Curious Conversations

Dustin Read joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the public perception of affordable housing, especially related to non-profit and for-profit providers. Read explained how building public support is a critical piece of affordable housing projects and his research on the various aspects that might influence that, including profit status and development size. He also shared his insights as to the impact such developments have on neighboring properties and communities. 

About Read

Read is head of the Blackwood Department of Real Estate in the Pamplin College of Business. His research interests include property and asset management, as well as housing affordability, land use policy, and real estate development.

Laszlo Horvath joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of packaging, specifically highlighting the multiple factors to be considered during packaging design. Horvath also shared insights related to affordability and sustainability, as well as how international tariffs and other supply chain disruptions can impact packaging and ultimately customers.

About Horvath

Horvath is an associate professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment and the director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. His research interests include packaging sustainability, smart and connected packaging, and unit load Interactions, which is highlighted by generating information used to create a commercial pallet design software.

Ella Atkins joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of air travel safety. She explained the differences between Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and the challenges posed by having two sets of rules in the same airspace. Atkins also discussed the recent incidents involving aircraft collisions and the technological advancements that could enhance safety, which include updating methods of data sharing and the use of automated systems.

Ella Atkins is head of the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering and Fred D. Durham Chair in Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her research centers on the investigation of airspace and aircraft autonomy and safety, and she is also a licensed private pilot.

Eli Vlaisavljevich joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about histotripsy, a novel ultrasound therapy for cancer treatment. He explained the mechanics of how histotripsy works, its clinical applications, and the body's immune response to tumor liquefaction. Vlaisavljevisch also shared insights related to the development of histotripsy devices, patient experiences, and future directions in cancer treatment.

About Vlaisavljevich

Eli Vlaisavljevich an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. His research interests include biomaterials, biomechanics, biomedical imaging, nanobioengineering and tissue engineering. Vlaisavljevich also leads the Therapeutic Ultrasound and Non-Invasive Therapies Laboratory in investigating the physical mechanisms with which ultrasound interacts with tissue in order to develop non-invasive therapies for a wide range of clinical applications.

Louis Hickman joinedVirginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the concept of the ‘The 5 Love Languages’, its origins, and its impact on relationship satisfaction. He shared his thoughts on the appeal of simple solutions to complex relationships, findings from his recent research on the love languages, and the importance of personality traits in relationships. Hickman also emphasized the need for self-care and adaptability in maintaining healthy relationships over time.

About Hickman

Louis Hickman is an assistant professor of industrial-organizational psychology in theCollege of Science at Virginia Tech. His research interests are applying machine learning and natural language processing to psychological research, and investigating various forms of bias.

Adam Coates joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the contributing factors of the recent wildfires in California, particularly related to their intensity and spread. He explained some of the science behind fire behavior, the role of landscape, and the challenges posed by urban areas to fire management. He also shared his insights related to preventative measures communities can take, including the use of prescribed burning. 

About Coates

Coates is an associate professor of wildland fire ecology and management in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation for Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. Coates’ research focuses on the impacts of wildland fire on ecosystem processes and properties. That focus intersects with topics such as restoration ecology, fuels, fire behavior, silviculture, soils, wildlife habitat, and water quality.

Matthew Hicks joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations”  to discuss how computer users can be more secure heading into 2025. He shared insights about the evolving landscape of computer security, particularly related to artificial intelligence (AI) and generative technologies, and the implications of these technologies on personal security, including the rise of sophisticated phishing attacks. He also provided guidance on some commonly overlooked aspects of computer security.

About Hicks

Hicks is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech and also holds a courtesy appointment in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests include software, hardware, and embedded system security, as well as the Internet of Things and energy harvesting.

Christine Julien joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the Internet of Things (IOT), exploring its definition, potential vulnerabilities, and the implications of using smart devices, especially for children. Julien stressed the  importance of security and privacy when using IOT devices, particularly during the gift-giving season and shared insights on navigating these complexities with an aim of balancing the enjoyment and security.

About Julien

Julien is head of the Department of Computer Science in Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. Her research has focused on engineering software that supports a range of smart devices and environments. This includes the use of advanced networking technologies to provide opportunities for children to move independently around their neighborhoods while staying safe through remote connections to parents and guardians and improved sensing and networking for the Internet of Things.

Lavinia Uscatescu and Hunter Tufarelli joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the importance of

About Uscatescu

Uscatescu

Tufarelli is a sophomore studying psychology and a research

Yan Chen joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance teaching and peer instruction in classrooms. Chen believes one potential use for AI, specifically large language models, is to monitor and analyze peer interactions in real-time. He shared the platform he and colleagues have created to do this, called VizPI, which aims to provide instructors with insights and recommendations to create a more engaging and personalized learning environment for students.

About Chen

Chen is an assistant professor of computer science and directs the Programming with Intelligent Machines and Environments Lab. He is active in the Human-Computer Interaction research community, with projects spanning support tools, learning at scale, real-time data analysis, and computer science education.