Tech, Wake Celebrate Partnership by Lynn A

TODAY’S EDITION See page 3 for changes in offices assisting those with SPECTRUM disabilities.

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY http://www.spectrum.vt.edu VOLUME 27 NUMBER 4 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 Tech, Wake celebrate partnership By Lynn A. Nystrom On Friday, Sept. 24, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will celebrate the establishment of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering & Sciences (SBES) academic program and the completion of a new interactive video classroom that is helping to make the academic exchange possible. These video classrooms, which are state-of-the-art facilities, connect the medical training provided by Wake Forest with the engineering education offered at Virginia Tech. The SBES graduate programs allow the enrolled students to earn either master’s or Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering, or a joint M.D./Ph.D. program through the WFU School of Medicine, or a joint DVM/ Ph.D. program through the Virginia Maryland Regional School of Veterinary Medicine. Students may take classes on either campus or via distance learning while residing on their home campus in either Blacksburg or Winston-Salem. Both Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have installed high-tech interactive video classrooms as the primary learning spaces Pictured above is a screen capture from “Virginia Tech News,” a daily, multi-media news and information service available online Monday. The service will be the primary source of up-to-the-minute campus information. (See TECH on 4) NSF award to fund Daily ‘Virginia Tech News’ multi-media service begins Monday three-year study of IT By Mark Owczarski e-mail, a brief, daily morning information news of the day, and direct the reader to the recruitment, retention Staying informed of the wide range of service that highlights each day’s major website where more information will be By Sookhan Ho Virginia Tech news stories, campus notices headlines and announcements. Approximately available.” A research team led by faculty and university events has just become much one to three news stories and one to three The Virginia Tech News website will members from the Pamplin College of easier. campus notices will be featured in each daily feature news stories, photographs, campus Business has received a National Science Beginning Monday, University Relations (Monday through Friday) e-mail that will be notices and the university calendar in one Foundation (NSF) grant of $617,000 to will introduce “Virginia Tech News,” a daily, sent early each morning to those who subscribe easy-to-access location. Information will be study the recruitment and retention of multi-media news and information service that to the service. added to the website daily or as needs warrant. African-Americans in information- will keep all members of the university “We’re very pleased to offer this service to News stories will focus on major technology-related graduate studies and community informed with up-to-the-minute the Virginia Tech community because it will administrative initiatives, educational jobs. campus news and notices. enable us to deliver in-depth information to programs, research projects and the many Wanda Smith, associate professor of The core of this service is the new Virginia faculty and staff members, students, and others accomplishments of faculty and staff management, will direct the three-year Tech News website, located off the Virginia much quicker than before,” said Larry Hincker, members and students. Campus notices will study. Project members include France Tech News homepage. Complementing the associate vice president for University Relations. include a wide range of campus-specific Belanger, associate professor of accounting website will be the “Virginia Tech News Daily” “The daily e-mail will identify the important (See DAILY on 4) and information systems and director of the Center for Global E-Commerce, Vernard Harrington of Radford University, George AdvanceVT releases results of university childcare survey Kasper of Virginia Commonwealth By Juliet Crichton for an evaluation of the business aspects of or adopt a child in the next five years. Most University, industry consultants, and student AdvanceVT, a National Science various approaches to meeting the needs of the respondents report using full-day childcare, research assistants. Foundation-sponsored comprehensive program university community.” five days a week, at a licensed or certified Smith said the project will study the at Virginia Tech that promotes and enhances Completed by nearly 1,400 university day-care provider. factors behind an encouraging development the academic careers of women in science and faculty and staff members and graduate students Analysis of the survey indicates that an in the 1990s—the number of African- engineering, has released the findings of a during the spring 2004 semester, the overwhelming majority of respondents—both Americans enrolling in and graduating from questionnaire that addressed childcare needs questionnaire was designed to determine what with and without children—feel that a graduate and undergraduate IT programs of the university community. childcare arrangements are being used, what childcare facility should be available either rose significantly. Citing NSF figures, she “The survey clearly shows that finding types of childcare parents would like to have on or near campus. In addition, those said the number of undergraduate computer- appropriate childcare is a challenge for many available, and the impact of childcare on respondents with children generally indicate science degrees awarded to African- parents at Virginia Tech, and that there is no parents’ ability to do their jobs. strong interest in using such a facility, and Americans, for example, rose 67 percent ‘one size fits all’ solution,” said AdvanceVT More than half of the 1,400 survey nearly half report that securing adequate from 1,997 to 3,330 between 1991 and Program Coordinator Peggy Layne. “The respondents report having children age 12 or childcare is difficult. (See ADVANCEVT on 4) (See NSF on 4) responses to the survey can provide the basis younger, and over a third indicate plans to have 2 SPECTRUM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 ACTIVITIES VENTS OCTOBER EMINARS E Friday, 1 S Friday, 24 (Editor’s note: For timely and expanded events Last Day to Drop. MCBB, 12:20 to 1:10 p.m., 102 Fralin: Dave Lampe, information, go to the Virginia Tech Events Calendar at Sexual Assault Awareness Month Begins. Duquesne University. http://www.calendar.vt.edu/main.php.) Saturday, 2 Geography, 3:30 to 5 p.m., 136 McBryde: Peter J. Football, noon, Lane Stadium: West Virginia. Hugill, Texas A&M University. Friday, 24 Geosciences, 3:30 p.m., 4069 Derring: Lawrence Taylor, Yom Kippur Begins (Sundown). University of Tennessee. New Faculty Workshop, 3 to 5 p.m., Fralin auditorium: Monday, 4 Statistics, 3:45 p.m., 409 Hutcheson: Blan Godfrey. Dan Inman. University Council, 3 to 5 p.m., 1045 Pamplin. Wednesday, 6 Thursday, 30 Saturday, 25 Statistics, 3:45 p.m., 409 Hutcheson: Val Parvu. Yom Kippur. “With Good Reason,” 7:30 p.m., WVTF. Football, noon, Lane Stadium: NC State. Theatre Arts Performance, 8 p.m., Squires Studio Theatre: Anton in Show Business. OCTOBER Friday, 1 Tuesday, 28 MCBB, 12:20 to 1:10 p.m., 102 Fralin: Rich Helm and GSA Graduate/Professional School Day, 10 a.m. Thursday, 7 Women Faculty Research Series Program, 4 to 5:30 Malcolm Potts. until 2 p.m., Squires Commonwealth Ballroom. Geosciences, 3:30 p.m., 4069 Derring:Chris Tadanier. Women Faculty Research Series Program, 4 to 5:30 p.m., DBHCC Executive Conference Room. p.m., DBHCC Executive Conference Room. Theatre Arts Performance, 8 p.m., Squires Studio Theatre: Tuesday, 5 Anton in Show Business. ESM, 4 to 5 p.m., 110 Randolph: J.A. Pelesko, University Wednesday, 29 Chamber Music, 8 p.m., Blacksburg Presbyterian Church: of Delaware. “With Good Reason,” 7:30 p.m., WVTF. Burning River Brass. College of Science Distinguished Lecture, 5:30 p.m., Thursday, 7 3100 Torgersen Hall: Astronaut Roger Crouch. Friday, 8 Statistics, 3:45 p.m., 409 Hutcheson: John Johnson. Theatre Arts Performance, 8 p.m., Squires Studio Theatre: Thursday, 30 Anton in Show Business. Friday, 8 Pay Date for Faculty and Staff Members. International Faculty Reception, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Cranwell MCBB, 12:20 to 1:10 p.m., 102 Fralin: Todd Primm International Center. and Luis Martinez. Geosciences, 3:30 p.m., 4069 Derring: Shu-Chun Su. BULLETINS Football parking information noted Phi Beta Kappa Chapter updates membership Department of Conservation and Recreation; Kenneth This is parking information for the home football game Virginia Tech’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the Mu of Virginia, Reckhow, director of the Center for the Analysis and Prediction on Saturday, Sept. 25. invites members who are new to the campus or to the Blacksburg of River Basin Environmental Systems, Duke University; and There will be no new parking in the following areas after community to register with the chapter for mailings, invitations, Virginia Senator Martin E. Williams. 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10. All cars must be removed from and announcements by providing name, e-mail address and The symposium presents the most recent research findings these lots by 10 p.m. on Friday: Stadium Lot, Track/Field mailing address to Nita Newswander, at [email protected], or and technical innovations and facilitates discussions by House Lot, Coliseum Lot, gravel lot behind Jamerson Center, by calling 1-5422. The chapter engages in service activities, individuals interested in water-resources management and Litton Reaves Lot, Engel Lot, Tennis Court Lot, Shultz Lot, awards scholarships, hosts two luncheons with invited speakers assessment. Speakers will address storm-water-management Derring Lot, Davidson Lot, Wright House Lot, Duck Pond Lot during the academic year, and especially values the opportunity issues such as low-impact development, watershed monitoring (formerly called the Overflow Lot), Price Hall Lot, and to welcome members to Virginia Tech. issues such as fecal contamination and source tracking, TMDL Washington Street (both sides of the road from West Campus development and implementation, GIS applications and Drive to Kent Street). Teaching with technology workshops offered decision support systems, water supply, groundwater flow, Additionally, vehicles that are parked along the outside The Faculty Development Initiative (FDI) has again contaminant transport, and advanced wastewater treatment. perimeter of the Duck Pond Road Resident Lot (the Cage) next expanded its free short-course offerings to address the For registration information, go to www.vwrrc.vt.edu or to the fence must be moved by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 10. instructional needs of faculty members. While FDI still offers e-mail Jane Walker at [email protected] or Judy Poff at Vehicles that are not removed from these areas will be towed. courses on Blackboard, Dreamweaver, web design and others, [email protected]. For clarification see the Football Parking Map at an attempt has been made to develop workshops that integrate www.parking.vt.edu, call Parking Services at 1-3200, or go to these skills within a more applied, pedagogical framework. As MAOP office moves www.parking.vt.edu. a result, many new topics are concerned with learner-centered The Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program instruction as well as practical applications of the Blackboard (MAOP) office has moved from 101 Price Hall to 122 Hillcrest Alumnus, astronaut to speak course management system. Hall. MAOP telephone and fax numbers will not change; Roger Crouch, Virginia Tech alumnus, senior scientist Titles and dates for these new courses are as follows: however, the mail code will now be 0260. for the International Space Station (ISS) and an astronaut on “Creating Learner-Centered Instruction for the Web” The new location will give MAOP greater visibility on two scientific missions of the Space Shuttle Columbia, will (Wednesday, Sept. 28), “Building Communities of Learners: campus and allow synergy with related student programs. speak on the vision for space travel in the first of the College Synchronous and Asynchronous Instructional Activities” Hillcrest Hall also provides access to much better programming of Science Distinguished Lecture Series. His talk, titled “Vision (Monday, Oct. 11 and Wednesday, Oct. 13), “Connecting With space for MAOP family meetings. MAOP will continue its for Space Exploration,” which will include the role the ISS Students Through Online Interaction” (Thursday, Oct. 7), “’Real mission and commitment to serve a diverse student body at will play in that vision, will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. Time’ Online Communication” (Thursday, Oct. 21), “Practical Virginia Tech. 29, in 3100 Torgersen Hall. A reception will follow in 1100 Record Keeping: Blackboard and Excel” (Monday, Oct. 4 and For more information, call 1-5023. Torgersen. The event is free and open to the public. Wednesday, Oct. 6), and “Read, Respond, Revise: Blackboard and MS Word” (Monday, Oct. 25 and Wednesday, Oct. 27). Free drop-in childcare offered Chartered University information available To register and view full descriptions for the above “Kids Night Out,” a drop-in evening of child care for For information on the Chartered University Initiative, workshops, visit http://www.fdi.vt.edu/fall/2004 and click on children aged 3-12 will be offered Tuesdays evenings, from 6 go to the web site found on the Virginia Tech home page “Register Now.” The web site also contains listing for all of until 8:30 p.m. until November 2. The location is the Women’s (www.vt.edu) which contains detailed information concerning FDI’s fall offerings. Although courses are designed for Center, Price House, behind McBryde Hall. this legislation, presentations on the implications of the instructional faculty members, graduate students and staff Children of any Virginia Tech student, aged 3-12 (must legislation, FAQ’s, and links to information compiled by the members may register as well. be toilet trained) may participate. There is no need to pre- University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary, For more information, contact Ed Schwartz at 1-4975, or register, and the service is free. For more information, e-mail Virginia Tech’s partners. e-mail [email protected] . [email protected]. Voter registration deadline October 4 Water resources research symposium set Export-control-compliance training set The Office of University Relations reminds all faculty The Virginia Water Resources Research Center’s annual A training session on export control compliance will be and staff members that the deadline to register to vote is Oct. research symposium will be held October 4-6, 2004 at the held Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 10:30 to noon in 1045 Pamplin. 4. Interested parties may register to vote at all DMV offices Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center on the Virginia More and more emphasis is being placed on compliance and public-assistance agencies. Voter application forms may Tech campus. “Assessing and Managing Virginia’s Water with export control laws. Individual faculty and staff members also be obtained at http://www.montva.com/departments/vote. Resources” is the theme of this year’s symposium. can be subject to fines and/or jail time for violating export Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Featured speakers include Brad Fenwick, vice president control laws. The training will be presented by Regina Turner, for research; Joseph H. Maroon, director of the Virginia manager Export Office, John Hopkins University Applied (See BULLETINS on 3) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 SPECTRUM 3 BULLETINS BULLETINS families of university faculty and staff members. International center to host reception The CDCLR will be located in Wallace Hall in the present The Cranwell International Center will host a reception in Continued from 2 site of the Lab School. The CDCLR will operate three celebration of the university’s international faculty members, Physics Laboratory, Office of Counsel. classrooms, one for 10 toddlers (15 to 36 months), one for 15 scholars and researchers on Friday, Oct. 8 from 5:30 until 7 p.m. The presentation provides a high-level overview of export young preschoolers (3 to 4 years) and one for 15 older The celebration will be an informal occasion for the compliance and illustrates how regulations impact the duties preschoolers (4 to 5 years). Head teachers in each classroom university’s international professionals to come together. This and responsibilities of individuals throughout the organization. will hold college degrees in child development and/or early is the first time the center has hosted an event for international The information is important in particular instances where childhood education certification. Qualified, experienced faculty members, scholars and researchers. Spouses and family foreign persons are involved (directly or indirectly) in the use teachers with college degrees and/or associate degrees in child members are welcome, and guests are encouraged to wear their or fabrication of goods and services that are regulated by development or child-care will serve as assistant teachers. The normal university attire. either the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will operate For more information, contact the center at 1-6527 or e- Commerce and export-compliance regulations from other year-round, except for a one-week in the summer, one week mail [email protected]. government agencies. during winter/holiday break, Memorial Day, Independence Nobel Laureate to speak at VCOM Day, two days for Thanksgiving break, a few professional Orange Effect T-shirts now available development days. The cost per child will be $700 per month The Student Government Association’s 2004 Orange Effect Sydney Brenner, Nobel Laureate and pioneer in genomics for a one-year contract. T-shirts are officially on sale. will be the keynote speaker at the first Via Research Recognition There will be an open house on Thursday, Oct. 14 from The official “Orange Effect” weekend begins Friday, Day held by the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. at the Lab School. Sept. 24, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 26. On game day, fans Medicine (VCOM) on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. For information about the CDCLR and application form, are encouraged to wear the 2004 Orange Effect T-shirt. Faculty Located in the Corporate Research Center, VCOM go to http://www.humandevelopment.vt.edu/cdclr.html to and staff members, alumni, and friends will be able to purchase educates primary-care physicians to serve Southwest Virginia download these items. For more information or an application Orange Effect T-shirts on line at vt.universitysportwear.com. and to advance research in human health. form, contact Christine McCartney, at [email protected], or The Via Research Recognition Day will include a call 1-6148. Six Flags America offers discount presentation of research abstracts and a poster review and Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland is hosting evaluation process, along with speakers and oral presentations. VT Majors Fair scheduled Government Appreciation Days on Saturday, Sept 25 and President Charles Steger will provide an overview of the The Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence and Sunday, Sept. 26. Tickets may be ordered on line for $16.49 per collaboration between VCOM and Virginia Tech and VCOM the University Academic Advising Center will be co-sponsoring person. (Children 3 and under are free). Credit-card orders can faculty members Jan Willcox, Hara Misra, Ashok Amin, the VT Majors Fair Thursday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at be placed at www.sixflags.com/parks/america. In the upper- James Mahaney, and Gunnar Brolinson will preside over Cassell Coliseum. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Our right-hand corner use Promotional Code 04GOVTDAYS and various sessions. Academic Diversity.” print the eTicket. Participants are asked to register with Kelly Varelos at The event provides the Virginia Tech community an [email protected] or by calling 1-4927. Registration is opportunity to support student success by helping our ODK accepting membership applications free for Virginia Tech faculty members and students. undergraduate students learn about the many major and minor Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits will be awarded programs of study available to them. The VT Majors Fair Society, is now accepting applications for membership through to participants and more information is available from Varelos. allows students to get to know the faculty and staff members October 11. Qualifications for students include being a junior, Child Development Center seeks applications and students who give the major its life. Students attending the senior, or graduate student, having a minimum 3.0 GPA overall fair will be entered in a drawing to win a Sony Color CliÈ PDA and excelling in at least one of five areas: scholarship; athletics; The Virginia Tech Child Development Center for and participating departments will be eligible to win a $150 campus/community service, social/religious activities, campus Learning and Research (CDCLR), which will be operation in departmental stipend. government; journalism, speech, mass media, creative/ January 2005, is currently accepting applications. The CDCLR Each academic department is asked to contact the Center performing arts. Faculty and staff members are requested to will continue to offer quality care and education that the Lab for Academic Enrichment and Excellence at [email protected] by encourage qualified students to apply. ODK is also accepting School has been recognized nationally and internationally for Friday, Sept. 30 to provide the contact information for the nominations by ODK members for faculty, staff, and alumni its excellence in teaching, research and teacher preparation. person responsible for their department’s participation. members. Contact Nicki Cantrell at [email protected] for more The CDCLR is accredited by the National Academy of Early information. Student applications can be picked up and turned Childhood Programs and is licensed by the State of Virginia. in to 319 Squires, and are available at www.filebox.vt.edu/org/ The center will primarily offer full-time, full-year care for odk/. CORRECTIONS Changes noted in offices serving In the Sept. 17 Special Awards edition, the EMPLOYMENT Commission on Outreach and International Affairs, which selects the recipients of the Alumni Awards students, employees with disabilities For more information on all faculty and for Excellence in Outreach, was incorrectly referred Over the past year, several changes have sessions are accessible. An online map showing classified-staff positions, see to as the Commission on Outreach. Additionally, the been made in the offices that serve students and accessible routes is available at http:// www.jobs.vt.edu. correct title of the award listed as the Alumni Award employees with disabilities. There have also www.maps.vt.edu/. Hard copies are available INSTRUCTIONAL for Excellence in International Programs is now been changes in assistive technologies that are Crop/Soil Environmental Science. the Alumni Award for Excellence in International from the ADA coordinator. ADA brochures on available as well as new guidelines to make Assistant Professor. Affairs. We regret any confusion these errors may campus contacts and emergency evacuation of Biomedical Sciences/Pathobiology. your web pages accessible to all users. have caused. people with disabilities are available at website Clinical Instructor. The Americans with Disabilities Act www.ps.vt.edu. Contact Virginia J. Reilly, NON-INSTRUCTIONAL coordinator’s office has been relocated from 1-9331 (voice); 1-6258 (TTY); First Floor Department of Human Nutrition, Foods/ the Office of Equal Opportunity to Personnel Southgate Center (0318). Exercise. Head. Services. The ADA coordinator is available to University Development. Assistant VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE The Services for Students with Disabilities AND STATE INIVERSITY conduct training on ADA and employment, Office (SSD) formerly a part of the Dean of Director for Intercollegiate Athletics. Spectrum, a faculty-staff tabloid, is published bi-weekley provide access/accommodations for faculty Students, now reports to Brian Warren, assistant Education Leadership/Policy Studies. on Fridays during the academic year, with the exception Information Specialist. of certain holidays, exam weeks, and the summer. Copy members, student employees and guests; and vice president for Student Affairs. The SSD Reynolds Homestead Forest Resource deadline is noon Friday. No advertising is accepted. to assist departments in ensuring all programs, staff coordinates all accommodations for Spectrum is a non-profit publication of the Office of Center. Superintendent. University Relations: Lawrence G. Hincker, associate policies, procedures, conferences and training (See CHANGE on 4) vice president for University Relations; Mark Owczarski, Services for Students with Disabilities. director of news and information. Coordinator. Most academic, administrative spaces now wireless Institute for Distance/Distributed Editor John Ashby, 1-6961 Learning. Assistant/Associate Director for According to Communications Network $7.75 for 10Base-T service and $10 for 100Base- Research/Assessment of Teaching/Learning News Bureau Manager Services (CNS), more than 85 percent of the T service will continue to apply to these services in Electronic Environments Susan Dickerson 1-8508 university’s academic and administrative spaces with the Wireless LAN enhancement. Institute for Distance/Distributed Production Manager now have wireless network service available. Departmental users may choose Wireless LAN Learning. Assistant/Associate Director for Melinda Shaver, 1-8524 As a result, the university is now able to transition without wired Ethernet service, for a monthly eLearning Planning/Operations. Center for Geospatial Information Letters to the editor and questions for "Ask Spec- from a pilot to a production wireless local area rate of $7.75. trum" should be addressed to the editor, 101 Media network (LAN). Wireless LAN access is being Wireless networking technology, while Technology. Project Associate/Senior Project Building, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Elec- Associate. provided to departments as a supplement to the providing the benefit of mobility, provides only tronic Spectrum: http://www.spectrum.vt.edu Biology, Postdoctoral Associate. Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employ- traditional “wired” Ethernet service. a fraction of the capacity of traditional Ethernet, ees, students, or applicants on the basis of race, color, Effectively immediately, Ethernet service Northeast District Cooperative gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran sta- and the quality of the service can vary greatly Extension. Crop/Soil Sciences. Extension and Wireless LAN service will be bundled tus, national origin, religion, or political affiliation. Any- over time. Some factors which may affect the Agent, Agriculture/Natural Resources. Farm one having questions concerning discrimination or ac- together for departmental users. There is no rate cessibility regarding the programs described in this quality of service are the number of users on the Business Management, Hanover County. newspaper should contact the Equal Opportunity Affir- increase for this enhancement to the traditional same access point, building construction and Central District Cooperative Extension. mative Action Office: 540-231-7500 (v), 540-231-9460 Ethernet service. The current monthly rates of Extension Agent, Crop/Soil Sciences, Amelia (TTY). (See ACADEMIC on 4) County. 4 SPECTRUM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004

CHANGE Learning (IDDL), located in Torgersen 3046, and Special Services (0434), or e-mail ADVANCEVT Continued from 4 Continued from 1 IDDL will work with faculty members who are [email protected]. students. Students who ask for any developing new eLearning courses to be Informal and formal complaint processes Essentially, the responses reveal that a modifications due to a disability should be delivered electronically (online or through are available through the OEO, 1-7500 or childcare facility located on or near campus referred to the SSD office. All videos that are interactive video-conferencing) to ensure that [email protected]. would alleviate many of the difficulties parents purchased or developed by a department should these courses are accessible to students with face, including help on those days when the be open or closed-captioned. Contact Susan P. disabilities. Contact www.iddl.vt.edu. university remains open but local childcare Angle, 1-3788 (voice), 1-1740 (TTY); Special Services in Newman Library providers are closed. ACADEMIC Respondents note that improving the [email protected]; www.ssd.vt.edu; 150 provides a variety of assistive technologies (AT) Continued from 3 availability and flexibility of childcare options Henderson Hall (0185). and support services for students, employees Federal guidelines require that webpages renovation, interference from electrical accessible to university employees would help and guests with disabilities. Disability recruit and retain excellent employees at be accessible for people with disabilities. The equipment, and prevailing meteorological accommodations using AT are available upon Virginia Tech in the future. Faculty Development Institute (http:// conditions. For these reasons Wireless LAN is referral by SSD staff for students or by the ADA A summary of these findings was www.fdi.vt.edu) offers classes each semester not intended to replace traditional Ethernet at coordinator for others. In addition, AT classes presented to local childcare providers at the on making websites accessible, with one-to- the desktop. Refer to the wireless website, or presentations, consulting services or Blacksburg Community Center on Aug. 20. A one follow-up assistance to individuals http://wireless.cns.vt.edu, for information to demonstrations, and research are conducted in complete report of the findings is available at available through the New Media Center located assist in deciding when the use of wireless the AT Lab located in 1180 Torgersen Hall. www.advance.vt.edu, and paper copies of the in 1140 Torgersen. Contact Shannon Phillips, LAN is appropriate. Contact Bill Holbach, AT coordinator, 1-3461 report may be requested from Barbara Johnson For more information, contact CNS NMC manager, 1-5377; http:// (voice); Hal Bracket, AT lab and special services at 1-7682. Ordering and Provisioning at [email protected] www.nmc.vt.edu/. manager, 1-3937 (voice); 1-3035 (TTY); AT For more information, contact Layne at or calling 1-6460 The Institute for Distance and Distributed 1-9948 or [email protected]. To learn more about AdvanceVT, go to http://www.advance.vt.edu.

DAILY service). Information how to unsubscribe is populations of employees without computer the university community with information Continued from 1 posted on the bottom of each daily message. access will be asked to post the daily e-mail quickly and direct it to those who want and The university will continue to send on public bulletin boards for all employees to need to have it.” information, such as parking notices, Personnel emergency “broadcast” e-mail and voicemail read. University Relations will maintain the Services announcements, event reminders and messages in the event that an urgent message “We now live in a world where news and website and distribute the daily e-mail. various administrative policies or updates. The needs to be conveyed to students, the faculty information is distributed continuously around Questions and comments may be sent to university community is encouraged to submit and staff, or the entire university community. the clock,” Hincker said. “Our new Virginia [email protected]. notices for inclusion in campus notices. All “Historically, our campus newsletter, Tech News service will enable us to provide Virginia Tech-affiliated organizations may Spectrum, has been the primary way in which post calendar items to the university calendar. we have communicated university information NSF and retention in the absence of a thriving job The site will also have links to other to faculty and staff members,” Hincker said. market, especially for under-represented Continued from 1 sources of campus and community “Because Spectrum is published once every two groups,” she said. 2000 (the latest year for which these figures information. News stories will be archived for weeks, and has limited space, we are not able to Their project, Belanger said, will focus are available). future reference and campus notices and be as timely and as in depth with news and on the characteristics of African-Americans “This good news, however, should not university calendar listings will be posted until information as we would like. The Virginia who succeed in IT career paths. It will examine obscure the fact that we need continuous the information or event has expired. Tech News website and Virginia Tech News the impact of rarely studied intrapersonal improvement in the attraction and retention The daily e-mail will be available to Daily e-mail will enable us to inform the factors such as learning style, visual-spatial of African-Americans in IT,” Smith said. anyone on a subscription basis. Messages will community as news happens, and in greater intelligence, and resilient personality as well Moreover, Belanger said, in more recent be delivered overnight and be on your computer depth. We plan to discontinue Spectrum at the as interpersonal factors such as mentoring and years, general enrollments in computer science first thing every Monday through Friday end of the year.” internships on African-Americans’ “job-fit” have declined—by almost 30 percent in the morning. To subscribe to the service, send an Hincker added that a printed weekly perceptions. 2001-2004 period. (It is not known whether e-mail to [email protected] and write in summary of information posted on the Virginia Their multidisciplinary, culturally diverse there is a corresponding decline in African- the body of the message, “subscribe VTnews Tech News website will be produced for Virginia research team, Belanger said, has developed a American enrollments.) “We need to learn firstname lastname” (‘firstname lastname’ is Tech employees who do not have daily access to model that describes how students select, more about the factors that drive recruitment the name of the person subscribing to the e-mail. University departments with large persist in, and graduate from IT programs and make the transition to the IT workplace, TECH participate in the ceremony and to learn more A ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the including faculty jobs at colleges and Continued from 1 about the research facilities at Virginia Tech. new classroom facility will occur at 4:30 p.m. universities. The NSF grant will allow the for the SBES program. A key feature of the Representatives of Wake Forest’s radiology, in 220 Hancock Hall on the Virginia Tech researchers to test their model and its new learning environment is the ability for the neurology, biomedical engineering, campus. Simultaneously, the Teleconference applicability to African-Americans. professor to easily interact with students using pharmacology, urology, orthopaedic surgery, Center on the Wake Forest campus will hold The researchers will conduct three waves multiple types of technologies, including new, internal medicine, biochemistry, microbiology a ribbon cutting. of surveys of the same group of participants— state-of-the-art interactive videoconferencing. and immunology, surgical sciences, plastic/ During the past year Glenda Scales, as college juniors and seniors, first-year Learning tools such as Centra One and reconstructive surgery, anesthesiology, and associate dean for distance learning and graduate students, and first-year employees. Blackboard designed for the World Wide Web regenerative medicine departments will be computing in the College of Engineering at They will develop an intervention/training represent two of the key technologies. These participating. Virginia Tech, and John Boehme, associate program, Web groups, and practitioner-student tools are supported by the Virginia Tech They will visit a number of the biomedical dean for academic computing and information mentorships. Smith and Belanger said their study has Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning engineering laboratories, as well as the Via sciences, Wake Forest University School of potential practical benefits to the scientific, and Educational Technologies, as well as by College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Applied Medicine Office of Academic Computing, educational, and business communities, and Wake Forest’s Office of Academic Biosciences Center, and the Virginia were co-project leaders for launching the Bioinformatics Institute. Doug Eckel, director distance-learning infrastructure project to society as a whole. The benefits include Computing. increasing African-American student of research advancement, college of engineering, support the SBES program. Virginia Tech is using the Tandberg awareness and attitudes about academic careers is coordinating the event. Director Videoconferencing system, enabling in IT, improving teaching methods that high-quality interactive video conferencing. leverage African-American students’ visual- The system is able to handle the latest internet spatial intelligence, and improving the protocols. Faculty members are able to processes by which African-American IT incorporate a variety of interactive learning workers will be trained, recruited, and retained. activities and rich media into their learning “For the United States,” Smith and environment. For example, virtual office hours Belanger said, “employment of a qualified and interactive research seminars are now diverse workforce is both an economic and a available. social imperative. Economic global This classroom, located in 220 Hancock competition places a premium on the Hall, is the first at Virginia Tech designed to availability of a qualified diverse workforce. use the H.323 protocol, a multimedia Studies have shown that diversity provides conferencing protocol that includes voice, multiple perspectives and stimulates novelty, video, and data conferencing for use over the innovation, and evolution in both academe network. Additionally, this classroom will be and industry.” included in future research on video To take academe as one example, they said, a loss of diversity “translates into myopic conferencing. research pursuits, limited institutional A contingent of Wake Forest faculty will creativity and innovation, and, ultimately, visit the Virginia Tech campus today to uniformity in shaping the future of society.”