Experts available: Holiday shopping days, Biden pardons Hunter, '100 Days of Solitude', understanding neurdivergence, recycling plastics, 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
The economics of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holiday shopping days
Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday. Super Saturday. Virginia Tech economist Jadrian Wooten can discuss the origins and significance of these informally designated calendar landmarks that have nonetheless become retail and consumer traditions in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Available starting Wednesday.)
President Biden reverses course, pardons son Hunter
After initially saying he would not, President Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon for his son Hunter on Monday, ending his legal woes. Political and public relations expert Cayce Myers can speak about pardons, their political implications, and what this particular one means for Biden’s legacy.
New Netflix show highlights timeless appeal of ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’
Considered a monumental achievement in world literature, Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez’s novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” has moved and astonished readers for decades. The Netflix adaptation of the book premieres Dec. 11, offering a new interpretation of this classic story. “The novel can be read as an allegory of the Bible, of mythology, or of the history of Latin America, and, by extension, that of the world,” says Jacqueline Bixler, a Virginia Tech expert on Latin American theatre, literature, and culture. Read more of her insights into why the novel remains relevant and the challenges of adapting it for television here.
Podcast: Understanding and accommodating neurodivergence
Lavinia Uscatescu and Hunter Tufarelli joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the importance of understanding and accommodating neurodivergent individuals in various environments, particularly social gatherings during the holiday season. The pair shared the impact environmental factors can have on neurodivergent individuals, as well as the significance of predictability and communication in social settings. As a person with autism, Tufarelli also shared her first-hand experiences and the importance of embracing self-care.
About Uscatescu
Uscatescu is research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and oversees the Personalized Prediction Lab. Her research interests include using neuroimaging and eye tracking data to better understand autism, psychosis, and related conditions with a focus on developing more inclusive, neurodiversity-friendly environmental settings and psychological testing strategies.
Tufarelli is a sophomore studying psychology and a research assistant in Uscatescu’s lab.
Research Highlights
Greg Liu is in his element using chemistry to tackle the plastics problem
A long research project encompassing five or six years finally led to a breakthrough, with Greg Liu, a professor within Virginia Tech’s Department of Chemistry in the College of Science, and his team of undergraduate and graduate students finding a way to convert certain plastics into soaps, detergents, lubricants, and other products. Liu has written an article about the process,. and the feasibility and commercialization of it, that was recently published in Nature Sustainability, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. More here.
From community to cash flow: Research explores why affordable housing’s social goals often take a back seat
Affordable housing promises more than just a roof over one’s head. But new research reveals a troubling pattern: While many providers of affordable housing pledge to uplift communities, financial pressures often sideline social priorities. A new study led by Virginia Tech researchers reveals that “decoupling” — the disconnect between stated social goals and daily actions — is all too common.
“Balancing financial returns with social impact isn’t just about good intentions, it’s about having concrete metrics and clear accountability,” said Dustin C. Read, department head for the Pamplin College of Business’s Blackwood Department of Real Estate. “We saw that when progress toward social goals isn’t explicitly measured or openly communicated across roles, it takes a back seat.” Read co-authored the study with Donna Sedgwick, associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences’ Department of Sociology. More here.
