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
Sustainable Horizons: Navigating ESG Reporting Challenges in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
Bernard Simpson, Shaniel; Singal, Manisha; Dias, Alvaro; Ho, Jo Ann; Zizka, Laura (2025-06-06)
A review of ESG reports shows that firms in the hospitality industry often take an external, fragmented approach to ESG reporting, failing to consider the sector’s diverse stakeholder groups and unique operational challenges. Integrating stakeholder salience theory and sustaina-bility materiality framework, we examine the current ESG issues reported by hospitality firms to offer preliminary directions for ESG reporting. Based on a sequential mixed-methods design in two phases, we analyzed 140 ESG reports and followed up with open-ended questionnaires and structured interviews with ESG experts. Our findings reveal clear variations in ESG priorities across hospitality subsectors: hotels focus predominantly on employee welfare and inclusion, restaurants emphasize food waste and supply chain engagement, while casinos highlight governance and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, we identified key challenges firms face in aligning ESG reporting with stakeholder expectations. This study offers theoretical and practical implications to improve ESG communication and accountability in the hospitality industry.
Forming a Pod: A Naval Architecture, Marine and Ocean Engineering Librarian Community of Practice
Barbrow, Sarah; Durkin Ruth, Kelly; Janssen, Amber; Mayberry, Christina; Over, Sarah; Parker, Sarah (American Society for Engineering Education, 2025-06-22)
Naval Architecture, Marine, and Ocean Engineering (NAMOE) programs are unique in that they are specialized, interdisciplinary, and uncommon at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a result, librarians or subject specialists who liaise with these areas can encounter a lack of resources and knowledge to support the students and faculty in these programs. A group of librarians who have NAMOE programs as part of their institutions recently started a dedicated group, combining elements of communities of practice and peer group mentoring to discuss how best to support these programs and each other as professionals with varying experience in this subject area. Plans include the development of a resource similar to chapters in Osif’s Using the Engineering Literature, a crucial source for librarians supporting engineering disciplines that lists a comprehensive, discipline-specific suite of key resources, and enhancing discovery of OER in NAMOE. In this work-in-progress article, in addition to sketching out some of the resources we plan to create and share, we will discuss the formation of this group and reflect on how it has impacted our work. By combining our efforts, we will enhance teaching and research for NAMOE programs, deepen our expertise in NAMOE library services, and present a framework for other specialized librarian communities to follow.
Collaborations Beyond the Library: Bibliometric Analyses to Support Engineering Research, Innovation and Diversity
Over, Sarah; Stovall, Connie (American Society for Engineering Education, 2023-06-25)
A new library department was formed to focus on growing university research impact and delivering data-driven research intelligence. The department collaborates with multiple units across campus, including with the College of Engineering via the department’s Engineering Collections and Research Analyst. All collaborations stem from the need for data-driven decisions for determining inter- and intra-institutional strengths and for discovering potential and existing research partnerships. This paper focuses on key collaborations with campus partners relevant to engineering research, innovation, and diversity efforts at Virginia Tech, providing processes and examples in each area. Examples include: an analysis of institutional degree data to determine competency related to the CHIPS and Science Act; prospective aerospace company collaborations; and research alignment analysis with HBCUs and other minority serving institutions. Each example covers tools, alternatives, and processes used to generate these analyses with end products presented to collaborators. Overall, the collaborations have been successful and are growing, which prompted the need for a new department, with wide support within the library and across campus.
Libraries’ Role in Enabling New Engineering Research Investments: Working with Campus Research Administration Units
Over, Sarah; Comer, C. Cozette; Stovall, Connie; Wang, Jiren; Hoch, Jackson; Mazure, Emily S.; Miles, Rachel A. (2025-06)
The role of libraries in academia is ever evolving with opportunities to influence research decisions at the highest level. University Libraries at Virginia Tech for multiple years now has been asked to support cutting-edge research investments with the goal of helping to galvanize complex, cross-disciplinary, and highly impactful research for years to come. With access to a variety of databases, software, and specialized experts, libraries can support and inform these research investments via discovery and analysis of: future and/or retrospective funding, research gaps and/or trends, market and industry trends, graduate programs, and more. At Virginia Tech, these research investments (Destination Areas) from the Office of Research involve engineering each year, covering areas such as AI, medical materials, and quantum navigation. This publication will present case studies (analyses and processes) for other librarians and/or research units to consider, leveraging the expertise of information sciences and academic libraries. The University Libraries, Virginia Tech have not only succeeded in this work, but enabled greater discovery of our talents and skills as research partners for the whole institution.
Developing a Network for Non-credit, Non-classroom Credentialing at Virginia Tech
MacDonald, Amanda B.; Zaldivar, Marc (2025-03-03)