Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Upcoming Event

Best Places to Work in Virginia

Hamburger Menu Hamburger Menu

Tag: education

Executive insights

Virginia Business asked five Hampton Roads leaders to discuss how regional cooperation could directly impact their industries, how they’re coping with staffing shortages and what their hopes are for the region’s future.

XAVIER BEALE

XAVIER BEALE

Vice president of human resources and trades, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News

Most Hampton Roads leaders say they’d like to see more regional cooperation. What specific project or sector of the local economy do you think would benefit
most from this?

Education and workforce training. Newport News Shipbuilding is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, with more than 25,000 people, so we draw employees from throughout the region. Arbitrary lines that designate localities, school districts or community college territories have no effect on our hiring. Regional collaboration among training providers would create more effective outcomes for trainees and employers. There’s been positive progress, but more work is needed to meet the needs of the region’s current and future employers and workforce.

Which jobs are hardest for you to fill, and what is being done to improve that?

The biggest challenges right now are welders and shipfitters, as well as attracting and retaining experienced professionals with portable skills, such as engineers, business management and human resources [professionals]. Newport News Shipbuilding is taking aggressive action to recruit and retain talent — however, this is not a short-term problem. We need to hire around 21,000 people over the next 10 years, so enhancing regional pipeline programs is key. Our goal working with our community partners is to ensure we have enough skilled talent to support NNS, but also our suppliers and other businesses across our region.

 

 

ANNA BONET

ANNA BONET

CEO, Elizabeth River Crossings OpCo LLC, Portsmouth

What specific project or sector of the local economy do you think would benefit most from regional cooperation?

All companies can relate to the labor and staffing challenges right now. Together we could work to create a robust, empowered workforce.

Sustainability is another opportunity for a collective approach. Coming from Spain, I continue to be amazed by the amount of waste that is generated [here] and the lack of recycling programs. In the region, more electrical vehicles and alternate power resources such as wind and solar are needed. Together, we can become greener.

Your company finances, operates and maintains the Elizabeth River Tunnels connecting Norfolk and Portsmouth. How is toll technology changing, and can it help improve traffic congestion?

We need to provide mobility solutions for drivers, and that means making their trips more convenient. Technology is moving faster to provide solutions, some of which we are seeing already with free-flow tolling. 

Free-flow tolling [using an electronic system instead of toll booths] reduces travel times for everyone, reduces crashes and creates a more reliable, predictable travel experience. Additionally, it reduces carbon emissions and improves fuel usage for drives, which is critical for the high gas prices everyone is experiencing today.

Additional technology we’re seeing more of is in-vehicle telematics, a technology built directly into the vehicle [using GPS]. In the past, telematics was only available in higher-end vehicles, but more and more manufacturers are building it into new vehicles. In-vehicle telematics communicate vehicle and travel information to improve safety and vehicle operation. In-vehicle telematics are already being used in Virginia’s new Mileage Choice Program that launched on July 1.

 

 

MARCIA CONSTON

MARCIA CONSTON

President, Tidewater Community College, Norfolk

What specific project or sector of the local economy do you think would benefit most from regional cooperation?

Supporting the development of offshore wind in Hampton Roads will require regional cooperation to recruit, train and upskill an emerging workforce. Today and in the coming years, the need for skilled laborers to support the various areas required to build, install and maintain offshore wind turbines will continue to increase. This growing industry will provide generations with opportunities for employment as the region comes together to support this innovative technology.

Community colleges are a critical provider of workforce training in Virginia. How does that impact TCC’s goals and offerings?

As one of the largest providers of higher education and workforce services in Hampton Roads, TCC’s vision is “to be our community’s first choice for education, opportunity, partnership and innovation.”

To achieve this vision, the college remains focused on providing our industry partners with a skilled workforce to help support their goals. We continue to expand our workforce and career and technical offerings to meet the increasing demands of the region in health care, skilled trades, manufacturing and, eventually, wind technology. This growth is a common thread in our strategic plan, Innovate 2026, which aligns the college’s goals with current and future endeavors for our region.

As we continue to transform training throughout the region, it is important that TCC is serving not only adult learners looking to change careers or expand their industry knowledge, but also the next generation of skilled technicians through our dual-enrollment program. This program offers high school students an opportunity to earn college credit before graduation in areas that will propel Hampton Roads’ workforce forward.

 

 

STEPHEN EDWARDS

STEPHEN EDWARDS

CEO and executive director, Virginia Port Authority, Norfolk

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A. is renting part of the Portsmouth Marine Terminal to build its first North American factory to manufacture turbine blades for offshore-wind farms. Is the port open to leasing more land to other companies?

We are always open to the possibilities of private investment inside of our terminals. While Siemens Gamesa is a good example, it is not the first company to lease space on Virginia Port Authority property.

At Richmond Marine Terminal, Scoular Co., a large international grain exporter, has operations, and at Norfolk International Terminals, another larger grain and feed exporter, Fornazor International Inc., has operations. We are also talking with a company about the possibilities of developing an export operation inside the terminal at Virginia Inland Port. The goal is to find the best fit and a long-term commitment with a growing company that needs to reach markets across the globe.

How is the port handling hiring and retaining employees, particularly in the current labor market?

To remain competitive with current workforce challenges, our recruitment efforts have shifted to focus on tapping into local talent partners for support and networking with skill-specific partners. We have also enhanced our partnerships with local associations and institutions to create a talent pipeline for both current and future hiring needs. Internally, we are elevating our workforce by being more intentional in our leadership and development programs [and] benefit and compensation offerings, as well as other engagement initiatives.

 

 

DENNIS MATHEIS

DENNIS MATHEIS

President and CEO, Sentara Healthcare, Norfolk

Sentara is collaborating with Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities and Eastern Virginia Medical School to establish a collaborative academic health center and school of public health. How do you expect this to improve the region’s health care and workforce training efforts?

Working with our regional health care and educational partners to create an integrated, state university-based medical school is something I am very passionate about. 

 All four organizations — ODU, NSU, EVMS and Sentara — are committed to tackling health care access, health equity and other pressing public health issues in our region. The ONE School of Public Health will help us closely align efforts that have traditionally been fragmented, to address these issues more efficiently and effectively. It also will strengthen our region’s educational research capabilities, help attract and develop the talent we need in the future and secure more robust funding through federal, state and private resources.

How is Sentara working to attract and retain employees, especially in-demand health care professionals?

Over the years, we’ve implemented numerous creative strategies to help us address staffing challenges and hard-to-fill positions, including the development of an internal staffing pool that allows us to deploy our own highly qualified clinical professionals throughout the system when and where they are needed.

Nonetheless, long-term solutions must be implemented alongside shorter-term changes. Prior to the pandemic, a national clinician shortage was predicted to slowly extend through 2030. The pandemic exacerbated the confluence of factors contributing to the labor shortage, accelerating and amplifying it. Sentara is expending considerable effort, education and resources toward workforce pipeline development, especially around school-age children and young adults. This work is vital to the long-term sustainability of our collective health and well-being.

 

 

 

Workforce development resources

The Apprentice School

Founded in 1919, The Apprentice School in Newport News has trained 11,000 shipyard workers over its long history. The school at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division offers four-, five- and eight-year paid apprenticeships in 19 shipbuilding disciplines and eight advanced programs of study, including supply chain management and marine engineering. Apprentices complete 1,000 hours of coursework and a minimum of 7,000 hours of on-the-job training. as.edu

Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia

Goodwill’s Hampton Employment Center provides assistance to and opportunities for job seekers facing challenges to work to apply for open Goodwill positions in retail, support, janitorial, logistics and more. Goodwill’s Begin@Home model is focused on delivering workforce development opportunities while individuals earn a paycheck. Begin@Home is composed of programs that support on-the-job paid training, skills building and career plan development with the assistance of a dedicated career adviser. goodwillvirginia.edu

Hampton Roads Workforce Council

The Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board oversees federally funded workforce development programs for all localities in the Hampton Roads region. The job board offers hiring opportunities, and the council offers general workforce services in varying locations like financial coaching, matching job seekers with employers and hosting workshops covering résumés, job interviews, salaries and other topics. The board operates the Hampton Roads Veterans Employment Center and offers programs for people ages 14 to 24, called NextGen Pathways. theworkforcecouncil.org

Paul D. Camp Community College

The community college’s division of workforce development offers options for employers and workers in western Hampton Roads. The college offers courses to gain industry credentials, professional certifications and licenses in various professions, including commercial driving, health care, logistics, IT security and welding. For businesses, the college offers customized workforce training, either on-site or at one of its four training facilities. pdc.edu/workforce-development

Tidewater Community College

Employers can book customized training on-site, on campus or online, and TCC can provide classroom space, mechatronic and welding labs, trucks or motorcycles. The college offers a job-skills training program as well as a variety of short-term workforce training courses in advanced manufacturing, business, construction, health care, hospitality and others. Maritime and transportation programs include training to earn a commercial driver’s license and the U.S. Coast Guard’s operator of uninspected passenger vehicles license, which is required for anyone operating a vessel carrying up to six passengers for hire. Business courses include paralegal, OSHA and real estate license trainings. workforce.tcc.edu

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Formerly Thomas Nelson Community College, Virginia Peninsula’s workforce development program provides customized workforce-training options for employers and short-term career training for workers on the Peninsula. The college offers training programs for companies on-site, online or at its locations in Hampton and Williamsburg. Courses and programs include manufacturing and trade skills, culinary arts, business and entrepreneurship, technology and health care. VPCC now also offers Ed2Go, online short courses and certification programs. VPCC is an American Welding Society-accredited testing facility with a certified welding inspector who can conduct the certification.
vpcc.edu/workforce

Launching pad

When COVID-19 hit in spring 2020, Cindy R. Earl lost her job as a furniture company’s sales rep.

But the Portsmouth resident’s sudden unemployment came with a positive side effect: She had time to assume care of her ailing grandmother after the pandemic had shuttered the assisted living facility  where her grandmother had lived. It was an experience that turned out to be unexpectedly inspirational.

“I’m an inquisitive person,” Earl says, and seeing the problems that her grandmother had suffered as an Alzheimer’s patient, which included dehydration and an unexplained injury, made her want to start a company dedicated to investigating elder abuse. She didn’t really know how to go about doing that, however, and that’s where Old Dominion University’s Hudgins Transitional Entrepreneurship Lab came in.

Launched in 2019 with a $1.2 million gift from Marsha Hudgins, an ODU alumna who owns a construction company in Hampton, the academic research enterprise is dedicated to educating and supporting would-be entrepreneurs who live in underserved and marginalized communities in the Hampton Roads area. Its focus is on aiding women, minorities, veterans, immigrants, refugees and formerly incarcerated people.

“Entrepreneurial efforts have long provided much less resistance and more immediate reward for hard work and creativity for groups with no readily available opportunities in the business world,” Hudgins says, explaining why she, the granddaughter of Greek immigrants, wanted to provide a leg up to other prospective entrepreneurs. But, for the disadvantaged, hard work and creativity often are not enough to ensure success.

According to a 2020 National Bureau of Economic Research study, Black entrepreneurs received an average of $35,205 in startup capital, compared with $106,720 for white entrepreneurs. And although venture capital for Black-owned startups doubled in 2021, according to Crunchbase, only 1.2% of all VC funding goes to Black entrepreneurs. 

“Our mentees have the passion and the ideas,” says Hudgins Lab Director Robert J. Pidduck, also an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at ODU’s Strome College of Business.

“They are eager to get something off the ground,” he says, but they often lack the specific skills necessary to launch and sustain an enterprise — as well as the professional connections that make the wheels of commerce go ’round.

Financing can be a big sticking point, though Pidduck labels a sole focus on money as a distraction. “Throwing money at anyone doesn’t solve deeper problems,” such as lack of know-how and business contacts, he says.

To tackle those issues, the Norfolk entrepreneurship research lab draws on both academic assets and community resources.

During the height of the pandemic, the lab offered virtual panels, seminars, workshops and informal gatherings focusing on make-or-break subjects such as marketing, accounting and the use of crowd funding to bypass possible racial bias in lending.

Foremost in its multipronged approach are monthly mentoring meetings to provide one-on-one guidance to entrepreneurs who have started businesses ranging from body care and bookkeeping enterprises to counseling providers and urban agriculture companies.

During these sessions, Jay O’Toole, deputy director of the lab and an assistant professor in the management department, helped Earl build a website for what would become her private investigation firm, Proof Please LLC. He also assisted her in writing a capability statement for government contracting opportunities and in applying for a $2,000 grant that she ultimately received from the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority. “He was available whenever I needed him to be,” Earl says.

Aletha Russell, another of the lab’s five mentees, received O’Toole’s help in launching her online body care products business, She’s Steamy. He guided her through building a website, obtaining a business license and registering her business with the state government.

Almost as important as such hands-on help was the lab’s assistance in connecting Earl and Russell to professional networks and to local entrepreneurs who already have been there and could share advice and lessons learned.

“You don’t need an MBA to learn these skills,” Pidduck says.

The lab, as the professor conceives it, functions as “a hub, a synergizing force” for area entrepreneurs, and he hopes it will keep growing in coming years. Last fall, O’Toole received a $15,000 grant from the Small Business Development Center to help graduate students and research assistants conduct a study into the needs of Virginia’s minority entrepreneurs. That project is furthering one of the lab’s other goals, to generate research with practical applications.

In 2020, Anil Nair, then chairman of Strome’s Department of Management, was awarded a $400,000 grant as part of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s Knowledge Challenge initiative, which supports research that advances entrepreneurship and economic mobility. Nair says the Hudgins lab will use the funding to expand its outreach to middle and high school students, add more mentees, pursue local partnerships and hold conferences to spur studies in the field, all while showcasing the lab’s initiatives.

“Things don’t come that easily [to our mentees],” Nair says, but with the help of the Hudgins lab, the situation is improving for some of the mentees.

At her P.I. business, Earl now has about eight clients for whom she runs background checks, wellness checks and sometimes conducts surveillance in cases where neglect or physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse is suspected.

For Russell, 2021 was all about putting plans in motion for She’s Steamy, but this year sales of her all-natural body oils, scrubs, butters and salts have really taken off, thanks in part to the lab, which, she says, has “been there step by step. I’ll stick with Dr. O’Toole through thick and thin.” 

 

 

Virginia Tech appoints COO from W&M

Virginia Tech announced Wednesday it has named Amy Stoakley Sebring, currently chief operating officer at William & Mary, as its executive vice president and COO, effective Nov. 1.

“I am very pleased to welcome Amy to the university community and our leadership team,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a statement. “She brings a deep understanding of the business of higher education; great expertise in supporting the teaching, research and engagement mission; and strong relationships in Richmond and higher education in the commonwealth.”

Chris Kiwus has been serving as interim senior vice president and chief business officer while Tech searched for a permanent COO.

Sebring will report to the Sands and work with the executive vice president and provost, the executive leadership team and the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. She will lead financial and operational activities, including information technology, human resources, policy and governance and planning and facilities management.

“President Sands’ transformational vision to become a top 100 global research university, and the clear momentum the university has to achieve this, captured my interest immediately,” Sebring said in a statement. “As Virginia Tech looks to the future, it is critical that the university align its human, capital, technological and financial resources strategically to maintain and accelerate this momentum.”

Sebring has worked in senior financial management positions at William & Mary for the past seven years. She became COO in 2020 after serving as the school’s chief financial officer and vice president for finance and technology since 2016.

From 2006 to 2016, Sebring served as senior associate dean for finance and administration at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine and as the executive director of MCV Physicians, the affiliated faculty physician group practice.

Before entering the higher education field, Sebring worked for Virginia state government. She held varying roles, including as a higher education and debt analyst for the Virginia Senate Finance Committee, finance policy director for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and a budget analyst for the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

She began her career as a research associate with the Education Commission of the States, a Denver-based nonpartisan policy organization.

Sebring served as the 2020-21 chair of the Council of State Senior Business Officers. She previously was the 2018-19 vice chair. From 2015 to 2016, Sebring served as chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Group on Business Affairs.

She has a bachelor’s degree from Duke University, a master’s degree in public policy from William & Mary and a certificate in accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Tech promotes VP of comms, marketing

Virginia Tech announced Tuesday it has promoted Tracy Vosburgh to be its inaugural vice president of communications and marketing.

The university is also renaming its University Relations department to Communications and Marketing.

Vosburgh has served as Virginia Tech’s top communications administrator since 2015, when she joined the university as senior associate vice president for university relations. She reported to vice president of advancement, Charlie Phlegar.

In her new role, she will report to Virginia Tech President Tim Sands and to Phlegar. Sands created the role to align and integrate marketing and communications across the university, after an outside firm conducted a campuswide review of communications and marketing that included interviews with more than 200 people.

Sands said in a statement that the review “revealed that our organizational model for communications — with some units reporting into University Relations and some not — can create inconsistencies. Elevating our chief communicator to a vice president, deepening the role as a cabinet-level position providing counsel to leadership, is an important step in aligning communications campuswide with top university priorities.”

Vosburgh will create a five-year communications and marketing plan and will lead a team commissioned by Sands and Phlegar and including senior leaders across campus to implement findings and recommendations of the report.

Under Vosburgh’s leadership, Tech’s University Relations department has launched an annual State of the University address, developed a social media policy and led a campuswide COVID communications team.

Before joining Virginia Tech, Vosburgh was the associate vice president of university communications at Cornell University. She has held broadcast management positions at Penn State Public Broadcasting, ABC/Kane Productions, National Geographic Society and MacNeil/Lehrer Report, now PBS NewsHour.

‘The Wild West’

From an outsider’s perspective, it may appear as if technology is improving and changing almost daily — especially sparked by pandemic-driven remote work. But according to a 2021 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more than 80% of technologies improve in performance at a rate of less than 25% per year.

Virginia Tech, however, is focusing on the future of technology: quantum research, engineering and computing.

Not only is the Blacksburg-based school investing resources in a field that’s burgeoning in importance, but it’s also serving as a force for thought leadership in this space. Between the Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering and a $12.5 million gift from Fortune 500 federal contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. to fund quantum technology research and education, the university is moving into the research and development of quantum technology.  It’s believed that quantum research will lead to the development of exponentially faster and smaller computers and processors, as well as groundbreaking methods for making data more secure.

Quantum technology “would allow us to solve computational problems that we couldn’t solve in our lifetime,” says Luke Lester, head of Virginia Tech’s Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

The science of quantum physics and mechanics involves the study of the physical properties and interactions of matter at the scale of atomic and subatomic particles, explains Wayne A. Scales, Virginia Tech’s J. Byron Maupin Professor of Engineering. This could involve studying how atoms interact with electromagnetic fields as well as the formation of molecules, adds Sophia Economou, a Virginia Tech physics professor and director of the Blacksburg-based Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering.

Applications for quantum computing range from simulating chemical reactions in pharmaceuticals development to solving logistics problems, says Sophia Economou (center), director of the Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. Photo courtesy Virginia Tech

Quantum physics is very different from the classical physics discovered by Isaac Newton more than three centuries ago. Quantum physics’ counterintuitive features — such as the ability of matter to exist in multiple states at one time — can be used to implement new kinds of technology.

Quantum computing adds to the ability to manipulate the very smallest pieces of matter and technology — but packs a bigger punch than classical computers.

Quantum computers can solve problems that traditional computers — even supercomputers — can’t handle, according to IBM, a pioneer in the development of quantum computers. In January 2019, International Business Machines Corp. unveiled the first integrated quantum computer, IBM Q System One, designed for scientific and commercial use. Applications for this quantum computer include new methods for modeling financial data and designing optimal paths across global systems for more efficient logistics practices or optimizing fleet operations, according to IBM.

While we’re still probably at least a decade away from seeing quantum technology in practical corporate use, IBM has continued to develop quantum computers, which are generally much better at finding patterns in data and can create more advanced algorithms. One real-world application of IBM’s quantum computing efforts so far is taking place via a partnership with Mercedes-Benz, which is using the technology to research and develop more efficient lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Using quantum computing, researchers can model molecular interactions occurring inside of batteries in hopes of developing longer-lasting batteries with greater charging capacities and speeds.

In short, quantum technology is expected to impact virtually every branch of engineering in the future, Scales says. So, Virginia Tech researchers, students and professors are studying and developing ways to implement quantum theory in a variety of applications, such as cryptography and cybersecurity.

“To be really simple, it is the future,” says Peter Kent, a graduate research assistant at the Hume Center for National Security and Technology and National Security Institute at Virginia Tech.

Multidisciplinary research

Quantum science research requires expertise and input from a variety of disciplines, including computer science, engineering, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Interdisciplinary research in quantum computing started organically at Virginia Tech, Economou says. Much of the effort started with Economou’s own research, along with that of chemistry, physics and math faculty members.

“The disciplinary collaboration takes patience in the beginning because you need to establish a common language — sometimes the same things with different names,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t know the same things and that’s good.”

But to streamline collaboration, Virginia Tech is forming two centers for quantum research: The Center of Quantum Architecture and Software Development and the Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering.

The former, which is based at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, is funded by the Northrop Grumman gift and will be focused on coding and software for quantum computing.

In November 2021, Northrop Grumman announced the quantum-focused gift, which will fund endowed faculty, fellowships, programming connecting the corporation to the campus, pathway programs for K-12 students and support for master’s degree students in computer science and computer engineering experiential learning programs. So far, the Northrop Grumman funding has gone toward searching for another professor and researcher and helping connect company experts with Virginia Tech quantum science and engineering faculty to develop quantum computers and technology.

“Additionally, the company’s funding is also supporting the development of a diverse pipeline of talent to increase the opportunities for students who want to study quantum,” says a Northrop Grumman spokesperson. “We’re in the early planning stages of standing up experiential learning opportunities between students and industry partners in the application of this critical area of research, science and engineering.”

Quantum technology “would allow us
to solve computational problems that we couldn’t solve in our lifetime,” says Luke Lester, head of Virginia Tech’s Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Photo courtesy Virginia Tech

Economou’s Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering focuses on researching quantum computing and communications. Her group, which includes students, researchers and faculty from disciplines such as computer science, physics, chemistry, and engineering, performs theoretical research in quantum information, technologies, networking and cryptography.

“The line between ‘researching’ and ‘developing’ quantum technology is somewhat blurry,” Economou explains. “I would say we are on the more fundamental side, but our work is important for the development of quantum technology. There exist multiple companies, including many startups, that are on the more applied side. To really create and scale up a technology, industry is needed anyway.”

As Virginia Tech’s two quantum technology research centers continue to grow, professors and students are expanding their quantum science research into new applications of quantum computing and technology.

At the university’s electrical and computer engineering department, Lester and another professor, Mantu Hudait, are researching quantum dot technology, which transports electrons to emit various colors of light to be used in applications such as lasers, LED lights and medical imaging devices. Other quantum research being done at Virginia Tech’s ECE focuses on information processing, cybersecurity, and radio frequency modalities.

Virginia Tech is also part of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a national initiative focused on growing the U.S. quantum tech industry. The QED-C was established through the National Quantum Initiative Act passed by Congress in 2018 to accelerate quantum research.

Real-world risks, rewards

The pandemic revealed the fragility of many aspects of life — including the difficulty of protecting sensitive information. Between 2020 and 2021, the average number of cyberattacks per company rose by 31%, according to Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021 report. But quantum applications have the potential to achieve new levels of cybersecurity, Lester says.

“What do consumers of engineering and technology ultimately care about? They care about speed, and they care about security, passwords and stealth,” he adds.

But beware: In the wrong hands, a quantum computer also is efficient and fast enough to break the most secure current encryption codes, Scales says. A foreign adversary or bad actor with a quantum computer could easily hack into systems and steal data, he adds. That’s one of the reasons governments all over the world are investing in quantum research, Economou says. It’s hoped that quantum cryptography research would help prevent future quantum computing attacks.

Other applications of quantum computing include simulating chemical reactions to design drugs or developing solutions to complicated logistics problems, Economou says. Quantum computing will also be important for technology optimization purposes like finding optimal data patterns. This could lead to finding better logistical patterns and increasing energy efficiency, providing solutions that could save corporations money.

“That’s the direction that industry and business are interested in because, of course, optimization has a big impact across many different applications,” Economou adds. “Right now, with quantum computers, we’re at the stage where people are still developing the basic hardware, the building blocks, and we don’t even know yet what kind of technology we’ll end up using in a real quantum computer.”

Communication networks like 5G could be improved by quantum technology, making data more secure. 5G communication could be encrypted by quantum key distribution — a method of making data more secure via quantum mechanics. Verizon started trials using quantum keys to protect its 5G network in 2020. One of  the most powerful things about quantum-powered cybersecurity is its increased ability to detect intrusions, Scales says.

“Encryption keys are continuously generated and are immune to attacks because any disruption to the channel breaks the quantum state of photons, signaling eavesdroppers are present,” states a 2020 report on Verizon’s quantum key trial.

Teaching the future

Quantum research leaders at Virginia Tech agree that this type of emerging technology requires collaboration from several STEM-related disciplines. That’s why Scales is so focused on creating a quantum science curriculum and other learning opportunities for students from many educational backgrounds.

“It’s the Wild West almost,” says Sefunmi “Shef” Ashiru, a rising senior at Virginia Tech studying computer science and quantum science. “There’s a lot of opportunity to just try things.” Ashiru is also a backend software engineering intern with IBM.

Scales is primarily focused on experiential learning for quantum science, especially more laboratory experience for students.

“A lot of companies really think that this is critical,” he says.

To that end, Scales created a quantum research lab space for both undergraduate and graduate students to learn about quantum information science. Students start out by learning the basic concepts of quantum science, and then moving on into more advanced curricula, including quantum cybersecurity, quantum cryptography and quantum techniques for various types of advanced sensors.

“It’s really beneficial because it really forces the students who ideally would be multidisciplinary to learn teamwork to work through the problem,” Kent says. He also focuses on quantum research with Scales.

Scales is also working to develop sophomore-level courses in quantum science to get students interested in the topic as early as possible and to enter the talent pipeline. Outside of Virginia Tech, Scales also is working to replicate quantum research labs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including Virginia State University and Texas’ Prairie View A&M University. One goal is also to get students interested in quantum science even sooner — like in K-12 schools.

“We’re at a point now where we can understand the extraordinary potential of the field, but we have to continue to work hard to get capable young people interested and then come up with a strategy for educating them in the field,” Scales says. “That’s a great challenge.”

‘An exciting time’

As more applications for these new quantum technologies are realized, companies also are establishing their own quantum programs, Economou says. Amazon.com Inc., Google LLC, Microsoft Corp. and IBM all have quantum research and development programs. Quantum-related jobs range from software engineering to more research-focused positions, like in academia.

“There’s a lot of positions open at this point in major companies and startups,” Economou says. “So, it’s an exciting time to get into the field.”

Starting out in quantum research doesn’t require waiting until college or a career. In 2021, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), Virginia Tech launched an annual summer school program for high schoolers interested in learning about quantum science. The four-day event is free, and students can learn quantum concepts and use quantum simulators and processors provided by IBM. This year, about 150 students participated in the program, which was held in early August.

While getting students interested in quantum science at an earlier age is helpful, another strategy for developing a talent pipeline will include reskilling or upskilling current tech workers. Tech companies will need to stay up to date with the latest advances in quantum science and computing or risk falling behind.

“These are hard problems. This is not trivial,” Lester says. “We’re probably going to retrain an awful lot of engineers, reeducate [them] to learn quantum as well. It’s a big task also to educate people because it’s going to be a big shift.”

The most optimistic estimates say we’re five years away from seeing quantum technology becoming practical enough for corporate or workplace settings, Economou explains, but it could be more like 10 to 20 years until that happens. Quantum research will take time — as did other technological revolutions.

“Quantum computing will be very different. At this point we do not envision a ‘personal quantum computer’ to replace a laptop,” Economou says. “Quantum computers would be more specialized machines used by the government or industry. Presumably, initially there would be a small number of such machines to which customers can connect to solve specialized problems.”

Quantum communication networks could potentially be established relatively quickly compared with other quantum technologies, she says, but even that will still take several years. Keeping the momentum of quantum research and development going, she says, will require time and plenty of resources.

“You … need significant investment, which is actually happening right now in the U.S. and worldwide,” Economou says. “This has been recognized as an area of national security and economic development.”

Va. Tech extends president’s contract through 2027

Metallica won’t be playing “Exit Sandman” anytime soon — Virginia Tech President Tim Sands will stay on as the university’s president though the 2027 academic year.

The university’s board of visitors voted unanimously to extend Sands’ contract during a quarterly meeting Tuesday, according to a news release.

Sands is Tech’s 16th president and has served in the role since 2014. Under his leadership, the university has begun construction on its $1 billion Innovation Campus in Alexandria, which in June announced a partnership with The Boeing Co. for a veterans center, following a $50 million pledge in May 2021 from the Fortune 500 defense contractor to foster diversity at the campus. The university has also seen a diversification of its student body: underrepresented minorities and Pell Grant-eligible, first-generation and veteran students now make up 40% of incoming classes.

“My commitment to Virginia Tech remains steadfast and I am deeply honored to continue to serve Virginia Tech and the commonwealth,” Sands said in a statement. “During my tenure here, our students and faculty have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to improving the human condition. Their commitment has led to an increased demand for a Virginia Tech education and unprecedented support and engagement from our alumni and friends. This work is not complete, and I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by the board to further engage our faculty, students, staff, alumni, partners and friends to build on our momentum as we advance the mission of Virginia Tech.”

Sands came to Virginia Tech from Purdue University, where he served as acting president, executive vice president and provost. Boeing’s record gift tied with the largest private donation the university has received; $50 million in 2019 from the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust and Heywood and Cynthia Fralin for the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. In November, Falls Church-based Fortune 500 contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. committed $12.5 million to support research in and teaching in quantum information science and engineering at the innovation campus.

Sands earned engineering and physics degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and chairs the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. He ranked No. 76 in a 2020 survey of the top-paid university presidents, earning $654,651 in 2019, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“Tim Sands continues to be the thoughtful, strategic and visionary leader this university and the commonwealth needs,” Board of Visitors Rector Letitia “Tish” Long, a 1982 university graduate, said in a statement. “With a remarkable record of consensus building, partnerships, and success, Tim has proven his ability to align the university’s land-grant mission and our institutional commitment of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) with emerging opportunities found in today’s rapidly changing world.”

The university needs to “continue to build on our progress, and Tim’s experience of meeting challenges, combined with his ability to build strong relationships and his understanding of our students’ needs and pressures, is needed now more than ever,” Long added. “We are committed to providing an affordable, accessible education for Virginians, and we are confident Tim will guide us to that goal.”

The board’s three-day meeting in Newport News was the first for new board members, including David Calhoun, a 1979 Tech graduate and CEO of The Boeing Corp., which announced its headquarters move to Arlington in May; Sandy Cupp Davis, of Blacksburg, who retired as the owner of BCR Real Estate and Property Management; and Charles “Brad” Hobbs, of Virginia Beach. A 1990 graduate, Hobbs is president and CEO of Hobbs & Associates, an HVAC contracting firm. Each will serve a four-year term.

 

Virginia Lottery reports record $3.75B in revenue

The Virginia Lottery posted record sales of $3.75 billion and a record of almost $779.6 million in profits for fiscal year 2022, the lottery’s board announced Tuesday.

Sales increased roughly 15% from last year, and the lottery’s profits increased about 1.9% over the prior fiscal year’s record. The lottery’s fiscal year ends on June 30.

“Solid business practices supported by a broad offering of games to our players and the opportunity for our valuable retail partners to earn commissions and bonuses are what led to this record year,” Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kelly Gee said in a statement. “We had positive impacts in every corner of the state, from players winning record amounts of prizes to retailers benefitting from their ticket sales.”

Online sales steadily rose for the second full year since that revenue avenue was legalized in July 2020. More than 5,300 brick-and-mortar retailers earned a total $138.6 million in commissions and bonuses.

Virginia Lottery players won $2.67 billion, another record. The largest prize was $10 million, which a woman in Haymarket won on an Extreme Millions ticket.

The Virginia Lottery’s profits support Virginia’s K-12 public schools.

Newer to the Virginia Lottery’s responsibilities are the licensing and regulation of mobile sports betting and casino gaming. Virginia legalized sports betting in January 2021. Since then, the lottery has taken in $5.6 billion in gross sports gaming revenues. The state had 13 licensed active sports betting permit holders at the end of the fiscal year.

On July 8, the first Virginia casino, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, opened in a temporary space. Three other casinos are preparing to open in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Danville.

Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced earlier this month it would up its investment in the Danville casino and resort to $650 million and announced that the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians is a joint venture partner.

In July, HeadWaters Resort & Casino, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s $500 million gaming project planned for Norfolk, announced it was abandoning its temporary casino plans at Harbor Park, instead locating the facility on the same property as the permanent casino.

The $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth is on track to become the first Virginia casino to open a permanent location in January 2023. Rush Street Gaming, the casino’s owner, plans to hire 1,300 permanent employees.

ODU names exec director of research foundation

Old Dominion University has named Shannon Robinson as associate vice president of research and executive director of the ODU Research Foundation.

Robinson comes to ODU from Clarkson University, her alma mater, where she has worked since 2017. She was associate vice provost for research and technology transfer at the private research university in Potsdam, New York. She began at Clarkson as director of the office of project management, research and compliance, then became associate dean of the graduate school for operations and services. Before working at Clarkson, she worked in project management and infrastructure services at Rochester Institute of Technology following a career in the telecommunications technology industry.

“Shannon has a strong track record in sponsored programs administration and substantial expertise across multiple aspects of the research enterprise. She will be an outstanding asset to the ODU research community,” Morris Foster, ODU’s vice president for research, said in a statement.

Robinson has a bachelor’s degree in technical communications from Clarkson University, an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University. She also holds judicial bench certification from the New York State Office of Court Administration, a LEED Accredited Professional Certification, a master’s certification in project management from George Washington University and a certification in American Sign Language from RIT.

“I am truly excited for this opportunity to work with the university’s senior leadership, the ODU Research Foundation Board of Trustees [and] the entire team within the ODU Research Foundation to serve research faculty and the many other stakeholders across campus to help propel the university forward in meeting its mission and expanding ODU’s research impact,” Robinson said in a statement.

The ODU Research Foundation was chartered in 1965 and serves as the university’s fiscal and administrative agent for sponsored program activities. It works closely with the university’s Office of Research:

EAB to expand, add 200 jobs in Henrico County

EAB, a direct marketing and recruitment firm for higher education institutions, expects to add at least 200 jobs with a $6 million expansion in Henrico County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.

The firm, formerly Royall & Co., will relocate from two locations on East Parham Road and consolidate its Henrico operations into a 70,000-square-foot space at the SunTrust building on West Broad Street.

“EAB has been a committed business partner in Virginia for more than 30 years, and we are thrilled to see its continued expansion and investment in Henrico County,” Youngkin said in a statement.” The firm’s success reinforces the importance of attracting and retaining a skilled workforce that is helping fulfill EAB’s mission to improve education and communities across the country.”

EAB was founded by the late Bill Royall, a Richmonder known for his philanthropy who sold the business for $850 million in 2014. It has 500 employees in Virginia and 1,500 nationwide. The company’s second-largest location is in Henrico.

“EAB is deeply committed to the Richmond area, and we believe our long-term investment will serve Henrico County, the Greater Richmond community, and our growing employee base for many years to come,” Chris Marett, EAB’s president of marketing and enrollment solutions, said in a statement. “We are proud to have been recognized as one of the top workplaces in Richmond for each of the past six years, and providing a more flexible, hybrid workspace will strengthen our ability to attract and retain the local talent we need to continue helping our partner institutions meet the complex challenges facing the education sector.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. The commonwealth competed against EAB locations nationwide. Youngkin approved a $741,600 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Henrico with the project. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program.