Tech Adds Degrees in Nuclear Engineering

At its quarterly meeting held on campus today, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved resolutions on new master’s and doctoral degree programs in nuclear engineering.

If approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the new degrees will be offered beginning spring term of 2013. A complete story on the College of Engineering's nuclear engineering program and the new degrees will appear Thursday in Virginia Tech News.

In other business, the board continued its conversation on strategic planning issues. On Sunday, board members received a report on progress made on the University Strategic Plan 2006-2012 and a report on the ongoing development of the Long Range Plan<. Among the topics included in the long term plan discussion were university governance, admissions considerations for both undergraduate and graduate students, instructional space needs and costs, and capital projects.

Also on Sunday, the board received a report on compliance and finances in the Athletic Department which has an overall annual operating budget of $38.6 million. It also received an update on Grow by Degrees, an initiative started by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council in 2009 to build broad-based, bipartisan support for Virginia’s colleges and universities.

Following the full-board information session on Sunday, the Research Committee met and received an extensive report on the many energy-related research initiatives occurring at Virginia Tech. Currently, university researchers are engaged in projects involving coal, nuclear, bioenergy, and solar energy, as well as others related to building energy efficiency and energy use in transportation.

On Monday, the Finance and Audit Committee received an annual report on the university’s student financial aid program. Though state support for higher education as steadily declined over the past decade, Virginia Tech continues to increase the total amount of aid available to students. In the past two years, financial aid for students has grown from $342.2 million in Fiscal Year 2008-2009 to $390 million in Fiscal Year 2010-2011. The amount of aid coming from grants, scholarships, and waivers has grown from $134.2 million to $174.2 million over the same period of time.

Finance and Audit also received a report on overall administrative costs of the university which indicated Virginia Tech’s costs are below average as compared to peer institutions, other Virginia schools, or national research universities. A full story on this report will appear Wednesday in Virginia Tech News.

(Photo: nuclearengineeringjobs.net)

Plowshare Sues City Over Peaceful Protests

Roanoke’s small community of regular peace protesters, the Plowshare Peace Center, has sued the City of Roanoke in federal court because of a ban against protests on the sidewalk in front of Roanoke City Market Building. The new board of the building decided recently to ban demonstrations of any kind in front of the building because, the board says, they disrupt business.

Court Rules Elliston Intermodal Facility Can Be Built

"Boxcar" lifted to the bed of a truck for final leg of journey.

A circuit court in Richmond has ruled that Norfolk Southern Railway can built an intermodal transportation facility in Elliston, ending months of speculation and disagreement.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation will be allowed to help pay (with $35 million) for the facility that would put trucks on trains, an efficiency railroads have been seeking and using successfully across the country.

Montgomery County's Board of Supervisors had tried to block the agreement to build the facility, saying it was unconstitutional.

(Photo: Berry & Smith Trucking.)

VTC Researchers Track Decision Process

A research team led by investigators at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute has demonstrated the first rapid measurements of dopamine release in a human brain and provided preliminary evidence that the neurotransmitter can be tracked in its movement between brain cells while a subject expresses decision-making behavior.

"In an experiment where we measured dopamine release while a subject made investment decisions in a stock market trading game, we showed that dopamine tracks changes in the value of the market," says Read Montague (right), director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and professor of physics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech.

"A startling discovery was that the dopamine signal appeared to be a very good indicator of the market value and in many instances a good predictor of future market changes," says Kenneth Kishida, a postdoctoral associate with the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and the lead author on the report. Interestingly, the choice expressed by the subject did not always correspond with the prescient brain chemistry, he said.

The research was published in the Public Library of Science journal, PLoS ONE, in the article "Sub-Second Dopamine Detection in Human Striatum," by Kishida; Stefan G. Sandberg, senior fellow with the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle; Terry Lohrenz, assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine; Dr. Youssef G. Comair, professor and chief, Division of Neurosurgery, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Ignacio Saez, assistant professor at Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute; Paul E. M. Phillips, associate professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle; and Montague, senior author.

The researchers adapted their sensors to existing technology used for functional mapping of the brain during surgical implantation of deep-brain stimulation devices. "Deep-brain stimulation is typically used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease," said Montague. “Uses for treating other neurological disorders are also being investigated, though, and may open new avenues for the technology we developed."

The researchers applied criteria that employed experimental methodology that is "safe to the patient, compatible with existing neurosurgical apparatus and the operating-room environment, and capable of sub-second detection of physiological dopamine," they state in the article. They modified existing sensor technology to improve signal conductivity, creating a microsensor that shares the electrochemical properties of existing electrodes yet can detect sub-second dopamine release. "Even more important, the new microsensors are biocompatible and can be sterilized without affecting performance," Kishida says.

The new instrument was demonstrated in a single human subject, a consenting patient with late-stage Parkinson's disease who was undergoing elective surgery for deep-brain stimulation electrode implantation. The new microsensor was placed in the patient's brain and dopamine release was monitored as the patient engaged in a decision-making game. The current value and recent history of a stock market was graphically represented on a laptop monitor.

The subject chose the proportion of a portfolio initially valued at $100 to be invested in the stock market. Decisions were submitted by pushing buttons on handheld response devices. Following the submission of each decision, the market was updated. The final portfolio determined the actual payout at the end of the experiment.

The researchers report that they were surprised to observe that "the slope of the dopamine signal over a period five seconds prior to a market price update correlated with subsequent market returns …, demonstrating that it is a significant predictor of future market activity."

To test this hypothesis, the researchers constructed a trader model that made decisions based on the fluctuations in the dopamine signal leading up to the market price changes. This decision model invested 100 percent, or all in, when the dopamine slope was positive and 0 percent, or all out, when the slope was negative. The researchers report that, "Over the five markets played, this trader model earned 202 points (a gain of 175 percent), more than two times the amount earned by the subject’s expressed behavior. These data demonstrate that the information encoded in the dopamine signal of this patient is potentially useful for economic decision making."

Skill Capped Wins Expand Contest, $35,000

Skill Capped, a group of three Virginia Tech students, won the $35,000 top prize (cash and services) in the Roanoke Regional Entrepreneur Center’s Expand contest. The students will be given advertising and business coaching as part of their prize.

The contest drew a surprisingly large field and was pared to 20, then five before the selection was made at a final Super Synergy conference in Roanoke. The winning team members are Jeff Brabant, Jordan Garcia and Cel Arrington, all Roanokers who put together an online site that gives “World of Warcraft” players tips via video. They have 100,000 subscribers who pay a monthly fee.

CityWorks (X)po Kicks Off in Roanoke

CityWorks (X)po, the brainchild of self-described urban social engineer Ed Walker (above), who also develops a little property, was off and running this afternoon.

The three-day brainstorm at Roanoke City Market building's new meeting facility on the third floor was full to brimming with an array of creative types who were looking to make a mark in the Small Cities Movement nationally.

Walker has brought in a number of speakers and planned quite a few events around the (X)po and you can get a schedule here.

Falwell Makes a Pitch for the Liberty Way

Jerry Falwell Jr. addresses bankers and lawyers at the Bankers' Forum today.

Photo and Story by DAN SMITH

Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., a guy who was named Business Executive of the Year a while back by the now defunct Blue Ridge Business Journal made an impressive sales pitch for his vision of higher education today at the periodic Bankers' Forum at the Shenandoah Club in Roanoke. His audience was lawyers and bankers, many of they who share his conservative philosophy, but some who didn't. All seemed impressed.

Falwell, like his father, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, was full of warmth and humor of statistics and insider information in building his case for private education. Falwell has taken what started as Liberty Bible College and turned it into a national force in 20 years. The college has a total enrollment (on campus and online) of 64,000 students in its most recent census and is heading toward 80,000 shortly.

Its almost overwhelming debt of 1988 ($83 million) has been nearly paid off and it recently received a AA/positive rating from Standard & Poor's when it wanted to issue bonds. The university is accredited by the tough and demanding Southern Association of Colleges and Universities (something other online universities simply don't have) and the cost of four years of education at the school is $38,664, compared to $124,000 at private universities.

Falwell said that early on, the goal was to be in the bottom 25 percent of universities in student cost and that has been achieved. The university is also has a student loan default rate that is half the national average--taking some of the bite out of the nearly half a billion in student loans its students had in 2010. That's up over $500,000 this year, Falwell says.

The student body, which is but 42 percent white, is one of the most diverse in the country and the university has set out on an ambitious construction period, beginning with the building of a state-of-the-art library to be named after the senior Falwell.

Liberty recently received $12 million in matching money from the federal tobacco fund, which it will use to build a medical school to serve rural Southside Virginia. Falwell says it is the first significant government money the school has ever received. "The government has generally been in the way," he said, smiling.

Falwell says a number of universities have consulted with Liberty about its distance learning program and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell asked him to be on a panel to talk about how it is done. "It is very expensive and difficult to start," he said, "but it is well worth the effort. We believe that is the way education is going in the future. We are going slow in our residential growth until we fully understand what all this means."

The success, he says, partly comes down "to the fact that we were so poor for so long that we had to learn to be frugal."

Going Greener With Save a Ton Campaign

Citizens and governments in the Roanoke and New River Valleys have launched Save a Ton, a new campaign to help people save money on energy use. The multi-media campaign encourages people to visit, learn about energy savings and share their ideas and results on social media.

“With bigger electric bills, stubborn gas prices and higher home heating costs – and with winter around the corner – we’re here to help residents in our region and beyond save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year in energy costs by doing just a little,” says Nell Boyle (right), chairwoman of RC CLEAR, a Roanoke County citizen committee, and director of the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

“Through our new website and a public service and advertising campaign, we’re sharing share easy ways for people to save money on everyday activities, and encourage everyone to share successes with each other.”

There are dozens of ways to save in energy costs. For example, using compact fluorescent bulbs can save you $65 per year, or $360 over the life of the bulbs compared to incandescent 60-watt bulbs. Keeping your car tires properly inflated can reduce gas use by 3 percent. And did you know that 8 percent of your electric bill is for devices that are plugged in when not in use?

The website offers tips, links and resources in five categories – lighting, vehicle efficiency, energy conservation, weatherization and water conservation.

“From the Roanoke Valley to the New River Valley, this is one issue we can agree on – saving money!” says Jeremy Holmes, program director of Ride Solutions, the sustainable transportation program operated by the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission. “In the weeks ahead we hope that other municipalities and groups in our region join our effort to help people save money and conserve energy. This is more than simply searching for energy saving tips on the Internet. On SaveaTon.org you can get factual, helpful information all in one place while choosing the savings that best fit your lifestyle.”

“The information on SaveaTon.org is not just about saving money,” adds Charlotte Moore, Vice Chair of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. “Roanoke Valley local governments are committed to preserving the natural resources that enhance our quality of life.”

During the next decade, Roanoke County and the City of Roanoke have committed to a 3 and 2-percent reduction, respectively, in community-wide carbon dioxide emissions. These reductions add up to 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

“This seems like a big number – but consider this,” Moore says. “There are approximately 100,000 households in the Roanoke Valley, so the targets can be achieved if each household saved just one ton of carbon dioxide emissions each year.”

The Save a Ton campaign is supported by partners Clean Valley Council, Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, Community Alliance for Energy Efficiency, Ride Solutions, RC CLEAR, Roanoke County, Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, City of Roanoke and Town of Blacksburg.

Ray Smoot To Retire from Tech Foundation

Long-time university business executive Raymond J. Smoot Jr. (left) will relinquish leadership at the Virginia Tech Foundation next year, announced Horacio Valeiras, Virginia Tech Foundation chairman. Smoot, a 1969 Virginia Tech graduate, intends to retire from full-time leadership of the Virginia Tech Foundation in July 2012.

“Ray has proved to be a valuable leader, administrator, and business executive in many roles across his four decade association with the university and its foundation. He has been at the center of many university successes,” said Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.

The foundation begins its transition with another long-time Virginia Tech administrator. John Dooley, vice president for outreach and international affairs, will become the foundation’s chief operating officer April 1, 2012, and then chief executive officer upon Smoot’s retirement in July.

“We have a seasoned administrator in John with strong command of the higher education landscape, community relations, and understanding of the foundation’s role in advancing the university,” said Steger.

While Smoot may be stepping down from full-time leadership of the Virginia Tech Foundation, he will remain for two years on a part-time non-management basis to assist the university and foundation.

Global Metalfinishing Finally Opens After 2 Years

Tamea Woodward at Global Metalfinishing's new tanks.

Tanks full and ready to anodize.

More treatment tanks.

Storage of necessary chemistry.

The ventilation chiller and rectifier behind the facility.

Story, Photos by DAN SMITH

After nearly two years of fussing and fighting with various regulatory agencies and government bodies, Global Metalfinishing owner Tamea Woodward has finally opened the new shop in Roanoke--without inviting Roanoke officials to the celebration.

Woodward invested between $1.2 million and $1.3 million in the building and equipment and has added a number of employees. She started the project--which is an offshoot of her other business, East West DyeCom--with seven employees and now had 18. She hopes to have 26 in the next 24 months.

Global will concentrate on general anodizing of metals, where East West DyeCom was more specific in its purpose, anodizing for the art community. Woodward says the facility will allow her to "improve quality and increase capacity."

Goodlatte Assures NY Flights To Continue

Direct air service between Roanoke and New York will continue, according to 6th District Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who has been working with the airlines who talked of dropping the service.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) had announced its approval of a “slot-swap” agreement that includes US Air and Delta. This agreement allows carriers to exchange slots they control at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which affects flight service from Roanoke Regional Airport (ROA) to New York.

U.S. Airways provides non-stop service between Roanoke and New York. New direct jet service by Delta Air Lines is contingent upon the completion of the Department of Justice’s investigation of the “slot-swap” agreement between Delta Air Lines and US Airways.

“I am extremely pleased that Delta has told me that [it] intends to provide direct jet service between Roanoke and New York,” says Goodlatte.

“Access to the preeminent financial center of the country has proven vital to the employment base of the Roanoke Valley, the business community and economic development efforts. Delta’s intention to maintain a direct flight between Roanoke and New York will ensure that this beneficial relationship continues.”

Goodlatte has met with representatives of Delta Airlines several times over the last year and he, along with other members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation, has written to Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood about the “slot-swap” agreement and its potential affect on smaller communities like Roanoke.

ITT Creates New Defense Company in Roanoke

ITT Night Vision in Roanoke County from above.

ITT Corporation, a major Roanoke employer, has announced that its Defense and Information Solutions business will become an independent company on October 31.

Soon-to-be ITT Exelis employs approximately 1,400 people in Roanoke and has been in the Roanoke Valley for 50 years.

“I am excited to announce that ITT Defense is becoming its own independent company,” says Nick Bobay, ITT Corporation Vice President and General Manager of Night Vision and Imaging. “Though you will be seeing new signs outside our places of operation, we will be conducting business as usual with an even greater focus on meeting our customers’ needs. We look forward to introducing our new brand and continuing our relationship with the Roanoke community as ITT Exelis.”

ITT Exelis will be headquartered in McLean. The company will continue to employ over 22,000 people and is expected to generate $5.8 billion in pro forma 2011 revenue. ITT Exelis will debut on the New York Stock Exchange on November 1, with the ticker symbol XLS.

ACC, Tech To Compete in Clean Energy

The University of Maryland and its Atlantic Coast Conference partners, including Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, will lead a new, conference-hosted Clean Energy Business Challenge launching in the fall of 2011, encouraging students throughout the conference and the entire southeast United States to develop successful business plans and to create a new generation of American clean energy companies.

Funded by $2 million from the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the ACC Clean Energy Challenge is one of six regional winners selected by the DOE to be part of its inaugural nationwide network of student-focused clean energy business creation competitions over the next three years. The first national grand prize competition will be held during the summer of 2012 in Washington, D.C.

"By promoting innovation at our nation's universities and cultivating America's next generation scientific and technical leaders, we will ensure our nation's competiveness in the clean energy economy of tomorrow," says DOE Secretary Steven Chu. "The awards announced support the [Obama] administration's continued effort to ensure that America has the workforce we need to secure our energy future, create jobs here at home, and win the future."

The ACC Clean Energy Business Challenge combines the technology, business, and student strengths of all the ACC schools in the Southeast region, including Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.

Together, these schools conduct more than $4 billion in cutting-edge research each year, with clean energy a clear focus. ACC schools are also home to hundreds of student researchers in the energy field and numerous student energy clubs.

"At Virginia Tech, we have an international reputation in the hybrid electric vehicle development, winning the international competition, EcoCAR, in 2011. We are also world leaders in clean coal technology and among the top ten departments in environmental engineering that focuses on many clean energy efforts," says Richard C. Benson, dean of Virginia Tech's College of Engineering and who holds the Torgersen Chaired Professorship. "I believe our ACC partnership in clean energy will prove to be beneficial to the economic competitiveness of our nation."

"This effort will help Virginia Tech build on assets like its corporate research center, VT KnowledgeWorks, and current successful startups in the region by Hokie alumni, i.e. TORC, VPT Inc., and PowerHub Systems, to develop programs and academic focus that will prepare the next generation of technology leaders and entrepreneurs," says Jack Lesko, associate dean for research and graduate studies at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering.

Crowning Touch Senior Moving Wins National Award

Linda Ballentine of Crowning Touch (center) receives her award.

Crowning Touch Senior Moving Services of Roanoke is the winner of the inaugural Enterprise Award, presented by the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) to an outstanding smaller, independent mover.

The Enterprise Award reflects AMSA's and the industry’s commitment to recognizing outstanding performance among small, independent movers, which can be demonstrated in a variety of ways; including community service, employee relations, innovative operations and/or exceptional customer service practices. It honors AMSA mover members with less than $3 million in annual gross revenues and fewer than 25 employees. The recipient is selected by a panel of industry experts.

Crowning Touch offers innovative services developed for the senior community while maintaining exemplary relationships with clients and employees. Starting in 1996, Crowning Touch began catering to the specific needs of the high-growth senior citizen market. The company offers both local and interstate moving.

Jefferson Center Gets $35,000 Energy Grant

Jefferson Center will get an energy upfit.

With the assistance of a $35,000 grant awarded by The American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation, Jefferson Center in Roanoke will soon launch an energy monitoring and conservation project in an effort to renew an historic building with today's technology.

Ninteen years have passed since the first phase of renovation to the old Jefferson High School began and within the last two decades environmental concerns, energy conservation and building systems technology have changed dramatically.

"We are coming to the end of the natural life of many elements of the building's renovation and have begun planning for Jefferson Center's renewal as a more efficient structure," says Cyrus Pace, Jefferson Center executive director.

AEP Foundation awarded its support to a four-phased implementation of energy auditing, monitoring and of practices and equipment to reduce Jefferson Center's consumption of electricity, natural gas and water. Appalachian Power is the local operating subsidiary of AEP.

The proposed conservation measures will not just focus on updating physical technologies. Jefferson Center's energy conservation project will provide an example of the wisdom of creative reuse of historic buildings, showing that an historic property can be made relevant to contemporary standards and technology.

"A sense of stewardship demands that we operate efficiently and with an updated concern for environmental impacts," says Pace. "That's why in the summer of 2010 we asked Breakell Inc., a Roanoke general contractor with certified specialists advising on environmental issues, to perform an energy audit and estimate the cost of retrofits focused on conservation."

Breakell donated its expertise and after an extensive energy audit proposed a four-phase plan that predicted savings of $42,500 a year by lowering utility costs after completion of the plan.

The first phase of the project includes extensive education of those working in Jefferson Center, as well as its non-profit tenants to the wisdom of significant changes in energy usage.

Additionally, the plan calls for retrofitting all incandescent, fluorescent and exit lights with more efficient bulbs and installing occupancy and motion detectors in seldom-used spaces such as storage areas and restrooms.

Subsequent phases include continuing upgrades in monitoring equipment, adding timers to control hot water recirculation and replacement of the 10 oldest heat pumps with more efficient models.

(Photo: downtownroanoke.org)

Tech To Study Children's Football Helmets

Virginia Tech released today results from the first study ever to instrument child football helmets. Youth football helmets are currently designed to the same standards as adult helmets, even though little is known about how child football players impact their heads. This is the first study to investigate the head impact characteristics in youth football, and will greatly enhance the development of improved helmets specifically designed for children.

The Auburn Eagles, a local youth team consisting of 6- to 8-year-old boys, has participated in the study since August. The helmets of the child football players are instrumented with custom 12 accelerometer arrays that measure how a child’s head responds to impact. Each time a player impacts his head, data is recorded and wirelessly downloaded to a computer on the sideline.

The technology is similar to what Virginia Tech has used since 2003 to instrument its collegiate football team. “The research conducted with the Virginia Tech football team has led to a better understanding of head impacts in football and how they relate to concussions,” says Stefan Duma, the Virginia Tech professor of biomedical engineering and department head of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering Sciences that directs this project., which contains the first safety rating system ever available for adult football helmets (STAR Evaluation System). Similar developments for youth football are anticipated from the current study with the Auburn Eagles.

“Based on eight years of studying head impacts experienced by Virginia Tech football players, we were able to quantify exposure for adult football players relative to impact location, severity, and frequency,” Duma says. “Unfortunately, we cannot translate the adult exposure to the youth helmets because the impact conditions of youth football are completely unknown. To solve this problem, we are applying the same approach that we have used with the Virginia Tech football team to a youth football team,” Duma says.

The instrumentation wasn’t compatible with the older helmets that were initially provided for the youth team, so Virginia Tech purchased new helmets for the entire team. “The kids are very excited about wearing the same technology in their helmets that the Virginia Tech football team has worn over the last eight years,” says Ray Daniel, the graduate student whose master’s thesis will be focused on the study.

At Virginia Tech, Locking Down Smartphones

Jules White demonstrates how, using a laptop, he can put smart phones under lockdown with new software that "puts physical boundaries around information in cyberspace."

In a breakthrough that could aid spies, keepers of medical records, and parents who want to prevent their kids from "sexting," a team of Virginia Tech researchers has created software to remotely put smart phones under lockdown. The phones are given permission to access sensitive data while in a particular room, but when the devices leave the room, the data is completely wiped.

“This level of complexity and security, nobody else has,” says Jules White, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “There are commercial products that do limited versions of these things, but nothing that allows for automating wiping and complete control of settings and apps on smart phones and tablets.”

A general, for example, could access secret intelligence while visiting a secure government facility without fear that his or her smart phone or tablet computer might later be lost or stolen, White said. “This system provides something that has never been available before. It puts physical boundaries around information in cyberspace.”

Medical caregivers could review patient information during a doctor visit, but – safeguarding patient privacy – doctors or nurses couldn’t walk out of the examination room with the patient’s records.

The software also enables central control of phone features such as preventing a smart phone’s camera or email from working.

“For instance, you could keep certain apps from working in the operating room so surgeons wouldn’t get distracted, or you could prevent nurses from taking patient photos and putting them on the Internet,” White said. "In that same way, parents could restrict when and where children could send text messages to prevent distraction at school. Parents could also limit to whom messages with images could be sent in order to prevent 'sexting.'"

White and his team, in research underwritten by Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, modified Google’s Android operating system to create the security features.

The team recently demonstrated the software for an inside-the-beltway group, Virginia Tech Intelligence and Defense Executive Alumni, or VT IDEA, composed of Virginia Tech alums who are interested in research that may benefit intelligence and military agencies.

“It was exciting to connect the VT IDEA group with Jules White and his team,” said John Provo, director of the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development. “Technology like this may be ripe not only for commercialization, but it could also improve our nation’s defense and security.”

Dominion's New Electric Line Helps Meet Goals

Andy Kaplan with his police cruiser.

Snack cart would be great at festivals.

A mini dump truck.

This one carries a lot of passengers.

Story, Photos By DAN SMITH

The rain was heavy at times this morning as Dominion Electric Vehicles in Salem held its grand opening for its new lines of electric work vehicles, but I didn't see any lessening of enthusiasm those working it. Bob and Andy Kaplan believe they have found the solution to selling these little gems that cost about two cents a mile to drive, even if you can't drive most of them to work. You drive them once you get there.

For the past two and a half years, Dominion has sold GEM (Global Electric Motorcars) electric cars, which are both street legal and too high in cost for most of us at about $7,000 or so. The new lines--Club Car and XtremeGreen--have a different purpose, a slower speed and a lower price, but are no less valuable for what they will do.

The uses are widely varied and include security on college campuses, dumptrucks for construction sites, gurneys to take injured football players from the football field and a variety of other work-related purposes. The new lines will also start at about $5,750. They carry decent loads, go 30-40 miles on a charge and run up to about 25 miles per hour.

Says Andy, “A few years ago, we learned from our customers--particularly those doing business with the government--that they needed zero and low emissions alternatives to meet lower carbon footprint requirements. Our electric vehicles are their alternative. The bonus? Their operating costs are reduced as well.”

Kaplan says Dominion Electric Vehicles is the first business in Virginia specializing in electric vehicles.

Backcountry.com To Create 200 Montgomery County Jobs

Backcountry.com, the largest online specialty retailer of premium outdoor gear, will invest more than $20 million to establish a fulfillment center in Christiansburg.

The Utah-based company's east-coast presence, which will be located in Falling Branch Corporate Park, will create more than 200 new jobs in Montgomery County.

"The state of Virginia, Montgomery County and Christiansburg proved to us that this is where we should do business," says Jill Layfield, CEO of Backcountry.com. "Their support of and commitment to Backcountry.com has been remarkable, and that is only a sign of their larger commitment to the people of the area."

Says Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Chair Jim Politis, "This is a prime location for a distribution hub for the East Coast, and the company will be creating hundreds of jobs. Backcountry.com also fits in very well with our region's abundant outdoor recreation opportunities."

Backcountry.com marks the third major business annoucement in Montgomery County this year. Just last week, Federal-Mogal Corp. announced its plans to invest $10 million and add 50 new employees to its existing facility in Blacksburg. In March, local startup Modea announced its plans to construct a new $10 million corporate headquarters in downtown Blacksburg and hire 200 employees.

Children's Mobile ICU To Be on Display

Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital’s new Mobile ICU will be turning heads in the region when it hits the road this fall. The vehicle, which could be described as a rolling, two-patient hospital intensive care unit, is unlike anything seen in this area before.

The vehicle’s size and on-board technology will benefit patients and caregivers. The exterior features a tribute to CCCH and the Roanoke Valley, created by a local artist. The new mobile ICU will be located in front of Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Thursday so hospital staff can tour and familiarize themselves with the unit.