Virginia Tech Magazine explores the land-grant university's legacy of innovation
As the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Land Grant Act is observed nationwide, the fall 2012 edition of Virginia Tech Magazine highlights the university’s commitment to its founding mission in a rich slate of feature stories, faculty and alumni profiles, and university news of note.
Forty-two years ago, now-retired Virginia Tech professor Leon Arp saved lives with one of his inventions, an infant respirator. For the edition’s cover story, Virginia Tech Magazine reunited Arp with one of those babies, now a teacher with a family of her own in Idaho. Carrying on the university’s legacy of innovation, student researchers in the Pediatric Medical Device Institute are mentored today by a professor who studied under Arp in the 1970s.
In the magazine’s third installment of a series on the blossoming tech sector and economic growth in the Roanoke and New River valleys, Virginia Tech alumnus Bob Summers explains how his latest venture, TechPad in downtown Blacksburg, nurtures startup entrepreneurs through collaboration and mentoring. His efforts will soon be matched by a similar venue in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, a complement to the range of university entities that support area businesses throughout their life cycles.
An alumni profile of Jenny Golding and George Bumann takes in the magnificence of Yellowstone National Park, where the couple makes their home. George, a teacher, guide, and sculptor whose bronze works are in high demand, and Jenny, director of education for the Yellowstone Association, daily open the wonders of the 2.2 million-acre park to visitors and locals alike.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the HokieBird’s current look, several alumni who played the mascot — including two who went “pro” as mascots — share their most memorable experiences as the beloved bird.
And in the spirit of the Halloween season, the latest installment of How Tech Ticks explores the myths and mysteries behind the assortment of gurgling gargoyles that adorn buildings across campus.
The Web version of Virginia Tech Magazine features online-only multimedia content. Hard copies of the magazine can be requested by emailing Jesse Tuel, magazine editor.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
Virginia Tech Magazine, fall 2012
The fall 2012 edition of Virginia Tech Magazine.
