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 50 freely available and openly licensed textbooks are among our most downloaded items.
Communities in VTechWorks
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Status of global accumulation of marine debris
Galappaththi, Eranga K.; Russell, Jennifer D.; Dolby, Mitch; Newsome, Thomas; Jayasekara, Sithuni M. (Elsevier, 2025-12-01)
The issue of marine debris pollution is a growing crisis, with detrimental effects on ecosystems, marine organisms, and human health. More than 800 coastal and marine species are affected, resulting in billions of dollars of economic losses each year. To better understand the dimensions of this challenge, it is important to establish a solid scientific knowledge base. This study aims to synthesize the global research and evidence of marine debris accumulation in coastal areas. Through a systematic literature review, we found that Europe and Asia are the primary regions where marine debris accumulation is studied, with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans accounting for most of research. The majority of publications are by first authors from European and Asian institutions, with the US also contributing significantly. Most studies focus on the volume of marine debris, with general waste being the most studied type. Additionally, physical and environmental factors play a larger role than human-based factors in marine debris accumulation. Overall, there is a trend of increasing and relocating marine debris accumulation across all determining factors. We also identified important areas for future research to deepen our understanding of the factors influencing debris accumulation. In particular, there is a notable gap in the practical application of tools and methods for tracking and identifying marine debris, such as satellite remote sensing, specialized databases, and computational modeling approaches. The study findings offer vital insights for decision-making regarding marine debris accumulation, benefiting policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders striving towards a more sustainable globe.
Together, We Triumph: Transdisciplinary and Transnational Leadership to Global Poverty Reduction
Kaufman, Eric K.; Tian, Qingyan; Colvin, Robert (2025-10-17)
Poverty has persisted throughout human history, remaining the No. 1 UN Sustainable Development Goal: No Poverty. Today, over 4 billion people lack protection from extreme poverty, and in the U.S., one in six children (17%) live in poverty. Progress made before COVID-19 has been reversed, underscoring the need for collective and sustainable leadership. Eradicating poverty requires transdisciplinary, global-local approaches. Inspired by Burns’ call for leadership studies to “break the vicious cycle of poverty,” this panel of scholars from five disciplines and five countries will share ongoing work, cultural perspectives, and research challenges in poverty reduction. The session will invite audience insights to foster leadership solutions. Additional Details: Poverty remains one of the most persistent global challenges, affecting over 4 billion people worldwide (UN SDG 1: No Poverty). In the United States, one in six children (17%) lives in poverty, with the Census Bureau reporting some counties experience rates exceeding 40%. The COVID-19 pandemic reversed decades of progress in poverty reduction, exposing vulnerabilities in global strategies and policies. This challenge is deeply interconnected and can only be addressed collectively, through strong and sustained international cooperation guided by trust and solidarity for the benefit of all. Traditional single-disciplinary and universalist approaches have proven inadequate. Addressing global poverty requires transdisciplinary, global-local, and cross-sectoral leadership, capable of integrating diverse perspectives, resources, and cultural insights.
Inspired by James MacGregor Burns’ call for leadership studies to break the vicious circle of poverty, this panel convenes scholars from five disciplines (leadership studies, education, economics, political science, and computer science) and five countries (China, the U.S., India, Egypt, and Switzerland). The discussion will focus on: (1) Interdisciplinary and global-local leadership strategies for poverty alleviation, (2) Theoretical and methodological challenges in transdisciplinary and transnational leadership research, and (3) Practical strategies to overcome research, funding, and policy barriers. The panel invites the audience to engage in defining a framework for poverty reduction leadership, integrating diverse disciplinary and cultural perspectives.
Session Goals
1. Highlight the role of transdisciplinary and global-local approaches to leadership in global poverty reduction.
2. Identify key challenges and impacts of transdisciplinary and global-local approaches in poverty reduction leadership.
3. Engage the audience in developing collaborative strategies for sustainable impact.
4. Advance a framework for leadership in poverty reduction, integrating diverse disciplines and cultures.
Panelist Perspectives
Each panelist brings a unique disciplinary and cultural lens, ensuring a dynamic and cross-sectoral discussion:
- Leadership studies: Global collaboration in leadership for poverty reduction.
- Education and leadership: The role of education in mobilizing communities for systemic change.
- Computer science: Technology and AI for economic mobility and leadership effectiveness.
- Political science: Human rights, governance, and policy frameworks.
- Economics: Economic policies and financial inclusion strategies.
Session Structure
Step 1: Panelist Contributions (25 minutes)
Panelists will introduce their disciplinary and cultural perspectives on poverty reduction:
- Country-specific insights: Leadership responses to poverty in China, the U.S., India, Egypt, and Switzerland
- Disciplinary contributions: How leadership, education, economics, political science, and computer science shape anti-poverty strategies
- Challenges and opportunities in conducting transdisciplinary and transnational international research, including: collaboration across global, national, local, sectoral, institutional, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries; theoretical and conceptual integration; methodology; research publication; and ethical considerations.
Step 2: Audience Engagement (35 minutes)
The panel will facilitate interactive discussion through the following methods:
1. "You’re the Leader" Scenario Exercise. Audience members navigate a leadership dilemma related to funding and ethics in poverty reduction. Small-group discussions and real-time polling will capture diverse strategies.
2. Live Poll: Funding Priorities. If you had $10M to invest in poverty reduction, where would you allocate it? Options include education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, technology, and policy reform. Panelists will compare audience responses with global funding trends.
3. Cross-Cultural Perspectives Lightning Round. Attendees share 30-second insights on barriers to poverty reduction in their regions. Panelists will respond and analyze trends.
4. "What Would You Ask a Global Leader?" Audience members submit questions for world leaders on poverty reduction leadership. Panelists will engage with selected questions, providing practical insights.
5. Call to Action: The Future of Poverty Reduction Leadership. Attendees contribute a key term or strategy via a live word cloud. Panelists will reflect on emerging themes and develop an action plan.
Why This Panel?
This session aligns with the ILA 2025 theme: Leading Together. Leadership today is a collective pursuit, requiring collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and cultures to address complex, interdependent challenges. Leadership for poverty reduction matters because traditional top-down approaches fail to address systemic poverty. Polycrisis conditions (economic instability, climate change, global health crises) demand inclusive leadership. New leadership paradigms—trust-based, participatory, and transdisciplinary—are essential for sustainable solutions. This panel will explore how leadership can drive systemic poverty reduction, addressing conceptual, methodological, and practical challenges in transdisciplinary research.
Conclusion: A Collective Leadership Vision for Change
Eradicating global poverty requires collaborative, interdisciplinary leadership that transcends national and disciplinary boundaries. This panel will engage scholars, practitioners, and audience members to explore new frameworks, innovative research approaches, and cross-sector partnerships for systemic poverty alleviation. By the end of the session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of leadership’s role in poverty reduction, as well as insights into research challenges and solutions in transdisciplinary and cross-cultural settings, while uncovering opportunities for collaboration with global scholars and practitioners. Together, we can redefine leadership in poverty reduction and create a more equitable future.
What is the Best Leadership Approach for Poverty Reduction?
Kaufman, Eric K.; Poudel, Sonika (International Leadership Association, 2025-10-18)
Despite efforts to address poverty, it remains a significant challenge both globally and in the United States. This study focuses on leadership strategies employed by civic organizations to address poverty. Interviews with 14 representatives from various civic organizations reveal three key themes: poverty as a systemic challenge, progress through participatory leadership, and humble leadership as a way forward. This research presentation will delve into the different nuances of poverty and how effective leadership might alleviate it. Participants will learn how various leadership approaches, especially humble leadership, impact the success of poverty reduction efforts.
Red spruce forest stand structure and Virginia northern flying squirrel habitat suitability
Humbert, Tanner R.; McKellips, Abigail W.; Carter, David R.; Green, P. Corey; De La Cruz, Jesse L.; Diggins, Corinne A.; Ford, W. Mark (Wiley, 2025-10-20)
The Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus; VNFS) is a rare, Pleistocene-relict, disjunct subspecies of the northern flying squirrel. The squirrel occurs only in high-elevation red spruce (Picea rubens) forests of the central Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia—a forest type that was substantially reduced by exploitative logging and wildfire in the 1890s–1930. Owing to its cryptic nature and difficulty of capture, managers have relied on an evolving series of predicted habitat suitability models that primarily have used topographic measures and red spruce cover class to assess potential occupancy on the landscape. Currently, VNFS is considered the sentinel species in the region whereby its predicted presence indicates red spruce forests with higher relative habitat integrity, and unsuitable habitat highlights where red spruce restoration or enhancement should occur. However, extant VNFS models only use red spruce percent composition and do not provide insights into forest structure, such as forest canopy height or basal area, that are needed by managers to implement restoration or assess effectiveness. We examined recent historical VNFS observations from nest-box surveys and radiotelemetry data (natural dens and foraging points) relative to random pseudoabsence points across red spruce cover classes from the most current VNFS predicted probability habitat model. Using generalized linear models in an information-theoretic approach, we found that within each red spruce composition class, suitable VNFS habitat was related to increased forest canopy height (m), basal area (m2·ha−1), quadratic mean diameter (cm), and stem density (number of trees ha−1), indicating that, within red spruce and mixed red spruce–northern hardwood forests, VNFS is associated most with mature forest conditions. Accordingly, our results could be recombined with habitat suitability models to prioritize where, for example, red spruce forest structural enhancement would facilitate shifting a given stand to a higher probability condition for VNFS use.
Staff Senate: July 19, 2001
(Virginia Tech, 2001-07-19)