Invasive species, pandemic prevention research presented to Board of Visitors committee

The Board of Visitors’ Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Committee heard a presentation this month on two transdisciplinary research projects funded through the university’s Destination Area 2.0 grants.

Jacob Barney, a professor of invasive plant ecology and principal investigator for the Invasive Species Destination Area, talked about the team’s work to mitigate the global threat of biological invasions.

The invasive species crisis is as costly as natural disasters, leads to animal extinctions, exacerbates droughts/wildfires, and leads to increased disease and food insecurity, Barney told the committee. It can lead to social conflict as well – what’s invasive to one person may be desirable to another person, Barney told the committee.

The work spans across the university, involving five colleges, three institutes, 11 Agricultural Research and Extension Centers, and a strong connection to the greater Washington, D.C., area. 

Barney praised the university’s decision to invest in key topics and solve important problems. He said the invasive species team wants to take “moonshots” to help solve the problem. “We want to be ambitious, not just make incremental improvements.”

T.M. Murali, professor of computer science and principal investigator for the Pandemic Prediction and Prevention Destination Area, briefed the committee on his team’s work to forecast and control future viral pandemics.

The team, which includes more than 20 faculty members from seven colleges and 13 departments, is working with nine external partners and has more than $37 million in external awards.

Working across diverse disciplines is key, Murali said, because the solution to the problem requires addressing moral, ethical, social, and policy considerations.

Associate Vice Provost Catherine Amelink, who opened the panel and introduced the speakers, told the committee the Destination Area grants are unique because they require faculty to focus on Virginia Tech’s three-part mission – student learning, research, and outreach/impact into our communities. Both projects, too, will fuel the Virginia Tech Global Distinction priority, designed to expand the university’s ability to tackle global-scale challenges. 

Providing support for these highly collaborative teams – which include STEM and non-STEM disciplines – is key to attracting and retaining talent and helping the university raise its profile around the world, Amelink said. 

The university is soliciting proposals for the next round of DA 2.0 Phase 1 projects.