An image of water droplets jumping off of a surface.

New research could make dew droplets so small, they’re invisible (VT News)

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By better understanding the behavior of water in its smallest form, a Virginia Tech professor and his undergraduate student could be improving the efficiency of removing condensation in a major way. Jonathan Boreyko, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, has been studying “jumping” dew droplets since he discovered the phenomenon in …

Two side-by-side photos of a chemical reaction experiment setup.

Research demonstrates novel method of producing optimized polyester (VT News)

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Polyester is inescapable: used in everyday items like clothes, water bottles, food packaging, and even biomedical devices, the polymer is an increasingly common choice for manufacturing. Despite its popularity, customizing the physicochemical properties of polyester has been somewhat limited. Two Virginia Tech researchers are changing that through research recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Rong Tong, assistant professor …

Image of an aluminum slab set up in a lab space with chunks of melting frost dripping off.

Forget defrosting your car at a glacial pace: new research speeds process up tenfold (VT News)

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Jonathan Boreyko turned on the defroster in his car one cold winter morning and waited for the ice on the windshield to melt. And kept waiting. Boreyko, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics in the College of Engineering, knew there had to be a more efficient, quicker way to melt the frost. So he developed …

A portrait of Fred Lee in his office, in front of full bookshelves.

World-renowned power electronics expert Fred Lee retires after 40-year career (VT News)

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Fred Lee, a University Distinguished Professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and founder and director of the internationally known Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), will retire from Virginia Tech in September 2017. After 40 years at the university, Lee, who is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, has made immeasurable contributions …

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In memoriam: Thomas J. Grizzard Jr., professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering and urban water cycle expert (VT News)

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Thomas J. Grizzard, Jr., professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and former director of the Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, died unexpectedly on June 24. He was 70. “Our hearts are heavy with the news of Tom’s passing,” said G. Don Taylor, the Charles O. Gordon Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and interim dean of …

A man wears a soft robotic suit through an isle in Lowe's, surrounded by paint cans.

Lowe’s and Virginia Tech develop exosuit designed to help retail employees (VT News)

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Virginia Tech and Lowe’s have joined forces to empower Lowe’s employees. The pair have collaborated to develop an exosuit — a wearable suit with lift-assist technology — currently in pilot at Lowe’s Christiansburg, Virginia, store. The lightweight exosuit is designed to help employees lift and move product through the store more efficiently. Lowe’s Innovation Labs, the disruptive technology hub for …

In the photo, a young woman (Abigail Smith) smiles for the camera in front of a field and building.

Abigail Smith named Virginia Tech Undergraduate Student of the Year (VT News)

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Abigail Smith, of Cleveland, Ohio, says she lives by the words of renowned cellist Pablo Casals: “To live is not enough; we must take part.” It’s a mentality that the 2017 Undergraduate Student of the Year carried through her four years at Virginia Tech, and one she plans to maintain after graduating in May with a bachelor’s in industrial and systems …

A man, Marc Edwards, poses for a portrait. He is in a lab, wearing a white lab coat.

Virginia Tech’s Marc Edwards honored as University Distinguished Professor

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Troublemaker Scientist. Heroic Professor. Accidental Ethicist. Those are just a few of the national media titles given to Virginia Tech’s Marc Edwards over the past quarter-century as he exposed problems with potable water in Washington, D.C.; Flint, Michigan; and other areas of the country. Most recently, Edwards was recognized by the university with a new title: University Distinguished Professor. The Virginia Tech …

In the photo, a young man, Hongliang Xin, sits at a computer desk with an illustration of polymers pulled up on the computer screen behind him as he smiles toward the camera.

Virginia Tech researchers develop a new model to unlock catalytic powers of gold (VT News)

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Until 1985, gold was widely believed to be chemically inert. But once researchers discovered that nano-sized gold particles can act as remarkable and selective catalysts, a world of possibility opened up. Today, gold is used in many industrial catalytic processes, such as the removal of carbon monoxide from exhaust at low temperatures or even the replacement of mercury-based catalysts in …

In the photo, a team of people cheer as they look to something out of frame.

Virginia Tech team demonstrates state-of-the-art technology at global robotics competition (VT News)

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Virginia Tech’s Team VICTOR competed against top universities in the international, inaugural Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge, held in Abu Dhabi March 16-18. The $5 million competition aimed to catalyze the development of autonomous robotics. Virginia Tech’s Team VICTOR, housed in the Wendy and Norris E. Mitchell ’58 Robotics Laboratory, was one of 25 teams out of 143 applicants from …