Fralin Life Sciences Institute
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Note: In 2019, the Biocomplexity Institute became part of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.
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- Analysis of environmental and economic impacts of hydropower imports for New York City through 2050Calder, Ryan S. D.; Borsuk, Mark E.; Robinson, Celine (Duke University Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, 2020-10-13)Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC), a nuclear generating facility that has provided roughly 15 TW·h per year of low-emissions power to the New York City area, will close by 2021. There has been debate over the potential responses to the closure of IPEC which include the development of new generation and transmission infrastructure. This derives in part from difficulties in comparing direct and indirect costs and benefits and environmental and social impacts, which vary substantially across energy alternatives. In particular, the potential role of increased imports of hydropower from Canada to the New York City area has been controversial because of large upfront capital costs and uncertain benefits relative to alternatives such as increased build-out of Downstate New York offshore wind and solar.
- Evaluation Summary. Four Studies Conducted for the Partnership for a Healthier America's Fruits & Veggies (FNV) Campaign in California and Virginia, 2015-2017Kraak, Vivica; Englund, Tessa R.; Zhou, Mi; Duffey, Kiyah J. (Department Of Human Nutrition, Foods, And Exercise, 2018-02)This evaluation summary provides brief descriptions of four studies funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to evaluate the Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA’s) branded FNV (Fruits & Veggies) Campaign that was launched in two pilot cities or test locations—Fresno in the Central Valley region of California and the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia in 2015. The PHA designed the FNV Campaign as a new brand to increase the sales and consumption of all forms of fruits and vegetables (e.g., fresh, canned, dried and frozen) to reach Millennial moms, ages 21 to 34 years, and Generation Z teens, ages 15 to 20 years, in the two test locations. The PHA also explored how the FNV Campaign could reach racially, ethnically and culturally diverse populations. During phase one of the FNV Campaign (May 2015 to September 2016), the PHA reported the Campaign as a $5 million dollar/year that used commercial and behavioral branding principles and integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategies to raise awareness and encourage fruit and vegetable sales and intake among targeted populations in the two test locations. Commercial businesses often use IMC strategies in campaigns that combine advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing, sponsorships, celebrity endorsement, and point-of-purchase in retail settings across different communication platforms to build brand awareness and loyalty among targeted groups for products, services and ideas. In September 2015, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided a grant to a research team in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia to conduct a multi-faceted and independent evaluation of the FNV Campaign in the two pilot locations of Fresno, California and Hampton Roads, Virginia during phase one. This report summarizes the results of four studies that comprise an independent evaluation of the FNV Campaign conducted between September 2015 and December 2017. During phase two of the FNV Campaign (October 2016 to the present), the PHA announced the FNV Campaign’s expansion to 13 states and cities. These locations included: Fresno, Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Boise, Idaho; Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Mason City, Iowa; Syracuse, New York; Washington, DC; Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts; Norfolk/Hampton Roads, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Miami, Florida; and Madison, Wisconsin. By May 2017, the PHA had reported more than 25 public- and private-sector partners who supported the FNV Campaign. These included partnerships with state health departments and USDA Cooperative Extension offices in California, Colorado, Georgia and Wisconsin to reach participants in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and SNAP-Education (SNAP-Ed) to encourage fruits and vegetables. We anticipate that the collective findings from this evaluation will be useful as the PHA and partners aim to expand, scale up and sustain the FNV Campaign in other states and nationwide.
- Fostering University Collaboration and Building Capacity to Respond to Coastal Resilience Challenges in Virginia: Findings from the Rotating Resilience Roundtables Workshop Spring 2019Yusuf, Wie; Covi, Michelle; Bukvic, Anamaria; Allen, Tom; Oguntuyo, Taiwo (Old Dominion University, 2019-04-12)The second Resilience Roundtable event was held at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, on April 11 & 12, 2019. The roundtable discussions focused on the following themes of: 1) Changing Ecosystems; 2) Climate and Health; 3) Policy and Politics of Resilience; 4) Flooding and the Built Environment; and 5) Emergency Management and Adaptation Equity. In addition, the Virginia Sea Grant Director Troy Hartley gave a keynote address about Team Science to encourage thinking about team building while tackling coastal resilience issues. Other presentations covered topics ranging from urban flooding and emergency response to the Virginia Department of Health's efforts to address the public health impacts of climate change that are emerging as a priority for the Commonwealth.
- Key Priorities and University Roles to Address Coastal Resilience in Virginia: Findings from the Rotating Resilience Roundtables Workshop Fall 2018Bukvic, Anamaria; Covi, Michelle (Old Dominion University, 2018)The first Rotating Resilience Roundtables event took place on October 11 and 12, 2018 on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg and was co-organized between the Coastal@VT initiative at Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University/Virginia Sea Grant Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program. It was designed to respond to the need for a cohesive and policy-relevant science that will align and coordinate efforts between researchers and other stakeholders to benefit the Commonwealth’s resilience planning for changing conditions in coastal zone.
- Landowners and the Conservation Reserve Program: Understanding needs and motivations to cultivate participation, retention, and ongoing stewardship behaviorBarnes, Jessica C.; Dayer, Ashley A.; Sketch, Mary; Gramza, Ashley R.; Nocera, Tomas; Steinmetz, Ally; Sorice, Michael G. (Virginia Tech, 2019-03-07)
- Modeling the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa, August 4th 2014 updateLewis, Bryan L.; Rivers, Caitlin; Eubank, Stephen; Marathe, Marathe; Barrett, Christopher L. (2014)
- STRATEGY FOR A NATIONAL COMMUNITY LEARNING NETWORK: COMMUNITY LEARNING DATA DRIVEN DISCOVERY - Building Capacity for Evidence-Based Decision MakingKeller, Sallie A. (2016-12-19)The Social and Decision Analytics Laboratory (SDAL) of the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech received a planning grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) to develop a strategy for a national community learning network. Through the development of this strategy Virginia Tech formed a partnership with Iowa State University, placing Virginia and Iowa at the center of initiating a national movement that would empower local governments to embrace data-driven governance. The first steps of this national strategy involve massive deployment of community learning across Virginia and Iowa, using these states as exemplars for igniting a full national movement. Based on the research completed in this grant, Virginia Tech and Iowa State University are developing a proposal with LJAF to realize the first steps of this national strategy - a Land Grant Partnership for Data-Driven Governance.