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

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas

After becoming the strongest, earliest hurricane on record last week, Beryl hit the Gulf Coast of Texas Monday morning. It is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains to the Lone Star State over the next few days, with flood warnings stretching as far north as Illinois. Meteorologist Stephanie Zick can discuss the storm’s impact and what conditions that created it might mean for the rest of the hurricane season.

Biden rebuffs calls for him to step aside as nominee

President Biden has rebuffed calls, including from some high-ranking Democrats, for him to be replaced atop the Democratic presidential ticket in recent days. Political science expert Karen Hult and public relations expert Cayce Myers are available to discuss where things stand for Biden, what it would mean for him to step aside, and how this impacts the race for the White House. More experts on topics surrounding the election can be found here.

French left, center combine to deliver surprise election results

After the European Parliament elections in June saw a rise in some right-wing populist support, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for snap elections. The French left and center parties largely worked together to deny the far right parliamentary seats, creating a complicated, majority-less government. EU expert Dimitris Tsarouhas can explain what led to this unexpected result and even more surprising outcome this summer.

California Lake Fire threatens former Neverland Ranch

The Lake Fire in the mountains near Santa Barbara exploded over the weekend thanks to hot and dry conditions, burning more than 20,000 acres so far, with minimal containment. As wildfire expert Brian Lattimer can explain, the unusually long, wet winter in the west has actually created the conditions for a potentially stronger, later fire season this year. More here.

Experts provide lawn care tips during drought and extreme heat

Summer heat can take a toll on lawns and plants, especially when rain isn’t in the forecast. Virginia Tech turfgrass experts Mike Goatley and Dan Sandor share tips for keeping a healthy lawn during a drought. More here.

As Paris 2024 approaches, experts give tips for athletes, weekend warriors, and travelers

With just a couple weeks until the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, and with Olympic Trials wrapping up all around the world in different sports, Virginia Tech experts offer perspective on aspects of the competitions, applying Olympic habits to our own lives, and how the Games are impacting both travel to and life on the ground in Paris. See a full list of story ideas and related experts here.

Research Highlights

The magic of turning food waste into pigment

Working alongside K-12 schools, a Virginia Tech researcher recycled their food waste and turned it into a pigment the students then used for painting. The work started by collecting the waste based on colors rather than picking it up from the trash bins and sorting it afterward. Then the content is boiled, cooled, and pressed - pigmenting the water and separating solids from the liquid. Arabic gum is then used to stabilize the pigment and bind it to water. By teaching the students how to sort food waste and running workshops to recycle the waste into pigment with the students, she is raising community school awareness of food waste recycling opportunities through co-design methods. More here.

Researchers use AI to make children safer online

From the threat of “sextortion” to cybergrooming, children and teens face a growing range of online crimes, and three Virginia Tech researchers are working to make the digital world safer for them. Under the auspices of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, Jin-Hee Cho and collaborators Lifu Huang and Sang Won Lee in the Virginia Tech Department of Computer Science want to develop a technology-assisted education program to prevent online sexual abuse of children and teens. More here.

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