Money machine
In 2009, Donald Hart found himself in an enviable position. Leading up to his graduation from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Hart had been accepted to a slew of the state’s public, four-year universities: Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, George Mason University and James Madison University. Attracted by the […]
Va. semiconductor alliance powers forward
Virginia’s initiative to become a bigger part of the country’s burgeoning semiconductor chip industry charged forward Tuesday with the public launch of an alliance intended to unite academia and businesses in developing talent and establishing manufacturing and research facilities. Announced in April by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology, or VAST, l[...]
Va. Tech’s Center for Biz Analytics names director
Jennifer Havens has been named director of the Center for Business Analytics at Virginia Tech‘s Pamplin College of Business, the university announced Wednesday. Havens joins Virginia Tech from Amazon.com Inc., where she was an executive coach, shaping organizational strategy and culture and designing the global e-tailer’s first group coaching program. She was also a founding […]
The ol’ college try
Snacks and energy drinks are often the fuel for young entrepreneurs burning the midnight oil while perfecting their pitches and products. But for some University of Richmond students, snacks and energy drinks are their products. Grace Mittl, a 2022 UR graduate, is co-founder and CEO of Absurd Snacks, a food allergy-friendly trail mix devised during […]
VCU names new engineering dean
Azim Eskandarian, a Virginia Tech mechanical engineering professor and department head, has been named the next dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering, VCU announced Tuesday. Eskandarian, whose appointment takes effect Aug. 1, will also serve as the William H. Goodwin Jr. Endowed Chair of the engineering college. He’s currently department head and […]
The ‘wrong inventory’
During the pandemic, consumers wanted things to make them feel comfortable at home — whether it was sweatpants, home décor or the latest fuzzy blanket. But as many workplaces have transitioned to hybrid or in-office work models and people are back to socializing outside the home, products that were over-ordered by companies during the pandemic […]
Hokie-hatted host
You can “take the boy out of Winchester, but I don’t think you can take Winchester out of me,” says Brian Sullivan, the anchor of CNBC’s new evening business and financial news roundup show, “Last Call.” The one-hour show, which broadcasts from CNBC’s global headquarters in New Jersey on weeknights at 7 p.m. EST, premiered […]
Port of entry
By all accounts, the Port of Virginia and the overseas shipping industry as a whole are major economic drivers in the commonwealth, with an upward trajectory expected to continue. For fiscal year 2022, the port’s TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) container volume hit a record 3.7 million units, a 14.7% increase from 2021, which marked its […]
Va. launching semiconductor workforce initiative
The commonwealth is launching a Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology to foster a semiconductor industry workforce, funding its establishment with a $3.3 million Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the initiative Friday. In March, GO Virginia announced the $3.3 million grant to the program, then called the Virginia Nanotechnology [&hellip[...]
Va. Tech names SVP for advancement
Virginia Tech has promoted Charlie Phlegar to senior vice president for advancement, the university announced Thursday. Phlegar has led efforts in fundraising, alumni relations, communications and marketing since 2015. Under his leadership, Tech’s advancement division has secured record amounts of new gifts and commitments, including $268.5 million in fiscal year 2021-2022. Undergraduate giv[...]
Tech students dig into high-tech mock mine
Robots don’t belong on volleyball courts, but for more than a decade Virginia Tech students had no other large, sandy place to test out mining robots. It was “a real lost opportunity” that students didn’t have a dedicated space to work with mining machines, says Erik Westman, a professor and interim department head at Tech’s […]
Youngkin announces $8.1M in GO Virginia grants
A variety of projects around the state intended to spur economic and workforce development will get a boost from $8.1 million in state GO Virginia grants, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. The 17 projects are expected to add hundreds of jobs. Nearly $4.8 million will fund two Virginia Tech projects, including one expected to build […]