VCU’S College of Engineering (Photo courtesy VCU School of Engineering)
Cyber Center
Virginia Commonwealth University now offers a doctorate in computer science
Reflecting significant growth in the Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University this fall will offer a doctoral program.
“Universities like VCU must provide the next generation of qualified faculty needed to ensure that we can educate the workforce for the digital economy — that has made it possible for us to rapidly respond to situations like the pandemic and will continue to fuel the 21st century,” says Barbara D. Boyan, the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean of the VCU College of Engineering.
The new program at VCU, recently named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research, will promote education and research in cyber defense. With significant enrollment growth in recent years, computer science programs have experienced notable increases in the number of women and minorities enrolled. The new program offers opportunities for students to conduct advanced research in areas including cybersecurity, data science, machine learning and software engineering.
The doctoral students will be able to study and work in the college’s $93 million Engineering Research Building, which opened Feb. 3 at the northeast corner of Belvidere and Cary streets. —Ryan Hudgins
Illustration by Erin Bushnell
See the Change
A Norfolk State University student raises funds for binoculars
While teaching young girls at a STEM camp on ornithology, the scientific study of birds, Tamia Carter, a rising senior at Norfolk State University, realized that African Americans and women were underrepresented in the field. That, along with a recent incident in New York City’s Central Park involving a white woman calling the police on a Black man who was bird-watching, led her to encourage young girls to experience birding.
With help from her former Norfolk State University biology professor Dr. Ashley Haines and the university, Carter in March launched the Binoculars for Change fundraising campaign. Carter aims to provide 43 pairs of binoculars to the nonprofit Butterfly Village Inc., which empowers girls to exceed academically. Good-quality binoculars cost more than $100, which can be a major obstacle to those seeking to join the birding community.
“We want to encourage them to be citizen scientists and engage with their environment,” Haines says of the binocular recipients. “Having a great tool like that is really a gateway into science.”
To make a donation, visit alumnirelations.nsu.edu. —RH
Mental Health Study
As COVID-19 took hold in 2020, Dr. Alice Kassens, John S. Shannon Professor of Economics at Roanoke College, saw visible stress on the faces of those around her. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau gathered last year, Kassens partnered with the Century Foundation and Rutgers University to co-author a new study, “Mental Health Crisis During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” that explores the pandemic’s impact on anxiety and depression.
The study, which revealed that moderate to severe anxiety increased six-fold in Americans in 2020, details that not enough has been done for Americans’ mental health by the U.S. government. In response to the pandemic, Roanoke College has made mental health a priority with the addition of MaroonCare, a 24/7 telehealth option.
Kassens hopes the government will also help curb the long-term effects of the pandemic on mental health.
“Hopefully, policymakers including the Biden administration will listen because our findings are important,” Kassens stated in a press release. —RH
Image courtesy Reynolds Community College
Reynolds and Toyota Start Partnership
Reynolds Community College was recently selected by Toyota Motor North America to serve as an educational partner for its T-TEN program, which trains technicians for the automaker. As part of the deal, Reynolds will build a facility on the Parham Road campus. All automotive classes will be relocated to the new space.
The partnership closely follows a study Reynolds commissioned in 2020 to look at the workforce needs of the automotive industry in the region. Manufacturers, dealers, technical educators and Reynolds faculty all offered their input. The goal of the program is to expand access to automotive training and manufacturer-based certifications that lead to high-demand careers. Reynolds reports that car dealerships from throughout the state, upon hearing about the Toyota partnership, have contacted the school, offering scholarship and internship opportunities.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on the Reynolds Parham Road campus on July 22. Toyota representatives and dealers joined community members and Reynolds board members and faculty to mark the occasion. —Hunter S. Britt
Mary Washington student Valerie Ebenki helped determine a beer’s spiciness. (Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi courtesy University of Mary Washington)
The Spiciest Beer in the World?
Looking to bolster a claim that it offers the spiciest beer in the world, Fredericksburg’s Maltese Brewing Co. turned to the University of Mary Washington for scientific study.
The brewer’s Signal One 2.0 is a pineapple IPA made with 500 Carolina Reaper chilies — the world’s hottest pepper. In tests, Sarah Smith, a Mary Washington professor in chemistry and physics, and biochemistry student Valerie Ebenki, registered the beer’s heat at 400,000 Scoville units; for comparison, a jalapeno hits 2,500 to 8,000 on the scale.
Maltese owner and UMW grad Ray Parrish reached out to Guinness World Records, which does not currently have a “spiciest beer” category. —Meredith Moran
