AI Captures Particle Accelerator Behavior to Optimize Machine Performance
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Keeping high-power particle accelerators at peak performance requires advanced and precise control systems. For example, the primary research machine at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility features hundreds of fine-tuned components that accelerate electrons to 99.999% the speed of light. The electrons get this boost from radiofrequency […]
VISA Executive Director Dr. Yiannis Papelis Participates in Panel to Unveil “Hampton Roads Playbook”
VISA’s Executive Director Yiannis Papelis, Ph.D., was on the all-star industry panel at the unveiling of the “Hampton Roads Playbook” – a dynamic roadmap designed to supercharge our region’s economy by concentrating on what we do better than anyone else: defense, energy, aerospace, and logistics. The shared strategy, by the Hampton Roads Alliance, plans to align Hampton […]
VDMC Hosts Third Annual Digital Ship Challenge
The Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC) hosted its Third Annual Digital Ship Challenge on Saturday, April 25, 2026. With over 120 students from around Hampton Roads participating this year, it was a true success! For this year’s Challenge, we had three separate divisions: Design, Systems, and Technology. The Design Division participants, which included 25 teams, […]
WTKR News 3 Interviews VISA Executive Director Dr. Yiannis Papelis About MASTS
WTKR News 3 interviewed VISA’s Executive Director Dr. Yiannis Papelis about the new Maritime Autonomous Systems Test Site (MASTS) and how it can help the maritime industry test their new technology, as well as give students a leg-up in the post-grad job market. “Autonomous systems in particular are very important because they take away the risk and the […]
Old Dominion University, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and William & Mary Awarded Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Sea Grant College Program Funding for Oyster Aquaculture Innovation
Norfolk, VA (October 13, 2025) – Old Dominion University (ODU) and William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS and Institute for Integrative Conservation have been awarded competitive funding from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant to advance sustainable aquaculture through an innovative bird deterrence project for oyster farms. The proposal, Innovative Avian […]
Class of 2025: From TCC to ODU, Jared Cochran’s Path to Graduation
By Jessica Zimmerman Jared Cochran, undergraduate research student for the Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS), graduated ODU with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering. Jared has been exposed to computers since he was young and has always been interested in how the brain of the computer works. Originally attending Tidewater […]
Dr. Yiannis Papelis Appointed to Virginia Aerospace Advisory Board
Dr. Yiannis Papelis, OERI Chief Technology Officer and Executive Director of the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA), has been appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to the Aerospace Advisory Board. The Aerospace Advisory Board advises the Governor, the Joint Commission on Technology and Space, and the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Technology and Education […]
OERI Announces Retirement of Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Michael Robinson
Suffolk, VA (January 9, 2025) – The Office of Enterprise Research and Innovation (OERI) announced the retirement of Dr. Michael Robinson, Chief Operations Officer, after 21 years of selfless service and dedication. Dr. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as a Master of Science […]
Science is Everyone | Dr. Barry Ezell’s Journey from Combat Veteran to Research Innovator
Honoring Veterans in STEM: Dr. Barry Ezell’s Journey from Combat Veteran to Research Innovator Dr. Barry Ezell’s career is a testament to the transformative power of perseverance and mentorship. A retired U.S. Army veteran and distinguished professor at Old Dominion University (ODU), Dr. Ezell has spent decades bridging military service and cutting-edge research. His journey […]
In Charleston, floods are a ‘constant existential fear’
By Ruby Mellen and Scott Dance August 6, 2024 at 7:59 p.m. EDT CHARLESTON, S.C. — When Tropical Storm Debby’s floodwaters surrounded Damon Black’s home in the heart of this flood-prone city, he and his family were ready. They pulled up rugs and moved furniture upstairs, because in little over a year of living there, they had endured five floods. “It’s […]