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Gloria Kang (left) and Huthaifa Ashqar (right)[/caption] Gloria Kang and Huthaifa Ashqar recently earned doctorates from Virginia Tech in totally different fields, but they have something in common — cross-disciplinary training to solve today's tough urban challenges. Kang and Ashqar are the first graduates of the National Science Foundation-sponsored

urban computing certificate program.

Both are planning to walk at the December commencement ceremony in Blacksburg. Administered through the

Discovery Analytics Center

, the program trains students across disciplines in the latest methods in analyzing massive datasets to study key issues concerning urban populations.  Click

here

to read more about Gloria and Huthaifa.