Names and changes: Business recognitions and promotions for the week of Feb. 2, 2025

Virginia Tech has made the following announcements:

Matthew Camden has been named Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s division director of freight, transit, and heavy vehicle safety.

He will manage research for the division and lead a team to address heavy-vehicle challenges through deployment, testing, analysis, education, and outreach.

Camden has received multiple awards and is involved in a variety of transportation-related professional organizations.

He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Tech and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology and human resource management from Appalachian State University.

Angela Catena has been named the Title IX coordinator for Virginia Tech’s Office for Equity and Accessibility (OEA).

Catena has more than 13 years of experience in higher education, previously serving as Title IX coordinator at the University of New Mexico, where she specialized in sexual harassment prevention, Violence Against Women Act compliance, and nondiscrimination.

As Tech’s director of Title IX compliance, she aims to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations while promoting innovative strategies that advance access to the university’s programs and activities.

Catena holds a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision, a master’s degree in community counseling, and bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has received national recognition for her expertise in Title IX, trauma-informed care, and civil rights and contributed to panels, presentations, and publications that have helped shape the field.

Alan Grant, retired dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and professor of animal sciences, has been conferred the title of dean emeritus.

A member of the Tech community for 15 years, Grant was recognized as an innovative leader, a reliable partner, and a key figure in advancing Tech’s agricultural research.

During his tenure, Grant’s leadership enhanced the advancement model within the college, leading to greater participation of alumni and raising more than $100 million in philanthropic support.

Grant received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Ilja A. Luciak, professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus.

Luciak, a member of the Tech community for 35 years, made significant contributions through work with DIAKONIA-Sweden, the European Commission, the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation, where he brought international visibility to Tech.

He also provided many years of distinguished service to the Department of Political Science, including his role as chair from 2002-10, as well as to the college and the university.

Luciak received his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He completed his law degree and postgraduate law work at Universität Wien, Austria.

Carol Papillon, recently retired faculty member in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been conferred the title of senior instructor emerita and director emerita of the Virginia Tech Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics.

A member of the Tech community for more than 28 years, Papillon was the director of the accredited Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics, built the nationally recognized program’s reputation, and guided more than 450 individuals to develop careers in the dietetics profession.

Papillon held leadership positions in professional organizations, including serving as president of the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She received numerous professional honors and awards, including the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Distinguished Dietitian Award.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University and a master’s degree in public health from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kevin Pelzer, professor of animal science in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus.

A member of the Tech community for more than 36 years, Pelzer contributed to the health and welfare of animals through his work in the Production Management Medicine clinical service of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. He also served the community as an educator supporting the service, research, and teaching missions of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

Pelzer received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and his master’s degree from the University of California, Davis. He obtained his veterinary degree from Tuskegee University.

Lucinda Roy, an Alumni Distinguished Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has been conferred the title of professor emerita.

Roy has been a member of the Tech community for more than 39 years and has authored multiple books, as well as numerous poems, stories, and essays.

She served as the chair of the Department of English and co-director of creative writing from 2002-06 and as associate dean for curriculum, outreach and diversity. She also served on many committees at the department, college, and university levels.

Roy received her bachelor’s degree from King’s College London and her master’s degree from the University of Arkansas.

Nancy Gruber has been appointed assistant vice president for resource management and planning with Outreach and International Affairs (OIA), bringing more than three decades of financial and administrative experience to the role.

Gruber, a 1988 alumna of the Pamplin College of Business, has served the university since 1992, most recently as director of finance and administration for the division’s Office of Engagement.

In her new role, Gruber will provide strategic oversight of financial planning, human resources, and organizational planning across the division.

Gruber succeeds Jane Swan, who retired last year after more than 31 years at Tech.

The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke has announced that Alicha M. Grubb will be the chair-elect of the Virginia Bar Association’s (VBA) young lawyer division.

Grubb works in Gentry Locke’s Commercial Litigation and Construction practice groups handling various commercial litigation matters, including construction matters related to contract negotiations, payment disputes, mechanic’s liens, construction defects, and delay claims for owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals.

She represents heavy-duty towing and recovery companies related to highway clean up in connection with VDOT programs. Grubb also handles general disputes involving commercial real estate, corporate management, personal business concerns, and complex litigation matters.

She is based in the firm’s Roanoke office.

Spilman Thomas & Battle (Spilman) has announced that James T. Taylor has joined the law firm as counsel.

Taylor’s primary area of practice is litigation, with a focus on civil matters. He has extensive experience defending employers in complex issues and defending business clients against various allegations, including fraud, conversion, breach of contract, negligence, tort claims, and breach of fiduciary duty, among others.

Taylor also advises clients on corporate structures, buyouts, acquisitions, and sales of ownership interests, as well as preparing and reviewing regulatory and compliance documents.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Pensacola Christian College and his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law.

Fluent in Korean, Taylor practiced international law in Korea for several years following law school and has since been practicing law in Virginia. He will be based in Spilman’s Roanoke office.

Chris Turnbull has been named chief of staff for Carilion Clinic President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Arner. Turnbull will optimize the work of Arner and his team, allowing them to remain strategic in their focus.

Turnbull has more than 25 years of leadership, communications and management consulting experience. He joined Carilion 10 years ago to focus on external communications, and during that time, built Carilion’s Corporate Communications team.

Turnbull previously worked with global international development agencies as well as smaller communications and management consulting firms.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Roanoke College and a Master of Science Degree in Management, with a focus on leadership communication from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Bettye Ackerman, L. Keith Brandis, Heather Ducote and Trevor Gray have been appointed to the Warm Hearth Foundation Board of Trustees.

Ackerman is an owner at Campbell & Ackerman Attorneys at Law, PC in Blacksburg. She oversees all legal services and business operations of the firm and counsels clients on estate planning, family law and guardianships and conservatorships.

Brandis is the president of Volvo Technology of America, LLC., in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Ducote is a senior director of Marketing and Brand Management at Virginia Tech in the Communications and Marketing Division.

Gray is an independent adviser for Kingsview Partners in Blacksburg.

Warm Hearth Village is a nonprofit senior living community in Blacksburg that provides a full continuum of living options on campus and in the home.

Michael Mulhare will retire from his role as interim associate vice president for public safety at Virginia Tech this summer.

Mulhare has provided strategic direction, management, and oversight to the university’s public safety portfolio that includes the Virginia Tech Police Department, Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Management. He has also helped strengthen partnerships within the university and with external stakeholders for public safety initiatives.

Tech will launch a national search to fill the position.