Developments at Virginia Tech

“I have left a bequest to the dairy science department in memory of my grandfather, because I fear for the future of the independent dairy farmer in this country, because I love and have great pride for Virginia Tech, and because I know that my parents would want and approve of this gift,” she said.

Her grandfather joined the staff of what was then Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1890, serving as the director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. Saunders later held positions in dairy and animal husbandry, before taking a leave of absence to serve as Virginia’s first dairy and food commissioner, a role he held for seven years. 

As commissioner, Saunders organized a system of testing herds that resulted in the near elimination of tuberculosis in dairy cows across the state. In 1915, he returned to the university where he taught, served as an Extension specialist, and continued to distinguish himself in his field.

After developing a new process for making cheese Saunders was dubbed “The Cheese King of Virginia,” Hulvey said.

“During the depression, the farmers were struggling to sell their milk for a fair price,” she explained. “Using my grandfather’s cheese process, they formed a cooperative and were able to improve the market price of milk in the area.”

Although Hulvey attended Longwood University, many of her relatives, including both parents, graduated from Virginia Tech. Her brother, Paul Victor Kelsey Jr., holds three degrees from the university. 

“Until my marriage in 1964 to a UVA graduate, I never considered there was any other school in the state of Virginia,” Hulvey quipped. “My late husband went on to be a member of the UVA Board of Visitors in the late 1990s, but I never let him forget my allegiance was to the Hokies, not the Hoos, whenever they engaged in any athletic endeavor.”

While her husband, the late John Thomas Hulvey Sr., completed his medical education, Hulvey worked first as a high school English teacher and later as an elementary school librarian. In 1969, the couple relocated to Abingdon, Virginia, where she focused on raising their three children, John, Elizabeth, and Margaret.

Over the years Hulvey has been actively involved in civic affairs and is a long-time member of the Hokie Club. She enjoys gardening, spending time with family and friends, and, of course, visiting Blacksburg as often as possible.

“I like to come to Blacksburg to catch up with my family and to shop,” Hulvey said. “Between my mother’s family and my father’s, you can’t swing a cat in Southwest Virginia without hitting a cousin.”

Hulvey describes her life as ordinary, but admits that it has had several extraordinary moments. 

“While my husband was on the Board of Visitors at UVA, I participated in a dinner with former Soviet statesman Mikhail Gorbachev and attended a luncheon with the Queen of Denmark,” she recalled. 

At the age of 56, Hulvey earned her pilot’s license and, together with her husband, bought a plane.

“We had a home in the Outer Banks, and I thought that I could get to the beach faster if I flew,” she said. “What I didn’t count on was the weather. If it was good flying weather here, it was bad there, and vice versa.”

Hulvey is proud of her family history and its connections to Virginia Tech. Through her estate gift, she expects to help both the university and the dairy industry, adding to her family’s considerable legacy of advancing dairy science at Virginia Tech.

According to the Global Clubfoot Initiative, 80 percent of children born each year with clubfoot live in low- and middle-income countries with limited access to treatment. As a result, more than a million children live untreated and unable to walk properly, making clubfoot the leading cause of physical disability in the world.

“We felt it was just really important to help as many children as we could,” Ryan Berman said.

In 2006, the Bermans created the nonprofit “miraclefeet,” which generates awareness about the birth defect that causes one or both feet to turn inward. The nonprofit works with local partners in developing countries to treat clubfoot.

Ryan Berman, the CEO of Victoria’s Secret Direct, has given her time and lent her business acumen to the nonprofit, which recently expanded to a 13th country and has treated more than 10,000 children. She is a 1982 graduate of Virginia Tech and has also generously supported the university.

She said she’s drawn to philanthropy that impacts her life. Ryan Berman’s work has not only helped Hokies, but children and their families all over the world.

Without the intervention miraclefeet provides, children with clubfoot in developing nations face grim prospects because of the likelihood the defect will go untreated.

“These children are very likely to have terrible, terrible lives,” said miraclefeet Executive Director Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld. “For a relatively easy and inexpensive intervention, you can put that child’s life back onto a normal trajectory.”

To treat clubfoot, the nonprofit uses the Ponseti Method, entailing a series of plaster casts worn for four to six weeks. The treatment costs approximately $250 per child.

Without treatment, children face stigma and discrimination because families are ashamed of the defect; and because walking is so difficult, children may be unable to access education and healthcare, Colloredo-Mansfeld said. Children with clubfoot are subject to higher risk of neglect, poverty, and physical and sexual abuse, she added.

“It’s hard to prevent poverty, and it’s hard to prevent suffering in the world,” Colloredo-Mansfeld said. “But these children’s disability can be easily fixed.”

It’s a mission that Ryan Berman has been actively involved in since miraclefeet began in 2006. Colloredo-Mansfeld said the Bermans, both of whom sit on the group’s board of directors, are highly engaged, often providing expertise and visiting clinics.

“They feel very strong connections to parents of the kids,” Colloredo-Mansfeld said. “They tell families about their experiences and show them photos of Reese.”

Berman said many parents don’t understand this defect is completely treatable. Her goal is to help.

“This is a way to truly change a child’s life,” Ryan Berman said.

The new Marching Virginians Center is located on Southgate Drive within sight of Lane Stadium and has a 7,000-square-foot pavilion, restrooms, and a full-size synthetic turf field with lights and public address systems.

More than 280 donors contributed to help make the project possible, including Michael Sciarrino. The former tuba player was behind the effort to have the building named for the band’s former director and current arranger, James Sochinski, and McKee, after their retirement from the university.

“The marching Virginians building is a fitting tribute to the dedication of Dr. James Sochinski and Mr. David McKee, both of whom have passionately served the band for more than 30 years each,” said Sciarrino, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and lives in Winter Park, Florida. “It’s hard to imagine another part of the university that has had such continuity of leadership.”

>> Professor Peter Rim (top left) is an expert in chemical technology and business management. That powerful combination is important for students seeking careers in the chemical industry. A technical patent expert, Rim’s name appears on 12 patents and more than 20 technical publications.

>> Associate Professor John Taylor (top middle) was recently recognized for his “path-breaking research” about dynamic interpersonal and inter-organizational networks on the outcomes of constructed facilities over their life cycle. He was honored with the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute's 2015 Daniel W. Halpin Award for Scholarship in Construction.

>> Professor Harald Sontheimer (top right) discovered the functional properties of glial cells in the brain. This work led to the discovery of a major new therapeutic approach for the treatment of glioblastoma, the deadliest and most prevalent primary brain tumor in humans. He oversees research at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and has more than $6.3 million in research grant funding.

>> Professor Richard Veilleux (bottom left) has been conducting significant research on the genetic improvement of crops. A collaboration with the International Strawberry Genome Sequencing Consortium and the International Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium resulted in publication of the first sequenced genomes for both the Rosaceae (rose, apple, and others) and Solanaceae (potato, tomato, and others) families.

>> Professor M. Joseph Sirgy (bottom middle) has published more than 200 articles, scholarly books and monographs, and book chapters. He has also co-authored nine textbooks. His research focuses on the contribution real estate makes to consumer quality of life.

Long said DuPont already had a strong presence on campus, with representatives serving on departmental advisory boards, and this collaboration will build on that presence.

“This award really represents a key partnership for Virginia Tech because DuPont is located within the commonwealth,” Long said. “Having DuPont in close proximity to Virginia Tech represents an exciting opportunity for our students.”

The fellowship will link DuPont’s Building Innovations business and its Richmond team with Virginia Tech. The two organizations will collaborate on workforce development for students and research into sustainable business solutions.

The most recent session of what’s known as the CASA Mexico Study Abroad Program started June 11. The Houses met students at the airport before taking off to explore Mexico City. Here’s a look at some of what they’ve been doing:

>> The group visited the 2,000-year-old World Heritage Site of Teotihuacan. They posed atop the spectacular Pyramid of the Sun, which has a footprint as large as the Great Pyramid at Giza, Steven House said. (top)

>> After their first day in Mexico City, the group dined at the Casa de los Azulejos restaurant. (middle left)

>> Students spent time sketching and photographing their surroundings, including sketching on the roof of architect Luis Barragan's home and studio in Mexico City. (middle right)