whatever’s been bothering you. If there’s a problem with our relationship, I’d like you to tell me.”

“Our relationship is fine as far as I’m concerned.”

“Then what’s wrong? And don’t say ‘nothing’ like you did the last two times I asked.”

“You may not have considered this, Lizabeth, but not everything requires discussion.”

“Are you saying you want me to ignore the fact that you’ve been restless and preoccupied for the past week?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

“In a good relationship —”

“Lizabeth, I’m not in the habit of sharing the odds and ends of my life. After years of being a cop and not taking my work home —”

“I know about that, Quinn. I learned about that in those policing classes I took back in grad school. I know about cops not taking home what happens on the job.” I reached for my water bottle and unscrewed the top. “But we’re not talking about your work. And you aren’t a cop anymore.”

Reprinted with the author’s permission.

Class Notes

Alumni, we want to hear what you’ve been doing. Although we cannot print stories or obituaries, we can post online photographs of weddings, babies, and spirited alumni. Mail photos to Virginia Tech Magazine, 105A Media Building, Blacksburg, VA 24061, or email them to vtmag@vt.edu. Please mail career, retirement, wedding, birth, and death notices to Alumni Notes, Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center, Blacksburg, VA 24061; send them via email to fleets@vt.edu; or submit them online at www.vtmagazine.vt.edu/submit.classnotes.html. Editor’s note: For privacy reasons, all mailing addresses may now be viewed online at www.alumni.vt.edu/directory by logging in with your Virginia Tech PID and password. For assistance, dial 540-231-6285.

‘60s

‘64

Sneed T. Adams Jr. (ME ‘65), Katy, Texas, is president of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club, an international organization of Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners and enthusiasts.

Ray A. Gaskins (MATH, STAT ‘72), Hampden Sydney, Va., donated his 12-inch ponytail to Locks of Love. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he pledged to let his hair grow until Osama bin Laden was captured or killed.

‘68

Carolyn Keffer Bess (HNF), Radford, Va., is assistant director of Owens Food Court at Virginia Tech.

‘70s

‘70

Robert P. Britts (CHE), Lexington, S.C., is director of regional programs for the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project.

Peter R. Holden (AGEC ‘71), Lincoln, Va., retired from Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation after 37 years. The same day, he reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

‘72

George H. Cauble Jr. (GBUS), Richmond, Va., retired from Henrico County government after 39 years of service and from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he taught human resources to juniors and seniors.

William T. Fabian (EDBS ‘73), Carlsbad, N.M., retired after 31 years of service with Washington TRU Solutions LLC.

‘73

Marc W. Sheffler (ASE), Bear, Del., retired from The Boeing Company after 38 years of service and is now president of the Delaware branch of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

‘75

James D. Heffernan Jr. (HIST), Bonita Springs, Fla., has acted in several local dinner theater productions.

‘77

James W. Lark III (MATH), Free Union, Va., received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award for 2010-11 from the International Council of Systems Engineering.

‘78

Michael L. Marlow (ECON), San Luis Obispo, Calif., published a book entitled “The Myth of Fair and Efficient Government: Why the Government You Want Is Not the One You Get.”

Deborah Martin Petrine (MGT), Hardy, Va., was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to serve on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

‘79

A.W. Crawford Jr. (PSYC), Silver Spring, Md., performed at the Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira, Morocco. He also taught a drumset clinic at Virginia Tech on Sept. 23.

Lisa Norris (FW), Blacksburg, Va., won the 2010 Stephen F. Austin State University Press Fiction Prize for her book “Women Who Sleep with Animals.”

Walter R. Potter (ACCT), Virginia Beach, Va., is the YMCA of South Hampton Roads chairman of the board and a founding member of the Noblemen. He also was chosen to fly with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels as part of their Key Influencer Program.

‘80s

‘80

Mark S. Calhoon (UA ‘83), Smithfield, Va., received the O.W. Wilson Award of Career Achievement from the International Association of Law Enforcement.

Wanda Hankins Dean (ENGL, EDSP ‘85), Blacksburg, Va., is assistant vice president for enrollment and degree management at Virginia Tech.

‘82

James N.Ellis (MKTG), Wilson, N.C., was named to “The Best Lawyers in America 2012” list in the categories of Bet-the-Company-Litigation, Municipal, and Real Estate.

Kelly A. Pickerel (FIN), Richmond, Va., is senior vice president of Wells Fargo Government & Institutional Banking.

‘83

Mary Kathryn Burkey Owens (ENGL), Midlothian, Va., was named among the Top 25 Female Super Lawyers in Virginia for 2011, as listed by Super Lawyers, a ratings service for lawyers.

‘84

Paige Rapkin Atkins (EE), Annandale, Va., is vice president for cyber and information technology research at the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation in Arlington, Va.

Carrie Smith Schmidt (ANSC), Midlothian, Va., is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Richmond director, overseeing the coordination of HUD programs in all of Virginia except Northern Virginia.

‘85

Kevin J. Knoernschild (CHE), Fuquay Varina, N.C., has joined KBR Inc. in Raleigh, N.C., as director of project operations.

Gina McKenzie Polich (HNF), Richmond, Va., is an administrative assistant for The Martin Agency.

‘86

Elaine Smith Blount (CS), Yorktown, Va., earned her Ph.D. in modeling and simulation from Old Dominion University.

John M. Gilbert (EE), Hawthorn Woods, Ill., received the 2009 Motorola Patent of the Year award and was named a Motorola Distinguished Innovator for receiving his 10th U.S. patent.

Travis W. Twiford (EDAD), Norfolk, Va., was conferred the title of associate professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

‘87

James R. Martin II (CE, CE ‘90), Pembroke, Va., is coordinating the investigation of the aftereffects of the Aug. 23 earthquake in Virginia.

Steve A. Smith (BAD), San Pedro, Calif., is director of space control and special missions for Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

‘88

Marc T. Steiner (ECAS), Chesapeake, Va., is chief of the fleet support branch for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Michael S. Weaver (EE), Blacksburg, Va., is the deputy commandant of cadets for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets’ 1st Battalion.

‘89

Anthony H. Sgro (UA, PAPA ‘92), Rabun Gap, Ga., is head of school at the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Georgia.

William D. Waidelich (EDVT, EDVT ‘95), Zionsville, Ind., is executive director of the Association for Middle Level Education.

‘90s

‘90

Dawn Krumwiede Watkins (ENGL, EDSP ‘94), Lexington, Va., received the 2011 Order of Fraternal Excellence Award from the Fraternity Executives Association Inc.

‘91

Laura Worley Fornash (MKTG, HTM ‘98), Henrico, Va., was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell as secretary of education for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Scott A. Rowan (ENGL), Chicago, Ill., published his first book, “The Urban Cyclist’s Survival Guide.”

Stella L. Volpe (EDPE ‘87, HNF), New Hope, Pa., is a professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions.

‘92

John N. Barrett (HIST), Pulaski, Va., is assistant director for Turner Place dining center at Virginia Tech.

John Bush (MARCH), Blacksburg, Va., was re-elected to the Blacksburg Town Council in November 2011.

Sherrie G. Clark-Deener (ANSC, VM ‘96), Christiansburg, Va., is associate professor of theriogenology in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Tech’s Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Barry J. Hoffman (ECAS), Newton Center, Mass., graduated from Boston University’s residency program in psychiatry.

Robert W. Hulvey (EE), Redondo Beach, Calif., was elected a distinguished engineer at Broadcom Corporation.

W. Paul Lipchak (ARCH), Pittsburgh, Pa., rejoined Williams Trebilcock Whitehead Architects.

Mark C. Popovich (PSCI), Suffolk, Va., is the county attorney for Isle of Wight County.

Tony R. Rice (CS), Cary, N.C., was one of 150 @NASA Twitter followers selected to attend the launch of Juno, a Jupiter-bound probe mission, at Kennedy Space Center.

‘93

Charles L. Zimliki Jr. (ESM), Chevy Chase, Md., is chairman of the Artificial Pancreas Critical Path Initiative, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and testified at a Senate hearing on diabetes research.

‘94

Elliott M. Gordon (COMM), Sherman Oaks, Calif., is vice president and general manager of digital media for Universal Sports.

Jill E. Norris (FIN), Christiansburg, Va., is the recruiting officer for the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Robert L. Smith (FPR), Christiansburg, Va., was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to the Forestry Research Advisory Council, representing forestry schools and state agricultural experiment stations.

‘95

Lawrence E. Skelly III (ISE), Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was the Hokie Hero for the Virginia Tech vs. Clemson University football game.

R. Thomas Whitlock (GEOG), Lithia, Fla., was the Hokie Hero for the Virginia Tech vs. Arkansas State University football game.

‘97

Jason A. Cecil (BIOL), Decatur, Ga., was promoted to the congressional affairs and external relations team in the policy office of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Global Health.

Susan Eberly Short (EDCC ‘93, EDCC), Salem, Va., is associate vice president for engagement at Virginia Tech.

Robert J. Weneck (TED), Pottstown, Pa., is principal of Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center.

‘98

Kathryn Webb Farley (AAEC, PIA ‘06, PAPA ‘11), Blacksburg, Va., was named Presidential Management Fellow by the federal Office of Personnel Management.

Cordel L. Faulk (PSCI), Charlottesville, Va., was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to serve on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Franklin N. Stovall Jr. (EDCI, EDCI ‘99), Clinton, S.C., is interim city manager for the city of Clinton, S.C.

‘99

Roger A. Craig Jr. (BIOL, BIOC), Newark, Del., appeared on “Jeopardy!” on Sept. 13, 2010, and set a record for one-day total winnings. In November 2011, he appeared on the show’s Tournament of Champions and won the $250,000 first-place prize.

Donald D. Kranbuehl (CE, ARCH ‘00), Raleigh, N.C., was the lead design architect for the Park Shops project, which won a 2011 American Institute of Architects’ Committee on Architecture for Education Design Award.

‘00s

‘00

Scott S. Frank (CE, CE ‘01), Jupiter, Fla., earned his professional engineer license and was promoted to vice president of operations at Ranger Construction Industries Inc.

Sherry T. Vaughn (EDCO ‘00), Hiwassee, Va., completed a missions trip to Caracas in summer 2011 to work with students at the Central University of Venezuela.

‘02

Ines Domingues Henriques (CE), Portugal, is CEO of Ynvisible.

James K. Houff (FIN), Arlington, Va., is chief operating officer for Fitzgerald Analytics.

‘03

Evan S. Mann (ARCH), New York, N.Y., completed architectural work on the Hirschl & Adler Galleries in Midtown Manhattan.

Andrew M. Markelz (PSCI), Camden, N.J., created www.CharityGiftMarket.com, an online marketplace that invites charities to post the products that they sell.

Erik C. Olsen (ISE), Blacksburg, Va., designed and developed a Blacksburg Transit bus stop database program and received an award from the Virginia Transit Association. Three student interns, who have since graduated, worked with Olsen and were also recognized: William R. Long III (MURPL ‘11), William C. Sutton (MURPL ‘11), and Greg Kodish (PUA ‘11).

‘04

Amy Kyger Frazier (PSCI, AAEC), Midlothian, Va., is vice president of government relations for the Alliance Group.

‘05

David L. Holt (EE, CPE), Chantilly, Va., is an associate in the Fish & Richardson patent group.

John R. Irwin (COMM), Culver City, Calif., wrote and directed a short film, “Sold,” that won Best Drama at the Hollyshorts Film Festival and was screened at the Bend Film Festival and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Elizabeth A. Nichols (BIOL), South Boston, Va., earned her doctorate in medicine from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

Brent J. Yoder (GSCR, CHEM), Hesston, Kan., is registrar at Hesston College.

‘06

Tracey C. Cook (BIOL ‘06), Greensboro, N.C., earned her master’s, graduating magna cum laude from Campbell University.

Kelley Gibbs Kent (FIN), Alexandria, Va., earned her M.B.A. from George Mason University.

Michael D. Sutphin (COMM), Blacksburg, Va., is the public relations coordinator for the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. In November 2011, he was elected to a four-year term on the Blacksburg Town Council.

‘07

Daniel R. Binder (VM), Christiansburg, Va., is a clinical instructor of ophthalmology in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.

Amanda Cronin Rumore (BIOL), Lynchburg, Va., was named the Virginia Tech Graduate Woman of the Year.

‘08

Stephen N. Homsey (HTM), Winchester, Mass., walked across America for multiple sclerosis (MS). Beginning in May and ending in November 2011, the walk, via the Steps for MS organization, sought to provide relief to and support for those suffering from MS.

Manisha P. Patel (ECAS, HIST), Greensboro, N.C., graduated from Elon University School of Law with a juris doctorate with specializations in business and general practice.

‘09

Crandall M. Turner (COMM), Cayce, S.C., is partner program manager for the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development for Luquire George Andrews Agency.

‘10s

‘10

Nathaniel Buss (PAPA), Watkinsville, Ga., was named a Presidential Management Fellow by the federal Office of Personnel Management.

Tavia C. Cawley (CE), Winchester, Va., was the Hokie Hero for the Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina University game.

Jenine S. Kotob (ARCH), Burke, Va., has completed her internship in Dewberry’s Fairfax office and is now interning in the Boston office while pursuing graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mark N. Walczyk (PSCI), Huntington, N.Y., was the Hokie Hero for the Virginia Tech vs. Appalachian State game.

‘11

Daniel J. Anderson (CE), Blacksburg, Va., joined the GeoTech Team at Draper Aden Associates as a staff technician.

Rebecca J. Cook (ARCH), Blacksburg, Va., is an architectural intern with HBA Architecture & Interior Design Inc.

Grace K. Cope (ITDS), Richmond, Va., is an interior designer for HBA Architecture & Interior Design Inc.

Theresa E. Pancotto (BMVS), Christiansburg, Va., is a clinical assistant professor of neurology in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Zachary D. Rattner (CPE), Richmond, Va., built an Android-phone-controlled pneumatic T-shirt cannon, with the help of other Virginia Tech students. The device tied for first place in the Battle of the Schools competition hosted by Qualcomm.

Weddings

‘60 W. Denman Zirkle and Ann S. Smith, Edinburg, Va., 7/16/11.

‘91 Jeffery D. Hurst and Meri L. Williamson, Davenport, Fla., 5/20/11.

‘97 Mitzi L. Frank and ‘00 Scott Frank, Jupiter, Fla., 4/23/11.

‘01 Thomas R. Greer III and ‘01 Erin A. Weiberth, Centreville, Va., 7/9/11.

‘02 Sarah Carlson Gilbert and Jeffrey Gilbert, Bethesda, Md., 5/21/11.

‘02 Jamison K. Shaffer and Melinda A. Morris, Houston, Texas, 2/20/11.

‘03 Nadine A. Edwards and ‘03 Brian Hollenberger, Manassas, Va., 11/20/10.

‘03 Nannette Jimenez Gordon and ‘04 Charles E. Gordon, Christiansburg, Va., 5/7/11.

‘03 Michelle R. Spiers and Scott W. Schmeissing, Indianapolis, Ind., 3/26/11.

‘04 Rebecca D. Miller and ‘04 Jason Street, Henrico, Va., 8/7/10.

‘05 Christopher C. Denton and ‘06 Melissa Dela Cuesta, Germantown, Md., 9/17/11.

‘05 Alexa Fraley Gardner and ‘08 Jeremiah J. Gardner, Christiansburg, Va., 7/8/11.

‘05 Timothy D. Nancarrow and ‘07 Caitlin Ashley, Christiansburg, Va., 3/19/11.

‘06 Lorin J. Atkins and ‘07 Erin S. Huber, McLean, Va., 8/6/11.

‘06 John J. Eichorn II and Chelsea E. Lee, Charlotte, N.C., 4/30/11.

‘06 Kelley Gibbs Kent and Chris Kent, Alexandria, Va., 5/6/11.

‘06 Joshua S. Lundy and Ilsa L. Morrow, Cary, N.C., 10/16/10.

‘06 Rachel Dalby Prindle and Timothy L. Prindle, Arnold, Md., 4/23/11.

‘07 Richard L. Anderson and ‘07 Courtney Cecil, Chapel Hill, N.C., 7/3/11.

‘07 Erin Hemry Nimitz and ‘07 Stephen C. Nimitz Jr., Blacksburg, Va., 10/23/10.

‘08 Matthew C. Borrie and ‘11 Melinda S. Hirt, Piscataway, N.J., 6/18/11.

‘08 Ryan S. Heider and Alison Zimmer, Downers Grove, Ill., 7/9/11.

‘08 Kirsten E. Lovo and ‘08 Robert Testa, Greenville, S.C., 8/20/11.

‘09 Kara M. James and ‘11 Mike J. Vellines, Blacksburg, Va., 5/21/11.

‘09 Abbey Carmichael Lombardo and ‘10 Matthew J. Lombardo, Virginia Beach, Va., 9/4/10.

‘09 Jerrod R. Miller and Kirstie D. Harmon, Dublin, Va., 7/16/11.

‘10 Russell W. Harris and Katherine Davison, Monrovia, Md., 4/30/11.

Births and adoptions

‘87 Frank B. Meador III, Chesapeake, Va., a son, 7/27/11.

‘95 Kory C. Brendsel, Chesapeake, Va., a son, 6/15/11.

‘96 Aretha Turner Ashby and ‘97 Terry T. Ashby, Long Beach, Calif., twin boys, 6/3/11.

‘97 Brian T. Boylan and ‘03 Priya P. Gowda, Fairfax, Va., a daughter, 7/22/11.

‘97 John B. Clair, Midlothian, Va., twin boys, 9/8/10.

‘97 Brian J. Crystal and ‘00 Mitzi Hall Crystal, Suffolk, Va., a son, 6/30/11.

‘98 Lauralyn Beckley Bottom, Ann Arbor, Mich., a daughter, 2/1/11.

‘98 Eric J. Erway, Austin, Texas, a daughter, 8/20/10.

‘98 Wendy Humphreys Meetze, Odenton, Md., a daughter.

‘98 Christopher D. Wagenseller, Lancaster, Pa., a daughter, 5/9/11.

‘99 Beth Jackson Castro and ‘99 Roque R. Castro, Culpeper, Va., a daughter, 6/20/11.

‘99 Amanda Rich Morgan, Virginia Beach, Va., a son, 4/28/11.

‘99 Wendy Fullan Parker, Cary, N.C., a son, 6/21/11.

‘99 Jeffrey M. Scattergood, Fairfax, Va., a son, 7/29/11.

‘00 Jason W. Bowers and ‘02 Catherine Fraga Bowers, Lititz, Pa., a daughter, 7/14/11.

‘00 David B. Coaker, Richmond, Va., a daughter, 9/1/11.

‘00 Julie Regal Gooding and ‘02 Christopher B. Gooding, Powell, Ohio, a daughter, 3/2/11.

‘00 Kelly Keister Svihovec and ‘00 Brian W. Svihovec, Cary, N.C., a son, 3/11/11.

‘01 Paul R. Daniels and ‘01 Valerie Lett Daniels, Portsmouth, Va., a daughter, 8/11/11.

‘01 Holly A. Gatton, Christiansburg, Va., a daughter, 8/1/11.

‘01 John C. Krebs, Bristow, Va., a daughter, 6/7/11.

‘02 Jeffrey A. Danto, Spring, Texas, a daughter, 7/18/11.

‘02 Julia Rose Duszak, Glen Allen, Va., a daughter, 7/27/11.

‘02 Edward J. Manlucu, Bristow, Va., a daughter, 8/29/11.

‘03 Mirjhana Boggs Buck and ‘03 Patrick W. Buck, Cumberland, Md., a son, 8/17/10.

‘03 Jonathan D. Keenan and ‘03 Carla Wilhoit Keenan, Richmond, Va., a daughter, 6/16/11.

‘03 John A. Majeski and ‘03 Meagan Schroeder Majeski, Red Bank, N.J., a son, 7/2/11.

‘03 Patrick F. Mish, Odenton, Md., a daughter, 6/9/11.

‘03 Phillip A. Wadl and ‘08 Erica Fritz Wadl, Powell, Tenn., a son, 5/2/11.

‘03 Camille Chapin Winter and ‘03 Michael L. Winter, King of Prussia, Pa., a son, 6/23/11.

‘04 Krysta Kerzner Ardigo and ‘04 Ryan L. Ardigo, Haymarket, Va., a daughter, 7/7/11.

‘04 Matthew L. Colohan and ‘07 Crystal Ricks Colohan, Virginia Beach, Va., twin girls, 7/5/11.

‘04 Ryan D. Eaves, Athens, Ga., a son, 8/7/11.

‘04 Robert A. Feldt Jr., Bel Air, Md., a daughter, 7/21/11.

‘04 Elige B. Grant V and ‘07 Meredith Brooks Grant, Houston, Texas, a son, 4/22/11.

‘04 Carey Fletcher Hutchins and ‘04 Jordan M. Hutchins, Richmond, Va., a daughter, 8/26/11.

‘04 Gregory A. LaForest and ‘04 Katherine Wood LaForest, Pittsburgh, Pa., a son, 5/21/11.

‘04 Matthew L. Reierson, Henrico, Va., a daughter, 9/10/11.

‘04 Melisa Lasken Shifflett and ‘04 Miles P. Shifflett, Lynchburg, Va., a daughter, 8/27/11.

‘05 Shannon Baker Denholm and ‘05 Kevin R. Denholm, Charlotte, N.C., a son, 2/28/11.

‘05 David C. Parsons and ‘05 Rebecca Boswell Parsons, Chatham, Va., a daughter, 9/3/11.

‘06 Bradley A. Cassell and ‘07 Catherine L. Canton, Burlington, N.C., a daughter, 8/23/11.

‘06 Heather H. Lockridge, Winchester, Va., a daughter, 7/7/11.

Deaths

‘38 James W. Green, Falls Church, Va., 8/21/11.

‘38 Hugh G. Ramsey, Dayton, Va., 8/1/11.

‘39 H.P. Boothe, Greeneville, Tenn., 9/27/11.

‘39 George D. Meador, Bandera, Texas, 5/25/11.

‘40 Anita Dunlap DuParc, San Antonio, Texas, 8/8/11.

‘40 Palmore A. Ferrell, Lynchburg, Va., 12/22/10.

‘40 J. William Mann, Fredericksburg, Va., 7/13/11.

‘41 John G. Bernard, Roanoke, Va., 9/24/11.

‘41 Margaret White Phillips, Norfolk, Va., 7/1/11.

‘41 William B. Vincel, Salem, Va., 7/28/11.

‘42 Howard T. Fox Jr., Orlando, Fla., 5/28/11.

‘42 Lester H. Halsey, Mouth of Wilson, Va., 7/1/11.

‘42 Arthur C. Klages, Greensboro, N.C., 8/1/11.

‘43 Reynolds G. Becker, Richmond, Va., 9/24/11.

‘43 William H. Dunham III, Richmond, Va., 9/22/11.

‘43 G. William Gearhart, Roanoke, Va., 8/18/11.

‘43 E.P. Luke, Sperryville, Va., 2/24/11.

‘43 Robert F. Samson, Vernon, N.Y., 6/27/11.

‘43 Charles R. Venable Jr., Bartlesville, Okla., 6/15/11.

‘44 David A. Thomson, Roanoke, Va., 8/8/11.

‘45 Daniel N. Anderson, Tampa, Fla., 7/21/11.

‘45 Robert B. Bockting, Chapel Hill, N.C., 1/29/11.

‘45 George E. Clark Jr., Chantilly, Va., 6/17/11.

‘45 Basil L. Jackson Jr., Bluefield, W.Va., 6/22/11.

‘45 Wilbur H. Jacobus, New Kensington, Pa., 3/29/11.

‘45 Richard A. Marriner, Lake Charles, La., 6/26/11.

‘45 Horace L. Pearce, Charlottesville, Va., 8/13/11.

‘45 James A. Proctor, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 6/17/11.

‘46 Alonzo E. Wood Jr., Bristow, Va., 7/30/11.

‘47 G. Milton Cheatham, Midlothian, Va., 8/26/11.

‘47 Charles H. Shaffer, Lynchburg, Va., 9/16/11.

‘48 Dorothy Tate Bushkar, Palmyra, Va., 7/4/11.

‘49 Carey K. Johnson, West Friendship, Md., 6/15/11.

‘49 William L. Wilkinson, South Hill, Va., 8/31/11.

‘50 Edwin V. Abbott, New Castle, Va., 8/12/11.

‘50 William J. Boyer, Hampton, Va., 9/10/11.

‘50 John F. Buck, Galveston, Texas, 6/9/11.

‘50 Paxton R. Candler, Baton Rouge, La., 7/2/11.

‘50 Carmen S. Davis, Staunton, Va., 9/11/11.

‘50 Harry P. Hancock Jr., Naples, Fla., 8/29/11.

‘50 Charles N. Hapsas, Winston-Salem, N.C., 8/3/11.

‘50 Hermann A. Wente, Albuquerque, N.M., 7/26/11.

‘51 Robert T. Barham Jr., Roanoke, Va., 8/24/11.

‘51 William S. Bear, Charlottesville, Va., 7/25/11.

‘51 E.C. Hastings Jr., Williamsburg, Va., 6/24/11.

‘51 Thomas W. Plymale, Huddleston, Va., 8/27/11.

‘51 Henry V. Shriver, Norfolk, Va., 10/4/11.

‘51 Robert G. Veselik, Chilhowie, Va., 9/23/11.

‘51 Finnie E. White Jr., Oxford, N.C., 8/8/11.

‘52 Francis G. Blanco, Endicott, N.Y., 3/4/11.

‘52 George P. Bowman Jr., Woodbridge, Va., 7/23/11.

‘52 Claude J. Burroughs, Granbury, Texas, 6/26/11.

‘52 J.B. Hilmon, Abingdon, Va., 7/1/11.

‘52 Henry C. Quinley, Santa Fe, N.M., 9/22/11.

‘52 George T. Stump, Gainesville, Ga., 7/27/11.

‘52 Hazel D. Wilhoite, Richmond, Va., 9/15/11.

‘53 Stafford V. Camp III, Courtland, Va., 3/1/11.

‘53 Paul S. Nekrasov, Lakewood, N.J., 5/21/11.

‘53 Robert L. Rhea, Staunton, Va., 3/1/11.

‘53 Edmond E. Seay Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 8/6/11.

‘53 Harry P. Woods, Richmond, Va., 9/2/11.

‘54 Curtis B. Dozier, Virginia Beach, Va., 2/27/11.

‘54 William J. Maxwell, Virginia Beach, Va., 3/5/11.

‘54 Norris H. Monk, Newport News, Va., 9/5/11.

‘54 Harold W. Pannell, Mechanicsville, Va., 9/15/11.

‘54 Ralph M. Turpin, Arlington, Va., 9/28/11.

‘55 Leon O. Talbert, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 9/11/11.

‘55 Edwin L. Williams II, Roanoke, Va., 6/30/11.

‘56 James B. Bibb Jr., Saline, Mich., 9/13/11.

‘56 Lewis M. Cooke Jr., Fairview Park, Ohio, 2/28/11.

‘56 A.C. Lilly Jr., Chesterfield, Va., 8/16/11.

‘56 Hubert S. Widener, Fancy Gap, Va., 7/9/11.

‘57 Melvin H. Bell, Silver Spring, Md., 8/8/11.

‘57 Marc S. Davis, Florence, S.C., 8/11/11.

‘57 S. Archer Green, Virginia Beach, Va., 6/24/11.

‘57 James A. Nolen, Appomattox, Va., 7/31/11.

‘57 Gene B. Ware, Leesburg, Fla., 9/14/11.

‘57 R.P. Wingfield, Roanoke, Va., 7/22/11.

‘58 Carolyn Yaggi Barnhart, Boones Mill, Va., 9/27/11.

‘58 Alvin G. Boyd, Edmonds, Wash., 5/17/11.

‘58 Charlie D. Doughton, Deland, Fla., 9/21/11.

‘58 Roy C. Dunkum Jr., Newport News, Va., 9/18/11.

‘58 William P. Wetherall, Boyce, Va., 9/12/11.

‘59 Lyle W. Butler Jr., Fort Smith, Ark., 7/25/11.

‘59 Thurmond C. Lea Jr., Orange, Va., 8/5/11.

‘59 William L. Matthews, Herndon, Va., 6/23/11.

‘59 C.W. Moseley Jr., Lynchburg, Va., 8/19/11.

‘59 E.W. Overstreet, Pinehurst, N.C., 7/28/11.

‘60 Glen L. Crane, Titusville, N.J., 8/11/11.

‘60 Harold G. Hollans, Macon, Ga., 8/5/11.

‘60 A. Nelson Simpson, Lynchburg, Va., 8/30/11.

‘60 J. Lewis Slaughter, Forest, Va., 9/5/11.

‘61 O.J. Byrnside Jr., West Melbourne, Fla., 9/24/11.

‘61 Charles D. Moberg Jr., Summerton, S.C., 8/30/11.

‘62 Ronald A. Henry, Roanoke, Va., 6/25/11.

‘62 John L. Jennings, Reedville, Va., 7/5/11.

‘62 Noah R. Perry Jr., Roanoke, Va., 9/17/11.

‘62 Bruce B. Poehler, Westminster, S.C., 2/24/11.

‘63 Arthur P. Burnett, Kutztown, Pa., 9/3/11.

‘64 Peter W. Delohery Jr., Marietta, Ga., 7/13/11.

‘65 Edward S. Harman, Bedford, Va., 8/7/11.

‘65 E.W. Perdue, Richmond, Va., 9/26/11.

‘67 George E. Coleman III, Richwood, Ohio, 7/2/11.

‘69 M.F. Meyerpeter, Virginia Beach, Va., 6/29/11.

‘69 Lester D. North, King George, Va., 9/18/11.

‘69 Edward C. Sheets, Midlothian, Va., 3/2/11.

‘71 Brenda Cronk Clowers, Roanoke, Va., 7/16/11.

‘72 Bruce W. Hart, Vienna, Va., 7/24/11.

‘73 Roger G. Campbell, Lottsburg, Va., 8/26/11.

‘74 Stuart A. Coiner, New Haven, Ind., 9/6/11.

‘74 Sylvia Simpson Hutchinson, Big Stone Gap, Va., 8/5/11.

‘74 Ellen G. Jenkins, Richmond, Va., 8/21/11.

‘74 David I. Joyner, Portsmouth, Va., 8/7/11.

‘74 Alan L. Stump, Roanoke, Va., 7/28/11.

‘74 John E. Taylor, Midlothian, Va., 9/11/11.

‘75 John E. Houser, Lexington, S.C., 7/13/11.

‘75 Marlin Smith Perkins, Chevy Chase, Md., 9/19/11.

‘75 Christopher E. Powers, Arvada, Colo., 8/21/11.

‘76 Michael D. Arthur, Fredericksburg, Va., 7/28/11.

‘76 Margaret McConnell Cox, Gate City, Va., 2/27/11.

‘76 Thompson H. Hall III, Roanoke, Va., 8/28/11.

‘76 Abraham B. Hardee, Winter Haven, Fla., 7/4/11.

‘77 Cheryl Pilson Freeman, Martinsville, Va., 7/7/11.

‘77 Janice McDaniel Huppert, Christiansburg, Va., 9/11/11.

‘78 Bruce C. Jenkins, Goochland, Va., 7/14/11.

‘78 Leonard M. Oakes, Christiansburg, Va., 10/4/11.

‘78 Edward E. Wildman, Huntington, Vt., 9/8/11.

‘79 Ralph E. Knight, Salem, Va., 7/15/11.

‘79 Matthew D. Orlins, Coronado, Calif., 6/13/11.

‘79 James J. Sokos, Danville, Va., 8/29/11.

‘80 John M. McClane, Virginia Beach, Va., 6/27/11.

‘81 Dianne Back Kesterson, Winston-Salem, N.C., 6/28/11.

‘81 Virginia Sommers, New Baltimore, Va., 8/29/11.

‘83 David P. Garman, Montgomery, Ala., 7/30/11.

‘85 David Meixler, Stafford, Va., 5/25/11.

‘85 Stuart C. Thomas, Winston-Salem, N.C., 8/23/11.

‘85 John E. Van Stavoren, Manassas, Va., 7/10/11.

‘86 James A. Holmes, Statesboro, Ga., 7/24/11.

‘87 R. Thomas Malcolm, Front Royal, Va., 8/30/11.

‘89 George G. Bready Jr., Dallas, Texas, 5/25/11.

‘89 Robert S. Fouts, Mechanicsville, Va., 3/4/11.

‘90 Amy Boswell Amos, Leesburg, Va., 7/6/11.

‘95 Daniel J. Horowitz, Naples, Fla., 6/21/11.

‘96 Tamara Loan Overcash, Raleigh, N.C., 8/8/11.

‘01 Michael F. Dorsett, Huntsville, Ala., 9/2/11.

‘05 Richard B. Hawkins, Midlothian, Va., 7/29/11.

‘06 Heather N. Shoemaker, Waterbury, Vt., 8/13/11.

‘08 Polly A. Schwandt-Zeiger, Blacksburg, Va., 7/1/11.

Obituaries

Hassan Aref, who held a chaired professorship and was a former dean of engineering at Virginia Tech, died Sept. 9. As the former chief scientist of the San Diego Supercomputer, Aref led Virginia Tech in its efforts in 2003 to develop its supercomputer, System X. Upon Aref’s arrival in 2003, he also suggested to Tech’s Division of Engineering Fundamentals that faculty members transition the division into the Department of Engineering Education in order to provide quality technology teachers for K-16. Faculty members agreed to the novel concept, and the department now offers graduate degrees related to engineering education. The department also hired several technical communications faculty members to enhance the communication skills of engineering students. Additionally, Aref helped to move the discipline of computer science into the College of Engineering, which led the engineering education department to develop a new freshman curriculum.

John A. Rohr, professor emeritus of public administration and a founder of the Center for Public Administration and Policy in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies’ School of Public and International Affairs, died Aug. 10. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1979, Rohr contributed to the research and study of governance and public administration, writing numerous articles and seven books. In 1988, he received the Distinguished Research Award, presented jointly by the American Society of Public Administration and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Rohr was conferred the professor emeritus title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors in 2008.

Jeffrey Robert Stewart Jr. (business education ‘53), a member of the Virginia Tech faculty for 35 years, died June 10. After earning his bachelor’s degree at Tech, he served for three years as a U.S. Air Force jet fighter pilot. Following his military service, he earned his master of science in business education from Tech and his educational doctoral degree in business education from New York University. He retired with the rank of professor emeritus in spring 1992. Stewart authored more than 50 business texts that were used as teaching tools at Blacksburg High School, throughout the United States, and in many other countries. Stewart was inducted into the Ut Prosim Society in 2004.

Photo by Jim Stroup

Alumni carve out niche in legal industry

Photo by Mark Araujo

Russ Kaulback ‘02 (left) and Guggan Datta ‘01

By Rommelyn Conde ‘07

Guggan Datta (computer engineering ‘01) and Russ Kaulback (business information technology ‘02) first bonded during their undergraduate years at Virginia Tech when they discovered a shared interest in cars. Their friendship would later become the foundation for one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country, Ignited Discovery LLC, an electronic evidence and discovery services provider.

After graduating, Datta and Kaulback both worked for a technology company offering “e-discovery” products and services for the legal industry. E-discovery assists law professionals in building cases through computer forensics, discovery, and document review, digitizing what traditionally has been a manual process for lawyers.

“The company we worked for was dealing with high-tech stuff, but we felt they were doing it in a low-tech way. We thought we could do it better and more efficiently,” said Datta. Among the services Ignited Discovery offers is data hosting, providing clients a searchable online database of evidentiary documents related to specific cases.

As 22-year-olds, the duo launched Ignited Discovery in a rented Fairfax, Va. office with $20,000 in combined personal savings, four computers, and two phone lines. In 2009, Ignited Discovery ranked No. 360 on the Inc. 500, an annual nationwide list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. In Inc.’s ranking of the top companies in the Washington, D.C., area, the company ranked No. 34. In 2011, Ignited Discovery was on pace to achieve revenue of $10 million, an increase from $4.6 million in 2010. “Seeing this company go from two people to 10, then 15, to now, where we have a team of 30 and we’re still looking to hire, it’s a great accomplishment for us,” said Datta.

In 2011, Ignited’s eighth year of operation, the company earned another mark of distinction, when it was acquired in July by Navigant. Even within a larger organization, not much will change: Datta and Kaulback will continue to serve as managing directors for a rapidly growing e-discovery team and related projects. “We’ve made sure that our original team stays intact. The only real difference is that we have more work,” said Kaulback.

The business partners credit their success to solid camaraderie and perseverance. “We’re still very good friends, and for a lot of people it doesn’t work out that way,” said Kaulback.

Rommelyn Conde (communication ‘07) is a graduate assistant for University Relations.

NASA mission control center named for alumnus

By Olivia Kasik

Photo Courtesy Of NASA

Christopher Kraft Jr. ‘44

As the National Aeronautical and Space Association’s (NASA) first flight director, Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. (aerospace engineering ‘44) not only worked with such acclaimed astronauts as Alan Shepard and John Glenn, but also played a role in many historic missions, including America’s first human spaceflight and first human orbital flight.

A key player in the concept development and implementation of mission control centers during his career, Kraft felt that “[the center] was my life in stone. Whenever we were in space, it felt like a very normal thing to do. It was my home.” Fittingly, in April 2011, the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center was unveiled in recognition of Kraft’s service and dedication to NASA.

After graduating from Tech, Kraft worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, NASA’s predecessor. In 1958, he joined the newly created NASA as part of the Space Task Group, to which then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower assigned the mission of sending man into orbit following the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik 1.

Kraft would go on to serve as flight director during all of the Mercury missions and most of the Gemini program and later as the director of flight operations during the Apollo program. “I couldn’t have been any happier. I wanted to go to work every day,” said Kraft.

Kraft was named the director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1972. He retired in 1982, but continued to work as a consultant. In 2001, he published his autobiography, “Flight: My Life in Mission Control.” “I wanted people to understand where I came from. … I want people to know that [there] were a lot of people along the way that contributed to my education and encouraged me, from kindergarten to college,” he said.

Kraft admits that Virginia Tech contributed greatly to his career. “I was given a very sound, fundamental education in science and engineering that supported me greatly when I became a working engineer,” Kraft said. “I think the people who were responsible for my education, the counseling I had, and the direct teaching I got, they all had a great influence on my future. I appreciated that a great deal and still do today.”

Olivia Kasik, a senior majoring in professional writing and psychology with a minor in philosophy, was an intern with Virginia Tech Magazine.