The Virginia Tech media relations office has the following experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news, including Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance, the Winter Olympics, Valentine's Day, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.

Virginia Tech experts available to discuss headlines in the news

Bad Bunny highlights Puerto Rico’s history and culture in Super Bowl halftime performance

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was marked by symbolism, as well as cultural and historical references surrounding his home, Puerto Rico. Virginia Tech musicology expert Christopher Campo-Bowen and hip-hop studies expert Craig Arthur are available to break down the significance of the performance and why this stands apart from other halftime shows. 

How Olympic athletes use science to win

Racing through the air at Olympic speeds, athletes at the Winter Olympics in Milan need more than strength and skill — they need science. In sports like ski jumping, skeleton, and speed skating, aerodynamics can make the difference between getting the gold and going home empty-handed. Virginia Tech aerodynamics expert Chris Roy is available to explain what athletes are doing to take advantage of the science of aerodynamics. More here.

Quiet fitness: Why low-intensity movement matters

As we enter February, many people have already abandoned their ambitious New Year’s gym goals and intense training plans. What if fitness didn’t have to feel like a battle? A growing movement in exercise science suggests it doesn’t. Exercise and nutrition expert Stella Volpe says quiet fitness — the practice of embedding low-intensity, everyday movement into daily routines — is gaining traction as a sustainable, realistic alternative to high-intensity workouts. She’s available to explain why consistency over intensity might be the answer to better health. More here.

Cybersecurity will take center stage in 2026

From AI integrations to evolving scams, cybersecurity will continue to present new and pressing challenges in 2026. A group of Virginia Tech experts can discuss the trends they expect to matter most this year: the proliferation of robocalls; the expansion of AI usage in scams; industry challenges around knowing how to allocate resources for cyber defense; and the unexpected ways our devices may be leaking sensitive information. More here.

Rise in online grooming highlights need for early prevention

As young people spend more time online, experts say preventing cybergrooming starts with understanding how it happens and equipping youth with tools to recognize risks early. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that cases of adults soliciting minors online increased 192 percent from 2023 to 2024.  Ahead of Safer Internet Day on Feb. 10, Virginia Tech expert Jin-Hee Cho shared tips for keeping kids safe from online predators. More here. ***Available for interviews starting Tuesday***

Valentine’s Day: Finding your perfect pet match 

Looking for love this Valentine's Day? For many, the perfect match has four legs and a wagging tail or a purr. But just like human relationships, choosing a pet based on looks alone can lead to heartbreak for both pet and owner. Barbara Follett, theriogenology resident at the Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital, helps prospective pet owners think beyond appearance to find a companion that truly fits their life. More here.

Valentine’s Day: Romance films shape expectations of love

While binge-watching romance films can be a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Virginia Tech experts Sarah Ovink and Rose Wesche say formulaic depictions of love may set unrealistic expectations for real-life relationships. Ovink says meda’s role in shaping expectations of love starts early and points to classic Disney folks. Wesche says Hallmark-style movies  rarely show the complexities that characterize real-life relationships, such as conflict, financial stressors, and other challenges, but instead end when characters commit to their “one true love.” More here.

Wuthering Heights: The novel vs. film will differ dramatically

The highly anticipated release of Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie, is set for this Friday, February 13. But will this latest film adaptation live up to Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel? Shoshana Milgram Knapp, an associate professor of English at Virginia Tech, is available to discuss why this novel lends itself to adaptations and whether the story is actually the “greatest love story” as many say it is.

Podcast: Data centers and water usage explained

Landon Marston joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the relationship between data centers and water usage. Marston explained the amount of water used by data centers, what they’re doing with it, and the reality of the national and local impacts. He also shared aspects localities might consider before welcoming a new center.

“Curious Conversations” is available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

Research highlight

Land across Chesapeake Bay area is sinking. New study shows by how much

The entire Chesapeake Bay region is sinking. A recent Virginia Tech-led study published in Nature Scientific Reports provided highly precise rates of subsidence, or sinking land, which vary from 0.4 to 3 millimeters per year across the bay area. According to the study, major cities in the bay area are seeing varying rates of subsidence: Washington D.C., and Baltimore about 1 millimeter per year; Ocean City, Maryland, about 2.4 millimeters per year; and Hampton, Virginia, about 2.3 millimeters per year. The sinking itself is not a surprise: The first documented reports of vertical land motion in the Chesapeake Bay came from surveys between 1940 and 1971. But a team of geophysicists wanted more precise rates to better understand why it's sinking and how it affects coastal hazards. More here.

 

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