Faculty Research
Hellbender baby release. Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech
We’re bringing all our knowledge and skills to the table
There are more pressures and demands being placed on our planet’s resources than ever before, and, thus, there is also a greater need to preserve and build capacity for the future. Our faculty are tackling these challenges as they engage in applied and practical research that seeks to help us understand and solve some of our most complex global problems. Along the way, they are also training the next generation of leaders and policymakers who will carry on this legacy.
Jennifer Russell is blazing a new path that will merge research about natural resources and materials science with an innovative perspective incorporating environmental resources considerations with social and economic benefits.
She co-authored a U.N. report about realigning the manufacturing industry to decrease waste and stimulate economic growth and received a National Science Foundation grant to tackle the challenge of recycling polyurethane foams by applying life-cycle thinking.
We’re taking on the big issues — and we won’t give up
As a society, the environmental challenges we are facing can seem overwhelming. That’s why a sense of optimism is critical and drives our faculty-led research projects. The work that is happening in the college impacts management and policy decisions related to every aspect and area of the natural environment, from the atmosphere to what’s on the ground, in the soil, and in the water.
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Researchers receive $4 million to improve endangered species management on military lands , articleTwo projects earned $4 million from the Department of Defense to advance ecosystem-based wildlife management, helping military installations protect endangered species more efficiently.
Date: Jun 12, 2026 - -
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A Southwest Virginia salamander success story , videoA conservation story twenty years in the making, William Hopkins along with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources have releases their first cohort of captive-raised eastern hellbender salamanders back into the wild. Hopkins places salamander back into the streams where the hellbenders are declining to bolster wild populations.
Date: Jun 01, 2026 - -
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Researching sheep’s wool as an eco-friendly insulation material , videoA new study at Virginia Tech is exploring whether wool insulation from local sheep farms can compete with fiberglass in performance while offering a healthier, more sustainable option. The effort is funded through Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).
Date: May 28, 2026 - -
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Polymers as sustainable plastic alternative , videoResearch led by Maren Roman focuses on the molecular properties and potential applications of carbohydrate-based materials. Her lab uses ion chromatography and rheometry to determine the properties of glycomaterials.
Date: May 27, 2026 - -
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Research builds a cultural bridge across continents , articleIndigenous youth in the Arctic and Sri Lanka connected through shared stories, finding common challenges in food security, health, and identity while fostering cross‑cultural learning through community‑engaged, climate‑focused fisheries research.
Date: May 27, 2026 - -
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CMI leads pollinator survey to inform military land management , articleA new federally funded project equips Virginia Tech researchers to survey pollinators and habitat conditions at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, delivering data that supports conservation planning while helping maintain military readiness and environmental compliance.
Date: May 22, 2026 -
Stay connected to research that shapes our natural world
Get updates from the College of Natural Resources and Environment through our quarterly research newsletter to explore how Virginia Tech researchers are advancing solutions for a more sustainable future. Drawing on expertise in forest ecology, water resources, wildlife conservation, sustainable materials, geospatial science, and environmental education, our work connects people, data, and ecosystems — strengthening resilient communities across Virginia and beyond.
Our faculty are world-renowned experts in their fields
They are scholars, researchers, innovators, and change agents. They are leaders who take on the problems of the world and look for solutions, and then teach those who will follow them to ensure that their work will continue.
They are the world’s experts and they are right here at Virginia Tech.
Luis Escobar wants to answer the unsolved questions of how, when, and where cross-species virus transmission might next occur in wildlife. He’s traveled to Columbia with student researchers to understand how vampire bats can help predict and prevent the next pandemic.
Escobar has received a National Institute of Health award to study the spread of rabies to humans, as well as National Science Foundation funding to research the transmission of hantavirus as a means to determine how climate change may influence virus spillover.