Spectrum - Volume 17 Issue 18 February 2, 1995 - Newsmakers

A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor , a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

Newsmakers

Spectrum Volume 17 Issue 18 - February 2, 1995

Virginia Tech faculty and staff members and students are often the subject of significant national and state-wide news coverage. To better inform the university community about these accomplishments, the Office of University Relations has compiled this monthly report. The report excludes coverage in the Roanoke news-media market. For more information about the articles mentioned, call Nancy Templeman, university public relations specialist, at 1-5915 or contact your college public relations office.

The Concord

(N.C.) Tribune (Dec. 27, 1993): The paper carried an Associated Press story about the Cosmopolitan story on nurturing marriages that quoted College of Human Resources dean Peggy S. Meszaros on the subject of putting people first.

The Blade

(Toledo, Ohio) (March 2): A story about proposed legislation in Ohio to adopt the national plumbing code, which calls for a 2 to 1 ratio of women's to men's public rest room facilities, quoted the bill's sponsor, who cited figures to prove the need from research conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute (and State University) .

The Dallas Morning News

, Vindicator (Youngstown, Ohio) (March 4): The papers carried the syndicated Chicago Tribune column by Clarence Page on the plight of women faced with long lines for the rest rooms at large public gatherings. He cites the results of research conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University which bolsters the argument that large public venues need more public rest room facilities for women.

The Manhattan

(Kans.) Mercury , The Sun (Bremerton, Wash.), Edmond (Okla.) Evening Sun (March 10-12): The papers carried a story about consumer rights and bill-collector harassment at work that quoted Irene Leech , assistant professor of housing, interior design, and resource management. The story was originally carried in the Houston Chronicle .

Daily Commercial

(Leesburg, Fla.) (March 15): A story on nurturing children's creativity through appropriate toys for various ages featured suggestions from Cosby Steele Rogers , associate professor of family and child development, for children from 3 to 6 years old.

Bluefield

(W.V.) Daily Telegraph (March 27): John G. Casali , professor of industrial and systems engineering, was featured in an article on the development of a city noise ordinance and police training for enforcement purposes for the city of Princeton, W.V.

The Montgomery Journal

(Rockville, Md.) (April 26): The paper carried an AP story on the memorandum of agreement among Virginia Tech , Radford University, New River Community College, and Warm Hearth Village to establish a center for gerontological studies and research.

Rappahannock Times

(June 2): A story on the importance of outside play for children quoted extensively from an interview with Jean Vogler , assistant director of the Child Development Lab School.

Pensions and Investments

(Aug. 22): Don Chance , finance professor, was cited in stories on managed futures investment.

Public Broadcasting System (Fall):

Affiliate stations, including those in Miami, Syracuse, Chattanooga, Nashville, and northern Virginia, aired a half-hour documentary on freshwater mussels produced by Virginia Tech. The documentary featured Fisheries professor Richard Neves .

Pensions and Investments

(Sept. 19): Don Chance , finance professor, was cited in stories on managed futures investment.

WRVA Radio (Richmond) (Sept. 29):

Pamplin College of Business dean Rich Sorensen was featured in a five-minute interview segment on the economic development and tourism aspects of the Walt Disney Company's decision not to build an historic theme park near Manassas. Sorensen also was featured in an interview segment on the same subject aired by Virginia News Network (Sept. 29.)

WRVA Radio (Richmond) (Sept. 29):

Finance professor George Morgan was featured in a 10-minute segment discussing the Walt Disney Company's decision to abandon a site near Manassas for its proposed historic theme park.

Kalamazoo

(Mich.) Gazette (Oct. 2): The paper carried an article about Katherine R. Allen of family and child development and a speech she gave as part of the Western Michigan University Visiting Scholars and Artists program.

CNN, CNN Headline News, and CNN International News (Oct. 3):

A story featured civil engineering professor Ray Plaut 's research with inflatable dams to prevent the flooding of strategic buildings such as water-filtration plants.

The Indianapolis News

(Oct. 3): This and other papers ran a wire story from the Hartford Courant on quiz shows that quoted Matt McAllister , communication studies.

CNN (Oct. 8):

Human nutrition and foods assistant professor Denise Brochetti was featured in a segment on canning in the "On the Menu" program.

Virginia News Network (Oct. 10):

History professor Bill Ochsenwald was featured in a discussion of the buildup of Iraqi armed forces on the Kuwaiti border.

Voice of America (Oct. 24):

Associate professor of electrical engineering Ted Rappaport was featured in a story on the future of cellular phones.

KPFK-FM (Los Angeles) and KPFA-FM (Berkeley) (Oct. 28):

Assistant professor of political science Glenn W. Richardson Jr. was featured in a story about third-party candidates.

U.S. News & World Report

(Oct. 31): A story about technical workers featured Virginia Tech chemistry Ph.D. graduate Jenny Filbey and her major professor James Wightman .

WTOP Radio (Washington, D.C.) (Nov. 8):

Communication studies department head Robert Denton was interviewed about the 1994 Virginia Senate Race.

New York Newsday

(Nov. 22): An article on genetic ethics quoted Doris Zallen of humanities and science and technology studies.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio (Nov. 26):

The Paul Mellon Distinguished Professor of Agriculture, David S. Kronfeld of animal and poultry sciences, was quoted in a story on bovine growth hormone.

KQED-FM (San Francisco) (Nov. 29):

Political science professor Kim Spiezio was interviewed as part of a panel discussion on the conflict in Bosnia.

WRVA Radio (Richmond) (Nov. 30):

Agricultural and applied economics professor David Orden discussed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades.

"Ag Day" (Dec. 5):

Wolfgang Glasser and Bob Wright of wood science and forest products were featured in a story on Virginia Tech's steam explosion plant. "Ag Day" is an agiculturally based syndicated television news program, which is distributed daily via satellite throughout the Midwest.

Public Radio (Week of Dec. 12):

Stations across the state ran a Christmas-tree feature quoting Richard Krey of the College of Forestry and Wildlife Science's Reynolds Homestead.

CNN (Dec. 16)

and KNBC-TV (Los Angeles) (Dec. 17) : History professor James I. Robertson was featured in a story on how cartoonist Thomas Nast molded the American image of Santa Claus during and after the Civil War. This feature was originally produced by Roanoke Channel 10 and was used by many NBC affiliates.

Los Angeles Times

(Dec. 21): The column called "In Development" by Kathellen Wiegner carried a five-inch article about Heather Wren 's cockroach bait. The article not only mentions Wren and the entomology department at Virginia Tech, but also Dominion BioScience and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.

Richmond Times-Dispatch

(Dec. 27): The paper carried a story and a sidebar about Marshall Fishwick , communication studies, focusing on his study of pop culture and the publication of his custom-designed textbook Go, and Catch a Falling Star .

Blue Ridge Regional Business Journal

(January): A special section of this issue focused on "Hotels, Travel & Meeting Facilities" and included a "Profile" on Peter W. Kipp , director of hotel and operating services for the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center.

Omni

(January): Henry Bauer of chemistry was one of three scientists debating "The Inner Life of Lake Monsters" in the "Antimatter" section of the magazine.

Virginia Business

(January): The issue ran article on "The Seven or So Wonders of Virginia" featured the work of William Velander , professor of chemical engineering, and Tracy Wilkins , director of Virginia Tech's Fralin Center for Biotechnology, and listed their work on transgenic pigs as the number one wonder.

WETS-FM (Johnson City, Tenn.), WCVE-FM (Richmond) WHRV-FM (Norfolk), WMRA-FM (Harrisonburg), WNSB-FM (Norfolk), WVRU-FM (Radford), WVST-FM (Petersburg) (week of Jan. 1):

History professor William Ochsenwald discussed "Oil and Water" two critical issues in the Middle East, on "With Good Reason."

The Wall Street Journal

(Jan. 3): Robert Mackay , finance professor and director of the Center for the Study of Futures and Options Markets in the Pamplin College of Business, was cited in an op-ed article on derivatives regulation and the new chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Aviation Week and Space Technology

(Jan. 9): A story featured the jet-engine noise control work of the Department of Mechanical Engineering's Vibration and Acoustics Laboratory .

The Wall Street Journal

(Jan. 12): A front-page "Business Bulletin" featured the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering , which, under the direction of department head Michael Karmis, has found jobs for 100 percent of its graduates over five consecutive years.

Voice of America (Jan. 17): Jimmy Martin

of civil engineering was interviewed about earthquakes.

The Press

(Atlantic City, N.J.) (Jan. 8): Matt McAllister , communication studies, was extensively quoted in an article about the growing number of choices in TV programming.

Public Broadcasting System (Jan. 17):

The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour conducted a five-minute, live interview with Virginia Tech professor Fred Krimgold regarding search-and-rescue operations following the earthquake near Kobe, Japan.

Washington Post

(Jan. 19) and Richmond Times-Dispatch (Jan. 20) : The papers carried major feature stories on the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg.

Voice of America (Jan. 20):

The network aired a taped interview with assistant professor Dan Dolan of wood science and forest products about his project, an on-campus timber-frame structure that is designed to resist earthquake damage.

Richmond Times-Dispatch

(Jan. 23): The paper carried an op-ed written by president Paul E. Torgersen defending the essential role of Cooperative Extension.