Curious Conversations

Matt Camden and Scott Tidwell of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) joined “Curious Conversations” to talk about the institute’s Sharing the Road program, which has shared tips for driving around heavy trucks with more than 20,000 high school students since 2018. They discussed the research behind the program and shared practical safety tips for drivers of all ages.

Erik Westman joined Virginia Tech’s ‘Curious Conversations’ to share his insights on how machine learning and autonomous technologies are impacting the mining industry, as well as what Virginia Tech is doing to prepare students for the future of the industry. Westman is a professor in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering and oversees Virginia Tech’s Center for Autonomous Mining.

Maaz Gardezi joined Virginia Tech’s ‘Curious Conversations’ to talk about the importance of developing agriculture technology alongside and with the input of farmers. He shared details about a current interdisciplinary project he’s working on at the intersection of technology and agriculture, as well as his thoughts on the potential for advanced technology in this space. Gardezi is an assistant professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. He has spent more than a decade working at the intersection of farmers and decision making.

Sarah Henrickson Parker joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about how artificial intelligence and machine learning is currently being used in some healthcare spaces, and what the potential is for the future. Parker is the Chair of Health Systems and Implementation Science at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, an associate professor at The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech.

Bimal Viswanath joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to chat about how the rise in artificial intelligence and large language models has changed the online threat landscape. He explained how this technology works and shared about a current project he’s involved with that aims to mitigate toxic language in chatbots. Viswanath is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, and a Commonwealth Cyber Initiative researcher.

Cayce Myers fields questions on artificial intelligence’s impact on the workforce, regulations, copyright law, and more. Myers is a professor and graduate director in the School of Communication. His work focuses on media history, political communication, and laws that affect public relations practice.

Each year, Virginia Tech produces the Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report, which provides a snapshot of the current state of agriculture and a projection of its future. Tom and Jessica, executive editor and managing editor, respectively, of the report, joined the podcast just prior to the 2023 release to explain what it is and how they hope it's used.

Walid Saad joined Virginia Tech’s "Curious Conversations" to field questions about the metaverse, digital twins, and artificial intelligence’s potential impact on the environment. Saad is a professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Next-G Faculty Lead for Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia. 

Christina Dimarino joined the podcast to chat about semiconductors, the importance of packaging in onshoring their production, and what Virginia Tech is doing to excel workforce development in this field. She is an assistant professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and assistant director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Power Electronics Systems, located at the Virginia Tech Research Center-Arlington.

Hesham Rekah, director of the Center for Sustainable Mobility at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, shares insights on the challenges and benefits of electric vehicles.