The Virginia Tech media relations office has experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news, including the escalating war in Iran, President Trump’s executive order to fund TSA agents, record budget standoff in Congress, the upcoming Artemis II launch, all about Easter treats, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.

Virginia Tech experts available to discuss headlines in the news

American troops head to Middle East with Strait of Hormuz still closed

With Iran still throttling exports through the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump continues to simultaneously speak of progress in peace talks and promise “obliteration” for Iran if deadlines aren’t met. Meanwhile over the weekend thousands of American military personnel were deployed to the Middle East, and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched attacks against Israel. Foreign policy expert Yannis Stivachtis can discuss the implications. ***Available starting Tuesday***

Executive order funds TSA pay, bypassing Congress

Transportation Security Administration workers have begun receiving back pay after an executive order from President Donald Trump bypassed the impasse in Congress. In the meantime, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will continue to be a presence in airports, while the partial government shutdown denying funding to the Department of Homeland Security has become the longest in U.S. history. Political scientist Karen Hult and political communications expert Cayce Myers can speak to these developments.

The first crewed Moon mission from the United States since 1972

Four astronauts are preparing for the launch of Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA hopes to launch Wednesday evening if conditions remain favorable. The plan is for the craft to fly to the Moon and back without orbiting or landing.  Aerospace engineer Samantha Parry Kenyon can speak to the significance of this mission.

The science behind Easter candy cravings — and when it becomes too much

Americans love Easter candy, spending more than $5 billion on it in 2024, with chocolate bunnies and eggs among the most popular treats, according to the National Confectioners Association. Brenda Davy, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise and a registered dietitian, and Alex DiFeliceantonio, an assistant professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, are both available to speak about the science of cravings and the negative effects of consistently eating too much sugar. More here.

History of Easter foods

American celebrations of Easter don’t only include egg hunts and sunrise church services. They also include Easter meals. Lamb, pork, eggs, Easter bread – these are some of the foods that are often found on Easter dining tables. From the holiday’s beginnings, extravagant meals were a hallmark. Candace Buckner, assistant professor of religion and culture at Virginia Tech, shares the history of traditional Easter foods and how they joined American holiday tables.

What you need to know before coloring eggs

Dying Easter eggs is an age-old tradition, but many Americans are looking for a more natural way to get those signature pastel colors, particularly with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent push for fewer synthetic dyes in food. Melissa Wright, director of Virginia Tech’s Food Producer Technical Assistance Network in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has advice on how to use ingredients you might already have in your kitchen to safely and naturally dye eggs this year. More here.

Podcast: AI is turbocharging the latest scams

Katalin Parti joined Virginia Tech’s 'Curious Conversations’ to talk about how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are turbocharging social engineering scams and what individuals can do to protect themselves. She shared the common techniques scammers use, what could make a person more vulnerable to scams, and the red flags that can help mitigate such threats. Parti also talked about a new project she’s working on with residents of a retirement community to develop real-time tools to assist them in thwarting threats. 

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

 

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