Spotlight Archive

Monday, August 3, 2009

Dixie Watts Reaves, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics, was honored with the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 2009 Diversity Enhancement Award in recognition of outstanding contributions and demonstrated commitment to enhancing diversity in the college. Pictured above from left to right: Ray Ali, associate director of field operations for the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Reaves, and Loke T. Kok, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Science.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Food scientist Renee Boyer prepares fresh tomatoes for high-pressure processing. Boyer and her colleagues at Virginia Tech are working to inform produce growers and distributors about minimizing the risks of food-borne illness. Three new projects in the Department of Food Science and Technology are helping to increase safety of store-bought produce—namely, spinach, bagged salads, and tomatoes. A recent university spotlight on innovation has more information about this topic, including a sidebar on how food safety begins on the farm and a video on Virginia Tech’s food-safety research.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Virginia Cooperative Extension has revamped its online presence with a new and improved website that connects citizens with the research-based knowledge at Virginia’s land-grant universities: Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. The new site includes a directory of local offices and research centers, details about Extension’s program areas, online media kits on seasonal and “evergreen” topics, a list of Extension experts, newsletter and magazine articles, and information about volunteering for and supporting Extension. It also features publications and educational resources on a variety of topics. Each of the 107 county and city Extension offices in Virginia also has a new website, complete with office hours and directions, volunteer opportunities, a calendar of local events, news, and other resources.

Monday, June 29, 2009

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Department of Biological Systems Engineering’s graduate program among the best in its field. The “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2010” survey released in April ranked the program No. 7 among biological/agricultural engineering graduate programs. Since 1987, the newsmagazine has gathered the peer assessments of deans, senior faculty, and other professionals to provide prospective students with information about the nation’s top graduate schools and programs of study.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Guests at the fifth annual Garden Gala on Saturday, June 13, bid on plants, art, and other garden items during a silent auction. The Hahn Horticulture Garden hosted the “Red Carpet Gala” to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the garden’s founding in 1984. The HokieBird and clamoring paparazzi greeted guests as they entered along the red carpet. While strolling through the garden, they also enjoyed gourmet hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and live music. Garden founders Robert Lyons and Robert McDuffie were the honorary hosts, and Peggy Lee Hahn was the honorary gala chair. Photo by Jim Stroup