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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Monitoring water quality near Southwest Virginia coalfield restoration sites , videoThe Virginia Water Resources Research Center conducts fieldwork throughout the Appalachian coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia to monitor and assess stream rehabilitation. Researchers gather data on water quality and aquatic insect presence to continue to monitor streams impacted by runoff from former coalfields.
Date: Jun 26, 2026 - -
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Studying life at nearly a mile high , articleThrough fieldwork on Virginia's highest peaks, students are helping researchers understand how forest disturbances reshape wildlife habitat and ecosystem health, especially for the rare and vulnerable Weller’s salamander.
Date: Jun 26, 2026 - -
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Studying life at nearly a mile high , videoThrough hands-on field research on Virginia's highest peaks, students are helping researchers understand how forest disturbances reshape wildlife habitat and ecosystem health.
Date: Jun 22, 2026 - -
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The why: Justin Perkinson uses filmmaking skills to bring research to life , articleHired in 2018 to teach filmmaking and cinematography, Perkinson is using his background in virtual reality, 360-degree video, and other emerging technologies to highlight research endeavors done by professors that not only educate, but also prompt action.
Date: Jun 21, 2026 - -
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Experiential learning isn't just "for the birds" , videoUndergraduate students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment use passive acoustic monitors to conduct research on the number of bird species present at the Kentland Farm Historic and Archeological District. Gaining research experience before graduation helps provide students with skills for their future careers.
Date: Jun 18, 2026 - -
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Why some field trips stay with students for life , articleFrom climbing mountaintops and wading through marshes, memorable environmental education experiences have something in common. A new study from identifies the six principles that make outdoor learning programs stick with students.
Date: Jun 18, 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.