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Summer 2014

Feature

New packaging degree will position graduates for high-demand careers

Students who enroll in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials’ newly approved packaging systems and design undergraduate degree won’t spend four years just learning to think outside the box — they’ll think about the box itself.

Feature

All for the birds: Mitchell Byrd remains a friend of the college

Alumnus Mitchell Byrd has lost neither his eagle-spotting ability nor his passion for birds.

From the Dean's Perspective

College News

Student Notes

  • Article Item
    Alex Garreston
    Garretson shines in 'Spring Awakening' , article

    Alex Garretson of Rockville, Md., a senior double majoring in wildlife science and theatre arts, starred in the School of Performing Arts’ spring production of “Spring Awakening.”

  • Article Item
    Corinne Diggins
    Grad student works to preserve endangered flying squirrels , article

    Realizing that the tiny northern flying squirrel depends upon red spruce trees, scientists from government agencies and nonprofit organizations have been protecting and restoring landscapes that support the once-plentiful tree and releasing suppressed trees as well as planting seedlings in the central Appalachian Mountains.

  • Article Item
    New School theater
    Serving community and the arts , article

    As a service-learning project, students in Professor Robert Bush’s Senior Seminar in Forest Products Marketing and Management built an outdoor “theater” for the Blacksburg New School.

Staff Member Spotlight

  • Article Item
    Kathie Hollandsworth
    Hollandsworth's lifetime of music , article

    Cheatham Hall’s favorite musician, Kathie Hollandsworth, support technician for the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, and her band recently helped kick off the Crooked Road Festival celebrating mountain music in a sold-out performance at the Moss Arts Center’s new 1,260-seat auditorium.

Faculty Briefs

  • Article Item
    Geza Ifju Headshot
    In memoriam: Geza Ifju , article

    Professor Emeritus Geza Ifju, 83, passed away at his Blacksburg home on May 15 surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Beth, their seven children, and nine grandchildren.

  • Article Item
    Jess Jones
    Jones receives Rachel Carson award , article

    Restoration biologist Jess Jones received the Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

  • Article Item
    Donald W. Linzey
    Linzey honored with Jefferson Medal , article

    In a fitting tribute to a lifetime of dedication to the natural world, wildlife conservation instructor Donald W. Linzey has been awarded the Virginia Museum of Natural History’s Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Natural Science Education.

  • Article Item
    Promotions and tenure , article

    The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has granted several college faculty promotions and approvals for tenure.

Research Spotlight

Alumni Corner

  • Article Item
    Linda Casey
    Alumni Profile: Linda Casey , article

    Linda Casey (’74 B.S. forestry) knew building a career in her preferred field wouldn’t be easy. “I was the only female forestry major in my class when I started,” she said. “I didn’t know of any women in the profession at the time.”

  • Article Item
    John Wilburn
    In Memoriam: John Wilburn , article

    John D. Wilburn (’06 B.S. and ’12 M.S. forestry) of Grants Pass, Oregon, died in a kayaking accident in California on March 9 at the age of 30.

  • Article Item
    Bettina Ring
    Ring appointed Virginia State Forester , article

    Bettina Ring (’86 B.S. forestry) was selected by Gov. Terry McAuliffe this spring as Virginia State Forester.

  • General Item
    Additional alumni news

    We love hearing about all the great things going on with our alumni — awards, promotions, retirements, etc. Regrettably, we don’t have enough space in the newsmagazine to print them all. You can now catch up with former classmates and fellow Hokies online.