From examining the future of space exploration to reflecting on the fifth anniversary of the April 16 tragedy, the spring 2012 edition of Virginia Tech Magazine gives voice to the far-flung passions of the Hokie Nation.
ON THE COVER
The future of space exploration may rely on robots as well as humans. The cover's otherworldly environment features a sand tufa, a knee-high, calcium-carbonate formation that Jim Stroup photographed in 1988 at Mono Lake in California. Along with Virginia Tech's prized humanoid robot, CHARLI, at right, is another product of Tech's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa), the Multi-Appendage Robotic System (MARS) posing at far left as a spaceship. The photo illustration is by Stroup, who's posing at left in an astronaut suit.
Automatic: Like many others in the region, robotics company thrives
The Science of Inspiration: Hokies envision the next space odyssey
We Remember: The fifth anniversary of April 16
Who's Running the Country? How appointees impact government performance
Letitia Long: A Global Vision
From Us to You: A Refreshed Magazine
Starting in early November, as the regular production process continued on the winter edition of VT Mag, a core group of editors and graphic designers began meeting on a weekly basis to redesign the magazine—all of it, from the page numbers to the font, from the table of contents to the paper width.
Many shy away from formal long-range planning. Many in the academy place little stock in the process. Yet, I have found few documents, few processes, more important to the overall health of the institution than the collective brainstorming and communal commitment embedded in a formal plan for our future.
"Rhododendron Gem," a painting by Michael St. Germain, an ecologist in the College of Natural Resources and Environment's Conservation Management Institute,
depicts a Canada warbler.
Living Pylons: A Call for Submissions
In a series of alumni-penned essays, we want to share with readers the stories from your diverse academic, personal, and professional backgrounds that express how you live out the Pylon values. To be considered, select a Pylon value, and send a 100-word abstract to VT Mag.
Bred in Danville, Va., by alumna Linda Pinkham (ornamental horticulture '69), a daylily adorned in orange and maroon is gaining popularity among Hokie gardeners.
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