The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.

Virginia Tech experts available to discuss headlines in the news

Historic trial of former President Trump begins today

Jury selection has started in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president in the nation’s history. In a complex case, Manhattan’s district attorney seeks to prosecute Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The trial is expected to last several weeks, disrupting the presumptive Republican nominee’s campaign to retake the presidency. Political science expert Karen Hult can discuss the historic and governance aspects of this unprecedented trial, while public relations expert Cayce Myers should shed light on how the trial hurts and helps Trump’s reelection efforts.

Israel response after Iran launches hundreds of drones over weekend

Over the weekend, Iran fired off more than 300 missiles and armed drones in retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on its diplomatic compound in Syria. It’s the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel. Now, Israeli leaders are discussing how best to respond. Virginia Tech international affairs experts Joel Peters and Ariel Ahram are available to speak about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Israel’s response options, and how this could impact its efforts in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.  

Deadline to file taxes TODAY: Last minute tips & protecting your privacy

The clock is ticking to get taxes filed before tonight’s deadline. Virginia Tech finance expert Jesse Lineberry is available to offer last minute tips to help make it as easy and stress-free as possible. Read more here.

While taxes can be stressful, there is also a concern about the information you share and its impact on your privacy. Virginia Tech information privacy and cybersecurity experts and co-founders of Voices of Privacy, France Bélanger and Donna Wertalik, share ways to spot a scam and tips for managing privacy and security when filing. Read more here.

Earth Day 2024: Experts available to discuss environmental issues and how to solve them

Earth Day is one week away on April 22. The Virginia Tech media relations office has a number of experts available for interviews surrounding a variety of topics and research, including sustainable transportation, 3D printing wind turbines, plants that pollute the air, AI and sustainability, and more. Story ideas are available here.

3 Body Problem: The science behind the hit Netflix show

The science fiction television series 3 Body Problem, the latest from the creators of HBO’s Game of Thrones, has remained the most watched Netflix show worldwide since its debut last month. The epic plot turns on complex concepts in quantum physics and astronomy — the show’s name comes from the three-body problem, a conundrum in physics that dates back to Isaac Newton — but how accurately does the show follow its science? Quantum physicist Djordje Minic and aerospace engineer and mathematics expert Shane Ross discuss the three-body problem and how the series’ depiction lines up with science and celestial mechanics. Ross, in particular, has worked on solutions to the three-body problem. More here.

As mining needs grow, so does the need for more engineers

Across all sectors, from consumer electronics to the defense industry, from automotive manufacturing to aerospace, mineral needs are increasing. In particular, green energy technologies such as electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, grid energy storage, and wind turbines require such metals as copper, lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and manganese. But as the mining industry is booming, finding highly trained mining engineers requires deep digging. “If we're going to achieve all the great things we want to accomplish as a society around clean energy production and storage while elevating the standard of living for billions of people, we will need to produce much more mined material,” said Aaron Noble, head of Virginia Tech’s Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, part of the College of Engineering. Read more here.

Podcast: Developing reusable materials to help enable a circular economy

Jennifer Russell joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the concept of an environmentally-friendly circular economy. She explained that a circular economy represents a shift away from the linear economy, which follows a take-make-dispose model, instead focusing on reducing waste and reusing materials. Russell shared examples of tangible products and industries that can be, or already are, part of a circular economy.

Russell is an assistant professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment and a faculty affiliate of the Global Change Center in the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. Her research is centered around the integration of industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis, and opportunities for circular systems and practice in materials and energy systems.

Research Highlights

FAA approves Virginia Tech’s updated test method for drones to fly over people


Thanks to Virginia Tech research, the Federal Aviation Administration has approved a test method for flying drones over people. As of April 5, the updated means of compliance established by the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership has been accepted by the FAA and published as a notice of availability in the federal register, establishing its availability for use. These updated testing methods allow the use of parachutes when assessing potential failure modes, an important step for the drone industry. “With the addition of parachutes, the new means of compliance includes the ability to consider a parachute recovery system as a tool to reduce injury, greatly increasing the likelihood that an aircraft equipped with a parachute will pass,” said Robert Briggs, chief engineer with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. Read more here.

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