Liviu Librescu

Virginia Tech's Engineering Science and Mechanics Student Engagement Center has named one of six new rooms in Norris Hall for the late engineering professor Liviu Librescu.

Librescu died in a classroom in Norris Hall while trying to protect his students from shooter Seung-Hui Cho on April 16, 2007. Librescu, a Holocaust survivor, was one of 32 faculty and students killed that day.

The Dr. Liviu Librescu Student Engagement Center in 203 Norris Hall was proposed by faculty from the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and approved by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors at its quarterly meeting last week.

Librescu came to Tech in 1985 and was a respected educator and researcher in the field of aeronautical engineering.

Coal demonstration begins at noon today

The Virginia Tech Beyond Coal Campaign has planned a demonstration at noon today at the Graduate Life Center plaza off Otey Street.

The demonstration is tied to a national Sierra Club campaign that calls on universities to discontinue coal-fired energy.

Tech student and former Blacksburg Town Council candidate Bryce Carter, professor Richard Rich and campaign coordinator Kara Dodson are expected to speak.

About a dozen demonstrators gathered near campus in September to draw attention to a Sierra Club report on the issue. The report, titled "Breaking Coal's Grip On Our Future: Moving Campuses Beyond Coal," features Tech in its "campuses that should finish the job" section.

The report calls on Tech and 10 other major universities -- including the University of North Carolina and Pennsylvania State University -- to replace their coal power with "greener" alternatives.

Lunchtime talks set with coaches

Virginia Tech will kick off a series of "Chalk Talks" with coaches today at the D2 dining center with a presentation by men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg and his players.

The talks are scheduled through spring semester to allow students to ask questions about upcoming games. Students will be able to talk with the coaches one on one, get photos and autographs and enter to win prizes, according to a university news release.

Other speakers will be announced immediately before future events. Capacity is limited to 144, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early.

For more information, contact Brent DiGiacomo at bdigiacomo@vt.edu.

Equine program to move to Middleburg

The Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will open an equine education program at the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Middleburg, according to a university news release.

The center will focus on undergraduate education in the equine sciences. Tech will relocate its sport horse mares from Blacksburg to Middleburg, as well as some staff.

The move is part of an overall restructuring of the university's agriculture land-use. The on-campus dairy science operations are also expected to be relocated to Tech's Kentland Farm in Montgomery County over the next few years.

Tech partners with Fujitsu for computers

Virginia Tech's College of Engineering and Fujitsu America will extend an agreement that requires incoming freshman to buy Fujitsu's Convertible Tablet PCs. The agreement, begun in 2006, has been extended through 2012, according to a news release.

The convertible PC can be used as a normal laptop computer or as a notebook for pen-based input and is popular with engineering students, the release stated.

Under the agreement, Fujitsu will offer pricing discounts to Tech and has agreed to work with software producers to ensure students have access to the most current products.

Design programs earn high marks

Virginia Tech's graduate program in interior design was ranked among the top 10 such programs in the country according to a report released by DesignIntelligence magazine and Web site.

Tech has ranked in the top 10 since 2006.

Radford University's interior design program was ranked among the top three in the subcategory of "skills assessment" for preparing design students to be good communicators, according to the report.

Steelcase donates to Radford's new lab

Steelcase Inc.'s Education Solutions Group of Michigan has donated $48,000 to furnish and equip Radford University's new iLAB Research Center in Walker Hall.

The space includes digital video screens, interactive white boards, copy cams, huddle boards, touch control pads and projectors, according to a university news release.

The center is the product of work by various departments and staff, faculty and administration, including the university's Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, the release stated.

CT writer named reporter of the year

A reporter for Virginia Tech's Collegiate Times has won the National College Reporter of the Year award from the Associated Collegiate Press.

Caleb Fleming is a junior majoring in economics earned the highest individual honor for a collegiate journalist, which includes a $500 prize.

The awards were announced Nov. 1 at the National College Media Convention in Austin, Texas, and the university announced the win Tuesday. The top award recognizes outstanding writing and editorial leadership during the 2008-09 academic year.

In commenting on Fleming's work, the judges said, "We felt the Virginia Tech entry presented the best reporting, in both quality and depth, and included a balance of sources. It was clear the writer has a grasp of what it takes to effectively let their sources tell readers a story, and also back that up with corresponding research."

The ACP also recognized the Collegiate Times' advertising staff, College Media Solutions, which won third place for the Best Advertising Campaign.

-- Compiled by Tonia Moxley and Roanoke Times staff