Virginia Tech® home

2025 News

Class of 2025 - Student Spotlights

  • Article Item
    Brandon Duncan standing in front of Lane Stadium with his graduation gown and stoles on. He is holding his cap in the air.
    Brandon Duncan , article

    Giving back to his community has this Hokie feeling proud! Brandon Duncan has spent time helping new and prospective students as an ambassador for both SAS and CALS, as a content producer for VT Admissions, and as a residential well-being student leader. In the fall, Brandon will be attending the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

  • Article Item
    A smiling young woman holding up a lamb.
    Abby Greenwood , article

    As a participant in the Dairy Science 3+1 program, Abby Greenwood is excited to attend the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine next semester. She has been an active member of the Dairy Club and will fondly remember her time at Virginia Tech and the friends she has made here.

  • Article Item
    A young woman in a Virginia Tech hoodie looking to the left. She is standing in front of a stone wall overlooking the ocean.
    Cassie Borino , article

    Cassie Borino has long dreamed of going to vet school and she believes her time at Virginia Tech has prepared her well. With research opportunities, studying abroad, and friends that can last a lifetime, Cassie has had four great years at Virginia Tech and is now looking forward to another four at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine!

  • Article Item
    Young woman holding a bird up to her face.
    Sophia Cheng , article

    With a minor in Biodiversity Conservation, Sophia Cheng has big hopes to combine her knowledge about wildlife and companion animals in the future to help many animals. Sophia plans to attend veterinary school to refine that knowledge before going into veterinary pathology or internal medicine.

  • Article Item
    Daniela Garcia Llanos smiling with a horse.
    Daniela Garcia Llanos , article

    Between volunteering at the Virginia Tech horse barns and a trip to Germany to learn more about the European horse industry, Daniela Garcia Llanos has realized her love of all things equine! Daniela is thrilled to pursue a career working with thoroughbred horses, and with a double concentration, her passion for animals extends to many species.

  • Article Item
    Undergraduate Virginia Tech student sitting on a rock while on a hiking trail.
    Tyler Wood , article

    Majoring in Animal and Poultry Sciences, this senior is reaching for the sky! Meet Tyler Wood, a VT Corps of Cadets member who plans to attend the U.S. Army Flight School. Tyler enjoys spending his free time fly fishing, camping, and hiking at various national parks.

  • Article Item
    Makaia Haight at Kentland Farm with Holstein calf.
    Makaia Haight , article

    A double major in Animal and Poultry Sciences and Dairy Science, Makaia Haight is making the most of her time at Virginia Tech. Whether you see her at a women’s basketball game or reaching out to new students as an ambassador, Makaia is always moving!

More School of Animal Sciences news...

  • Article Item
    A dog and woman in front of a river
    Study highlights how frustration can lead to failure for search and rescue dogs , article

    New research shows that when these dogs experience frustration — such as blocked access to a reward or an unfulfilled expectation — they are slower to complete their searches and more prone to errors.

    Date: Mar 31, 2025 -
  • Article Item
    Tim Jarome and two students in lab coats study a computer screen.
    Virginia Tech study finds unique brain changes linked to witnessing trauma , article

    Researchers discovered distinct molecular differences in how the brain processes directly experienced versus witnessed trauma — a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments for PTSD.

    Date: Mar 28, 2025 -
  • Redirect Item
    Students in a barn with Guernsey cattle.
    American university students visit island to learn about Guernsey cow , redirect

    This week the Dairy Club at Virginia Tech is traveling to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland for their Spring Break International Trip. Part of the group traveled last week to the Channel Islands to visit Guernsey and Jersey where they were able to learn more about the management and genetics of dairy herds on each island. What a special experience to see where the breeds originated! Thank you to the Guernsey Press for the story highlighting their visit!

    Date: Mar 13, 2025 -
  • Article Item
    Zach Kirkpatrick stands in front of a stall at the equine medical center barn.
    Aspiring double Hokie embarks on a unique veterinary career with the U.S. Army , article

    Zach Kirkpatrick will receive training after getting his DVM degree to become a commissioned officer in the Army Veterinary Corps.

    Date: Mar 06, 2025 -
  • Video Item
    Caring for Virginia Tech's beef cattle
    Caring for Virginia Tech's beef cattle , video

    The Beef Cattle Center serves as a teaching, research, and outreach hub for School of Animal Sciences and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine classes. Chad Joines '93 manages the Beef Cattle Center along with hired staff and students, who care for the cattle 365 days a year—rain or shine, to provide valuable experiential learning and research to help the beef cattle industry.

    Date: Feb 21, 2025 -
  • Video Item
    Early mornings at Virginia Tech's Equitation Barn
    Early mornings at Virginia Tech's Equitation Barn , video

    The morning routine at Virginia Tech's Equitation Barn involves students from all majors, staff, and volunteers who feed horses and clean stalls 365 days of the year. Students gain experience in breeding and foaling, ground work training, marketing, nutrition, exercise physiology, as well as stable management fundamentals.

    Date: Feb 21, 2025 -
  • Video Item
    Morning routine at Virginia Tech's sheep center
    Morning routine at Virginia Tech's sheep center , video

    Caring for the hundreds of sheep at Virginia Tech's Copenhaver Sheep Center involves many students and staff and happens 365 days a year, rain or shine. Students in both the School of Animal Sciences and the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine are extensive users of the facilities, gaining valuable hands-on livestock experience as well as production management training through a wide range of courses.

    Date: Mar 05, 2025 -
  • Redirect Item
    SAS student named an Agri-Food Finance Fellow
    SAS student named an Agri-Food Finance Fellow , redirect

    The Kohl Centre is thrilled to announce the appointment of six exceptional students to join the inaugural Class of Agri-Food Finance (AFF) Fellows at Virginia Tech. This highly anticipated program is designed for students eager to explore the intersection of finance, the agri-food sector, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools for financial applications.

    Date: Jan 28, 2025 -
  • Article Item
    Chickens eating inside a barn.
    Virginia Cooperative Extension offers guidance to poultry owners following highly contagious avian flu outbreak in Virginia , article

    The first report of infection in Virginia since 2022, at a commercial poultry facility in Accomack County, highlights the need for increased biosecurity among poultry owners large and small, Virginia Tech poultry expert Michael Persia says.

    Date: Jan 24, 2025 -
  • General Item
    Professional photo of Dr. Mike Persia.
    Update on the current status of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Virginia

    This outbreak dates back to 2022 and continues to return each fall winter with migratory birds. In later 2024, HPAI returned to the USA, but most of these outbreaks were located in the Pacific and Mississippi flyways (Western and Midwest United States). In January, it became evident that HPAI (circulating virus from migratory birds) has returned to the Atlantic flyway including Virginia. We have numerous states around us (NC, WV, PA and DE) that have identified current outbreaks and within VA we have had several wild birds that have tested positive. This virus continues to infect commercial and backyard poultry across the USA. More...

    Date: Jan 16, 2025 -
  • Article Item
    A photograph of the Virginia Tech logo in black and silver.
    Experts available: avian flu and egg prices, Trump inauguration, California wildfires, TikTok ban, more , article

    The Virginia Tech media relations office has experts available for interviews this week surrounding issues in the news including, egg prices and avian flu, President-elect Trump's inauguration, Southern California wildfires, utility companies and fires, Meta ending fact-checking, Supreme Court TikTok ban ruling, and winter salt environmental damage.

    Date: Jan 13, 2025 -
  • Video Item
    Students develop program to help shelter dogs
    Students develop program to help shelter dogs , video

    A group students in the College of Agriculture and Life Science's School of Animal Sciences are working on an independent study to improve the lives of shelter dogs through enrichment and training programs.

    Date: Jan 10, 2025 -
  • Article Item
    A man examines wheat in a wheat field.
    Virginia Tech’s Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture enrolls 1,300-plus farms in first year of landmark pilot program , article

    The $80 million USDA-funded project — the largest grant in Virginia Tech’s history — provides financial support for farmers in selected counties in four states to implement agricultural practices that protect water, soil, and air.

    Date: Jan 07, 2025 -