Two Professors Develop Life-Saving Technology

The energy buzzing through a college campus is generated by more than curious students: Faculty members—and their vision for the future as they double as professors opening minds and researchers improving the world—ignite their communities with possibilities. That’s especially the case with two professors who recently received honors and grants to continue developing new technology:

A computer program to treat cancer more precisely
For more than 15 years, Khan Iftekharuddin, Ph.D., has been researching brain tumors and now does so at Old Dominion University, where he is an engineering professor, associate dean for research and graduate programs and director of Vision Lab. He has secured funding from the Whitaker Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a grant in 2016 with teams from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, University of California San Diego and University of Iowa.

Dr. Iftekharuddin’s goal is to provide doctors with a tool to pinpoint where cancerous tissue ends and healthy tissue begins. This can be difficult: Gliomas, the most common adult brain tumor, often intertwine with healthy tissue instead of forming a single mass. He and his researchers are training their as-of-yet-unnamed computer program to find elements in brain cancer patients’ MRI scans that relate to specific outcomes. They do so by first exposing the program to a large quantity of scans and then introducing new scans, on which the program uses computational methods to see patterns and identify a tumor’s shape.

Knowing the shape guides doctors delivering radiotherapy and follow-up treatments to patients. Patients may also have a better chance of being accepted into clinical trials with the results.

The program’s promise is strong—judges ranked it number one in a recent international competition sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Imaging Consulting and Computer-Assisted Intervention Society—and so is its further development.

“We’ve obtained another NIH grant to study the process to bring this type of technology to patients’ bedsides,” says Iftekharuddin. “This research has also moved beyond just detection of brain tumor. We have been working on automated glioma grading and patient survival prediction using clinical, radiology, molecular and other patient data.”

Technology to protect wildlife and businesses
The Miracle on the Hudson, the nickname given to the safe water landing provided in 2009 by a US Airways pilot, is well known thanks to a movie, as is the fact that geese being sucked into the plane’s engine caused the crash. Lesser known is that 70,000 birds at the nearby airport were intentionally slaughtered in the eight years immediately after in an attempt to prevent bird-plane collisions. Yet, according to an Associated Press report in 2017, planes continued to collide with birds and did so at a rate higher than before the 2009 crash.

Bird collision is a topic John Swaddle, Ph.D., the newly appointed chair of the biology department at William & Mary, knows well. Nearly 10 year ago, he began studying birds and noise pollution. He noted birds’ sensitivity to noise and their resulting avoidance of places, in particular those areas with noise that has a frequency—or pitch—similar to their own sounds. Such environments make it difficult for birds to hear each other and lead to them to being too frightened to frequent the area. Dr. Swaddle developed sonic nets—spatially controlled

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Two Mistakes Students Make
1. Ignoring mail: Not responding to information requests on time can cause a student to miss out on aid. They should monitor emails, mail and student portals regularly and respond to requests as soon as possible.

2. Forgetting the requirements: Many grants and scholarships have requirements, such as maintaining a certain grade point average and meeting annual application deadlines. Students must understand and meet the criteria for continued aid.

—Tina Russell, Director of financial aid at Christopher Newport University

Local couple shows what it takes to prepare for Lynchburg’s popular nonprofit dance-off

By Tobi Walsh | Photos by Lindsay Carico

After 5 p.m. on weekdays in September, the hallway outside of Lynchburg Hillcats President and General Manager Chris Jones’ office is transformed into an impromptu dance studio.

“All right, let’s try it with the kick this time,” Anna Jones, Chris’ wife, tells her husband.

“You just have to kneel down so I can try to get my leg over you.”

“One second,” Chris says as he grabs a spare mascot head and sets it on the floor. “Try it with that first… just in case.”

Chris and Anna Jones (who works at HumanKind) are one of 10 couples that are competing in this year’s Dancing with the Lynchburg Stars event on Nov. 23. It’s the largest annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia.

In its sixth year, the event has seen a variety of community celebrities compete. From the mayor to local CEOs, BBBSCVA director of special events and marketing Dawn Blankinship puts a lot of thought into whom she asks to participate.

“The whole purpose of the event is to bring awareness to what we do and show what kind of impact our mentors have on the children we serve,” Blankinship said.

“It takes so many people from different walks of life to help these children who come from different walks of life themselves.”

When the Joneses were asked to dance in this year’s competition, they weren’t sure what to think.

“We were at a cocktail party and we had a couple drinks in our system,” Chris said jokingly.

But both agreed they couldn’t say no to such a good cause—even though they don’t have any dance experience.

Blankinship says she tries to have a good mix of experienced and novice dancers. This year, there will be three trophies: the Peoples’ Choice for the couple who wins the most public votes and two Judge’s Choice awards. One for the best couple with a professional partner and another for couples with no dance experience. Blankinship said this helps keep it fair.

“I had one woman compete a few years back who had practiced with the Houston Ballet,” she explained.

Blankinship also puts a lot of thought into the coaches she pairs with each couple. She hosts a meet-and-greet in July to get them acquainted.

“Some couples are ready to start practicing right then and there,” Blankinship said. “Others just wait until September. It really depends on how competitive our couples get. That’s what determines how often they are practicing leading up to the big night. Most practice at least once a week and then begin to step it up the week before.”

The Joneses were paired with last year’s winner, Meredith Wormser, a competitive dancer. Since this year’s theme is “New York, New York,” they decided to pay homage to Chris’ baseball roots by dancing to the New York Yankees’ theme song, “Here Come the Yankees,” and a quick disco number.

On their first night of practice, the three decided to focus on the movement without the music. And for two people without dance experience, the routine is ambitious. There are a lot of kicks, twirls, and a lift or two. But Wormser is convinced they can do it, especially after Anna keeps nailing the kicks and pivots thanks to her cheerleading background.

“I am a little overwhelmed though,” Chris said. “We’re only 10 seconds into the routine and we’re practicing without the music. Besides, we’re both working through previous injuries so I’m not sure how it’s going to work. … I just want to get through it and raise a lot of money [for Big Brothers
Big Sisters].”

A few weeks later though, their confidence has grown and their routine has improved, especially the timing, which can be one of toughest things for beginner dancers to master.

“You can dance all day long to a song, but if you aren’t keeping up with the rhythm, you’re going to lose your place and you’re going to start missing moves,” Wormser said.

She chalks up the improvement up to extra home practices.

“We practice for maybe an hour a week,” she said. “But then they go home and work through things. When they don’t understand it, they come to practice ready with questions.”

Chris has also been practicing solo. Anna said he’s admitted to shutting his office door from time to time to sneak in a few moves.

“We’re really having a lot of fun with it,” Anna said. “I don’t know why but I thought there would be more tension. I was afraid we’d get impatient with one another.”

By week three, they have another set of critics to impress besides Wormser—their kids, who stopped in to watch their practice session.

“I think they loved it and were really proud of us,” Anna said.

“Yeah, they kept telling us that we looked so happy,” Chris added. “To be honest, I was more nervous about performing in front of the kids more than anyone else. I mean, we have a teenager and they don’t hold back.”

Wormser said that’s another area where she’s seen improvement—their stage presence.

“On the first night, they were so serious and not looking at one another,” she said. “Now they’re adding in little facial expressions, looking at each other,
and at the audience. It’s helped their routine tremendously.”

“You’re taking people who have never danced before and making them dancers—good ones,” she added.

“It’s an accomplishment to move like that and still be smiling at the end of it.”

By the beginning of October, Chris is still smiling but just barely, after rupturing his bicep tendon.

“The doctor is pretty convinced I did it the first night of practice,” Chris said. “But rather than just wait it out, I’m going to go ahead and do the surgery to fix it now.”

Despite the major setback, Chris and Anna decided to not pull out of the performance.

“The doctor doesn’t think it will hinder anything,” Chris said. “And the show must go on.”

Anna and Chris have chosen, through all of the ups and downs of their dance journey, not to worry too much about themselves—from what they look like
to how high they kick their legs.

Their focus is to help a local nonprofit continue thriving.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters is such a great organization,” Anna said. “It’s an outlet where kids in our community get the support they need. It’s an important cause.”

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Cheer Them On!
November 23, 2019
7-11pm
Academy Center of the Arts Warehouse Theatre
www.bigcva.org

This is my go-to recipe for sugar cookies because they’re delicious and also because it doesn’t require softened butter; you can mix up this dough immediately. Rolling it out is super easy with the dough sandwiched between parchment sheets and chilled. Perfect for a holiday cookie swap!

INGREDIENTS – COOKIES
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, unsalted

INGREDIENTS – ICING
2 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS – COOKIES
Whisk together egg, vanilla and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Process the sugar in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds (6 pulses). Add butter and process for another 30 seconds, or until no large pieces of butter are visible. Add egg mixture and process for 10 seconds, or until dough comes together.

Turn out the crumbly dough onto your counter or a baking board and knead for a few seconds until it comes together. Split dough in half. Put the first half in-between two sheets of parchment and roll out until 1/8 of an inch thick, or roughly 7×9 inches. Repeat with second half. Place both dough halves with parchment on a baking sheet in your fridge for 90 minutes or longer to firm up.

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment. Retrieve one dough sheet and gently peel off top paper, put the paper back and flip—then peel off the second layer the same way. You should now have an exposed sheet of solid dough that is not stuck to the bottom parchment.

Cut out cookies using your favorite cookie cutters and transfer to parchment covered baking sheet. Bake until cookies are just starting to brown, or about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack.

INSTRUCTIONS – ICING
Using a stand mixer, whip all ingredients on high until glossy, soft peaks form, or 3-4 minutes. Spread icing onto completely cooled cookies. Let dry completely before serving or storing, or about 45 minutes. Enjoy! >>

Named Outstanding Veteran Volunteer by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Involvement:

• President of local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter
• Co-founder of weekly veteran gatherings at Monument Terrace
• Member of Lynchburg Area Veterans Council
• Master Gardener who donates produce to Cancer Center & much more

We hear you are the first person from Virginia to receive this award. That’s a big deal! What was the awards ceremony like in June?
It was very formal—lots of pomp and circumstance. They put me up in a 5-star hotel in Washington and I had a page who escorted me to their Continental Congress. There were photographers everywhere and about 3,700 hundred people in the audience. Usually when I get nervous I speak really fast, but for some reason that day I was calm when I accepted the award.

Why do you think you kept your cool? I was drafted right after high school and was quickly put in charge of the demilitarized zone in Vietnam. I was 19 years old and had to give briefings about every day. One time I had to go downtown to the headquarters and give a briefing to mostly high ranking officials. That was much more overwhelming!

When did you start to get involved with the local veteran community? In 1997, we had our first Vietnam veterans reunion at Monument Terrace. I didn’t even know there was a monument with names from those in Lynchburg who were killed.

I saw some names I recognized. A few years later I joined the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter.

When did things really kick into high gear? After I retired from a 41-year career at B&W in 2009, I became president of our local VVA chapter. I’ve really worked hard to build the membership up, and it’s now the second largest chapter in the state. I also helped form the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, which helps provide support to local veterans and their families—from transportation to housing. We’ve just successfully moved a second homeless vet off the streets and into our new house on Garfield Street. I average 950 volunteer hours a year and 8500 miles on the road. I tell people my truck is my office!

You could be enjoying retirement. Why do you do this? My wife says I need to go back to work so I have more free time! I am a workaholic. I’ve got to be doing something all the time. I don’t do this for the recognition… I do it because it comes from the heart. I see a need and I come out and get it done.

Lynchburg Living Magazine is pleased to present the 2019 Giving Back Awards, designed to honor Lynchburg’s outstanding nonprofit organizations and recognize the often unsung groups living among us who transform our communities and enrich the lives of others.

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Trophy Returns to Heritage Drill Team 35 Years Later
PhotoGRAPHY by Lucas Moore

“A band of misfits.”
Les Womack doesn’t sugarcoat how he describes his Heritage High School JROTC unit in 1981. But the following year, those misfits were in for a rude awakening.

David Rose, a no-nonsense Vietnam veteran, had just finished 20 years of active duty and needed a new focus. He took on the role as the instructor of the Heritage JROTC unit, and with it, focused on rebuilding the competitive drill team.

When Rose came on the scene, “There had been a trophy won here or there. Mostly they were regarded as participation trophies. The bar had not been set that high,” said Womack.

That wasn’t good enough for Rose.

By 1983, the unit was competing at a high level and getting national attention. Then in 1984, that same “band of misfits” took home the top title at the National High School Drill Team Championships in Orlando, Fla. “It really put the program on the map for many years to come,” said Womack. “That was the first, but wouldn’t be the last national championship the unit would enjoy.”

Staying connected to Heritage through the years, Womack, who now lives in Forest with his family, was asked to come to the school years ago as staff purged old trophies from the packed display cases. Womack took home that national trophy and two first place trophies and put them in his garage where they sat—until recently, when history started repeating itself.

There is a new Marine in charge of the Heritage JROTC unit—and, like Rose, he is also trying to shake things up. Sgt. Major Dave Eldridge, a friend of Womack’s, voiced his frustration about the lack of memorabilia from years’ past in the new Heritage building. “I told him that I was in possession of, in my humble opinion, one of the most important keepsakes in the history of the unit,” Womack said.

One thing led to another, phone calls were made, and a reunion of sorts was in the works to bring that 1984 National Championship Team together—and those trophies back where they belonged. On Oct. 1, those former “misfits,” along with the hard charging leader who turned them around, presented the three trophies to the current Heritage JROTC unit.

Rose was there to motivate and inspire—his tone isn’t as aggressive as it used to be. But with the gentle tone of a grandfather, he encouraged the young cadets to “set your goals and achieve them… and listen to your sergeant.” The members of that 1984 team shared their words of wisdom as well, many shedding tears over how Rose changed their life.

Drill team season is ramping up, and Womack is hopeful that by bringing these pieces of history home, the cadets will add more trophies to their collection in the future. “We hope that this motivates and challenges the students to rise to a new level that they may not have deemed possible.”

The Common-wealth Is A World-Class Higher Education Destination For Local And Out-Of-State Students Alike

For Virginia residents and out-of-state students alike, the commonwealth’s higher education institutions offer exceptional value and a wide range of programs to meet the needs of all types of students. Whether you are a student athlete looking to play at the collegiate level, a nontraditional student seeking to advance your career, an aspiring doctor, or something in between, Virginia has a higher education program where you will thrive.

During the 2018–2019 academic year, there were 521,471 students enrolled in Virginia’s higher education institutions, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. And it isn’t just enrollment that’s impressive. The commonwealth also boasts the second-highest public four-year graduation rate in the country. And in 2017, Virginia was named the No. 1 state for higher education by SmartAsset, a finance website. SmartAsset also noted that Virginia always ranks in the top 10 states for higher education.

According to SmartAsset, “Virginia’s public colleges and universities effectively educate their students. Virginia has one of the highest average graduation rates in our study at 70 percent. And, the average 20-year return on investment for graduates is $442,660, which is the fourth-highest ROI in our study. Additionally, the student-faculty ratio in Virginia rates seventh lowest in the nation.”

Virginia is home to 15 four-year public universities, 13 of which offer graduate programs. Students seeking associate degrees can choose from one of 23 two-year schools in the Virginia Community College System, or the Richard Bland College of William & Mary. There are also 28 private college options in Virginia, a great choice for students seeking small classes with an average student-faculty ratio of 11:1, more personalized attention and a focus on opportunities for campus and community involvement.

While Virginia colleges boast programs that encompass all areas of study, one major area of growth that sets the state apart is technology. When Amazon was considering Virginia as a site for its new headquarters, Virginia Tech promised to build a 1 million-square-foot Innovation Campus, and George Mason University vowed to open a new School of Computing and an institute for digital innovation. Amazon selected Northern Virginia as the site of their new $2.5 billion headquarters, so these schools are now working to hold up their ends of the bargain. Additionally, Northern Virginia currently has 33,000 unfilled jobs in cybersecurity, and universities are prioritizing technology programs to meet increased demand in the region.

Students pursuing careers in the medical field are also drawn to Virginia’s higher education institutions. Virginia’s four medical schools—Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine—are all highly ranked institutions. And while the cost of earning a medical degree is always substantial, Virginia doctors see a high return on their investment. Graduates who decide to practice medicine in the state can expect to earn 436 percent above the national median income for all occupations.

Many aspiring lawyers also set their sights on Virginia universities. Of the nine law schools in Virginia, UVA, William & Mary and Washington and Lee University rank the highest. UVA Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the country and is perennially ranked among the nation’s top 10 law schools. William & Mary was the first university to offer a professional law education back in 1779. Additionally, William & Mary was ranked No. 1 on the list of Top 10 2019–2020 Military Friendly Graduate Schools and No. 5 for best law schools for government jobs, according to PreLaw Magazine. This year Liberty University School of Law placed 7th out of 203 schools for passing the bar exam, based on the American Bar Association’s pass rate data.

Virginia universities also draw top-notch athletes with their exceptional athletic programs. This year, the UVA Cavaliers took home the NCAA men’s basketball championship—one of the most recognized college athletics championships. The Cavaliers also won the 2019 NCAA men’s lacrosse championship this past year for the sixth time in their history. Virginia Tech, James Madison University and Old Dominion University all boast excellent athletic programs as well, providing student athletes with many options for playing their sport while receiving an exceptional education.

No matter what type of higher education program you are looking for, there are myriad factors that come into play when deciding which institution to attend. But if you’re seeking a world-class education, an excellent student-to-faculty ratio and a high return on your investment, looking no further than the commonwealth certainly has its benefits.

The Community Impact Awards honor Lynchburg for-profit businesses that are making a tangible, measurable impact on their communities. That impact might be the result of any number of activities including job creation, workforce development programs, volunteer efforts, or innovative business models that promote a healthy work environment. The 2019 Community Impact Appreciation honors local businesses for their work in the community.

Step away from the toaster and stop by Waffle Mania for fresh, breakfast-inspired delights

By Shelley Basinger | Photography by RJ GOODWIN

As a mom of three boys, Susan Merkle—owner of the new Waffle Mania food truck in Forest— is accustomed to making sure everyone is fed and happy. “They are always hungry!” she laughs referring to her sons, now ages 17, 20 and 24.

Aside from eating (especially chocolate, a family favorite), her boys also love to ski—a family tradition. Susan grew up skiing in northern Wisconsin and met her husband on the slopes of upper Michigan.

Since the boys were little, the family has traveled to fantastic ski resorts across the country—from Colorado to West Virginia. At a slope in the Lake Tahoe area, they were introduced to something that could satisfy their sweet tooth—and fill up those hungry boys at the same time.

“When we were out skiing, sometimes we would find these niche markets of Belgian waffles, the real sugar waffles,” she says.

“We would smell them from the chair lift and just had to have them. We made it our mission to find them when traveling!”

More recently, they had the idea to bring the unique dish to Central Virginia. First, though, they had to figure out how to make them.

“In Belgium, they use a dough. They don’t make waffles with a batter,” she explains.

Hailing from the town of Liege, Belgian Sugar Waffles are made with a yeast-based brioche dough studded with special pearl nibs of sugar. “When the dough hits the cast iron, it carmelizes. So you get this crunch on the outside but the inside is soft and chewy,” Susan says.

After checking that off their list, the Merkles did some quick research and determined a food truck was their best avenue for distribution. The rest was a family effort. Susan’s husband played a big role in finishing out the truck; the boys helped create the menu and name each dish. (For example, a popular dish is Da Bomb, a Belgian Sugar Waffle topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, peanuts and lots more. “That’s such a boy name,” Susan jokes.)

Susan—who has a chocolatier, marketing and information technology background—says they’ve had all hands on deck since opening the truck in June. “It’s been a lot of work… even more work than I realized!” she says. Aside from working the truck, she designed their website, maintains an up-to-date calendar of where they are, and utilizes an email list for customers.

She thanks a partnership with Carol’s Place Restaurant for their consistent presence. You’ll usually find the bright yellow food truck parked there. Another huge perk—customers can enjoy their waffles at a couple of tables beside the truck or head inside to the enclosed patio at Carol’s Place. It’s already been a spot for family gatherings and birthday parties, she says; customers can enjoy their food without worrying about wind, rain or extreme temperatures.

The Waffle Mania food truck also travels to local events; on Sundays, you’ll find them at Apocalypse Ale Works for the brewery’s Sunday Funday.

Aside from Da Bomb, Susan says customers are loving their Fruit Mania (topped with bananas, strawberries, chocolate fudge and powdered sugar) and the seasonal Apple Fest (topped with a warm apple spice mix and whipped cream).

They’ve also added a savory Southern dish to the menu: Chicken-n-Waffles combines their classic Belgian Sugar Waffle with chicken tenders, maple syrup, glazed walnuts and strawberries. Availability varies—Susan says that’s because they quickly sell out when it’s offered!

With only a few months under their belt, Susan says they are happy just getting into a groove. With an indoor eating space option and a versatile menu that can be enjoyed from summer (with ice cream) through the winter (with coffee), she believes their future is bright.

“People keep asking me if I’m going to have another truck, start a franchise,” she says. “Let’s just see how this goes for now. We are having so much fun.”