Here’s a roundup of education briefs from around Southwest and Southside.
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Tech’s Leadership Academy in Roanoke now open for registration
The Leadership Academy is enrolling now for classes that start in February. The five-month program is held through the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center. Participants tackle real-world problems seen in the workplace and also work with professional coaches to identify and reach their own professional and personal goals.
The program works on the individual goals of each participant through one-on-one sessions with a certified professional coach.
Registration is open until Feb. 10, but space is limited. Classes will begin Feb. 17. Continuing education units from Virginia Tech will be awarded upon successful completion of the program.
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University of Lynchburg receives grant for substance use recovery
The University of Lynchburg has received a $50,000 grant, paid out over two years, to launch Hornets in Recovery, a program that will help students living in recovery from substance use disorders.
Hornets in Recovery will offer on-campus, 12-step programs and other support groups, along with prevention activities.
The grant — a subaward through Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond — was funded by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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Scientific leader to speak about the recycling and redesign of plastics
Gregg Beckham is a senior research fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and leads a large consortium of labs and universities dedicated to making plastics more sustainable by developing creative, effective methods for recycling them.
He will speak about “Challenges and Opportunities in Plastics Recycling and Redesign” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Moss Arts Center Anne & Ellen Fife Theater at Virginia Tech.
The talk will be part of the prestigious Covestro Lecture Series, sponsored by Covestro and produced by the Virginia Tech Macromolecules Innovation Institute. This lecture series seeks to transcend boundaries and celebrate innovation in polymer science and engineering, which is a topic that touches nearly every aspect of our daily lives.