Academic News (News2Note)

News2Note, the academic newsletter of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, is published monthly during the academic year by Debra Stoudt, associate dean for policy and faculty affairs. Academic news can be submitted to her directly at dstoudt@vt.edu.

Two individuals in the College were recognized with a 2025 advising award from the Virginia Tech Academy of Advising Excellence.  Daniel Hoek, Philosophy, was the recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising.  Karen Watson, retired Senior Director of Student Services, received the Outstanding Administrator Award; this award is given to an individual who serves as either an administrator or director of advising.  They were honored at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s Recognition of Teaching Excellence Celebration ceremony, which took place April 15.

Raaj Aggarwal, a History and Social Science Education major, was named the 2025 Outstanding Senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.  Since January 2024 he has served as an undergraduate research assistant, developing lesson plans to be used by secondary social studies teachers as part of the Chicago Covenants Project, and since May 2024 he has assisted with research on teaching race in Appalachian history classrooms.  During the summer of 2024 Aggarwal worked with middle school students as an instructor at Virginia Tech’s Maker Camp; as a Summer Teaching Fellow for Uncommon Schools, he also was the teacher of a world history class at North Star Academy in Newark, New Jersey.  Aggarwal interned with Digital4Good, developing lessons on artificial intelligence literacy, and with the Reading Knack project, creating reading comprehension texts and assignments on historical topics.  He tutored with Montgomery County Public Schools and the Virginia Tech chapter of Kids Can Write and taught a synchronous online course on study skills for refugees seeking access to higher education through Elimisha Kakuma.  A paper Aggarwal wrote for one of his classes has been accepted as a book chapter for an edited collection about critical issues in social studies education.

David Alexander, Education, published Taking the Mystery Out of Virginia School Finance:  Financing Public Elementary and Secondary Education in the Commonwealth of Virginia, 3rd edition (Spring, Texas:  ICPEL Publishing, 2025), with Richard G. Salmon and Lisa G. Driscoll.

Two ASPECT doctoral students gave presentations at the International Studies Association Conference.  Elhom Gosink presented “Whose Campus:  Encampments as a Disruption to Notions of Property on College Campuses,” and Chris Thorne presented “What is Cultural Political Economy?  Socioeconomics Beyond Ideology and Superstructure.”  The conference took place March 2–5 in Chicago, Illinois.

The following individuals in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences are among those recognized during 2024–2025 with an Aspire! Award:  Andre Asarian, Political Science and Public Health; J. C. Cotten, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Ainsley Cragin, Multimedia Journalism; Alexander Efird, Smart and Sustainable Cities and Political Science; Alexa Gardner, Advanced Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator in the Child Development Center for Learning and Research; and Zahra Modarres Vahid, ASPECT doctoral student.

Two CLAHS majors were among the five Virginia Tech undergraduates selected to represent the university at the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Meeting of the Minds Conference.  Raaj Aggarwal, History and Social Science Education, presented “Global Illiteracy in the World’s Most Powerful Country:  Responding to the United States’ Role in the World Through Critical Global Citizenship Education”; Rachelle Kuehl, Education, was the faculty mentor.  Caleigh Hampton, Human Development, presented “Capturing the Sound of Southwest Virginia:  Investigating Rates of /ay/ Monophthongization Usage”; Abby Walker, English, was the faculty mentor.  The conference took place March 28–30 at the University of Pittsburgh.  Virginia Tech representatives were selected by a competitive, refereed process.

Amy Price Azano, Education and Director of the Center for Rural Education, and Clint Whitten, a postdoctoral associate in the School of Education and the Center for Rural Education, coedited Rural Education and Queer Identities:  Rural and (Out)Rooted, Rural Education and Social Justice (New York, New York:  Routledge, 2025).  Azano and Whitten provided “Introduction:  A Pedagogy of Pride in Rural Schools,” pp. 1–12.  In addition, the following CLAHS faculty contributed to the volume:  Laura Belmonte, Dean and Professor of History, “Foreword,” pp. xiii–xv; Casey Anne Brimmer, ASPECT doctoral student, cover art for the book; Christian Heasley, Counselor Education doctoral student, “Returning Home:  Strength and Resilience in Rural Queerness,” pp. 40–44, with Samuel T. Baker; Jeff Mann, English, “The Insurrection Beard,” pp. 45–48; Courtney Thomas, Political Science, “Sustaining Rural Queer Joy with Camp Magic,” pp. 173–81, with Bettie Iris Thomas; and Josh Thompson, Curriculum and Instruction doctoral student, “Agents of Affirmation:  The Importance of Rural Queer Educators,” pp. 70–75.

Four CLAHS doctoral students and postdoctoral associates were among the ten individuals from Virginia Tech selected for induction into the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society in 2025:  Yugasha Bakshi, a Planning, Governance, and Globalization doctoral student; Whitley Johnson, a Higher Education doctoral student; Sarah Plummer, a Mellon Postdoctoral Associate with Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia and the Department of Religion and Culture; and Vanessa Ruccolo, a Higher Education doctoral student and Senior Instructor in the Department of English.  The society was established in 2005 and named for the first self-identified African American to earn a doctoral degree in the United States; it “seeks to develop a network of scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.”  Virginia Tech is one of 19 Bouchet Society chapter institutions in the United States.  This year’s Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Scholars were inducted on April 4–5 during a ceremony at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Samantha Boyer, an International Relations, Russian, and National Security and Foreign Affairs major, was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. State Department.  The Critical Language Scholarship Program provides fully funded immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security, economic prosperity, and engagement with the world.  Boyer will be spending nine weeks this summer learning Persian in Tajikistan.

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences recognized the following faculty and staff members with 2024–2025 awards in teaching, advising, outreach, research and creative scholarship, and employee excellence:  Certificate of Teaching Excellence recipients were:  Sherri Craig, English; Donna Fortune, Education; Corinne Noirot, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Caroline Sanner, Human Development and Family Science; Joseph Truscello, English; and Matthew Vollmer, English.  An Excellence in Advising Award was presented to Matthew Fullen, Education, and Karen Watson, retired Senior Director of Student Support in the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office.  Excellence in Outreach and International Initiatives Award recipients were Matthew Komelski, Human Development and Family Science, and Brett Shadle, History.  Edward Gitre, History; Carol Mullen, Education; Katalin Parti, Sociology; and TeKisha Rice Wallace, Human Development and Family Science, received Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship Awards.  Shannon Bell, Sociology, was the recipient of the Land Grant Scholar Award.  The Spirit of Ut Prosim Award winner was Bonnie Zare, Sociology.  The College’s Staff Employee of the Year Award was presented to Cammie Sgarrella, Academic Coordinator and Communications Specialist in the Department of History.  Also recognized during the event were:  Anthony Kwame Harrison, Sociology, appointed Alumni Distinguished Professor in April 2024; Katrina Powell, English and Director of the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies, appointed Alumni Distinguished Professor in March 2025; Emily Satterwhite, Religion and Culture, named Edward S. Diggs Professor of Humanities in October 2024; and Richard Shryock, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, whose appointment as Mahan Professor of French begins in August 2025 (see pp. 12–13 of this newsletter).  The recognition ceremony took place April 15 in the Owens Ballroom.  Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research Tom Ewing served as emcee, and Dean Laura Belmonte provided words of welcome.  Faculty members Bell, Craig, Harrison, Powell, Satterwhite, Shryock, and Zare were the featured speakers.

The following faculty members were awarded a research grant from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences during the 2024–2025 academic year:  Sweta Baniya, English; Kristen Benson, Human Development and Family Science; Nataliya Brantly, Public and International Affairs; Katie Carmichael, English; Koeun Choi, Human Development and Family Science; Amanda Demmer, History; Matthew Dull, Public and International Affairs; Megan Duncan, Communication; Lillian Frost, Political Science; Rebecca Hester, Science, Technology, and Society; Melanie Kiechle, History; Rachel Midura, History; Corinne Noirot, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Sarah Ovink, Sociology; Soham Patel, English; Andrew Scerri, Political Science; Clara Suong, Political Science; Vinodh Venkatesh, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Stacy Vogt Yuan, Sociology; Paroma Wagle, Public and International Affairs; Dara Wald, Public and International Affairs; Abby Walker, English; Rebecca Weaver-Hightower, English; LaDale Winling, History; Avery Wiscomb, English; and Tingting Zhao, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.

Caitlin Cook, Academic Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, was recognized as the April 2025 Advisor of the Month by the Office of Undergraduate Advising.  The Advisor of the Month program recognizes outstanding academic and career advisors based on evidence of qualities and practices such as quality of information and advice, strong interpersonal communication skills, implementation of a “support and challenge” environment, and accessibility.

Deseria Creighton-Barney, bachelor’s degree in Communication (1986), was one of two recipients of the 2025 Virginia Tech Alumni Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals for their exceptional service to the university.  Creighton-Barney has served in leadership roles with the Virginia Tech Foundation, the Boundless Impact Campaign, and in local government as the director of human resources for Surry County, Virginia.  In 2018 she was a co-recipient of the Virginia Tech Ut Prosim Award.  Creighton-Barney received the Alumni Distinguished Service Award during University Commencement on May 16.

The following students in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences participated in the 2025 Dennis Dean Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Conference, which took place April 25; only CLAHS faculty mentors are noted.  Samantha Boyer, International Relations, Russian, and National Security and Foreign Affairs, and Nicole Endres, National Security and Foreign Affairs, presented “Russia’s Use of Gendered Disinformation as a Tool of Hybrid Warfare Against the United States”; the faculty mentor was Trevor Wilson, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.  Christina Bujoreanu, Smart and Sustainable Cities, et al., presented “TEAM-Malawi:  Addressing Food Insecurity in Africa with Hydroponics.”  Khushi Chaudhari, International Relations, presented “Southern Vowel Shift in Southwest Virginia”; the faculty mentor was Abby Walker, English.  Sophie Dodge, Human Development, presented “Influences on Verb Conjugation in Late Talkers”; the faculty mentor was Katie Carmichael, English.  Silvia Carbajal-Flores, John Eagle, and Adya Muniganti, all Political Science, et al., presented “The Impact of High Deductible Health Plans on Lower Income Populations.”  Lauren Falk, Rachael Mannix, Fatima Rehmatulla, Maya Thomas, and Jalyn White, all Human Development, et al., presented “My TaleMate:  The Impact of Parent-Child Joint Reading with AI Voice Agents on Young Children’s Pattern Recognition Learning”; Koeun Choi and Caroline Hornburg, both Human Development and Family Science, along with Sang Won Lee served as faculty mentors.  Caleigh Hampton, Human Development, presented “Capturing the Sound of Southwest Virginia:  Investigating Rates of /ay/ Monophthongization Usage”; Abby Walker served as faculty mentor.  Jonathan Hing, Political Science, et al., presented “Sickle Cell Disease, Gene Therapy, and Immune Response to Malaria.”  Hannah Levy, International Studies, presented “Policy-Driven Inequities:  How European Trade Regulations Deepen Class Divides in the African Cocoa Industry.”  Trenton Matthews, Human Development, presented “Becoming a Man:  How Sons of Single Mothers Construct Masculine Identities”; faculty mentors were TeKisha Rice Wallace, Human Development and Family Science, and Human Development doctoral student Aran Garnett-Deakin.  Caroline McCormick, English Literature, and Sarah Boudreau presented “The Cherry on Top:  Using Experimental Debriefing as a Site of Linguistic Outreach”;  the faculty mentor was Abby Walker.  Addison Midkiff, Criminology, et al., presented “The Cause and Frequency of a Middle Year Slump in Undergraduate Education at Virginia Tech.”  Alexandra Mkrtchyan, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, et al., presented “Beyond the Hide:  A Mycelium Leather Exploration.”  Alyssa Nazigian, English Literature, presented “The Indefinite Article and Language Change Over Time Within Appalachian Speech”; Katie Carmichael served as faculty mentor.  Eliza Quesenberry, Professional and Technical Writing, and Katelyn Morris presented “Voices of Voice Assistants”; the faculty mentor was Abby Walker.  Kaitlin Rath, Criminology, et al., presented “Light Pollution:  How Sky Quality Impacts the Safety Perception of Blacksburg.” Natalie Szenas, Human Development, presented “Validating Behavioral Tasks for Measuring Aggression and Prosociality Using Self-Report Measures.”  Bryanna Taylor, Criminology, and Madison Fleming presented “Correlations Between the Passing of Erin’s Law and Political Affiliations, Educational Funding Status, and Current Sexual Education Policies Within Each of the States in the U.S.”  Brianna Wade, English, presented “Changes in Utilization of the Fillers Like, Um, and Uh Across Generations”; Katie Carmichael served as faculty mentor.  Rabihah Waheed, Political Science, presented “The United Nations and Global Governance:  An Investigation of Genocide Response by the UN and the Influence of the Top 5 Powerful Nations”; faculty mentors were Bikrum Gill, Political Science, and Nikki Lewis.  Abstracts can be found here.

Thomas Dearden, Sociology, published The Gender Gap in White-Collar Crime:  A Multi-Country Study of Women Offenders in Economic Crime (Palm Bay, Florida, and Burlington, Canada:  Apple Academic Press, 2025), with Maryam Kamaei and Petter Gottschalk.

The following CLAHS faculty and students were awarded a Departmental Diversity Grant during the 2024–2025 academic year:  Norhan Abdelgawad, a doctoral student in Planning, Governance, and Globalization; and faculty members Eunju Hwang, Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, and Rachel Midura, History. 

Alexander Dickow, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, published The Distance, and You In It (Buffalo, New York:  BlazeVOX Books, 2025), a two-part narrative-dramatic poem.

Two Educational Leadership and Policy Studies students presented papers at the 2025 American Educational Research Association conference:  Connie Balkcom, “Virginia Educational Research Association:  Millennial School Leaders:  Why They Come, Why They Stay, and Why They Leave”; and Ashley Faaborg, “The Development of Moral Literacy in Principals:  Stories of Critical Moments in Moral Development,” coauthored with Charles Lowery, Education.  The conference took place April 23–27 in Denver, Colorado.

Charlene Eska, English, published “The Early Irish Law Tract Fidbretha ‘Tree-Judgments,’” North American Journal of Celtic Studies 9 (2025):  38–53.  In addition, she was awarded this year’s American Society for Irish Medieval Studies Essay Prize, which recognizes the best essay or article in Irish Medieval Studies written by a member of the society and published in a book or journal during the previous calendar year.  Eska received the award for “Re-examining the Early Irish Marriage Laws,” North American Journal of Celtic Studies 8 (2024):  49–70.

Tom Ewing, Professor of History and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, was awarded a Vibrant Virginia Grant of $10,000 from Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement as the Principal Investigator of the Bike 76 VA project.  The goal of the project is to work with community organizations along Route 76 to develop exhibitions featuring local history, welcoming cyclists, and looking ahead to 2026.  Information about the project was published by Ewing in “Appalachian Trail and Route 76,” Trail Blazer:  Newsletter of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (February–April 2025), pp. 16–17, as well as the article “Pedaling New Historical Paths,” Roanoke Times, May 2, 2025, p. A7, and the presentation “Revealing History Along Route 76 in Montgomery County” on April 23 in Newman Library, both with History major Grace Kostrzebski.  The Bikecentennial Route 76 in Virginia website provides additional information about the project.

ASPECT doctoral student Armin Firouzi received the Peacock Harper Culinary History Scholarship for 2025–2026.  Firouzi plans to use the Special Collection of Food and Culinary History at Virginia Tech for research on the role of U.S. immigration policies on public perception of “foreign” food and the incorporation and commercialization of immigrants’ cuisines in the American food culture. 

Ten undergraduate finalists from two colleges were recognized during this year’s 2025 Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize Ceremony, which took place April 2 at the Lyric Theatre.  The finalists were:  Grace Belcher, English; Morgan Blankenship, English Education; Caroline Blom, English Literature and Professional and Technical Writing; Aaliyah Kinsler, Multimedia Journalism; Elizabeth Klint, English Literature; Isabella Korobow-Velez, Biological Sciences; Alyssa Nazigian, English Literature and Creative Writing; Rose Puschnik, Clinical Neuroscience; Jordyn Styles, English Literature, Professional and Technical Writing, and Creative Writing; and  Jennifer Tran, English Literature and Professional Writing.  Winners of the 2025 Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prizes were:  Blom, who was awarded first prize, $1,500, for her poem, “How to Get a Happy Life.”  Korobow-Velez received the second-place prize of $800 for “A Pinning Board on the Floor.”  Third-place honors went to Tran, who received a prize of $500 for “Garlic Knife.”  All three winners received The Steger trophy, a piece of art crafted by Virginia Tech students at the Kroehling Advanced Materials Foundry on campus.  The competition was founded in 2006 by the late University Distinguished Professor Emerita of English Nikki Giovanni and named in part for its first benefactor and late Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.  Additional information about the event is available here.

Global Partnership Project Grants from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were awarded to the following faculty during 2024–2025:  Chad Hankinson and Yannis Stivachtis, Associate Director and Director of the Center for European and Transatlantic Studies, respectively, for multiple projects and partnerships including KU Leuven, the Université libre de Bruxelles, European Policy Studies (CEPS), and the US Mission to NATO; Javiera Hidalgo, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, for a book project and events with CONICET in Santiago, Chile, and the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina; and Laura Zanotti, Political Science, for projects related to quantum social theory offering an innovative framework for conceptualizing and ethically addressing artificial intelligence, in collaboration with Robert Braun, Institute for Advanced Studies, in Vienna, Austria.

Aarnes Gudmestad, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, published “Reconsidering the Social in Language Learning:  A State of the Science and an Agenda for Future Research in Variationist SLA,” Languages 10.4 (2025), article 64, with Matthew Kanwit.

The inaugural Hall of Honor and Alumni Awards ceremony in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences took place April 25 at The Inn at Virginia Tech.  Three alumni were inducted as Hall of Honors inductees:  Kelly Clements, B.A. in International Studies and French (1988); Hoda Kotb, B.A. in Broadcast Journalism (1986); and Jerry Hulick, B.A. in Political Science (1973).  Hall of Honor inductees represent alumni who exemplify the importance of a liberal arts education and have made significant contributions to their professions, communities, and Virginia Tech; individuals at least ten years beyond graduation are eligible for this distinction.  The 2025 Rising Star Award recipients were:  Tahreem Alam, B.A. in Multimedia Journalism, International Relations, and Arabic (2021); Jason Chavez, B.A. and M.A. in Political Science (2019, 2020); and Téa Ivanonic, B.A. in International Studies (2014).  Rising Star Award recipients have graduated within the last 10 years and demonstrate emerging and unique innovation, creativity, and career success.  Details about the Hall of Honor recipients and Rising Start Award recipients can be found here.  In addition, 12 individuals were honored as Distinguished Alumni:  Nada Berrada, Master of Public and International Affairs and Ph.D. in ASPECT (2016, 2020); Carla Coates, Ph.D. in Sociology (2010); Laura Dumin, B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (now Religion and Culture (1999); John B. Gordon III, Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (2012); Deirdre Hand, B.A. History and M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction (2008, 2012); Katherine Hertlein, Ph.D. in Human Development (2004); Eric Hulett, B.A. in Philosophy (1990); Julia Monroe, B.A. in International Public Policy and Spanish (2019); Glenna Moore, Master of Urban Affairs (1976); Tyrod Taylor, B.S. in Property Management (2010); Pierre Thomas, B.A. in Communication Studies (1984); and Peter Velz, B.A. in English (2020).

Caleigh Hampton, a Human Development major and Language Sciences minor, was selected as the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences recipient of the 2025 Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society Senior Medallion.  She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and has served in leadership roles with the Speech-Language Pathology Club, MomCo Kids, the Big Event, and Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.  Hampton has been engaged as a Student Research Assistant at the Speech Lab during her entire career at Virginia Tech and this academic year she is also a Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellow.  She presented her research on campus at the Language Sciences Research Showcase and the Dennis Dean Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Conference as well as twice at the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics.  Hampton also has volunteered as a Human Service Program Peer Mentor, an Afghan Conversation Project Partner, and a Special Needs Coach for Tri-Cities Champions.  She serves as a Montgomery County Public Schools substitute teacher and has worked as a Student-Athlete Academic Success Services Tutor and for Girls Inc. of Bristol as a program instructor.

Anthony Kwame Harrison, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Sociology, published “The Inconvenience of Black America,” Shuddhashar 43 (May 2025). 

Department of History faculty members Marcia Davitt, Tom Ewing, also Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, and LaDale Winling, Religion and Culture faculty member Sarah Plummer, and ASPECT doctoral student Hannah Steinhauer, published “Introduction to Data in Social Context,” Journal of American History 111.4 (2025):  760–68.

Center for Humanities Summer Stipends were awarded to the following CLAHS faculty for research on the project or book indicated:  Shannon Bell, Sociology, The Forest Botanicals Region:  Seeing Beyond the Coalfields Imaginary in Central Appalachia; Melanie Kiechle, History, “Celestia Webster:  A Life, with Illness”; Su Fang Ng, English, Brokering with Caliban:  The East Indies in Early Modern English Drama of Diplomacy; and Philip Yaure, Philosophy, “Transformative Organizing:  Race, Gender, and the American Labor Movement.”  The $4,000 stipends were awarded in support of the faculty members’ work and commitment to advancing the humanities.

Cana Itchuaqiyaq, English, published “Technical Communication’s Fight Against Extractive Large Language Modeling by Applying FAIR and CARE Principles of Data,” Journal of Business and Technical Communication 39.1 (January 2025):  11–25, with Chris Lindgren and Erin Yunes; and “Researching Ethically,” The Routledge Handbook of Ethics in Technical and Professional Communication, ed. Derek G. Ross (New York, New York, and London, United Kingdom:  Routledge, 2025), pp. 258–68.  In addition, Itchuaqiyaq, with coauthors Chris Lindgren and Corina Qaaġraq Kramer, won the 2025 Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Technical and Scientific Communication Award in the category of Best Article on Philosophy or Theory of Technical or Scientific Communication for “Decolonizing Community-Engaged Research:  Designing CER with Cultural Humility as a Foundational Value,” Communication Design Quarterly 11.3 (September 2023):  12–20.  This is the second time in three years that Itchuaqiyaq has been honored with this award from the CCCC.  This year’s award was presented at the CCCC awards ceremony, which took place on April 11 in Baltimore, Maryland.

ASPECT doctoral student Bai Jiang cotranslated “Reevaluating Reality Through the Experience of Games:  The Gamification of Web Novels Through the Example of Yan Liangyu’s Ghost Server Legion” by Yusu Wang, Chinese Literature and Thought Today 55.3–4 (2024):  94–103, with Jeffrey Keller and Renren Yang.

ASPECT doctoral student Andreza Jorge presented “Black Women in Brazil and Trinidad:  Carnival as a Grounding Experience” on February 18 as part of the Politics, Society, and Music series sponsored by El Centro at Virginia Tech.  In addition, Jorge participated in the roundtable titled “Participatory Research, Community Science, Art, and Activism in Rio de Janeiro” at the conference ”Environmental Injustice Across the Americas:  Pollution, Community Waters, and Unequal Urbanization in Rio de Janeiro and New York,” which took place April 21–23 at Bard College in Annandale on Hudson, New York.

ASPECT doctoral student Onur Karabıçak published the op-ed pieces “Türkiye’ye ne oldu, böyle olmasına ne izin verdi?” (What Happened to Turkey?) and “Donma, görün, anlat, ikna et: Muhalefet vs. İktidar” (Tactical Freeze, Visibility, Narration, Persuasion:  The Government and the Opposition in Turkey) on March 22 and April 16, respectively, in the journal Yeni Arayış.

Sociology master’s student Afsana Kona was one of two recipients of the Sigma Xi Graduate Research Award at the master’s level.  Sponsored by the Waste Policy Institute, the award highlights student research with a well-articulated environmental dimension, broadly defined to include natural, social, built, and engineered environments.  Kona was recognized for the project titled “Does Climate Change Have the Potential to Alter Cropping Patterns?  An Exploratory Study in the Selected Sub-Districts of Northern Bangladesh.”  She presented a poster about her work and received the award on May 8 at a ceremony at the Corporate Research Center.

Charles Lowery, Education, published “Critical Educational Bricolage in Times of Prolonged Conflict:  Toward a Theory of Recognition for Restoration,” Challenges Facing Educational Leadership in the Shadow of War:  International and Multicultural Perspectives from Zones of Conflict, ed. Mary Gutman (Oxon, United Kingdom, and New York, New York:  Routledge, 2025), pp. 141–51; “Educational Leaders’ Perception of Their Ethical Preparedness on the Ohio River:  A Cross-Case Analysis of Leaders in Two Appalachian Riparian School Districts,” Educational Leadership Review 25.2 (2024):  140–56, with Michael E. Hess and Tosin Akinola; and “Enhancing High Quality Inclusive Education Through Systemic School Leadership: A Systematic Review,” Quality Education for All 2.1 (2025):  227–44, with Robert White and Jerry Johnson.

Timothy Luke, University Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science, published “Critical Political Science from the Age of Nixon to the Epoch of Trump,” New Political Science 47.1 (March 2025):  21–34.

Andrew McCumber, Sociology, published Bad Nature:  How Rat Control Shapes Human and Nonhuman Worlds (Chicago, Illinois:  University of Chicago Press, 2025).

Heidi Anne Mesmer, Education, published There’s Research for That:  Your K-5 Literacy Instruction Questions Answered (Huntington Beach, California:  Teacher Created Materials/Shell Education, 2025), with Katie Hilden-Clouse.

Rachel Midura, History, was one of three winners of Virginia Tech’s Early Career Scholarly Impact Award, which recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated early leadership as scholars, as evidenced by a promising record of scholarly/creative achievement and increasing impact.  Midura’s scholarly focus is digital and cultural history of information in the early modern period, including the continuities and ruptures of information technologies, professions, and ethics.  She was honored for her publications; as the recipient of a Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities; for mentoring of student research assistants; and for creation of new courses that integrate digital methodologies.  Midura is among seven inaugural winners of the three new research awards established by the Office of Research and Innovation and the Office of Faculty Affairs and funded by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.  

Joseph Mukuni, Education, edited Fostering Experiential Knowledge of Cultural Diversity Through Studying Abroad (Hershey, Pennsylvania:  IGI Global, 2025).  His individual contribution to the volume was “A Study Abroad Trip to Zambia:  A Program Coordinator’s Reflections,” pp. 105–22.

Sarah Ovink, Sociology, published  “‘Giving Back’:  Filipina and Latina Mothers’ Intersecting Burdens in Schools and Community-Based Organizations,” Socius 11 (2025), with Melanie Jones Gast and Solomon Amoatey.

Wendy Parker, Philosophy, published Climate Science, Elements in Philosophy of Science (Cambridge, United Kingdom, and New York, New York:  Cambridge University Press, 2025).

Katalin Parti, Sociology, Sociology and Psychology alumna Sophia Silis, and Pam Teaster, Professor of Human Development and Family Science and Director of the Center for Gerontology, published “‘This is Not a Scam!’:  Assessment of an Awareness Raising Program Tackling Older Adults’ Scam Victimization in a Multi-Method Study,” Journal of Qualitative Criminology and Criminal Justice 15.1 (2026):  1–36, with Charles Dye and Susanna Rinehart.

The following students with a primary major in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences accepted the invitation to become members of Phi Beta Kappa during the 2024-2025 academic year.  In Fall 2024:  Raaj Aggarwal, History and Social Science Education; Samantha Boyer, International Relations; Gracia Bryan, International Relations; Isaac Chitwood, International Studies; Caitlin Dawson, English; Coleman Efird, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Sydney Eismeier, Political Science; Connor Espanet, Political Science; Lydia Falardeau, Political Science; Emma Fox, Political Science; Destiny Haley, English; Kyndall Hanson, Multimedia Journalism; Haleigh Hobbs, Criminology; Ashton Ingle, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Duncan Irvine, Political Science; Georgia Kimball, Criminology; Kloe Koupal, International Studies; Jackson Lee, English; Lindsay Lindquist, Political Science; Sylvia Mack, Communication; Karah McClafferty, Creative Writing; Emily McLaurin, Political Science; Emily Mcleod, Communication; Delaney Moran, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Olivia Patton, International Studies; Adrian Ramsey, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Christopher Robinette, History and Social Science Education; Keeley Rogers, Criminology; River Savage, International Relations; Madeline Shivas, Political Science; Alexandra Snyder, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Akeakamai Spicer, Criminology; and Riley Vinluan, Professional and Technical Writing.  In Spring 2025: Yana Arora, Communication; Emily Clemens, Criminology; Ian Clickner, International Studies; Loren Cox, International Studies; Bradley Craig, Political Science; James Davidson, Multimedia Journalism; Emelia Delaporte, Professional and Technical Writing; Kaelin Farley, Political Science; Amanda Gaffney, National Security and Foreign Affairs; John Galanides, Political Science; Branden Gambone, Political Science; Brooke Griswold, Political Science; Sarah Hevener, Professional and Technical Writing; Cameron Hill, Political Science; Amy Huggett, Political Science; Maximilian Krogh, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Eric Lang, International Relations; Sydney Lowe, Political Science; Ethan Mansour, Political Science; Sydney Mccarthy, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Erin McClain, Political Science; Addison Midkiff, Criminology; Brendan Myers, Sports Media and Analytics; Melissa Nacheman, Political Science; Alexandra Nesmith, Political Science; Anthony Nguyen, Political Science; Conner Patrick, Sports Media and Analytics; Riley Petersen, Public Relations; Allison Pickels, Political Science; Thomas Quinn, International Relations; Christina Riordan, Criminology; Declan Roberts, Political Science; Keeley Rogers, Criminology; Sean Rombach, Smart and Sustainable Cities; Daniel Sidaros, Political Science; Luis Sorto, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Tristan Southerland, Political Science; Matthew Spears, Political Science; Caitlin Sullivan, Public Relations; Cameron Upton, International Relations; MacKenna Weinberg, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; and Jeffrey Yates, Criminology.  Only the primary major is listed for each student.

The following CLAHS students published an article in Volume 16 (2025) of Philologia. Virginia Tech CLAHS Undergraduate Research Journal:  Raaj Aggarwal, History and Social Science Education, “Continuity and Change Between Colonial Education in Kenya and Refugee Education in Kakuma”; Gabrielle Aucella, Professional and Technical Writing, “Social Media Crisis Communication:  Celebrity Influence During the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Case Study of Nicki Minaj’s Vaccine Tweets”; Kaelin Farley, Political Science, “‘Hasta el sol de hoy’:  un análisis” (“Until today”:  An Analysis); Dallana Flores, International Studies, “America’s Role in the Forced Disappearance of Salvadoran Children:  The Impact of U.S. Intervention in the Salvadoran Civil War”; and Caleigh Hampton, “‘I Would Like a Diet Sprite’:  /ay/ Monophthongization in Southwest Virginia.”  The 2024-2025 editors of Philologia are:  Joseph Callari, Professional and Technical Writing; Hunter Craig, English Literature and Creative Writing; Phoebe Hayashi, Professional and Technical Writing; Martin Jensen, Professional and Technical Writing; Cal Kruse, English Literature, Creative Writing, and Professional and Technical Writing; Eliza Quesenberry, Professional and Technical Writing; and Marley Rowell, Political Science and Professional and Technical Writing.  Andrew Wadoski, English, serves as faculty advisor.

Two CLAHS employees were among five university-wide recipients of the 2025 President’s Award for Excellence.  Sherri Albert, Human Resources Coordinator for the School of Education, has been employed by Virginia Tech since 2000.  She was recognized for her leadership, excellence in the quality of her work, and her work ethic.  Her attention to detail, knowledge of university policies and procedures, and willingness to assist beyond the normal eight-hour business day make her the “go-to” person in the School regarding matters concerning hiring and leave policies and procedures.  Debra Harry, Program Support Technician for the Virginia Tech Army ROTC, has been a Virginia Tech employee since 1991.  She was honored for her work processing Department of Defense scholarship money into Virginia Tech and enhancing the image of Army ROTC at the university.  The latter efforts were critical to the selection of Virginia Tech Army ROTC for national awards from the Department of Defense and recognition of the program as first among 274 Army ROTC programs in the nation two years in a row.  The President’s Award for Excellence was initiated in 1990 to recognize outstanding contributions and consistently excellent performance of full-time staff employees, as well as certain administrative and professional faculty personnel.  Thirteen employees were nominated this year; all were recognized during a ceremony on April 9.  Each winner received a letter of commendation from President Tim Sands, a certificate, and a $2,000 pre-tax award.

Khadijah Queen, English, published Radical Poetics:  Essays on Literature & Culture, Poets on Poetry (Ann Arbor, Michigan:  University of Michigan Press, 2025).

Ashley Reed, English, published “Religious Reestablishment from Pulpit to Page,” The Cambridge Companion to Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Politics, ed. Jack Kerkering (Cambridge, United Kingdom, and New York, New York:  Cambridge University Press, 2025), pp. 125–42.

Matthew Salesses, English, was named a 2025 United States Artists (USA) Fellow.  The USA Fellowship makes awards to artists and collaboratives across the following disciplines:  Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art, and Writing.  In addition to $50,000 in unrestricted funding, USA provides access to services such as financial planning, career consulting, legal advice, and personal care.  This year USA honored 50 artists and cultural practitioners in ten disciplines in 21 states at all career stages.  More about Salesses and his work can be found here.

The 2025 Service Recognition Program acknowledged employees’ service to the university in five-year increments, beginning at ten years.  Sixty College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences faculty members were recognized, including three with 35 years of service:  Jeff Mann, English; Max Stephenson, Professor of Public and International Affairs and Director of the Institute for Policy and Governance; and Gerard Toal, Education.  The complete list can be found here.

Curriculum and Instruction doctoral student Annie Shaba published a review of Multilingualism Across the Lifespan edited by Unn Røyneland and Robert Blackwood titled “Life Long Perspectives on the Multilingual Experience” in the Journal of Multilingual Education Research 13 (2025):  117–20.

Richard Shryock, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, was appointed to the Robert and Beatrice Mahan Professorship in French, which was established to support teaching and research in French literature, language, history, and culture.  Shryock’s research focuses on the Symbolist movement in 19^th-century France and has resulted in numerous publications, invited talks, and presentations, including a major exhibit on Gustave Kahn hosted by the Museum of Jewish Art and History of Paris.  A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1987, he received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising in 2002 and for many years led a study abroad program in Paris.  Working with colleagues, Shryock secured a U.S. Department of Education Title VI Grant to support interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships across the university.  From 2006 to 2012 he served as chair of the department.  Shryock earned his bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, a Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies from the Université de Haute Bretagne, and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

ASPECT doctoral student Hannah Steinhauer presented “Information Technologies and the Production of Abortion Ignorance” at the Eastern Sociological Society Annual Conference, which was held March 6–9 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Debra Stoudt, Professor of German and Associate Dean for Academic Policies and Procedures, published “Männersprache, Frauensprache, Gottessprache:  The Language of Hildegard of Bingen,” (Mehr)Sprachen lernen, lehren, leben.  Festschrift für Britta Hufeisen zum 65. Geburtstag, ed. Beate Lindemann, Nicole Marx, and Heidi Seifert (Düren, Germany:  Shaker Verlag, 2025), pp. 161–64.

Sophia Terazawa, English, published Tetra Nova (Dallas, Texas:  Deep Vellum Publishing, 2025).  The book is an operatic novel; a reading and performance of it was presented April 16 in the Cube at the Moss Arts Center in collaboration with the Roanoke Ballet Theatre.

The following students were recipients of 2024–2025 Travel Grant Awards from the Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Research:  Christina Bujoreanu, Smart and Sustainable Cities, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, February 20–23; and Caleigh Hampton, Human Development, Caroline McCormick, English Literature, and Eliza Quesenberry, Professional and Technical Writing, Southeastern Conference on Linguistics, April 10–12, with Abby Walker, English, as faculty mentor.

Md Shazalal Tushar, a doctoral student in Planning, Governance, and Globalization, presented “What Are the Characteristics of Successful Neighborhood Bikeshare Docking Stations That Encourage Trips to Bikeshare Docking Stations at Metrorail?  A Study of Capital Bikeshare in Washington D.C.” at the graduate student research showcase.  The event took place March 26 on the VT Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia.

Grant support for undergraduate research in 2024–2025 was provided by the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office to the following CLAHS students for conference presentations:  Dallana Flores, International Studies, “U.S. Foreign Interference in the Salvadoran Civil War,” Humanities Conference on Refugee and Immigrant Studies, which was held April 4–5 in Macon, Georgia, faculty advisor Brett Shadle, History; Caleigh Hampton, Human Development, “Capturing the Sound of Southwest Virginia:  Investigating Rates of AY-Monophthongization Usage,” Katelyn Morris, Psychology, and Eliza Quesenberry, Professional and Technical Writing, et al., “Shaping Interaction:  The Impact of Voice Assistant Dialects on User Experience,” and Kaitlyn Agble, Clinical Neuroscience, and Caroline McCormick, English Literature, et al., “The Cherry on Top:  Using Experimental Debriefing as a Site of Linguistic Outreach,” all at the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics, which took place April 10–12 in Boca Raton, Florida, faculty advisor Abby Walker.  In addition, two students were awarded support for research projects:  Trenton Matthews, Human Development, “Sons of Single Moms,” faculty advisors TeKisha Rice Wallace, Human Development and Family Science, and Human Development doctoral student Aran Garnett-Deakin; and Zahni Peterkin Williams, Criminology and Psychology, “Anticipating Discrimination in Black Americans’ Romantic Relationships,” faculty advisor TeKisha Rice Wallace.

The following faculty and staff members in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were winners of a 2025 University Faculty/Staff Award: 

Catheryn Foster, Assistant Professor of Practice in the School of Education, garnered a University Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Chris Sokol, formerly the Family Therapy Center Office Manager in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, received the Staff Career Achievement Award.  She retired in December 2023.

The university’s announcement is available on this page.  Information regarding 2025 Advising Award winners Daniel Hoek, Philosophy, and Karen Watson, retired Senior Director of Student Services, and 2025 President’s Award for Excellence winners Sherry Albert, Human Resources Coordinator for the School of Education, and Debra Harry, Program Support Technician for the Virginia Tech Army ROTC, is found on p. 1  and pp. 11–12, respectively, of this newsletter.

The annual Virginia Tech Authors Recognition Event took place April 10 in Newman Library.  The event honored authors’ academic contributions to the University.  Faculty who were recipients of funding from the Library Open Subvention Fund for the publication of articles are listed here.  The list of CLAHS faculty and students who authored, coauthored, and edited monographs can be found here.  The latter list recognized 66 faculty and students from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, including three faculty with two submissions and one with three.  The 66 listings for CLAHS constitute 46% of the total of 142.  Among the featured speakers at the recognition event were Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research Tom Ewing.

Clint Whitten, a postdoctoral associate in the School of Education and the Center for Rural Education, published “Queerness in Rural Schools:  A Literature Review Exploring the Intersection of Rurality and Queerness in K–12 Schools,” Journal of Research in Rural Education 41 (2025), Issue 2. 

The following CLAHS students gave presentations at the 2025 Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Undergraduate and Graduate Conference with the theme “Feminism is for EveryBody”:  Becca Berglie, Sociology, “There is Always So Much More Behind Our Screams:  Power of Fangirl Culture” and “‘I Know A Place’:  Fangirl Spaces, Queer Joy, and Sapphic Pop as Feminist World-Making”; Upali Bhattacharya, Sociology doctoral student, “Digital Dreams and Dilemmas:  Perspectives from Students and Teachers in New Delhi”; Lizzie Burgiss, Advertising, “Common Ground:  Explaining the Shared Experiences of Queer and Disabled Communities” and “Beyond the Club:  Raising the Bar on Nightlife as a True Third Space”; Paige Carter, History master’s student, “A Case Study on the Legal Definitions of Infanticide from Unsettled Settlers:  How the Policing of Bodies Stabilized and Strengthened the North Carolina Settler Colonial Project”; Ellie Colonna, English, “Education for Equality, Not Oppression:  Re-making the Educational System with Abolitionist Praxis”; Asha Cooper, Professional and Technical Writing, “Essay on the Fetishization of Women of Color”; Emma Desens, Human Development doctoral student, “Sexual Violence Victimization, Institutional Betrayal, and Informal Support”; Lydia Falardeau, Political Science and Sociology, “Barriers to Reproductive Healthcare in Appalachia:  The Impact of Societal Factors, Policy, and Stigma in the Region”; Ruthann Froberg, Human Development doctoral student, “Assessing Sexual Consent for Individuals with Dementia in Long-Term Care Settings”; Kayleigh Kalagher, Creative Writing and English, and Taylor Berenbaum, Multimedia Journalism and Theatre Arts, a scene from the Virginia Tech production of Kate Hamill’s Little Women; Meredith Lane, Sociology, “Exploring Evolutions in Appalachian Kinship:  From Grandmas to Grief Support Groups”; Robyn Lawson, Sociology doctoral student, “Conflicting Identities at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival:  A Social Identity Case Study”; Jessica Long, ASPECT doctoral student, “Girl, Bye:  What #exvangelicals Are Saying on Reddit About Leaving Their Identities Behind”; Ranger McKinney, Political Science master’s student, “The Bourgeois Sexual Ideology:  An Examination of Class, Sex, and Ideology”; Maggie Morris, Science Technology Studies doctoral student, “There Is No Such Thing As a Perfect Activist”; Lianne Oliveira, ASPECT Visiting Graduate Research, “Critical Fabulation and the Femicide of Black Women in Brazil:  Reconstructing Silenced Narratives”; Tristan Reeves, Political Science, “Children of Queer Families”; Maria Siddiqui, ASPECT doctoral student, “Litigating Faith:  Hindutva, Gender, and the Courts”; Aline de Souza, ASPECT doctoral student, “Toward My Own Contemporary and Feminist Storytelling Performance” and a “Stories of Migration” performance with Chynna Golding, Brandon Hale, and Estefania “Nia” Perez-Vera; Hannah Steinhauer, ASPECT doctoral student, a poem and “Information Technologies and the Production of Abortion Ignorance”; Brit Washburn, Creative Writing master’s student, “Love and Survival”; and Marina Yingling, Sociology, “Queer Mundanity and the Power of Everyday Spaces.”  Berglie was the winner of the Barbara Ellen Smith Undergraduate Best Essay; Froberg was recognized with the Barbara Ellen Smith Graduate Best Essay; and Oliveira received the Suchitra Samanta Global Essay award.  The conference took place April 12 in the Goodall Room of Newman Library.

2025

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