News
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Scary science from science experts , articleIt’s officially scary season, but some aspects of our natural world can be frightening all the time. Here are a few examples of real-life scary science from Virginia Tech science experts.
Date: Oct 28, 2025 - -
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Quantum center levels up, generating new research, grants, space , articleHeadspinningly complex quantum advances are taking place in the Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering, which is dedicated to understanding the physics of quantum systems and how these principles can be harnessed for new technology and new applications.
Date: Oct 21, 2025 - -
Article ItemTeaching is Caring , article
“At the heart of this effort is the acknowledgment that education is a science that can be improved through research and practice,” said Estrella Johnson, an associate professor of mathematics who directs the center.
Date: Oct 15, 2025 - -
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Life’s building blocks may not be stable — just really, really long-lived , articleHydrogen and oxygen are like your English teacher and your gym teacher: familiar, solid, and stable — or are they? Research from a Virginia Tech physicist and his team points to a new way to test the stability of some of the universe’s most valuable players. No pressure.
Date: Sep 19, 2025 - -
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Rana Ashkar awarded faculty fellowship , articleAshkar is a recognized investigator in soft matter and biological physics. Her research on biomimetic lipid membranes, responsive polymeric systems, and tunable bio-interfaces has gained widespread interest for both its fundamental level and real-world applications.
Date: Sep 09, 2025 - -
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In memoriam: Kyungwha Park, professor of physics , articlePark, an internationally respected theorist in condensed matter physics, passed away Aug. 14 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer.
Date: Aug 29, 2025 - -
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Physicists decode mysterious membrane behavior , articleErratic cell membranes have puzzled scientists for decades. But when physicist Rana Ashkar’s team looked at membrane behavior on the nanoscale, they were able to identify the elusive biophysical laws that membranes have been following all along.
Date: Aug 01, 2025 - -
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Physics’ Rana Ashkar named 2025 Sloan Research Fellow , articleThe Sloan Research Fellowship recognizes exceptional early career researchers whose creativity, innovation, and accomplishments are poised to revolutionize their fields.
Date: Jun 24, 2025 - -
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Physicists measure muon particle’s model-defying wiggle , articleParticle physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator today released the final and the most precise measurement of a particle's anomalous behavior. Virginia Tech experts explain what these results mean for physics.
Date: Jun 03, 2025 - -
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Class of 2025: Akshay Bansal becomes first Ph.D. graduate in quantum computing , article"Like artificial intelligence, quantum technology offers a completely new approach,” Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jamie Sikora said. After several years of investment in faculty, students, and facilities, the Department of Computer Science is graduating its first Ph.D. student in the rapidly evolving field of quantum computing this May.
Date: May 16, 2025 - -
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Alumni leaders of industry spotlight: Erica Stump '16 , articleStump combined her passions for entrepreneurship and quantum computingto forge a path from startup founder to Sales Director at IonQ.
Date: Apr 23, 2025 - -
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Astronomers claim strong evidence of alien life, but experts urge caution , articleAstronomers detected a possible signature of life on a distant planet. A Virginia Tech astrophysicist offers insights into the discovery and urges caution.
Date: Apr 17, 2025 - -
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What overrides the brain’s satiety signals and promotes overeating? , articleA team of Virginia Tech neuroscientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC will capture real-time brain signals that govern people’s decisions about food with help from a $2.75 million grant.
Date: Apr 14, 2025 - -
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What in the world is quantum? Experts explain , articleIs quantum as hard to understand as everyone says? Well, yes. But for World Quantum Day, Virginia Tech professors from the College of Science and the College of Engineering help us figure out what all the buzz is about.
Date: Apr 14, 2025 - -
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Giti Khodaparast named fellow of international society of optics and photonics , articleKhodaparast, physics professor and L.C. Hassinger Faculty Fellow in Nanoscience, has been elected a 2025 fellow of SPIE.
Date: Apr 01, 2025 - -
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$10 million award from the Department of Defense will fund pioneering Sensing and Cyber Center of Excellence , articleThe center will engage in groundbreaking research with potential military and commercial implications.
Date: Feb 13, 2025 - -
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Journalist resource: Experts look ahead to the top stories of 2025 , articleWith the Trump administration’s promises of transformative policies across the economy, international relations, and climate action, Virginia Tech's experts are ready to add insights and context to your stories. To schedule an interview with any of our experts on the top stories of the year, email mediarelations@vt.edu.
Date: Jan 23, 2025 - -
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Virginia Tech physicist earns Early Career Research award from Department of Energy , articleMarie Boër, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and bridged faculty member at the Jefferson Lab, is expected to generate new foundational knowledge in the field of hadronic physics with her current research.
Date: Jan 13, 2025 - -
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Quieting the noise to bridge the quantum gap , articleQuantum computing may well be a vital component of our technological future. Steve Flammia, director of the Center for Quantum Architecture and Software Development at Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus, believes we're close to a breakthrough that could change the way we conceive of what's possible with computers.
Date: Dec 19, 2024 - -
Video ItemVirginia Tech researcher examines theoretical quantum information sciences , video
Sophia Economou, the T. Marshall Hahn Chair in Physics, is an expert in quantum information sciences and directs of the Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. Her work has led to several breakthroughs in the field, including the co-development of the first adaptive quantum simulation algorithm to solve classically intractable problems in a mostly autonomous way and pioneering the idea of efficiently generating photonic resource states from matter qubits. She is one of four researchers honored with a Jacob A. Lutz III Award for Eminent Scholars.
Date: Nov 18, 2024 - -
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For students, by students: New initiative aims to make Virginia Tech a leader in peer education , articleA new online academy, a community of practice, and an international journal are elevating how undergrads mentor, tutor, and coach students.
Date: Nov 13, 2024 - -
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Inaugural recipients named for Lutz Awards , articleSophia Economou, Zheng “Phil” Xiang, John Rossmeisl, and Markus Breitschmid earned the first Jacob A. Lutz III Awards for Eminent Scholars during Virginia Tech’s annual research awards ceremony, Celebrating Scholarly Excellence, on Nov. 6.
Date: Nov 13, 2024 - -
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Ancient rocks may bring dark matter to light , articleA Virginia Tech-led team is hunting for dark matter — not with telescopes or particle colliders — but by scrutinizing billion-year-old rocks.
Date: Oct 31, 2024 - -
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2023-2024 College of Science Award Winners , articleCollege of Science faculty members and staff recently were honored with awards from both the college and university.
Date: Oct 24, 2024 - -
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How to build a quantum computer that’s actually useful , articleThe Department of Energy is investing $5 million into a Virginia Tech-led program that is leveraging an adaptive approach to build quantum computers that can achieve quantum utility.
Date: Oct 16, 2024 - -
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In memoriam: Robert Lee Bowden Jr., professor emeritus of physics , articleBowden passed away July 21 in Blacksburg at the age of 91. He developed a reputation for being a teacher who challenged his students to reach their full potential.
Date: Oct 07, 2024 - -
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Advising award winners announced as Global Advising Week begins , articleAs the annual celebration of advisors begin, the award winners — a mix of professional academic advisors and a faculty advisor — shared their motivation, their love of Ut Prosim, and the joy of helping students overcome challenges.
Date: May 21, 2024 - -
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Virginia Tech physicists propose path to faster, more flexible robots , articleVirginia Tech physicists reveal microscopic phenomenon that could improve performance of agile flexible robots, microscopic capsules for drug delivery, and other soft devices.
Date: May 16, 2024 - -
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Class of 2024: Yannick Pleimling named Outstanding Senior for the College of Science , articlePleimling has forged connections through science and developed an extensive research portfolio of his own throughout his undergraduate education.
Date: May 06, 2024 - -
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'You are smart enough to be here' and other physics lessons from the 2024 College of Science commencement speaker , articleAs a kid, Alma Robinson did not want to be a teacher. Now an award-winning advanced physics instructor and the 2024 College of Science commencement speaker, Robinson shaped her career around lessons that challenge assumptions.
Date: May 06, 2024 - -
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Experts available: Trump on trial, Iran attack on Israel, tax deadline, and more , articleThe Virginia Tech media relations office has experts available for interviews this week to discuss Donald Trump's historic trial, Iran's attack on Israel, tax deadline tips, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact mediarelations@vt.edu.
Date: Apr 15, 2024 - -
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Problems with 3 Body Problem? Experts discuss physics, mathematics behind hit Netflix show , articleAdapted from the novels by Cixin Liu, the science fiction television series 3 Body Problem, the latest from the creators of HBO’s Game of Thrones, has become the most watched show on Netflix since its debut last month. Virginia Tech experts discuss how closely the story of 3 Body Problem adheres to the science that it’s based on.
Date: Apr 08, 2024 - -
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Landmark $50 million gift to dramatically expand health sciences research at Virginia Tech , articleThe Richmond-based Red Gates Foundation committed $50 million to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC to accelerate health sciences research at Virginia Tech. The gift is among the largest ever made to the university.
Date: Apr 02, 2024 - -
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Watch the April 8 solar eclipse on the Drillfield , articleThe College of Science and its Department of Physics will host the solar eclipse viewing event. In the Blacksburg area, the moon will cover 88 percent of the sun at approximately 3:15 p.m.
Date: Apr 02, 2024 - -
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Experts available: Solar eclipse, Trump on trial, Kate Middleton cancer diagnosis, and more , article
The Virginia Tech media relations office has experts available for interviews on the upcoming solar eclipse, Donald Trump's legal entanglements, Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis, and more.
Date: Mar 27, 2024 - -
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Media Advisory: Virginia Tech to host solar eclipse viewing event on the Drillfield , articleVirginia Tech’s College of Science and Department of Physics will host a solar eclipse viewing event for hundreds of students, faculty, and staff. Blacksburg will experience approximately 88% coverage, a happening that won't come again for another 20 years.
Date: Mar 25, 2024 - -
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'Curious Conversations' podcast: Daniel Hoek talks about righting a wrong understanding of Newton's law , articleHoek talks about the recent discovery he made related to Newton's first law of motion, how he became intrigued by the law, the puzzles surrounding it, as well as the misconception that objects with no forces acting on them exist and how Newton's own account contradicts this.
Date: Mar 11, 2024 - -
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Philosophy meets physics: Philosopher uncovers hidden truth about Newton's 300-year old law , articleVirginia Tech philosopher Dan Hoek has shared his discovery with educators and media outlets around the world, including an interview with Scientific American.
Date: Feb 14, 2024 - -
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Researchers use pioneering new method to unlock brain’s noradrenaline system , articleAn international team of researchers has provided valuable insights into the brain’s noradrenaline system, which has been a longtime target for medications to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Date: Jan 26, 2024 - -
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Physics' Giti Khodaparast elected 2024 Optica Fellow , articleKhodaparast, professor of physics in the College of Science, was selected for “contributions to understanding quantum and coherent states in multifunctional materials and educating researchers from underrepresented groups in science,” according to Optica.
Date: Jan 04, 2024 -