VTechWorks
VTechWorks provides global access to Virginia Tech scholarship, including journal articles, books, theses, dissertations, conference papers, slide presentations, technical reports, working papers, administrative documents, videos, images, and more by faculty, students, and staff. Faculty can deposit items to VTechWorks from Elements, including journal articles covered by the University open access policy. Email vtechworks@vt.edu for help.
Open Access Policy
Virginia Tech's open access policy enables researchers to deposit the accepted version of scholarly articles with no embargo.
Theses and Dissertations
Virginia Tech was first in the world to require ETDs in 1997, and continues to add scans of older theses and dissertations.
Open Textbooks
More than 40 freely available and openly licensed textbooks are among our most downloaded items.
Communities in VTechWorks
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Interventions on Reducing Campylobacter jejuni Contaminations on Processed Chicken
Chen, Pengyu (Virginia Tech, 2025-06-17)
Campylobacter jejuni is a leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States, responsible for an estimated 1.5 million cases annually. Poultry, particularly chicken, is a primary vector. Most efforts to reduce the risk of Campylobacter in poultry have been evaluated individually. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach can compare and rank multiple food safety interventions, using weighted criteria, and help select interventions that could reduce campylobacteriosis illnesses attributable to chicken.
This study applied a structured Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework to evaluate five pre- and post-harvest interventions to reduce the level of C. jejuni contamination on raw, processed chicken: vaccination, scheduled/logistic processing, pre-chill peracetic acid (PAA), post-chill cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and increased freezing. Interventions were assessed across four main criteria—public health impact, societal acceptance, economic impacts, and implementation feasibility—comprising seven sub-criteria. Standardization of raw data, stakeholder weightings, and PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations) ranking analysis were incorporated to prioritize interventions under various decision scenarios.
Results indicated that PAA consistently ranked first in all weighting scenarios due to its strong balance across all criteria. CPC also performed well, especially in feasibility and robustness. Vaccination, while scoring highest in public health benefits, was limited by poor feasibility and consumer acceptability. However, this assessment may reflect the current developmental stage of Campylobacter vaccines rather than their long-term potential. Unlike other interventions that are already commercially available or widely implemented, vaccination strategies remain under investigation, with promising advances in both live-attenuated and subunit vaccine candidates. Scheduled processing and freezing had context-specific benefits but lacked broad effectiveness. This study demonstrates the utility of MCDA as a transparent, stakeholder-driven tool in food safety decision-making and provides evidence-based guidance for prioritizing Campylobacter interventions in the chicken industry. Additional food safety interventions can be evaluated with other relevant criteria. And, the importance or weight of these criteria can be adjusted based on the priorities of additional decision makers and stakeholders.
Reconnecting River and Region: Blueway Network Design Guidelines for Socio-Ecological Resilience along the James River Corridor
Pritchard, Sarah Nicole (Virginia Tech, 2025-06-17)
This thesis investigates the foundational principles that inform the strategic planning of blueways and examines their practical application within the James River corridor in Virginia. By positioning the corridor from Richmond to Williamsburg as a case study, the research articulates a replicable framework for blueway development aimed at enhancing recreational access, connectivity, and socio-ecological resilience. In contrast to the well-established network of greenways across the United States, blueways remain underdeveloped and lack a cohesive design methodology. This absence of standardized frameworks inhibits the integration of river systems into the cultural and ecological fabric of adjacent communities, perpetuating a historical disconnection from waterways that once functioned as vital community arteries.
The project proposes a reimagined narrative for the James River corridor, guided by research-based and experimental design strategies that cultivate dynamic interactions between human and non-human systems. Through a series of design interventions and policy-driven recommendations, this study outlines how a strategically implemented blueway can activate the river as both a recreational resource and a socio-ecological catalyst. Ultimately, the thesis contributes a set of transferable design guidelines and planning insights that address a significant gap in the discourse and practice of blueway development, offering a model for other riverine landscapes looking to foster resilience, access, and connectivity.
Crops and rising atmospheric CO2: friends or foes?
Ainsworth, Elizabeth A.; Sanz-Saez, Alvaro; Leisner, Courtney P. (Royal Society, 2025-05-29)
Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO 2]) is a ubiquitous global change with direct and indirect impacts on crops. The increase in atmospheric [CO 2] since the industrial revolution has stimulated photosynthesis in crops and reduced stomatal conductance and canopy transpiration. These physiological changes result in a "CO 2 fertilization effect"contributing to greater crop yields. However, CO 2 is a greenhouse gas and has been the major contributor to increased radiative forcing and warmer global temperatures, resulting in more extreme weather events, with negative consequences for crop production. While the benefits of rising [CO 2] have stimulated productivity to date, they may soon be outweighed by the challenges of rising temperatures and altered precipitation on plant productivity. Rising atmospheric [CO 2] also reduces the nutritional value of crops, reducing protein content and the concentration of key micronutrients. Distinct physiological mechanisms contribute to changes in crop nutritional value at elevated [CO 2], but there is potential to harness genetic diversity in nutrient content and for biofortification to counteract the negative impacts of rising [CO 2] on crop quality. Crop improvement strategies that both adapt crops to future environments and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of agriculture are critical to ensuring future agricultural and nutritional sustainability. This article is part of the theme issue 'Crops under stress: can we mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture and launch the 'Resilience Revolution'?'.
Underlands(capes) in the Anthropocene
Rosier, Shaun (2025-06-10)
Invited lecture hosted by Victoria University of Wellington's School of Architecture and the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects.
New Occurrence Records for the Southern Plains Bumblebee, Bombus fraternus Smith, 1854 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae), in Virginia
Weber, Jennifer M.; Emrick, Verl R. III; Coates, T. Adam (Virginia Natural History Society, 2025-03-06)
The Southern Plains Bumblebee (Bombus fraternus Smith, 1854) is a bumblebee species that commonly occurs in grassland and open habitats in the Southeastern and Great Plains regions of the United States. The species is thought to be in decline due to habitat loss/alteration, widespread pesticide use, and other factors. This bumblebee species was originally assumed to be restricted to the southeastern portion of Virginia in recent times, though historically was found along the eastern coast of the United States. Here we report the collections of individuals from two locations with no previous records of the species with descriptions of the characters used to identify the specimens.