Mike Mollenhauer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about how smart mobility and infrastructure are influencing the future of transportation. He explained the use of real-time data, adaptive speed control, and automated driving systems to enhance transportation safety and efficiency. He also shared the work he and his colleagues are doing related to real-time traffic management, variable speed limits, and the integration of automated vehicles with smart infrastructure.Mollenhauer is the Director of the Center for Technology Implementation at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. He oversees the center's aspects of business and product development, including management of product development teams, leading business and product roadmap development activity, project management for commercial and government contracts, as well as evaluating in-vehicle technologies and quantifying driver safety behaviors.#virginiatech #transportation #RoadSafety #SmartMobility #TrafficTechnology #TrafficInnovation #AI #DataDriven #RoadSafety #SmartCities #futureoftransportation

In 2025, Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” featured more than 30 researchers sharing their expertise. We learned about everything from the future of airspace, mitigating online threats, and curing cancer with air bubbles to the neuroscienceof dancing, the importance of ghost stories, the history of Christmas music, and much more.

We’re so thankful each one took the time to chat with us, and excited for even more "Curious Conversations" coming in 2026!

Ariana Wyatt joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the history of Christmas music, from its origins in early Christian hymns to its transformation into a commercialized genre in the 20th century. She shared the cultural impact of Christmas music, the distinction between church hymns and secular songs, and the nostalgia that these tunes evoke during the holiday season. Wyatt is associate dean for outreach and engagement and associate professor of voice in Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Design. A graduate of Juilliard Opera Center, she has performed in operas and concert halls throughout the country and her research focuses on vocal diction and acting as well as opera research and production.