Hokies ‘Make a Mark’ in Design-a-Thon for Nonprofits
A one-day design marathon led and executed largely by Hokies delivered critically needed free marketing materials to 18 area nonprofits.
Over 12 hours, designers and developers at Make a Mark...
Native Inspiration
Virginia Tech’s first Monacan alumnus, Rufus Elliott (history ’07) paid tribute to his grandmother and mother during the university’s annual celebration of American Indian and Indigenous Heritage Month.
The Giving Spirit
It began with a drive through the nation’s capital one frigid winter evening. Minutes after passing the White House and the Treasury Building, Tom Bagamane could see homeless men and women, their shap...
One-Man Band
Mike Butera was always the guy in the band toting multiple instruments: the beat-up banjoes, the ukulele rescued from a dusty shop, the cello that overwhelmed the stage.
The classically trained violi...
The International Language of Fashion
In just under two decades, Kelsy Dominick went from sewing dresses for her Barbies to being the first U.S. designer in at least 60 years to send her creations down a fashion runway in Cuba.
“Fashion,...
It Is Rocket Science
When a Mars Rover crosses Marathon Valley, Juno orbits Jupiter, or a Cassini Spacecraft surveys Saturn’s Rings, it’s the pioneering work of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Realizing the visions of ...
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman
How should Bobbie Allen’s music be characterized? Stumped, she turns to Wikipedia. “It says here I’m an indie-pop alternative artist,” she says, laughing. “I guess that’s about right.”
Allen’s hesi...
Storytelling in Motion
For event producer Liz Hart, no challenge is too daunting and no detail too insignificant. Help erect a temporary theme park to entertain 14,000? No problem. Cue an Olympian to light a torch in a pack...
As Good as Gold
In a split second — two-hundredths of a second, to be exact — Kristi Castlin made both Olympic history and Virginia Tech history.
Castlin won a bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the 20...
Taking the Heat
Darrell Wesh represented his parents’ home country of Haiti at the Rio Olympics. There he competed in the 100-meter dash, an event for which he holds Haiti’s record.
“It was such an honor to be in ...
The Art of Immersive Theatre
A 16th-century Chinese kingdom ruled by a mischievous monkey. An Inca-cursed, fire-breathing temple harboring a legendary treasure. The hidden chambers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. T...
VT Stories Captures Alumni Experiences
Every Hokie has a story.
Whether attending as a cadet in the years following World War II, breaking ground as one of the first African American women to be accepted as a student, or using tim...
Virginia Polytechnic Institute’s Service During World War I Remembered
As part of its 2016 Veterans Day commemoration, Virginia Tech launched an online exhibit, Men Who Served: VPI in World War One, celebrating the university’s service during World War I.
During...
Army ROTC Alumnus 2nd Lt. Peter Schadt Named Hokie Hero
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Peter Schadt, a 2015 Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumnus who earned a degree in economics from the Pamplin College of Business, was selected as the Hokie Hero for Saturday’s footba...
Virginia Tech to Celebrate Centennial of Its Army ROTC
Virginia Tech will commemorate the centennial of its Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program beginning this weekend. The university was one of the first to form an Army ROTC program...
Imagination in Action
From animated sock monkeys to top hats with their own planetary systems, Virginia Tech’s presence in Northern Virginia just became a lot more fun.
In the fall of 2016, the university joined with ...
Keystone Fellow Ends Her Student Experience by Serving Those Just Starting
“This recent grad’s got Georgia on her mind, but Virginia Tech is never far behind. From Chantilly, Virginia, it’s Ariana Mollers!”
This booming introduction prompts Mollers to run across the stage...
Jeanne Centracchio DaDamio Receives Alumni Distinguished Service Award
Virginia Tech has named Jeanne Centracchio DaDamio of Vienna, Virginia, one of its two 2016 Alumni Distinguished Service Award winners.
Alumni Distinguished Service Awards are presented annually at...
Joe Frazier Inspired by Dreams of a United Community
Joe Frazier said that, while he loves studying sociology, he gets frustrated with the apathy that’s often unavoidable in college courses. Frazier received degrees in sociology and philosophy in 2013, ...
ONLINE CELEBRATION
The digital version of our new magazine features web-exclusive extras, including photo galleries, video links, and additional inspiration from our graduates, faculty, and students.
Creativity and Innovation Quiz
Will you be shaking your tail feathers or accused of being Cavalier? If you’ve read the recent issue of Illumination, you should score well on this quiz. If you haven’t, go ahead and test your wits (then read and be inspired!).
