Where We Are 
Pamplin Undergrads to go to ACC Research Meet
Aaron Kroll
Aaron G. Kroll, a management junior who is minoring in business leadership, and Michelle J. Klassen, a freshman in economics, have been selected by the university to present their research at the ACC Meeting of the Minds conference in April at North Carolina State University. Their presentations will be among six student presentations from Virginia Tech at the event, which showcases the research and creative scholarship of top undergraduates from the 12 Atlantic Coast Conference universities.
Kroll, who is from Christiansburg, Va., will present a paper about his work with business law professor Janine Hiller on the impact of virtual world communities on intellectual property rights. The emergence of virtual worlds such as Second Life and the "innovative nature of such electronic places" has led to an increasing number of intellectual property questions, Kroll notes. "There are unique challenges to intellectual property rights as the line between the virtual world and the real world slowly blurs. By understanding and enforcing intellectual property rights consistently in virtual and in real life, we can uphold these rights and prevent future disputes."
His research focuses on the impact on traditional concepts and protection of trademarks, trade names, and copyrights. Seeking to test the current limitations of intellectual property rights in a virtual world, Kroll created an avatar or persona to directly observe and explore the world of Second Life. He also examined the terms of use and additional steps its creator Linden Labs is taking to protect intellectual property rights.
Michelle Klassen
Klassen, who is from Ellicott City, Md., will present her study of OxyContin abuse and diversion in the Appalachian region, the causes of the problem, and the actions needed to address it. OxyContin, she says, has become a major problem in Appalachia since its introduction in 1995, because of its relative availability and public disregard for the dangers of its abuse.
Identifying the drug’s appeal to users and sellers, she says, would allow actions to be taken to reduce the economic impact of the vast black market in those areas affected by the illegal activity. Klassen, whose project advisor is history professor Peter Wallenstein, used news stories, government agency records, transcripts of Congressional hearings, and court case summaries in her research.