Browse Items (218 total)

Dr. Aris Benjamin Winger II, from Washington, D.C., is a mathematics educator at Georgia Gwinnett College. His early interest in mathematics was encouraged by significant mentors and his family, which inspired him to pursue higher education at Howard…

Dr. Austin Douglas Gray, born oin North Charleston, South Carolina, is an assistant professor in the biological sciences department at Virginia Tech. Growing up, Dr. Gray was inspired by his father's academic achievements and his mother's dedication…

Dr. Candice Morrison Duncan, born in Durham, North Carolina, grew up in a close-knit family, where her mother encouraged her academic pursuits, fostering her early interest in STEM. She attended UNC Greensboro for her undergraduate degree in biology…

Dr. Ela-Sita Carpenter, born in Baltimore, Maryland, grew up in a small, nature-loving family. Despite living in a cramped rowhouse, her parents fostered her early interest in nature. This passion led her to Hampton University, where she studied…

Dr. Jessica Lee Ware, born on May 12, 1977, is an entomologist currently holding a dream position at the American Museum of Natural History. Raised in Toronto by a single mother and later her father, Dr. Ware grew up in a challenging environment but…

Dr. Jonathan Auguste, born in Trinidad and Tobago, and raised in Arima, where he experienced both urban and rural lifestyles. Despite a challenging start to his undergraduate career, he excelled academically at the University of the West Indies…

Dr. Keenan Jerome Adams, born at Landstuhl Air Force Base in Germany, grew up navigating the complexities of his mixed heritage and frequent relocations due to his father's Air Force career. Despite initial academic hurdles, Keenan excelled in…

Dr. Kevin Cox, born and raised in Florissant, Missouri, is a postdoctoral associate at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. He attended the University of Missouri in St. Louis for his bachelor's degree in biology. Initially aspiring to become a…

Dr. Michelle Samuel-Foo, born in Trinidad and Tobago, grew up in a large family practicing subsistence agriculture. Excelling in her studies, she won a scholarship to Brewton-Parker College in Georgia, where she graduated summa cum laude in biology.…

Dr. OmiSoore Dryden developed a passion for social science and health equity from an early age, influenced by her parents' professions in education and nursing. She pursued undergraduate studies in political science, sociology, and women and gender…

Dr. Pascale Schaaba Guiton, grew up in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, before moving to the United States at 18. She currently serves as an assistant professor of biological sciences at Santa Clara University, where her research focuses on exploring regulatory…

Dr. Robert Green, born in Johns Island, South Carolina, grew up in the Gullah-Geechee community. His parents nurtured his natural curiosity and analytical skills. Excelling in science and math, Green attended magnet schools before majoring in…

Dr. Sarah Lemer is an assistant professor in marine invertebrate genomics at the University of Guam, focusing on mollusk evolution and coral gene expression during climate change. Growing up, Dr. Lemer lived in multiple countries due to her father's…

Scott Edwards, raised in Colorado Springs and New York City, developed an early interest in natural history and birds. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy for high school and went on to Harvard University, initially studying the history of science…

Dr. Vernon Morris, as an Air Force brat, grew up in many places including the United States and Japan. His early education was marked by combative experiences with teachers, leading him to focus on sports and later develop an interest in science.…

PDF transcript of an oral history interview with Emily Pillsbury Davis. Pillsbury was the "L" Squadron commander in the Corps of Cadets in 1975-1976.

This transcript was created from files on a previous iteration of the 125th Anniversary website.…

An oral history interview with Christine "Chris" Beamer Cooper, a Fries native who grew up in the Hollow, a small neighborhood within Fries. After moving to Galax in the 1960s, she worked for the Roses department store for forty years and settled in…

Craig Wood is a former CPA who grew up in Fries, Va., but moved away for college and a career. Upon retirement, he moved into his parents' former house with his wife. While growing up, he worked in the mill over the summer in the cloth and spinning…

Kevin Combs grew up just outside of Fries, Va., and spent his summers working in the mill as a doffer. His family has history with the town, as his grandfather was the minister of the Baptist Church until 1945, and his father similarly grew up in the…

Willie Wilson, born just outside of Fries in Fallville, Va. moved back to Fries in 1965 to work for the Washington Mills Co. Textile Mill. He started in the gardener shop, then moved into the weave room as a doffer, which he remained as for decades…

Interview with James L. Garret. Garret was hauling hay in a truck when he was stopped by the mob and he witnessed the lynching of Cordie Cheek.

Two interviews of Dixie Stone, Fate Cheek, and Dr. Alva W. Taylor about the events of Cordie Cheek's lynching. They discuss the men who were looking for Cordie and the family members they violently interrogated to find him.

A staged reading of articles and letters to the editor about Denim Day from the 1979 Collegiate Times interspersed with clips from the Denim Day at Virginia Tech 40th Anniversary Oral History Collection.

Aaron Slusher was a student at Virginia Tech from 1988 until 1992. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1992 with a degree in Biology. In 2011, Aaron returned to Virginia Tech to pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine. In 2012, he transferred to…

Aaron Wilson was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and currently resides in Palo Alto, California. Wilson graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 with a BS in Computer Science. He works as a Software Engineer at Olark in San Francisco, California. In Wilson’s…

Interview with Andrea Mosquera for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Andrea, 30, is a single mother from Colombia seeking a degree in public administration. She, her mother, and her…

Andrew Alvarez was a founding member of the Gay Student Alliance in the late 1970s. In his interview, he talks about living on campus at Virginia Tech, being a guest speaker for the Social Deviance class in the sociology department, planning and…

Ann Kilkelly is a Professor of Theatre Arts and Women's Studies at Virginia Tech. She teaches a variety of performance and theater classes, women's studies seminars and undergraduate courses about community and culture, and tap classes. Since coming…

In this interview, Beth Benoit talks about computer science classes and the campus climate for gay men and lesbians at Virginia Tech in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She recounts how it felt to come out publicly in the school paper while having…

In this interview, Bill Kenealy discusses what it felt like to return to campus after forty years, the Gay Student Alliance in the late 1970s, summer resort jobs in New England, gay discos, Denim Day preparations, his time in the United States Navy…

Interview with Brigitte Sanchez Robayo for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Brigitte Sanchez Robayo is an instructor for public school math teachers and very active in the Colombian…

Interview with Carla Finkelstein for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Carla is an associate professor and director of the Virginia Tech Molecular Diagnostics Lab. She works at the…

Interview with Carolina Smales for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Carolina Smales, 40, is a healthcare analyst originally from Venezuela with several family members who have died of…

Interview with Caroline Ickes regarding her affiliations with the LGBT community at Virginia Tech and in her personal life. Ickes discusses her identity as a straight individual who has been and advocate for and associated with the LGBT community.…

Charles A. Johnson was born in Wake Forest, Virginia, where he grew up and received his primary education. Johnson graduated from Christiansburg Institute in 1953 before serving in the Army. When Johnson returned from the Army, he began cutting hair…

Charles Johnson graduated from Christiansburg Industrial Institute in 1953 and served as President of the Christiansburg Institute Alumni Association. Johnson employed the barbering trade he acquired at CI for many decades in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Christian Matheis is a Doctoral Candidate in the Virginia Tech Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) Program working on a dissertation concerning liberation. He has several research interests including philosophy,…

Christine Paige Price was born in Giles County Virginia on July 21, 1915. Her family moved to the Blacksburg area when Price was young in search of better educational opportunities for Christine and her siblings. Price and her family--the Paige…

Crysta Highfield was born in Dallas, Texas and now lives in Berkeley, California where she attends school at the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 2008 with a BS and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering…

Interview with David Hernandez for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. David is originally from Mexico. He is married with children and his family was affected financially by the…

David Hernandez attended Virginia Tech from 2010 to 2014 and graduated with a degree in Computer Science. In Fall 2012, Hernandez founded the Virginia Tech chapter of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (oSTEM), an organization…

Dolly Davis is a former Virginia Tech student, who is a self-employed architect in Roanoke, Virginia. She is also a transgender activist who works closely with VT students and alums. Recently, she became involved in healthcare activism in southwest…

Class of 1958 first black graduate of Virginia Tech

Class of 1959, one of the first three black graduates of Virginia Tech

Class of 1971, one of six charter members of Groove Phi Groove

received his Ph.D in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration at Virginia Tech in December 2000. He is presently Director of Summer and Winter sessions.

Interview with Dulce Diaz for the Voces of a Pandemic oral history project in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Dulce Diaz, 30, is a single mother from Honduras who moved to Roanoke, VA a year ago from New Jersey. She lost her…