VT College of Science Magazine Summer 2008 | Page 13

When John Costain helped put Virginia Tech on the map
in geophysics in 1967 by relocating from the University
of Utah, a graduate student named David Worthington
followed him to Blacksburg.
After finishing his master’s dissertation in 1968, Worthington went on to a distinguished career with Shell Oil
before heading his own geophysical exploration company. He credits Costain with being “instrumental in setting
my course.”
In recognition of that, Worthington and his wife, Beverly,
endowed a scholarship fund in Costain’s name several
years ago. And they recently donated more than $1.6
million to endow the John K. Costain Faculty Chair in
Geophysics.

Costain was a pioneer in using computers to analyze
large amounts of seismic data. He stopped teaching in
1998 but continues to publish research papers, and said
Costain continued page 12

As George explained, “The high density of the vector,
plus the presence of a virus reservoir and increased human presence provide the perfect set-up for a mosquito-borne virus outbreak.”
Her research will continue until the sustainable surveillance network is created.
Phase two of George’s research plan involves training
Malian scientists in molecular arbovirology so that they
can return to their country and maintain the viral surveillance center.
John Costain, professor emeritus of geophysics,
was a pioneer in using computers to analyze
large amounts of seismic data.

Issue No. 5 suMMeR 2008

Geophysicists use advanced mathematics to analyze seismic data. By doing so they can make highly accurate predictions of what lies deep within the earth, even offshore.
Oil and natural gas companies rely heavily on geophysics
to decide where to drill.

M a g a z i n e

tablished collaborative Virginia Tech-Mali working relations, provided undergraduate and graduate students
with valuable training, and determined field infection
levels of dengue and yellow fever. The field testing by
George’s team determined that every district visited
provided the dangerous conditions necessary for viral
transmission. Also, after researching the increase in infections during the months of September, October, and
early November, George and her team suggested that
the increase may not be entirely due to those months
being the end of the rainy season when the mosquito
population is high. Crop harvesting also occurs during
these same three months, and Aedes mosquitoes thrive
in the woods and rocks close to fields. Also, nomadic
primates—known reservoirs of the diseases—live in
the region.

By Albert Raboteau

S C i e n C e

Phase one has already yielded results. George has es-

David Worthington’s gift will help the
university recruit a senior professor

o f

George began the first phase by traveling to high-risk
areas and collecting and separating Aedes mosquitoes
by sex. She and her team then preserved the mosquitoes in liquid nitrogen in order to test their infection
status at a later time. Malian public health authorities
provided 95 samples of human blood that had possibly
been infected with yellow fever. All of the samples were
transferred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases,
Dengue Branch, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Upon completion, this research will tell government and non government organizations where to focus vector control, virus
surveillance, and medical assistance.

11
C o l l e g e

Mosquitoes continued

geoPhySiCS aluMnuS
endoWS faCulty Chair