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

As football season begins, Helmet Lab continues to drive safety innovations

With football season upon us, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab continues to drive innovation in reducing concussions and brain trauma. “In 2018, we were the first program to fully implement rotational forces into our evaluation systems,” says Stefan Duma, founder of the Helmet Lab and director of the Institute for Critical Technology and Science. More recent testing has also shown the benefits of having more compliant material in the helmet itself, a discovery that ran counter to previous common wisdom. “We want whatever is protecting us to deform,” said Helmet Lab Director Steve Rowson. “The more something deforms, the less our bodies do. That energy has to go somewhere.” The lab recently updated its ratings system to be more selective and is currently conducting an ongoing study of youth helmet covers.

Trump warns of sending National Guard to other cities 

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to speak on Monday after President Donald Trump warned of sending the National Guard to other cities, such as Chicago. This comes as troops in Washington, D.C., begin to carry weapons as they patrol the streets. Political scientist Karen Hult and political communications expert Cayce Myers can provide historical context for these unusual steps.

FBI warns seniors about billion-dollar scam draining retirement funds

The FBI is warning of a scam targeting senior citizens and costing Americans more than $1 billion since 2024. The agency says the Phantom Hacker scam could cost victims their life savings. The scam has three phases: a "tech support impostor," "financial institution impostor," and a "U.S. government impostor." Privacy experts Donna Wertalik and France Belanger are able to talk about the scam, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you fall victim.

Expert explains rare earth elements and why the Department of Defense is investing in them

Rare earth elements thread invisibly through daily life, quietly powering everything from laptops to smartphones to cars, but up to 82 percent of rare earth elements are imported from other countries, primarily China. That’s why the U.S. Department of Defense recently signed an unprecedented 10-year deal with a private company, MP Materials, that operates the only rare earth element mine in the U.S in an effort to find its own sources. Aaron Noble can explain why rare earth elements are so vital, what the challenges are to home-grown mining, and what the government is trying to do about it. More here.

What’s driving beef prices so high?

“We are in the middle of a classic cattle cycle downturn,” says agribusiness expert Mario Ortez Amador. “U.S. beef production is declining because the national herd has shrunk to its lowest levels in decades. Incentivized by high cattle prices and high input costs, many ranchers culled cows heavily over the last few years rather than retaining heifers for breeding.” 

Economic expert David Bieri concurs. “Tariffs are playing a secondary but important role in beef pricing that consumers are seeing right now, with the impact becoming more pronounced in recent months,” Bieri says. “The primary factor driving record-high beef prices is a severe supply shortage.”

Hidden danger in the water: Protecting pets from blue-green algae

As people and their pets seek relief from the heat in lakes and ponds, a Virginia Tech veterinary expert warns of a hidden danger lurking in the water. “Toxic cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, can be fatal to pets within minutes of exposure,” says Alexandra Reddy with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s a concern for animals because the toxins produced by the bacteria particularly target the liver and nervous system.” Reddy is available to explain why these harmful algal blooms can be deceiving, what to look for, and how to protect your pets. More here.

Invasive pest threatens boxwoods in Virginia

Boxwoods are beloved ornamental plants used in homeowners' yards and landscaping in Virginia, as well as many other states. Depending on the species, these plants range from shrubs to small trees, and all of them are vulnerable to box tree moths. Virginia Tech entomologist Alejandro Del-Pozo has been researching them for the past four years and can offer insight on what this means for Virginia, who is most impacted, and how to deal with them.

Research highlights

Gut check: Glycemic control, not body weight, may influence how we learn what to eat

Maybe you shouldn’t always listen to your gut. Researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC recently studied flavor-nutrient learning — how people come to prefer certain food based on how it makes them feel. Flavor-nutrient learning is one factor that influences eating habits and may impact body weight. The team’s findings, recently published and slated for the Nov. 1 issue of Physiology & Behavior, suggest that measures of glycemic control — such as fasting glucose and HbA1C, which measures glucose levels over time — were more closely linked to how much participants' food preferences changed during the study. More here.

The price of shade: New study finds the location of trees affects home values

In densely populated urban areas, trees may be the leafy secret to an increase in property values. Through a novel meta-analysis, Pamplin College of Business researchers used multiple data sets to confirm that in urban areas, trees add value to a property, but it depends on where those trees are. Homes tend to be worth more when trees are nearby to provide shade and improve the look of the neighborhood. But on-site trees are not always desirable because they come with downsides such as maintenance or safety concerns, the study found.

The study, done in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, analyzed geographic information system data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for nine metropolitan areas to assess the value of tree coverage near properties.  The data shows property values based on tree coverage vary by city. 

 

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