Experts available: Democratic veepstakes, Hurricane Debby, stock market plunge, Paris Olympics, and more
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
Will Kamala Harris's pick of Tim Walz for her running mate matter?
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is expected to introduce Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate at a campaign stop Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Political scientist Karen Hult and media communications expert Cayce Myers can offer insights into what strengths and weaknesses Harris’s pick brings to the ticket and whether, in the long haul, a vice presidential candidate can have any significant impact on an election’s outcome.
Hurricane Debby could bring 30 inches of rain
After making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend around 7 a.m. Monday as a Category 1 storm, Hurricane Debby is forecasted to dump as much as 30 inches of rain on parts of the Southeast as it slowly churns up the eastern seaboard. The storm is projected to cross Florida and hug the east coast, bringing deadly flooding and storm surge with it. Manoo Shirzaei can speak to the flooding hazards a storm of this size can create.
How will world market sell-off impact U.S.?
World markets plunged overnight, leading to a massive early drop in the U.S. stock market Monday, with the S&P 500 slipping more than 4 percent and the NASDAQ down nearly 6 percent. This came on the heels of a poor job market report Friday in the U.S., as well as unrest in the Middle East, showing the interconnectedness of the world’s financial markets. Economist David Bieri can discuss the reasons for this economic boomerang and what to expect in the near term.
The links between economic principles and Olympic greatness
“Every four years, the world tunes in to witness a showcase of how technological advancements and human capital investments drive extraordinary achievements,” says economic expert Jadrian Wooten. “The same forces that propel nations toward increased productivity and prosperity also push athletes to new heights of strength and speed. Understanding the economic principles behind these athletic feats provides insight into how countries can improve productivity through similar strategies.” Read more here.
Virginia Tech supporting Team USA House at 2024 Paris Olympics
Kaitlin Reese ’15 and James Morrison ’14 are playing instrumental roles in orchestrating the festivities at Team USA House, a central gathering place for U.S. fans, athletes, and athletes’ families at the Paris Olympics. Reese planned and is managing the event calendar for the three-week stay in Paris, and helped to enlist Morrison — also known as DJ TMMPO, who has served as the in-house DJ for Virginia Tech Athletics since his graduation — to be the house DJ. Both Reese and Morrison will be available from Paris for interviews.
National Water Quality Month highlights research to preserve clean water sources
August is National Water Quality Month, a time to contemplate conserving natural water sources and consider what households and communities can do to ensure and preserve access to clean, safe water. Many researchers at Virginia Tech pursue this goal, whether through teaching communities how to detect problems and protect their water sources, pioneering new approaches to removing pollutants, or even seeking new understanding of how water moves across the ocean floors. The efforts of these scientists to improve quality of life through quality of water span from Flint, Michigan, to rural Bangladesh. Review a list of researchers and their efforts to improve and preserve water quality here.
Research Highlights
Underground carbon storage project takes root
Uzezi Orivri is a former petroleum engineer who once spent his days focused on extracting oil and gas. Now, he’s now taking charge in the mission to successfully put carbon back into the ground. Recently announced by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and administered by the National Energy Technology Lab, Project ACCESS is a CarbonSAFE Phase II feasibility study in South Florida that will evaluate the potential for safe and permanent geological carbon dioxide storage at depths exceeding 7,500 feet below the Earth’s surface. Overseen by the Southern States Energy Board with Virginia Tech serving as the technical lead, Project ACCESS aims to store more than 1.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year and reduce the risk and costs of future projects. Read more here.
