Lindsay Miles joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about her research on bed bugs, focusing on genomic sequencing, the history of bed bug populations, and the implications of their mutations. She explained how bed bugs evolved alongside humans, their genetic similarities, and the challenges in managing their populations due to their emerging resistance to pesticides.
Miles is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Entomology and an affiliate with the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Her research focuses on population genetics and molecular evolution to understand how urbanization impacts organisms and she is currently studying how urbanization and pesticide use can influence genomic evolution in bed bugs.
Shaily Patel joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about a new course she’s teaching that explores hauntology, its connection to ghost stories, and the cultural significance of these narratives. Patel explained the role of ghosts as cultural metaphors and how ghost stories serve as a way of making meaning out of past traumas. She also shared the significance of ghost stories in Appalachia and the importance of their role in how people make meaning of the human experience.
Patel is an assistant professor of early Christianity in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech. Her research explores the ways in which so-called magic was used to advance a number of theological ends in early Christian texts, and she teaches courses in New Testament, Christian apocryphal texts, orthodoxy and heresy, and demonology and exorcism.
Abhishek Reddy joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the impact of screen time and time of day on the suicide risk of adolescents. Reddy shared his recent study that examined these two factors, as well as the medicine used, among a group of adolescents who attempted to overdose. He also shared proactive strategies for parents and guardians to help mitigate potential issues, as well as some good sleep hygiene practices for people of all ages.
Abhishek Reddy is a faculty member and associate professor in the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. He works at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke with specialties in child and adolescent psychiatry and sleep medicine.
Webster Santos joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the intricate process of drug discovery and the rigorous multidisciplinary approach required to develop new pharmaceuticals. Santos is exploring a new weight loss compound that has the potential to help people lose weight without exercise and retain muscle.
Santos is a professor of chemistry and the Cliff and Agnes Lilly Faculty Fellow in the College of Science. He also directs the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, which is affiliated with the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.
Julia Basso joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about her research at the intersection of mind-body movement and neuroscience, particularly through the lens of dance. She explained how the Embodied Brain Lab explores the effects of dance on brain function, mental health, and social connections. She also shared the unique aspects of dance that make it an ideal activity for these studies.
Julia Basso is an assistant professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Embodied Brain Laboratory. Her research investigates the effects of exercise on brain function and physiology, and the neurobiological underpinnings of exercise motivation.
Michael Evans joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about controlled environment agriculture. He shared its historic roots, economic challenges, and impact on consumers. He explained how this method of farming allows for the cultivation of crops in controlled settings, the role technology plays, and the importance of efficiency and sustainability in modern agriculture.
About Evans
Evans is a professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and co-director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center, which is primarily housed in Danville, Virginia. His current controlled environment agriculture research is focused on the production of crops such as lettuce, herbs, medicinal plants, and strawberries in soilless and hydroponic systems within greenhouses, factories, and vertical farms.
Cayelan Carey joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about ecosystem forecasting, which provides near real-time predictions about water quality in lakes and reservoirs. She explained how utilizing advanced modeling techniques and data from sensors, her team at Virginia Tech is able to help water managers make informed decisions to mitigate issues like algal blooms, both in Southwest Virginia and across the globe. She also shared the importance of collaboration, both domestically and internationally, and the future potential of ecosystem forecasting beyond water quality.
About Carey
Carey is the Patricia Caldwell Faculty Fellow, a professor of biological sciences, and a founding director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Ecosystem Forecasting. Her research integrates freshwater ecosystem ecology and data science to examine how humans are affecting freshwater systems, and in turn how changing water quality is altering human decision-making.
Jonas Hauptman joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about his extensive work researching bamboo as a sustainable building material. He shared his journey into non-traditional materials, the challenges of using bamboo in construction, and the potential impact of bamboo might have in addressing global housing shortages.
About Hauptman
Hauptman is an associate professor of industrial design at the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, as well as the co-founder and co-leader of the Bio Design Research Group. He is also a fellow to Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity and Innovation, which has supported his bio-inspired design research through multiple projects.
Chris Williams joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the evolution and significance of additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing. He explained the differences between additive and subtractive manufacturing, the various materials used, and the advantages of this technology. He also shared some of the ongoing additive manufacturing projects of he and his colleagues.
About Williams
Christopher Williams is the L.S. Randolph Professor and the Electro-Mechanical Corporation Senior Faculty Fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. He is the Director of the Design, Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing Systems (DREAMS) Laboratory and holds affiliate faculty appointments in the Department of Engineering Education and the Department of Material Science and Engineering.
Bryan Hsu joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about bacteriophages, commonly called phages. He explained their role in the gut microbiome, their potential in phage therapy, and the potential as a tool against antibiotic resistance. Hsu also broke down how phages interact with bacteria, their dual nature as both beneficial and harmful, and the innovative ways researchers are engineering phages for therapeutic use.
About Hsu
Bryan Hsu is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and an affiliate of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. His research broadly focuses on using an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding and remodeling the gut microbiota with a special focus on discovering new phages and genetically engineering them for anti-bacterial and anti-virulence applications.
David Bieri joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of understanding economic climates and the importance of historical context and narratives in economic theories. He emphasized the role of government in providing certainty, the significance of individual actions in the economy, and the necessity of re-evaluating economic ideas and institutions. Bieri also highlighted the interplay between economics and humanity, advocating for a more thoughtful approach to economic systems.
About Bieri
David Bieri is an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs and an associate professor of economics. He also holds an appointment in the Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience. His teaching interests are at the intersection of public finance, monetary theory and history of economic thought. He has held various senior positions at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland. Prior to his work in central banking, he worked in investment banking in London and Zurich.
Matt Wisnioski and Michael Meindl joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the enduring impact of “The Magic School Bus,” which is best known as a long-running educational television show for children. Wisnioski and Meindl shared the insights they’ve gained while working on a National Science Foundation-supported research project aimed at understanding why the content worked and how it influenced the worlds of science, education, and entertainment. The discussed the television show’s origins and the importance of the collaborative nature that led to its success.
About Wisnioski and Meindl
Wisnioski is an associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Science, Technology, and Society.
Meindl is an associate professor in Radford University’s School of Communication and a Ph.D. student in Virginia Tech’s Department of Science, Technology, and Society.
The pair are co-investigators on a National Science Foundation-supported research project aimed at understanding why “The Magic School Bus” worked and how it influenced the worlds of science, education, and entertainment
Eiman Elgewely joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about her work using virtual reality and the principles of interior design to explore historical spaces. She described the research and collaboration required by such projects and explained how digital technology can help revive lost heritages, increase access, and provide insights for current applications. She specifically talked about two recent projects - 3D virtual reality creations of the house of Sheikh Isa in Bahrain and Meketre's ancient Egyptian garden. The latter can be experienced in the Cube at the Moss Arts Center from May 5 - May 7.
About Elgewely
is an Assistant professor of Interior Design at the School of Design and a Faculty Affiliate of the Center of Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech. Her research interests are in digital cultural heritage and museum studies and she currently leads several projects in the Visualization and Virtual Reality Lab.
Alex DiFeliceantonio joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the impact of ultra-processed foods on health, the NOVA classification system for food, and the role of dopamine in food choices. She highlighted the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in the American diet, their association with various health issues, and the challenges of navigating food choices in a highly processed environment. She also emphasized the need for a balanced approach to diet, recognizing the difficulties in reducing ultra-processed food intake while maintaining convenience and accessibility.
About DiFeliceantonio
DiFeliceantonio is an assistant professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and interim co-director of its Center for Health Behaviors Research. She holds an appointment with Virginia Tech’s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. DiFeliceantonio is a neuroscientist who studies how the brain integrates peripheral signals to guide food selection and eating behaviors. Using multimodal brain imaging and metabolic measures, her laboratory in Roanoke, Virginia studies food motivation to ask new questions about diet, food choice, and addiction.
Shalini Misra joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the impact of digital technologies on the Appalachian Trail. She explained a recent research project that surveyed trail resource managers to gather insights as to the challenges and opportunities emerging technologies present. She explained the tensions between traditional hiking experiences and modern technology, and emphasized the need for a balance between accessibility and preservation of natural environments.
About Misra
Shalini Misra is an associate professor of urban affairs and planning in the School of Public and International Affairs, which is located in the Virginia Tech Research Center — Arlington. She is also an administrative fellow in the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment. Misra’s research interests include the social, psychological, and health implications of the Internet and digital communication technologies, as well as public interest technology, its design and deployment, and the governance of digital technologies.
Brendan David-John joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about gaze data, exploring its applications in virtual and augmented realities and the associated privacy concerns. He highlighted the potential for gaze data to reveal personal information and related security implications, especially in a military context, and shared the projects he’s currently working on to better mitigate this threat.
About David-John
David-John is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Virginia Tech Private Eye Lab, as well as a researcher with the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. His research interests include eye tracking, virtual reality, augmented reality, privacy, and computer graphics.
Liesel Ritchie joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about how sociology can help people better understand community dynamics during and after disasters. Ritchie shared the importance of understanding social capital’s role in community resilience, as well as how natural disasters differ from other types of disasters that strike communities. She also emphasizes the need for strong community relationships and the importance of listening to community needs when providing assistance from the outside.
About Ritchie
Ritchie is a professor of sociology in Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Her research focuses on community resilience and the social impacts of disasters, including conducting social impact assessments, with an emphasis on technological hazards and disasters, social capital, and rural renewable resource communities. During her career, she has studied a range of disaster events, including the Exxon Valdez, BP Deepwater Horizon, and Wakashio oil spills; the Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash release; Hurricane Katrina; and earthquakes in Haiti and New Zealand.
Tombo Jones joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the intricacies of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. Jones explained the various regulations surrounding drone operations, the challenges of identifying drones in the sky, and the importance of safety measures. He also shared his insights into counter UAS strategies, including detection and mitigation techniques, and its implications for national security, as well as how Virginia Tech is helping advance both.
About Jones
Tombo Jones’ unique blend of aviation expertise and skilled leadership anchor his role as Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) director. He leads MAAP’s work as an FAA-designated UAS test site, an FAA ASSURE partner, as well as its leadership of Virginia’s team in the BEYOND program, directing the management and growth of a portfolio that encompasses major federal drone-integration initiatives and complex technical research projects. He serves on the Governor’s Aerospace Advisory Council and has served on FAA rulemaking committees.
Dustin Read joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the public perception of affordable housing, especially related to non-profit and for-profit providers. Read explained how building public support is a critical piece of affordable housing projects and his research on the various aspects that might influence that, including profit status and development size. He also shared his insights as to the impact such developments have on neighboring properties and communities.
About Read
Read is head of the Blackwood Department of Real Estate in the Pamplin College of Business. His research interests include property and asset management, as well as housing affordability, land use policy, and real estate development.
Laszlo Horvath joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of packaging, specifically highlighting the multiple factors to be considered during packaging design. Horvath also shared insights related to affordability and sustainability, as well as how international tariffs and other supply chain disruptions can impact packaging and ultimately customers.
About Horvath
Horvath is an associate professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment and the director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. His research interests include packaging sustainability, smart and connected packaging, and unit load Interactions, which is highlighted by generating information used to create a commercial pallet design software.
