News

Virginia Tech researchers recently gained a better understanding of hantavirus by studying its rodent hosts in North America using National Science Foundation data.

The new dean will replace Paul Winistorfer, who announced his retirement effective this fall, after 16 years of leadership and service to the college and Virginia Tech.

Melissa Cumbia ’12, an academic advisor in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment, was honored with the University Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising.

Mikayla Call is a Ph.D. student pursuing a research-driven career in coastal ecosystems and wildlife management. Her research with the Virginia Tech Shorebird Program is part of the Long-Term Ecological Research program in the Virginia Coast Reserve, which is dedicated to understanding how short and long-term factors such as storms and sea-level rise impact ecosystem state changes on Virginia's coastal barrier shoreline.

One of several research infrastructure facilities supported by the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, the Genomics Sequencing Center hosts a team of molecular biologists and uses next-generation sequencing technologies that will save researchers time, money, and risk.

Leadership Institute students visited state and federal agencies as well as top private organizations to learn leadership techniques.

Two College of Natural Resources and Environment students attended the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

By tagging the young mako shark, Virginia Tech researchers gained behavioral insights to help prevent the decline of the sharks in the region.

Kylie Harris '24 has always had a passion for conserving the natural environment, but her intern experiences and a job fair at Virginia Tech helped her channel that passion into a career with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

The Navy vet and Master of Information Technology student in the Pamplin College of Business was honored at the prestigious Student Veterans of America Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., last month.

The Kratt brothers, host of the popular PBS show "Wild Kratts," turned to wildlife expert Bill Hopkins to show off the hellbender salamander for a Nov. 4 episode. Check local listings for times.

Gabby Gorman went into wildlife conservation with the hopes of pursuing a career in wildlife rehabilitation and medicine. The summer internship at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center helped her to solidify her interest in this field.

The research team launched its White Shark Chase in the Sicilian Channel and located evidence of white sharks at four sites.

Haldre Rogers has been researching the impact of the invasive brown tree snake on the limestone forests of Guam for 22 years. Through this, she has learned the value of working with local and Indigenous people.

Using strategically placed trail cameras across Virginia, College of Natural Resources and Environment researchers are studying gray fox populations to determine if there are population declines.

NASA operates a flight facility at Wallops Island on the Virginia coast. Sarah Karpanty and her students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are conducting research as part of a five-year project funded by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to study the ecological impacts of NASA's shoreline stabilization on imperiled shorebird species that live and migrate along the coast.

Kathleen Alexander, Tom Dingus, Dan Givens, T.M. Murali, Amy Pruden, Dan Sui, and Bevlee Watford make up the university’s largest elected class to date and the largest number elected from a single Virginia institution this year.

Winistorfer, himself a first-generation student, fostered a culture of forward-looking innovation in the college, creating successful degree programs and student initiatives while emphasizing the college’s research portfolio.

Marcella Kelly leads a wildlife field techniques course for undergraduate students in wildlife conservation. After a semester of learning in the classroom, student gain hands-on experience in the field with lessons in small mammal trapping, bird surveys, herp (reptiles and amphibians) surveys and a week-long research project.

Esterhuizen ’12 will lead the planning and execution of a comprehensive strategic communications and marketing plan for the college that aligns with and advances universitywide strategic goals and initiatives.

Faculty in the College of Natural Resources and Environment have received $1.79 million from the National Science Foundation for an interdisciplinary research project that will examine the dynamics of socio-environmental factors impacting coastal fisheries.

In partnership with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Virginia Tech researchers received a $2 million science-guided conservation award from a joint venture of the National Science Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Abir Jain, a Ph.D. student in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, is conducting a community-wide study of seed dispersal of forest plants by animals. Jain and a team of both faculty and undergraduate researchers are marking certain species of fruiting plants in the region and monitoring them with trail cameras to determine which animals are responsible for dispersing their seeds.

Fourth-year Ph.D. student Thomas Bustamante explains why this species of minnow is crucial to the ecosystems of rivers and streams in Southwest Virginia.

The study from the College of Natural Resources and Environment reveals that social support is a key driver for diverse participation in wildlife viewing.

The College of Natural Resources and Environment is leveraging research in natural resources to shape the cities of tomorrow.

College of Natural Resources and Environment Alumna Lindsay Hermanns M.S. ’24 hosted the second annual festival.

Brown treesnakes have decimated many native forest bird species in Guam. Researchers previously thought removing snakes big enough to eat birds might allow the species to recover. New research shows snakes are killing birds whether they can eat them or not, possibly changing how experts approach conservation efforts.

Fifteen undergraduate students spent their spring break being inspired by the living laboratory of Charles Darwin.

The Dr. John F. Hosner Distinguished Lecture Endowment will bring leading voices to the College of Natural Resources and Environment while honoring the legacy of the college's honorary founding dean.

The projects supported in this year’s awards focus on the use of data science methods in the fields of chemistry, computer science, forest health, mathematics, psychology, public health, social sciences, and statistics.

Researchers in the Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech are learning about bat species in the southwestern USA. They partnered with the US Department of the Interior and Navajo Nation to place bat monitoring devices in an ongoing study to catalog biodiversity and the spread of white nose syndrome.

A new paper explores the critical role inland recreational fisheries play in providing affordable nutrition and how climate change threatens access for millions of people globally.

Caylen Wolfer, a Masters of Science student at Virginia Tech, is analyzing GPS data from transmitters attached to kestrels primarily located in Fauquier and Rappahannock counties. Her work is part of the Northern Virginia Piedmont Kestrel Project that began through a collaborative effort from The Clifton Institute and Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The broad goal of the project is meant to inform and guide land management decisions to best help this species which has been in decline. Brett Jesmer is Wolfer’s primary advisor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech, and her work is co-supervised by The Smithsonian’s Joe Kolowski. Her master's thesis focuses on how sex, breeding stages, and habitat influence the movement of kestrels and what impact that has on breeding success.

During the April 26 event, students presented posters on 246 projects that addressed wide-ranging real-world problems such as wildlife preservation, cancer treatments, autonomous vehicle algorithms, and world hunger.

After four years serving his country, the wildlife conservation major embraced Ut Prosim — and the joys of Virginia Tech football — to find his place in Blacksburg.

From local shrews to ocelots in the Amazon, Morse’s academic journey in the wildlife conservation major has been defined by hands-on learning experiences.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1989, Hallerman has made significant contributions to fisheries science and conservation through his work in genetics.

The Center for International Research, Education, and Development is partnering with the international nongovernmental organization FHI 360 on a U.S. State Department-funded project to strengthen the resilience of Tunisian farmers, fishers, and their communities in the face of climate change.

Morse, who is majoring in wildlife conservation with a minor in geographic information systems, is the 2024 Outstanding Senior in the College of Natural Resources and Environment.

A research team led by Associate Professor Leandro Castelli demonstrates that local knowledge of past harvests can provide an accurate – and affordable – depiction of historical fish stocks. 

A member of the Virginia Tech community for more than 43 years, Orth made significant contributions to the conservation and management of fishes through his work in streams and rivers.

The Virginia Tech media relations office has experts available for interviews to speak on issues ahead of Earth Day on April 22, 2024. Those topics include the environment, energy, infrastructure, invasive species, food waste artificial intelligence, sustainability, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.

The center's team is made up of four molecular biologists who work with the latest in next generation sequencing technology to support Virginia Tech faculty’s research goals.

Undergraduate Research Fellowships are helping students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment take their education into their own hands.

“I like to think of our research as blending together two previously unconnected fields: disability studies and wildlife recreation,” said Emily Sinkular, Ph.D. student and lead author of the study published in the journal Human Dimensions of Wildlife.

Virginia Tech researchers are participating in a new grant that will encourage maple syrup producers to improve forest biodiversity in an effort to help bird populations in the U.S.

Three alumni of the College of Natural Resources and Environment share their stories of moving into executive leadership roles in the field of conservation science and advocacy.

Paanwaris Paansri's dream of pursuing a Ph.D. in the United States seemed to be slipping away due to his struggles with the English language. But with the help of a determined professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and the dedicated staff at the Language and Culture Institute, Paansri not only improved his language skills but also gained the confidence to succeed in his academic journey.

In recognition of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, Feb. 26-March 3, invasive species experts, including those at Virginia Tech's Invasive Species Working Group, will come together with government officials and agency leaders to discuss prevention and management priorities.

Virginia Tech students shares experiences and insights traveling to Antarctica over the winter break.

Truman Collins is a transfer student in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. His interest in the margay, a small feline species in Belize, lead him to pursue undergraduate research. With the help of an undergraduate research fellowship, Collins can help conserve habitat for these cryptic cats.

A $2.6 million grant will fund a new wildlife forensic center in Botswana as part of Virginia Tech’s ongoing collaborations with the government of the Republic of Botswana to foster conservation and global research initiatives in Africa.

Virginia Tech President Tim Sands traveled to Botswana to meet with President Eric Mokgweetsi Keabetswe Masisi and celebrate the expansion of collaborative projects as part of Virginia Tech’s efforts to expand the land-grant mission globally.

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.

Dayer joined the podcast to chat about her work at the intersection of birds and humans, including a new project that explores the positive impact bird feeding has on human well-being and general tips for the hobby.

According to recent data, bird populations in North America have declined by approximately 2.9 billion birds, a loss of more than one in four birds since 1970. Experts say this bird loss will continue to grow unless changes are made in our daily lives.

Desraeli McBride is an undergraduate research fellowship recipient in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. McBride's research work focuses on American Oystercatcher chick habitat within barrier islands along the east coast.

Alexander, the William E. Lavery Professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, was recognized with an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Max Nootbar is a student in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. He received an undergraduate research fellowship to complete data analysis on piping plovers–an endangered shorebird species.

The team consisting of undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members traveled to the South American country this past summer.

Sydney Haney is a senior studying wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. Nature and wildlife inspires Sydney to share the importance of conservation through her photography.

Ashley Dayer and a team of researchers at Virginia Tech and beyond are working to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between bird feeding and human well-being.

Graduate students likely are familiar with the ways in which their colleges, programs, and labs provide financial support for them, but they may be far less aware of funding sources beyond Virginia Tech.

Doctoral student Paige Van de Vuurst is the lead author of research recently published in the Ecography journal that predicts that vampire bats — currently only found in Mexico and Central and South America — are on the move, with the United States being a viable home in 27 years.

The Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) program is an innovative interdisciplinary graduate education program offered by the Global Change Center designed to address the multidimensional aspects of global change. Click here to learn more about their work.

Wildlife conservation faculty Marcella Kelly and Brett Jesmer and their teams of student researchers are leading the efforts to protect jaguars and other animals in Belize.

Parkhurst has built a 35-year career around solving and preventing the problems that arise when people and wildlife find themselves in close quarters.

Escobar will study vampire bats in Latin America to learn more about the spillover of a wildlife disease that can severely impact human health: rabies.

In just the past year alone, the Virginia Tech flag has flown on all seven continents as Hokies traveled to over 50 countries to engage in study abroad experiences, pursue global research collaborations, and tackle international service projects. On Tuesday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Global Education Office will host its annual Study Abroad Fair on the Drillfield.

In this captivating journey, join Professors Ignacio Moore and William Hopkins—experts in Biological Sciences and Fish and Wildlife Conservation, respectively—as they guide a diverse group of Hokies on an extraordinary study abroad adventure to the Galapagos Islands. From students majoring in various academic disciplines to the unique wildlife encounters, this trip offers an unparalleled educational experience you won't want to miss.

Nine undergraduate students were paired with Fralin Life Sciences Institute-affiliated faculty mentors for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, a 10-week training program designed to give motivated undergraduates full-time research experience that mirrors real-world graduate work.

Virginia Tech researchers use geospatial data to understand shark catch and mortality rates in ocean sanctuaries, a critical step in merging data science with conservation efforts.

A $500,000 institutional research training grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will support Virginia Tech’s new Rural Environmental Health Ph.D. Fellowship Program by providing a two-year assistantship for six qualifying graduate students during the next five years.

A team of biologists from different universities are collaborating with state and federal agencies to introduce freshwater mussels into two urban streams in Reston, VA. Both streams flow into the Potomac River and subsequently the Chesapeake Bay. "A lot of times we have too much sediment in urban streams," said Associate Professor Sally Entrekin. "So the freshwater mussels are a lot like oysters, where they filter that sediment."

The projects target transdisciplinary discovery, learning, and outreach efforts that yield solutions to complex problems.

Researchers in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are collaborating with the fishing industry to better understand the population and distribution of summer flounder.

The freely available textbook released in June, titled "Fish, Fishing, and Conservation," is intended for a general education course, is research-based, and includes many examples, stories, videos, and links to ensure that the content is as engaging and as relevant to students as possible.

The gigantic, slimy salamanders known as hellbenders, once the apex predators of many freshwater streams, have been in decline for decades. A study led by Virginia Tech professor William Hopkins, published in The American Naturalist, determined that in deforested areas, hellbender fathers are far more likely to eat their entire brood than in areas that still have lush foliage.

Each year, the Fralin Life Sciences Institute’s Global Change Center and the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment allocate seed funding program to support researchers who are interested in tackling major global change issues from both biophysical and sociological perspectives.

Virginia Tech researchers and partners seek to understand the climate of ornithological societies and increase access through affinity groups or “flocks.”

A conversation with Don Orth, the Thomas H. Jones Professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, who is concluding a 43-year career teaching fisheries science at Virginia Tech.

The discovery by Stephen A. Smith, professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathology and director of the Aquatic Medicine Program at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Aquatic Animal Health.

Five graduates who came to Virginia Tech as transfer students talk about the highlights and challenges of studying fish and wildlife conservation and how growing up in rural Appalachia motivates them as Hokies.

Luis Escobar and his research group are studying the emergence of infectious diseases. "We know that many infectious diseases, especially emerging diseases, come from wildlife," said Escobar. In advance of an upcoming trip to Colombia to study vampire bats, Escobar and his team met near the Duck Pond to review critical safety information and field sampling protocols.

Students from six of the university’s colleges presented 210 posters at the April 28 event, an increase in participation of almost 25 percent above pre-pandemic levels.

A philanthropic grant from Virginia Hound Heritage will help support research on a disease impacting white-tailed deer in Virginia.

Students in the Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science fellowship spend the summer working in state agencies or with elected officials, practicing the policy research, writing, and communications skills they may use in their careers

A two-year collaborative project involving Student Engagement and Campus Life, the Perspective Gallery, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, and faculty members from the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design helped make science more accessible to members of the community through visual art, theatre productions, and the immersive art exhibition. “The Underwater Wonders of Toms Creek” allows visitors to see these fish “out of the water” with the hopes of cultivating a better understanding of conservation efforts.

Students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment spent the day with students from Humble Hustle Company, a non-profit organization that empowers black youth and connects diverse communities by creating innovative, inclusive spaces that inspire hope and promote giving. The partnership is part of the wildlife students' senior capstone project in conservation biology, in hopes to inspire students to get active in the field. Another goal for the day was to give Humble Hustle students a glimpse inside the college experience on Virginia Tech's campus.

William E. Lavery Professor Kathleen Alexander and other Virginia Tech faculty and students welcomed minority high school students from Louisa County, Virginia, to campus for tours and discussions about their future academic and professional opportunities after completing high school. Eight of the students, along with their teachers, will join Alexander in Botswana, where she is merging wildlife conservation with community health and economic development.

Transfer student Nathan Ferguson will graduate this spring from the College of Natural Resources and Environment, with dual majors in Wildlife Conservation and Fisheries Conservation with a human dimension's focus. "The level of involvement I've been able to get as an undergrad has been truly remarkable," said Ferguson.

The 12 students from five colleges have combined their interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion with their research to create programs aimed at both the university community and those beyond it

Students taking the biodiversity conservation minor capstone course have the opportunity to get out of the classroom and into the wetlands to do real-world conservation work.

Holloway, a first-generation college student, had numerous field and research experiences, including building stream habitats and doing tagging for eastern hellbenders

Deer afflicted with chronic wasting disease — also frequently referred to as “zombie deer disease” — will appear abnormally thin, move sluggishly, and salivate excessively. The disease is contagious and always fatal. Virginia Tech wildlife health expert Luis Escobar will be leading a study of transmission of CWD among Virginia's white-tailed deer population. He talks about the disease, what the study will do and how it is being funded.

The Graduate School recognized award-winning master's and doctoral degree students and faculty mentors at the annual event held during Graduate Education Week 2023.

A collaborative research team will seek to understand how rising sea levels will impact coastal communities, merging social science with geospatial information to help Virginia communities adapt to a changing landscape.

March 21, 2023 - His Excellency Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of Botswana, gives his public presentation, “Merging Conservation, Democracy, and Sustainable Development in Botswana,” in Squires Student Center.

Dean Paul Winistorfer recently illuminated how human, financial, and physical capital converge to create a culture of excellence in the college and championed the infrastructure improvements that are the keys to future success.

The Invasive Species Working Group is crowdsourcing resources and expertise to tackle global invasion species that are reshaping ecosystems, disrupting economies, and causing disease, costing an estimated $1.3 trillion globally each year.

Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi visited the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus Tuesday. In meetings with university leadership and in a discussion in front of a packed ballroom, the mutually beneficial collaboration between Botswana and Virginia Tech was highlighted.

The president of the Republic of Botswana visited Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus on Tuesday, March 21. His Excellency Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi accepted an invitation from Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to visit campus and gave a public presentation, “Merging Conservation, Democracy, and Sustainable Development in Botswana,” in Squires Student Center.

Alexander makes a global impact merging wildlife conservation with community health and economic development in Botswana.

Professor Kathleen Alexander's research in Botswana explores factors that influence the spread of diseases. Understanding how diseases infect and spread between humans and wildlife within the environment is crucial for public health on a global scale.

Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi will deliver a public presentation on Tuesday and meet privately with Virginia Tech President Tim Sands.

Tara Nepper, previously assistant director of alumni relations in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said she is excited to build bridges with an alumni base that is working to solve the critical challenges of today.

In April, Bill Hopkins will lead a roundtable discussion sponsored by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, where he will present a 30-year conservation plan for the species in Virginia that he authored in 2022.

With the National Science Foundation award, Escobar will research the disease ecology and biogeography of hantavirus to better understand disease transmission between species and to humans.

Researchers in the College of Natural Resources and the Environment contribute to research aligning fisheries management with shark and ray conservation.

The highly competitive program selected postdoctoral researchers who are working with Virginia Tech faculty mentors on projects ranging from rapid detection for foodborne pathogens to 5G to human energetics and obesity investigations.

A 2011 alumnus, Ickes brings an extensive background in fundraising and development to the role.

Graduate students from the College of Natural Resources and Environment are preparing the next generation of conservationists by teaching local elementary students about wildlife and engaging them in hands-on learning experiences.

Professor Marcella Kelly in the College of Natural Resources and Environment and undergraduate students in The Wildlife Society at Virginia Tech conduct research on native wildlife around Mountain Lake. Each fall, students place non-invasive camera traps (motion-triggered digital cameras) on trails and use the recorded images to study bear, coyote, and bobcat populations.

William Hopkins and Robert Bodnar were part of a technical team that recommended that the Virginia General Assembly and state agencies update state laws and regulations to protect against the potential environmental and health impacts of gold mining.

Ashley Dayer of the College of Natural Resources and Environment and Dana Hawley of the College of Science are leading a multifaceted project funded by the National Science Foundation to study the effects of bird feeding.

With membership spanning 20 institutions across the United States and Canada, Virginia Tech's Global Change Center joined ANGLES, a network of higher education professionals dedicated to graduate student leadership development centered in sustainability, environmental, and societal issues.

Graduate student Sharon Dorsey studies the federally endangered piping plover, which nest on barrier islands in New York. The beaches where she conducts research were once segregated. Dorsey shares her experience as a researcher and a racial minority in the field of conservation.

The Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Anthropod-Borne Pathogens will host the symposium on Friday, Oct. 7, with keynote speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes for Health, and One Health Institute.

The College of Natural Resources and Environment’s 8-year-old Advising Center is making a significant impact in setting students up for success in college and future careers.

Supported by the National Science Foundation, the team will examine how geography, population traits, and climate change affect the spread of infectious disease from vampire bats to other species, and propose new models for predicting when and where wildlife virus transmission might occur in the future.

Virginia forest landowners are invited to participate in fall networking and educational tours to learn more about sustainably managing natural resources.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1983, Stauffer made significant contributions to bird conservation through his work in the United States, Mexico, and South America, focusing on habitat requirements of migratory birds as well as grouse and quail.

Students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are getting a head start on career success through summer internships.

The new faculty are Haldre Rogers and Elizabeth "Beth" Nyboer in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Junghwan Kim in the Department of Geography, and Eduardo Molina in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials.

The grants created a range of opportunities for students, from exploring the video game Minecraft as a teaching tool to creating training materials for researchers working with marginalized communities. More than 70 undergrads participated, with the aim that faculty will be able to scale up programs to include more in the future.

Students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are making new and helpful discoveries about pinesnakes, green salamanders, and minnows.

The Junior Faculty Program from the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science is one example of ways the university's investment institutes help build new research programs and nurture collaboration.

Twelve ACC schools showed off Interactive projects at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History during the festival of creativity and innovation organized by Virginia Tech's Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology.

Current Hokies Caleb Turner and Lily Martin are part of their family legacies in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.

Francesco Ferretti, an assistant professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, polled an international team of scientists and practitioners to take a pulse of the greatest issues that are present in shark research, marine conservation, and fisheries science.

The College of Natural Resources and Environment is celebrating 100 years of women at Virginia Tech by sharing the stories of three women in the college — a student, a professor, and an alumna — who are finding their paths and leading the way for others in their fields.

Faculty Instructional Grants in the College of Natural Resources and Environment incorporate donor support to provide tools and technologies that enhance hands-on learning experiences across all departments.

The Virginia Tech natural history collection gives wildlife conservation students hands-on experiences learning to identify animal species.

During the past century, the Florida Everglades has been facing habitat loss, declining biodiversity, and an ecological collapse. Jeff Walters, the Harold Bailey professor of biological sciences and Global Change Center affiliate, is working with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to restore the Florida Everglades.

The Conservation Management Institute works with the military to protect threatened and endangered animals and plants while preserving critical conservation landscapes.

Kids' Tech University aims to inspire the future generation of scientists by bridging the gap between kids and experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Cassie Krause, a 2010 graduate of the College of Natural Resources and Environment, trains puppies to be service dogs for veterans with disabilities — a job that allows her to combine her love of animals and her desire to contribute to a greater cause.

A student in the College of Natural Resources and Environment spent the summer helping threatened sea turtles in North Carolina.

The Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center at Virginia Tech is a cooperative research and propagation facility to restore and recover endangered freshwater mollusks in Virginia and adjacent states.

Wildlife and forestry researchers in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are answering the call to help feed residents of the Duke Lemur Center.

Elizabeth Hunter has recently joined the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and the Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Eranga Galappaththi will join the Department of Geography.

Gabrielle Mountain is tasked with planning, promoting, and executing alumni engagement programming to meet institutional advancement goals.

The Hutton Program, a pilot program partnering with the College of Natural Resources and Environment and the American Fisheries Society, is enlightening high-school students about career opportunities in fisheries professions through first-hand experience.

Researchers in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are gaining a closer look at our elusive neighbors by putting collars mounted with small video cameras on bears to record their day-to-day activities.

The College of Natural Resources and Environment partners with several federal agencies to serve Virginia and the nation while providing students with unique learning opportunities.

Researchers at Virginia Tech, led by Professor Marcella Kelly of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, have placed collars counted with cameras on black bears. The cameras are providing windows--like this video of a bear overturning rocks while foraging--into the day-to-day moments of a bear's life.

Researchers are using genetic tools on banded mongooses to better understand how and why animal behavior changes in proximity to human development and how that change can impact infectious disease spread.

Led by Assistant Professor Francesco Ferretti, the team is seeking to become the first to tag a Mediterranean great white shark, one of the most endangered and least known white shark populations globally.

<div><div>Faculty and students from the College of Natural Resources and Environment are gaining a better understanding of the bluehead chub and uncovering their secrets just may be the key to conservation efforts.</div></div>

Fish conservation and engineering researchers will use a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to decipher the nest-building secrets of the bluehead chub.

Alexander, who has a robust research and outreach program based in Botswana, has garnered a significant international reputation as an expert in human and wildlife health.

Virginia Tech senior and marine fish conservation major Gwyneth Martin is studying microplastics and their frequency in freshwater fish as part of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute’s Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

One in eight people on the planet lack access to clean water, and drivers of freshwater salt pollution such as de-icers on roads and parking lots, water softeners, and wastewater and industrial discharges further threaten freshwater ecosystem health and human water security. Researchers from Virginia Tech have recently published their findings on salt pollution in Nature Sustainability.

Wildlife conservation major Haley Olsen-Hodges, the staff naturalist at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, brings extensive experience working with birds and other animals to the classroom.

Through words and illustrations, Amelia Schmidt strives to educate today’s youth on the importance of collaboration and preserving the environment through the publication of a children’s book.

Instead of their traditional trip to Richmond and Washington, D.C., over winter break, the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s Leadership Institute students connected virtually with conservation leaders from around the country.

Researchers estimate that 90 percent of the ocean’s biodiversity could be preserved by strategically protecting just 21 percent of the ocean, and that protecting high-priority areas would have significant ramifications for critically endangered ocean species.

Haley Olsen-Hodges, a wildlife conservation major at the College of Natural Resources and Environment, currently works with wildlife at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center — an experience she wants to use as a jumping-off point to help wildlife on a much broader scale.

Researchers are using stream quality data to find new insights into the interactions between the health of our natural spaces and human well-being.

Researchers from Virginia Tech, Cornell University, and Columbia University examined ways to improve awareness of coffee grown in a way that protects bird habitat.

New minors in the College of Natural Resources and Environment target students interested in global natural resources challenges.

Willandia Chaves, Brett Jesmer, and Patrick Corey Green join the college’s faculty in the 2020-21 academic year.

The hiring of Maryam Kamran reflects the college’s commitment to fostering community in the fields of natural and environmental sciences.

Hopkins, professor of wildlife in the College of Natural Resources, has been selected to receive a 2021 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education and Dominion Power.

Giovanni Walters and Margot Breiner each got valuable hands-on experience outside the classroom while to completing their degrees in wildlife conservation.

Dean Paul M. Winistorfer, who believes the next five years will be the most dynamic in the history of the college, shared some of the programs and initiatives that give the college a distinctive competitive advantage among national peers.

Funded by the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, 10 interdisciplinary research teams were awarded team-building pilot grant awards to tackle some of these complex zoonotic and vector-borne emerging infectious disease problems.

While pumas and foxes overlapped significantly where they lived and what time they were active, researchers found the predators had little overlap in what they were eating.

In a normal year, the program creates a "university feel" by including children in an interactive STEM sessions in a university classroom. But this year, the program will be hosted through Zoom and will mail packets of materials for hands-on activities.

Students in Professor Kevin Hamed's mammalogy class get an in-person look at identifying features of carnivorous mammals while utilizing outdoor spaces to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Interacting with Kevin Hamed, collegiate assistant professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, from a safe distance, makes all of the difference for Emma Weaver, a senior who is majoring in wildlife conservation.

The Fralin Life Sciences Institute is co-locating researchers from across three colleges at Virginia Tech to Steger Hall to make an impact at the interface of infectious disease and the environment.

Reticulated flatwoods salamander larvae successfully developed after being placed into two ponds in Florida where the species hadn’t been seen in over a decade.

During the inaugural “Fish and Ships” workshop researchers brainstormed ways to merge different data sets to address critical questions about human impacts on ocean biodiversity and sustainability.

The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is among a relatively small group of veterinary colleges awarded a T32 grant to train post-D.V.M. veterinarians in biomedical research.

In his new role, Hopkins will assist Matt Hulver, executive director, and his leadership team as they develop and implement the vision and strategic directions for the Fralin Life Sciences Institute to tackle grand life science challenges at the interface of the environment and the human condition.

The center will be administratively established as an institute-level center in the Fralin Life Science Institute and will include faculty participants from at least seven colleges and more than 25 departments on campus.

New research suggests that Bacille Calmette-Guérin, a tuberculosis vaccine routinely given to children in countries with high tuberculosis rates, might play a significant role in mitigating mortality rates from COVID-19.

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, people are beginning to understand the ways in which infectious diseases can devastate life. But disease outbreaks are not confined to just humans or to life on land.

“We want to encourage [our students] that we’ll all get through this, so 30 years from now they’ll be telling their kids about the time when they had to watch their professor stumbling around in a creek trying to catch a fish.”

Awards from the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science support new interdisciplinary projects, ranging from wireless charging for unmanned vehicles to the effects of microplastics on fish.

Researchers observed banded mongoose in several different environments in Botswana, gaining insight into the spread of a novel tuberculosis pathogen that is transmitted through olfactory communication behaviors.

Leigh-Kathryn Bonner, a fourth-generation beekeeper and founder and CEO of Bee Downtown, is featured as part of the public Distinguished Lecture Series, which brings some of the world’s leading scholars to Blacksburg to discuss critical environmental and societal issues in an open forum.

On Feb. 27 and 28, graduate students and communicators came together to strengthen their science communication abilities at the second annual ComSciCon–Virginia Tech.

The 2019 Lancet Countdown presents the findings and provides a collaborative perspective from 35 universities, institutions, and agencies on how climate change will influence human health.

The team was able to track the movements of individual white-tailed deer in real time throughout the storm, receiving satellite information on deer location and movement at four-hour intervals.

In a new study published in Rangeland Ecology and Management, Ashley Dayer, an assistant professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech, explores the diverse factors that influence how ranchers manage their land.

Kathy Alexander, a professor of fish and wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, and her collaborators have discovered a critical link between environmental dynamics and human health.

Professor Kathleen Alexander’s new immersive overseas study course in Botswana focuses on training undergraduate students on the many facets of wildlife work.

The college welcomed Ryan Brown as its inaugural visiting executive under an initiative that seeks to bring professionals to campus to share their knowledge and experience with students and staff.

Assistant Professor Ashley Dayer serves on a panel tasked with charting a course to face the challenges invasive animals pose to the survival of national parks.

Emmanuel Frimpong, Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, talks about his research in maintaining biodiversity and conservation of rare species.

A Cooper's hawk is flying free above Virginia Tech thanks to Hokies and the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke. The hawk flew into a window and then spiraled to the ground at the Alphin Stuart Livestock Arena. Less than a week later, the hawk has been released back into the wild.