Faculty Staff Awards 2013-14 by Virginia Tech

2013-14

Faculty/Staff

Awards

2013-14 Facult y/Staff Awards

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message

Charles W. Steger

President, Virginia Tech

ach year, Virginia Tech selects the very best faculty and staff members from a university community that abounds with exceptional performers and recognizes their extraordinary contributions in a number of categories, from advising students to making an impact on international outreach and research. The various award selection committees recently completed their work, and this publication pays tribute to our 2013-14 award recipients. On behalf of the university, I congratulate the winners and thank them for the outstanding work that helps Virginia Tech to continue inventing the future.

2013-14 Facult y/Staff Awards

About the awards Alumni Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising

Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research

Established by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising is presented annually by the Office of the Provost to recognize Virginia Tech faculty who have been particularly dedicated to and effective in the advising of graduate students. Recipients may be nominated by university faculty or students, are selected by a committee of former award winners, are awarded a $2,000 cash prize, and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international research at Virginia Tech. Selection is based on contributions to the internationalization of Virginia Tech, global impact, significance of the project, and sustainability of the project. Recipients are awarded $2,000.

Alumni Award for Excellence in International Education Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Education is presented annually to a Virginia Tech faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international education at the university. Selection is based upon contributions to the internationalization of Virginia Tech, the impact on students, the impact on the campus and community, the significance of the initiative, and the sustainability of the initiative. Recipients are awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

Alumni Award for Excellence in International Outreach Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Outreach is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international outreach at Virginia Tech. Selection is based on contributions to the internationalization of Virginia Tech, global impact, significance of the project, and sustainability of the project. Recipients are awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising Established by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising is presented annually by the Office of the Provost to recognize Virginia Tech faculty who have been particularly dedicated to and effective in the advising of undergraduate students. Recipients may be nominated by university faculty or students, are selected by a committee of former award winners, are awarded a $2,000 cash prize, and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence.

Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence Established by the university’s Commission on Outreach and International Affairs with the support of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions by Virginia Tech faculty members who have extended the university’s outreach mission throughout the commonwealth, the nation, and the world. Recipients are nominated by their peers, are awarded a $2,000 cash prize, and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Outreach Excellence.

2013-14 Facult y/Staff Awards

Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension is presented annually to two Virginia Cooperative Extension staff members who have made outstanding contributions outside the classroom. One award is given to an Extension specialist and one is given to an Extension agent. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize. Alumni Award for Excellence in Research Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Research is presented annually to as many as two Virginia Tech faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in the area of research. Alumni, students, faculty, and staff may nominate candidates for the award. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize

Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching Established in 1982 by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented annually to honor two Virginia Tech faculty members for teaching excellence. Award recipients are selected by the university’s Academy of Teaching Excellence and are chosen from among those faculty members who have received certificates of teaching excellence from their respective colleges during the preceding three years. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize and is inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence.

Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholars Award Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence, the Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholars Award was established in 1992 and is presented annually to three Virginia Tech faculty members to recognize exceptional contributions to the teaching program and learning environ-

ment. A cash award is given to each recipient and his or her respective academic department. A year after receiving the award, new Diggs Teaching Scholars are invited to lead the Diggs Roundtable, a series of presentations and a discussion related to their innovative teaching. The award is supported by an endowed fund established through an estate gift from the late Edward S. and Hattie Wilson Diggs. Edward Diggs was a 1914 graduate of Virginia Tech.

President’s Award for Excellence The President’s Award for Excellence is presented annually to up to five Virginia Tech staff members who have made extraordinary contributions by consistent excellence in the performance of their job or a single incident, contribution, or heroic act. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

Presidential Principles of Community Award The Presidential Principles of Community Award was established in 2014 by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to recognize faculty and staff members who exemplify and promote a welcoming and inclusive environment in accord with the university’s Principles of Community. One staff or faculty member is selected annually by the Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity and receives a $2,000 cash prize.

Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising is given annually to recognize a Virginia Tech faculty or staff member who serves undergraduate advisees in exemplary ways. Recipients are awarded a $2,000 cash prize and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence.

2013-14 Facult y/Staff Awards

Sporn Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Subjects Sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Virginia Tech Academy for Teaching Excellence, the Sporn Award for Teaching Introductory Subjects is presented annually to a Virginia Tech faculty member to recognize excellence in teaching introductory-level courses. Nominations are received from students. Recipients are selected from a committee comprised of student representatives from Omicron Delta Kappa and Golden Key honor society and a faculty advisor who was the previous year’s award winner. Recipients are awarded $2,000 and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Teaching Excellence. The award was established in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Philip J. Sporn and is sponsored by the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research and the Virginia Tech Academy for Teaching Excellence. Philip Sporn was a Virginia Tech alumnus and president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power Co.

William E. Wine Award

reviewed by a university-wide committee, which then selects the three award winners. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize and is inducted into the university’s Academy of Teaching Excellence.

XCaliber Award Established in 1996 by the Office of the Provost, the XCaliber Award (shorthand for exceptional, high-caliber work) is presented annually by Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies to recognize individual faculty members or teams of faculty and staff who integrate technology in teaching and learning. The award celebrates innovative, studentcentered approaches.

Staff Career Achievement Award Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to up to five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university career. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 cash prize. Nominees must have worked a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech.

Established to honor a former rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors and president of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the William E. Wine Award is presented annually to three Virginia Tech faculty members to recognize “a history of university teaching excellence.” Nominations by students, alumni, and faculty in each college are reviewed by respective college selection committees. The colleges’ candidates are

Alumni Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising

Srinath Ekkad S

rinath Ekkad, Rolls Royce Commonwealth Professor for Aerospace Propulsion Systems in the College of Engineering, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising.

Established by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising is presented annually by the Office of the Provost to Virginia Tech faculty members who have been particularly dedicated and effective while advising graduate students. Recipients are selected by a committee of former award winners, receive a $2,000 prize, and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2007, Ekkad has established an exemplary track record as a graduate advisor in his seven years at the university. Ekkad places his graduate students in positions of substantial responsibility. They act as project managers, a role that allows them to interact directly with research sponsors. And he is known for his ability to help each student customize his or her specific career path toward industry or academe. “It is clear that his students genuinely like, respect, and appreciate him very much and are grateful for the time, guidance, and wisdom he has shared,” wrote Warren Hardy, associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics. “This accomplishment is particularly impressive given the number of engineering graduates he has mentored over a relatively short period of time.” Rolls Royce Commonwealth Professor College of Engineering

“He inspired confidence in me and trusted in my abilities as a researcher even when I had my own doubts,” wrote Santosh Abraham, an engineer with Siemens Corp. who studied under Ekkad for both his master’s degree and Ph.D. “He is a very approachable and warm person, which in my opinion is his greatest strength. I still follow his lessons to this day in my everyday affairs and I try to be as good a mentor to young engineers as he was to me.” Ekkad’s research focuses on the development of highly accurate, 2-D, high-resolution surface heat transfer measurements for complex geometries. He has received more than $8 million in external research funding grants, approximately $3.2 million of which has come during his time at Virginia Tech. Ekkad was named Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2010 for his overall research contributions to the field of heat transfer. He received his bachelor’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (India), a master’s degree from Arizona State University, and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising

Rosemary Goss R

osemary Goss, the Residential Property Management Advisory Board Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising. Established by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising is presented annually by the Office of the Provost to a faculty member who has been particularly dedicated to and effective at advising undergraduate students. Recipients may be nominated by university colleagues or students, are selected by a committee of former award winners, receive a $2,000 prize, and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1976, Goss is the career advisor for the residential property management program, the first program of its kind in the nation, which she helped develop.

“Dr. Goss has impacted the lives of hundreds of students attending Virginia Tech through her advising and mentoring,” wrote Julia O. Beamish, professor and head of the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management. Goss regularly advises 30 to 50 students each semester. Many of these students come to her as transfers from other majors or from University Studies. She also advises the Student Association of Residential Property Management, which works with Goss to host an annual career fair. “What I value and admire most about Dr. Goss is her ability to go beyond doing her job as an advisor,” wrote Dan Nguyen, a senior majoring in apparel, housing, and resource management. “She always puts in the extra effort to learn about each of us, about our personalities, work ethics, backgrounds, interest, strengths, and weaknesses.”

Residential Property Management Advisory Board Professor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Goss was recently honored with the Housing Education and Research Association’s Housing Impact Award for dedicating her professional career to the better understanding of housing and the development of the residential property management program. She is a charter member of the National Apartment Association Education Institute’s board of directors and received the first Apartment Career and Education Award in recognition of her contributions to educational programming for the property management industry. She has made numerous presentations to both academic and industry audiences on housing options for an aging society, barriers and incentives to quality housing alternatives, and property management issues. Goss received her bachelor’s degree from Concord University, a master’s degree from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in International Education

Andrew Becker, Trudy H. Becker A

ndrew Becker, associate professor of Latin and ancient Greek languages, literatures, and cultures in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and Trudy Harrington Becker, senior instructor in the Department of History, both in the Classical Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, shared the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in International Education. Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Education is presented annually to a Virginia Tech faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international education. For more than 16 years, this husband and wife team have worked together to make the history, culture, and relevance of ancient Rome come alive for their students through their teaching and outreach efforts.

Andrew Becker Associate Professor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

“As teachers for two semester long courses at Virginia Tech’s Center for European Studies and Architecture in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland; as directors and teachers for five summer courses in Riva and Rome; as co-leaders and teachers for a summer program in Greece; and as their college’s coordinators of the spring Riva program for four years, they have provided transformative experiences for hundreds of fortunate students,” wrote Mark Barrow, professor and chair of the Department of History. The Beckers provide student experiences that highlight themes that are timely, scholarly, and relevant. They find ways to connect readings, themes, and writing assignments to issues of significance across Virginia Tech programs. In addition, the couple works to recruit a wide range of students, especially first-generation college students. A number of students who have studied abroad with the Beckers have gone on to participate in additional study-abroad programs, taken jobs as education-abroad leaders, taught English overseas, or joined the Peace Corps. In 2007, Trudy Harrington Becker received Virginia Tech’s Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2011 she received the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring. In 2013, Andrew Becker received the National Academic Advising Association’s Faculty Advising Award and the university’s Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising. He also has received other university-wide awards, including the William E. Wine Award and the Diggs Teaching Scholar Award.

Trudy H. Becker Senior Instructor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Trudy Harrington Becker received her bachelor’s degree at the College of the Holy Cross, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Andrew Becker earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Cambridge University, and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alumni Award for Excellence in International Outreach

LuAnn Gaskill L

uAnn Gaskill, professor of apparel in the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in International Outreach. Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Outreach is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international outreach at Virginia Tech. Recipients are selected based on their contributions to the internationalization of Virginia Tech and the global impact, significance, and sustainability of their work.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2000, Gaskill integrates international and global perspectives into all her professional endeavors. For instance, she supported an international project by being the designer, patternmaker, and prototype developer for African backpacks called Taaluma Totes. Prototype packs were sent to Uganda, where they will be produced through community workshops and then marketed and sold in the United States. Profits will be returned to the Uganda community. “Dr. Gaskill spent countless hours working with our team to develop prototypes and patterns to send to Uganda in order to ramp up local production efforts there,” wrote Jack DuFour, co-founder of Taaluma Totes. “Her enthusiasm for this project has been unmatched. She has done all of this on a volunteer basis out of her excitement for international development and outreach.” In collaboration with the director of the Small Business Clinic at the University of Botswana, Gaskill engaged in scholarship focused on female-based small businesses, including women of the Oodi Weavers.

Professor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

She co-directed an international conference of the International Textile and Apparel Association to connect business and industry and academia, which was attended by more than 500 participants from nine countries. In addition, Gaskill frequently collaborates with Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Clothing and Textile Institute and currently is the only scholar from the United States to serve as an academic advisor. “As her colleague and someone who values international pursuits, I recognize the extra commitment international collaborations take,” wrote Calvin Wong, associate head of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. “Her contributions have brought value to the lives of those with whom she works.” Gaskill received a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green University, a master’s degree from Ohio University, and a doctoral degree from Ohio State University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research

Nancy McGehee N

ancy McGehee, professor and J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Junior Faculty Fellow of Hospitality Management in the Pamplin College of Business, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research. Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Research is presented annually to a faculty or staff member who has had a significant impact on international research at Virginia Tech. Selection is based on contributions to the internationalization of Virginia Tech, global impact, significance of the project, and sustainability of the project. Recipients are awarded $2,000.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2001, McGehee conducts research on rural tourism development and volunteer tourism management. Her research in rural tourism development has spanned nearly 20 years and has included work in the area of sustainable enterprise and innovation in tourism in such diverse locales as Mexico, Australia, Portugal, and Haiti. McGehee has collaborated with researchers from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Korea, China, and Italy. She also recently delivered the keynote address at the international rural tourism development conference in Aveiro, Portugal, where she discussed the connection between leadership and successful rural tourism development. She is particularly interested in the role of bridging and bonding social capital as a catalyst for the success and cultivation of other forms of capital in rural tourism development.

Professor and J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Junior Faculty Fellow Pamplin College of Business

McGehee is considered one of the top researchers in the area of volunteer tourism, and has worked on research in this area in several countries, including the Philippines, Mexico, Ecuador, and Haiti. She advocates for the use of social movement theory as a foundation that will minimize the negative impacts of volunteer tourism and maximize the positive impacts, resulting in the creation of a new form of tourism that facilitates sustainable economic impact in host communities. Based on the frequency of citations to her research, McGehee is among the top 5 to 10 percent of all scholars worldwide engaged in research on rural tourism development and volunteer tourism. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Travel Research and the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, and is a frequent invited reviewer for Tourism Management and a coordinating editor for the Annals of Tourism Research. McGehee received a bachelor’s degree from Marshall University, a master’s degree from North Carolina State University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.

Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence: Individual

Michael Rosenzweig M

ike Rosenzweig, advanced instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence.

With support from the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions by Virginia Tech faculty members who have extended the university’s outreach mission throughout the commonwealth, the nation, and the world. Recipients are nominated by their peers, receive a $2,000 cash prize, and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Outreach Excellence. In addition to teaching core undergraduate courses, including Principles of Biology to approximately 300 life science majors each semester, Rosenzweig has been the director of the Biological Sciences Outreach Program since 2001, which supports K-12 outreach education and encourages the growth of K-12 participation in research. In addition, Rosenzweig co-founded Seek Education, Explore, DiScover (SEEDS), a community education nonprofit organization. Since 1995, SEEDS’ mission has been inspiring a natural curiosity and love for the environment in children and the young at heart through discovery learning, nature education, teacher support, and civic awareness. SEEDS provides supplemental curriculum materials to schools and home-schooling groups, including educational curriculum kits from the Biological Sciences Outreach Program, and trains others how to use these kits and correlate contents to the state science learning standards for elementary and middle school. Since 1995, SEEDS has run summer field camps, week-long programs for children from ages 3 to 12. Older youth have had the opportunity to explore different environments and new cultures through trips to Florida, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Maine.

Advanced Instructor College of Science

Rosenzweig is a long-time collaborator with VT-Engage. He served on the university’s engagement task force that recommended the establishment of VT-Engage and formed the original blue-print for its creation. In 1996, Dr. Rosenzweig organized the first service-learning special study class in biological sciences, which engaged Blacksburg High School students in a community-based project to monitor water quality in Stroubles Creek. A capstone project for that class was a presentation by the students to Town of Blacksburg engineers where they recommended riparian buffers and additional community outreach to improve awareness of the town’s main tributary of the New River. Rosenzweig received his bachelor’s degree from Clark University and a master’s degree and doctorate from Virginia Tech.

Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence: Team

Shamindri Arachchige, Karen Brewer S

hamindri Arachchige, instructor in the Department of Chemistry, and Karen J. Brewer, professor of chemistry, both in the College of Science, have received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence (team award).

The event’s format is interactive, allowing students to participate in a number of activities related to elements, compounds, and chemical reactions. Arachchige and Brewer work with the middle school teachers to coordinate the topics covered so the event reinforces what is being taught at the middle school. To further support middle school science education, Arachchige and Brewer have designed and provided chemistry activities packs that are given to all eighth grade students in Blacksburg. Arachchige and Brewer have worked with Virginia Tech Honors students to design chemistry experiments that address several state Standards of Learning for eighth grade physical science. In addition to their outreach to local middle school students, the two have been active in several other programs. For several years, Arachchige and Brewer have been involved in the Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation program, meeting with incoming Virginia Tech students to show them the excitement of science, provide advice for college success, and establish relationships to ensure longterm success. They also have been involved in the Eastern Cherokee Program that brings Cherokee students to college campuses and provides scholarships to attend four-year institutions.

Karen Brewer Professor College of Science

Arachchige and Brewer also have been involved in the Summer Around the Drillfield program, exposing alumni and their families to the excitement of science. Arachchige received her bachelor’s degree from Open University of Sri Lanka and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University. Brewer received her bachelor’s degree from Wofford College and a Ph.D. from Clemson University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension (Individual Agent)

Kelly J. Liddington K

elly J. Liddington, unit coordinator and senior Extension agent in Richmond County, Va., has received Virginia Tech’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension is presented annually to two Virginia Cooperative Extension faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the land-grant mission of the university. One award goes to an Extension specialist and the other is given to an Extension agent. Each award winner receives $2,000. For more than 26 years, Liddington has been a key individual in the development of strong agricultural and natural resources Extension programs serving the citizens of Richmond County and the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula regions of Virginia. Among his many contributions as an Extension agent, Liddington initiated the formation and operation of the Northern Neck Vegetable Growers’ Association and the Northern Neck of Virginia Farmers’ Market. To date, these programs have generated more than $230 million in gross sales. Liddington has also developed and administered three scholarship programs to support Virginia youth who seek a college degree in agricultural-related fields. These three programs have awarded more than $240,000 in scholarships. “Kelly’s programs are innovative and continually adapt to address the ever-changing needs of the agriculture community in Virginia,” wrote Lonnie L. Johnson Jr., senior district director for Virginia Cooperative Extension, in a letter of nomination. “He has a strong working relationship with our partners in agriculture across the state of Virginia as well as an excellent working relationship with local governments.”

Unit Coordinator and Senior Extension Agent Virginia Cooperative Extension

“I have worked with many fine Extension agents in several states during my 40 years as a farmer,” wrote Rhoderick Parker, owner of Parker Farms in Oak Grove, Va., in a nomination letter. “None have been as willing as Kelly to put in the time and research to assist their clientele.” Liddington received his associate’s degree from the State University of New York College at Cobleskill, a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University, and a master’s degree from Old Dominion University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension (Individual Specialist)

Brian Benham B

rian L. Benham, associate professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension is presented annually to two Virginia Cooperative Extension faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the land-grant mission of the university. One award goes to an Extension specialist and the other is given to an Extension agent A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2001, Benham currently serves as the director of the Center for Watershed Studies. His work focuses in two key areas: watershed management and planning, and private water supply education and groundwater protection. Benham’s integrated research and extension program strives to develop and disseminate knowledge that promotes effective water resources management to improve water quality. He works with state agencies and citizens to develop local watershed management plans that, when implemented, reduce the level of pollution in lakes, streams, and rivers. He also educates homeowners reliant on private water supplies on how to better care for and maintain their systems to improve the quality of their drinking water.

Associate Professor and Extension Specialist College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Cooperative Extension

Benham oversees the Virginia Household Water Quality Program and Virginia Master Well Owner Network. The shared objective of these programs is to improve the water quality and health of the 1.7 million Virginians who rely on private water supplies for household water. Since 2008, Benham and his team have facilitated more than 66 drinking water clinics across the commonwealth, resulting in the analysis of more than 4,000 water samples serving more than 8,500 citizens. “Dr. Benham’s work has a significant impact on the health and well-being of thousands of Virginians and the scope of this impact will continue to expand,” wrote Mary Leigh Wolfe, professor and head of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, in a letter of nomination. “His work has significant and far-reaching impacts on clientele ranging from individual homeowners to state agencies to regional partners.” “Dr. Benham is making important contributions to water quality issues at local, regional, and national scales,” wrote David J. Hansen, program leader for Oregon Sea Grant Extension at Oregon State University. “He collaborates widely within his region and across the country, and is highly regarded for his expertise in water quality.” Benham received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Texas A&M University and a doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Research

Elizabeth Struthers Malbon E

lizabeth Struthers Malbon, professor of religion and culture in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Research. Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Research is presented annually to as many as two Virginia Tech faculty members who have made outstanding research contributions. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1980, Malbon has devoted three decades of research and writing to understanding the Gospel of Mark. Her work has changed the academic discussion of this first-century Greek text regarded by scholars as the first of the four Gospels that now comprise the Christian New Testament. Malbon has published five authored books: three books of literary criticism of the Gospel of Mark, one narrative commentary on Mark’s Gospel for broader audiences, and a book on early Christian iconography focused on the artistic representation and arrangement of biblical scenes on fourth-century carved stone coffins. Her work has great significance not only for religious studies scholars but also for classicists, historians, and art historians. Literary criticism applied to the Gospels as stories is at the core of Malbon’s scholarly work. She has written 29 invited entries for five reference works and 33 invited book reviews. A French translation of Malbon’s third book was published in 2009, and another of her works was honored with a book review panel at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature and an invited address to the international Society for the Study of the New Testament.

Professor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Malbon has also published 23 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals and 15 book chapters. Malbon is an elected member of the international Studiorum Novi Testamanti Societas, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Society for Values in Higher Education. She is an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature, serving as regional president; member of the national program committee and nominating committee; and chair or cochair of two national program units and steering committee member of two others. She is a frequent presenter of papers to regional, national, and international meetings and she has received research fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She has served on the editorial boards of four journals and five book series. Malbon received her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Florida State University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Research

Shashank Priya S

hashank Priya, professor of mechanical engineering and Turner Fellow in the College of Engineering, has received the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Research. Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Research is presented annually to as many as two Virginia Tech faculty members who have made outstanding research contributions. Each recipient is awarded $2,000.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2007, Priya has made significant contributions in the fields of smart materials for energy and bio-inspired systems. He is an internationally recognized expert on vibration energy harvesting and multifunctional materials. His research has led to the development of high-performance materials, which has spurred the development of miniature components, such as microrobots, strain/force sensors, and energy harvesters that are able to provide enhanced power density while meeting the requirements of specific platforms. Priya established the Annual Energy Harvesting Workshop series, which has been bringing international experts to Virginia Tech each year to discuss energy harvesting and its applications.

Professor College of Engineering

In 2012, Virginia Tech announced the establishment of a new Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science-led research center in India, where Priya will be collaborating with researchers to adapt small-scale windmills and flexible solar panels for use in households in rural India. During the past six years, through the support of an Office of Naval Research MultiUniversity Research Initiative Award, Priya has led the development of a jellyfish-inspired propulsion mechanism, known as Robojelly. This research has led to a better understanding of jellyfish locomotion and to design of unmanned vehicles based upon their findings. In his time at Virginia Tech, Priya has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator on research grants amounting to more than $23 million with a personal share of approximately $11 million. Throughout his career, Priya has authored or co-authored more than 240 journal papers, authored or co-authored more than 55 proceedings, written five invited book chapters, edited eight books/special issues, and has made at least 75 significant presentations. Priya is Fellow of the American Ceramic Society and editor-in-chief of the journal Energy Harvesting and Systems. Priya received his bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree from Allahabad University, an integrated masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree from Indian Institute of Science, and a doctoral degree from Penn State University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching

Dana Hawley D

ana M. Hawley, associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Science, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Created in 1982 by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented to two Virginia Tech faculty members each year. Recipients are selected by the university’s Academy of Teaching Excellence from among faculty members who have received Certificates of Teaching Excellence. Each recipient is awarded $2,000 and is inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Hawley receives student evaluation scores well above the departmental average. “Dr. Hawley joined our faculty in the spring of 2007 and has been a strong advocate and practitioner of student-centered education in the classroom and service learning outside of the classroom from day one,” wrote Brenda Winkel, professor and head of the Department of Biological Sciences. “She has been an outstanding contributor to the teaching missions of our department, the college, and the university.” Hawley took on the responsibility of teaching Ornithology, an existing upper-division course devoted to the study of birds. She transformed it from a course characterized by rote memorization of species names and taxonomy into one in which students become an engaged and active-learning community. She accomplished this through the use of in-class discussions of recent research papers, peer evaluation of student grant proposals, videos to demonstrate lecture concepts, and service learning. In 2011, Hawley received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to support her initiatives. She used part of her award to develop a new graduate course, Outreach in Biology, which aims to improve science communication by teaching scientists-in-training how to effectively communicate their work to the public. To date, four graduate students and more than 25 undergraduate students have performed research in Hawley’s lab. Four of these students appeared as co-authors on journal articles and 11 on professional presentations.

Associate Professor College of Science

Hawley was previously honored with the Department of Biological Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012 and the College of Science Certificate of Teaching Excellence in 2013. In addition to her teaching, Hawley maintains a strong research program with a total of more than $7 million in funding, almost $3 million as principle investigator. Also a member of the Fralin Life Science Institute, her research focuses on ecological and evolutionary factors that affect host immunity and disease dynamics, with a specialization in birds. Hawley received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching

Terry Clements T

erry Clements, associate professor of landscape architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, has received the university’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching. Created in 1982 by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented to two Virginia Tech faculty members each year. Recipients are selected by the university’s Academy of Teaching Excellence from among those faculty members who have received Certificates of Teaching Excellence from their respective colleges in the preceding three years. Each recipient is awarded $2,000 and is inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1993, Clements teaches graduate and undergraduate design, construction documentation, and cultural landscape studies of the United States. She frequently serves as an advisor on doctoral dissertations, as well as master’s degree and bachelor’s degree theses for students in Blacksburg and at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center. Since 2000, she has led an annual multidisciplinary education-abroad program for students studying the built environment. “Quite simply, her teaching has had a profound and lasting impact on her students,” wrote Brian Katen, associate professor and chair of the landscape architecture program at Virginia Tech. “She is a dynamic presence in the studio and in the classroom.”

Associate Professor College of Architecture and Urban Studies

The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture recently honored Clements with its Excellence in Teaching Award. “Terry is our program’s guiding force in the integration of community engagement and scholarship into our collective teaching,” added Katen. This past fall, Clements taught a multidisciplinary University Honors program servicelearning course in which students from majors across the university worked with New River Valley Community Action and community members to prepare conceptual site plans to renovate the Headstart Playground in Floyd, Va. The Virginia Chapter of ASLA twice awarded her the President’s Award for Service before granting her the Award for Distinguished Service, their highest award, in 2004. She serves as the interim chair of the International Federation of Landscape Architects’ Committee on Education and has served as national ASLA vice president of education. She is a member of the Council of Educators of Landscape Architecture, the Vernacular Architecture Forum, Oral History Association, Community Built Association, and Phi Beta Delta, the international honorary society of international scholars. Clements received her bachelor’s in landscape architecture from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and her master’s in landscape architecture from the University of California at Berkeley.

Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholars Award

Donald J. Orth D

onald J. Orth, the Thomas H. Jones Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, has received the university’s 2014 Diggs Teaching Scholars Award. Sponsored by the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research, the Diggs Teaching Scholars Award was established in 1992 and is presented annually to up to three Virginia Tech faculty members to recognize exceptional contributions to the teaching program and learning environment. Diggs Teaching Scholars are invited to lead the Diggs Roundtable, a series of presentations and a discussion of their innovative teaching.

The award is supported by an endowed fund from an estate gift by the late Edward S. and Hattie Wilson Diggs. Edward Diggs was a 1914 graduate of Virginia Tech. Also honored with the William E. Wine Award for his teaching excellence this year, Orth will use his Diggs Teaching Scholars Award to develop faculty workshops to help teaching colleagues to integrate narrative writing in their courses through digital storytelling. The “On Becoming” project would encourage faculty to engage in conversations about how and what students are “becoming” and provide instruction for interested instructors when first experimenting with digital storytelling and/or ePortfolios in their teaching. “I have been working with committees in two of our professional societies to assess what knowledge and skills contribute most to the career success of young professionals in fisheries and wildlife conservation,” wrote Steve McMullin, associate professor and interim head of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. “A consistent theme that has emerged is that critical thinking and communication skills contribute far more to career success than knowledge in any academic area.”

Thomas H. Jones Professor College of Natural Resources and Environment

“Reflection is a powerful pedagogy that I have used with students to reflect on their learning with respect to particular learning activities,” said Orth. “Digital storytelling and ePortfolio pedagogies are maturing and there are many unrealized potentials that should be discussed in the Diggs Teaching Roundtable format.” Orth has made several other contributions to teaching at Virginia Tech. Among them, he led the effort to revise his college’s first-year experience program, Invent the Sustainable Future. He also revised the curriculum of Ichthyology, the introductory class on the study of fishes. Today, the course includes drawing, annotating, photography, essays, and reflective writings. Orth has received his college’s Outstanding Faculty Award three times as well as a Certificate of Teaching Excellence two times. Orth received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. 17

Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholars Award

Lori Blanc L

ori A. Blanc, a research scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has received the university’s 2014 Diggs Teaching Scholars Award.

Sponsored by the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research, the Diggs Teaching Scholars Award was established in 1992 and is presented annually to up to three Virginia Tech faculty members to recognize exceptional contributions to the teaching program and learning environment. A cash award is given to each recipient and their academic department. Diggs Teaching Scholars are invited to lead the Diggs Roundtable, a series of presentations and a discussion of their innovative teaching. The award is supported by an endowed fund from an estate gift by the late Edward S. and Hattie Wilson Diggs. Edward Diggs was a 1914 graduate of Virginia Tech. Among her teaching roles, Blanc is the director of the Da Vinci Living-Learning Community, a first-year experience program designed to help biological and life science freshmen successfully transition through their first year. “Throughout Lori’s academic career, she has distinguished herself by developing an incredibly diverse profile of student learning experiences that challenge students to consider themselves and the world in which they live from new perspectives,” wrote Jill Sible, assistant provost for undergraduate education, and Eleanor Finger, director of housing and residence life.

Research Scientist College of Science

“When we think of high-impact practices for student learning — learning communities, study abroad, service learning — we cannot think of anyone who has led so many of these experiences, nor led them as well, as Lori,” Sible continued. “Her passion for and commitment to student learning as well as her personal integrity and work ethic and ability to bring out these qualities in students is a precious asset to Virginia Tech.” This past year, Blanc significantly enhanced and updated the curriculum of the first-year experience seminar used by Da Vinci and Curie Living-Learning Community students. In addition to enhancing the credit-bearing elements of these communities, Blanc has worked with students to envision science projects using 3-D scanning and printing technology in Lee Hall’s Studio 1 lab. Since 2008, Blanc has taught field-based study-abroad programs in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Antarctica. Her teaching emphasizes hands-on, interdisciplinary learning; undergraduate engagement with peer-reviewed scientific literature; writing-intensive project work; service learning; self-reflection; and the use of co-curricular activities to improve curricular engagement. Blanc’s research focuses on avian community ecology, conservation biology, and endangered species management. Blanc received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and her Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.

PRESIDENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY AWARD

Jean Elliott J

ean Elliott, communications director for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 Presidential Principles of Community Award.

The award was established in 2014 by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to recognize faculty and staff members who exemplify and promote a welcoming and inclusive environment in accord with the university’s Principles of Community. One staff or faculty member is selected annually by the Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity and receives a $2,000 cash prize. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1999, Elliott has been involved with a number multicultural- and diversity-related projects, committees, and task forces. She has contributed dozens of articles illustrating various aspects of diversity to university publications and served on the editorial boards of The Conductor and Path Forward, publications of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. She accompanied study-abroad trips to Malawi in 2010, where she taught third graders, and to Spain in 2012, where she hiked 300 kilometers of the El Camino de Santiago in 15 days. On both trips, she created blogs and coordinated student posts with her photography. In 2011, she was selected as a Global Scholar and traveled to Zambia with a team of her Virginia Tech colleagues to evaluate health and communications projects. As co-leader of the LGBT faculty/staff caucus, Elliott founded Gay in Appalachia, an annual event that incorporates the arts to prompt discussion on diverse issues. She also helped to initiate the Lavender Commencement Ceremony that celebrates LGBTQ graduates. Elliott recently earned the university’s Diversity Ally Certificate. In 2012, she was the first staff member to receive the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences’ Diversity Award. That same year, she also was named an OUTstanding Virginian by Equality Virginia.

Communications Director College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

During her tenure at Virginia Tech, Elliott has also served as the public relations coordinator for the College of Human Resources and Education and the interim director of news and information. Prior to coming to the university, she worked as the director of sports information and media relations for the College of William and Mary. Elliott is a member of the College Communicators Association and the American Council on Education – Office of Women in Higher Education. She also volunteers annually with the Montgomery County Christmas Store. Elliott received a bachelor’s degree from Western Maryland College, now known as McDaniel College, and a master’s degree from Salisbury University.

President’s Award for Excellence

Elizabeth “Jane” Harrison E

lizabeth “Jane” Harrison, administrative assistant for the School of Performing Arts in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 President’s Award for Excellence.

In addition, Harrison maintains the Artists Registry, which provides performing groups and entertainment for more than 50 university events each year, and she coordinates a wide range of support for the 1,200 students enrolled in fine arts classes. “Jane is an outstanding representative for Virginia Tech and an exceptional ambassador for the arts,” wrote Gilda Machin-Scarpaci, a special events planner with the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, in her letter of support. “She has exposed thousands of alumni to the importance of the arts and to the talent of our students. We owe Jane a world of thanks for adding to the cultural experience of our alumni and to the general pleasure of our participants who are lucky enough to reap the benefit of Jane’s diligence and dedication.” “She is a tireless, inventive, and responsible colleague who devotes herself to her work and exceeds expectations every day,” added Raun. “Throughout the campus, she is held in high esteem. Within her own school, she is loved.”

President’s Award for Excellence

Mary Hunter M

ary Hunter, fiscal director for the Charles E. Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering, has received the university’s 2014 President’s Award for Excellence.

The President’s Award for Excellence is presented annually to up to five Virginia Tech staff employees who have made extraordinary contributions by consistent excellence in the performance of their job or a single incident, contribution, or heroic act. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize. Hunter has worked at Virginia Tech for more than 33 years, the past 16 with the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She plans to retire at the end of the current academic year. “To say that Mary’s contributions, work ethic, and leadership with the department have been exceptional for many years would be an enormous understatement,” wrote W. Samuel Easterling, the Montague-Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design and department head, in his letter of nomination. “What sets Mary apart is the breadth of support across multiple units within Virginia Tech over many years . . . and the other characteristic that stands out is the level of leadership and guidance she regularly provides.” Among the many projects Hunter has been involved in include grant and contract administration, purchasing, and the management of funding faculty salaries from various sources during the academic year and summer. She invested a great deal of time developing a departmental financial system called DEPART that helps units manage and reconcile their funds. This system has been adopted by many departments across the university. “Mary separates herself from other fiscal administrators at the university by the senior administration’s reliance on her expertise as it develops and implements new financial systems,” wrote Rodd Hall, senior associate director at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, in his letter of support. “She is almost always among the first to be called upon to test ideas for new systems, and then usually pilots systems once implementation begins. Her work has been exemplary and vital to the university’s success.”

Fiscal Director for the Charles E. Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering

In his letter of support, Ed Nelson, associate dean for administration and chief of staff for the College of Engineering, wrote, “I attribute the high esprit de corps of the civil and environmental engineering department, in large part, to Mary’s years of talented service and, importantly, to her commitment to improve university administrative services.”

President’s Award for Excellence

Tom McAvoy T

om McAvoy, senior laboratory specialist in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 President’s Award for Excellence.

Senior Laboratory Specialist in the Department of Entomology College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

“Tom conducted some of the earliest and much-needed studies on the effectiveness and movement of imidacloprid, a chemical now registered and widely used for controlling the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) throughout the East,” wrote Brad Onken, a retired program coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service. “In the realm of biological control, Tom’s accomplishments have been invaluable. Tom is highly respected in the HWA research community and his enthusiasm and dedication has helped resource managers from Maine to Georgia with their struggle to manage hemlock resources.” In addition to his work responsibilities, McAvoy provided the leadership in creating Virginia Tech’s Employee’s Spouse and Dependents Scholarship program for incoming students. The program has awarded more than 140 scholarships totaling more than $93,000. In 2012, the book, “The Grove: Recipes and History of Virginia Tech’s Presidential Residence,” was published and the proceeds from its sale went to support the scholarship program. McAvoy’s contributions were formally recognized in the preface of the book. “Tom is a shining example of how good Virginia Tech and its people are,” wrote Scott Salom, professor of entomology, in his letter of support. “His sole role comes down to helping others and he is tireless in that role. Tom is a special employee.”

President’s Award for Excellence

Rebecca Pauley R

ebecca Pauley, payroll accountant in the Office of the University Controller, has received the university’s 2014 President’s Award for Excellence.

The President’s Award for Excellence is presented annually to up to five Virginia Tech staff employees who have made extraordinary contributions by consistent excellence in the performance of their job or a single incident, contribution, or heroic act. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize. Pauley has worked at Virginia Tech for 35 years. She began her career at the university in 1979 and moved to the Payroll Department in 1983. She held various payroll positions over the past 31 years when the Payroll Department was initially part of Human Resources, and later moved under the chief financial officer umbrella in the Office of the University Controller. “Becky Pauley works tirelessly to ensure that all employees are paid timely and correctly; she has an excellent work ethic and strong customer service skills,” wrote Leisa Shelor, payroll manger in the Office of the University Controller. “She always demonstrates a dedication to her job and to the university that is exceptional. “She has a well-rounded knowledge of payroll and human resources issues as well as an understanding of university culture,” Shelor added. “She is insightful and analytical in her approach for addressing and resolving complicated issues. She has high professional standards for herself and takes the responsibility of her position very seriously. She takes initiative to address problems as they arise and can be trusted to handle even the most sensitive issues.” “Becky is one of the most dedicated members of our staff,” wrote Associate Controller Wendell L. Vest. “Many department employees have an excellent working relationship with her and rely on her knowledge and guidance.”

Payroll Accountant Office of the University Controller

“I have great respect for all the knowledge she has and the speed and accuracy with which she does her job,” wrote Annie Connelly, assistant payroll manager in the Office of the University Controller. “She must coordinate with each department, as well as Human Resources, parking, and the Bursar’s Office. She keeps up to date on the most recent tax regulations and the legal requirements that impact all payroll processes. “Becky is also the most knowledgeable payroll accountant on the sensitive process involved in the passing of an employee,” continued Connelly. “She works directly with the family members of the employees to navigate the steps required by the commonwealth to get the final payments made to the family or estate of the deceased.”

President’s Award for Excellence

Tonya Pruitt T

onya Pruitt, administrative specialist for the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has received the university’s 2014 President’s Award for Excellence.

Administrative Specialist in the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis College of Science

“Now in 2014, Tonya is enabling us to build a network of 20 statistical collaboration laboratories in developing countries by 2020 so that more people around the world will benefit from statistical thinking,” added Vance. “Her combination of organizational skills and sense of personal responsibility exemplify the qualities we all aspire to. She is able to anticipate challenges and frequently has solutions for problems before they even arise. Her contributions have made the Department of Statistics a better place for all faculty, staff, and students, and her service is an indispensable part of the laboratory’s success.” “I appreciate many things about Tonya — her cheerful nature, that she always arrives and departs on time, that she supports the activities of the department, and that she willingly participates in staff activities,” wrote Eric P. Smith, professor and head of the Department of Statistics, in his letter of support. “However, what I am most impressed with is her willingness to help, in a careful and timely manner with many of the tasks that are not part of her job description. “I feel I can trust her to get a task done on time and I am always pleased with the care she takes in completing the task,” he added. “Tonya is the type of employee we wish for.”

Excellence in Advising

Terry Papillon T

erry Papillon, professor of classics and director of University Honors, has received the university’s 2014 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising.

The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising is given annually to a Virginia Tech faculty or staff member who serves undergraduate advisees in exemplary ways. Awardees receive a $2,000 prize and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Advising Excellence. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1992, Papillon is regarded by both his teaching colleagues and by students to be highly committed to supporting student needs and inspiring them to succeed at the highest level. “I have known Dr. Papillon for just over three years, and I have always found him to be honest, fair, respectful of differing opinions, inquisitive, and very hard working,” wrote Austin Larrowe, a senior University Honors student majoring in agricultural and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “When speaking with other students, I hear amazing stories about him helping them overcome personal problems or how he aided them in developing a professional and academic roadmap for the remainder of their collegiate experience. “Dr. Papillon has been one of the highlights of my academic career and he has been a key figure in transforming my post-secondary educational experience into something that goes beyond facts and figures, but into improved self-confidence, fortified critical thinking skills, and a vision for my future,” added Larrowe. “What I am most thankful for in having Terry as an advisor is that his advice is not limited to things academic,” wrote Bill Bryce, a Virginia Tech graduate who is now a doctoral degree candidate at the University of Illinois. Papillon joined the University Honors staff in 2005 and became director of the program in 2009. As director of University Honors, he leads a program that provides students with enhanced access to faculty mentoring and the tools needed to achieve a top-rated education.

Professor and Director University Honors

Papillon teaches ancient Greek, Latin, classical civilization, mythology, and rhetoric. He regularly leads study-abroad programs in Greece. He received the Diggs Teaching Scholar Award in 1997 and the Sporn Award for excellence in teaching introductory subjects in 2000. His research specialty is Greek rhetoric, particularly the Greek rhetorician Isocrates. He has published numerous articles and two books. He is also editor of the online classics journal Electronic Antiquity. Papillon received his bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Excellence in Teaching Introductory Subjects

Gregory Tew G

reg Tew, associate professor of interior design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, has received the university’s 2014 Sporn Award for Teaching Introductory Subjects.

Sponsored by the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research and the Virginia Tech Academy for Teaching Excellence, the Sporn Award for Teaching Introductory Subjects recognizes a Virginia Tech faculty member who teaches introductory-level courses. Nominated by students, award recipients are selected by a committee composed of student representatives from the Omicron Delta Kappa and Golden Key honor societies, as well as the faculty member who won the award the previous year. Award winners receive $2,000 and are inducted into the university’s Academy of Teaching Excellence. The award was established in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Philip J. Sporn. Philip Sporn was a Virginia Tech alumnus and president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power Co. Tew’s innovative teaching strategies in his course, Design Appreciation, earned the nomination and award. He began teaching the course in 2010, and was “determined to create a dynamic and thought provoking learning environment with content relevant to all students at Virginia Tech.” In the course, Tew weaves together key moments from history with current events, often with headline news from the day of the lecture, to tell a story of design as a critical element in our quality of life. Associate Professor College of Architecture and Urban Studies

The Forum feature in Scholar is one tool Tew uses engage students. He poses introspective questions after each class to encourage students to explore their preconceptions and to imagine ways they can use their education to improve society, not only in their field of study, but as “good citizens.” “Professor Tew views his responsibility to the students as greater than the exchange of new knowledge,” wrote Jack Davis, Reynolds Professor and dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. “He is dedicated to high-quality, effective student learning, and excellence in teaching.” Tew served as the interior design program chair for eight years and worked to elevate the program to consistent top 10 rankings in the DesignIntelligence survey. Tew is a multiple American Institute of Architects Honor Award-winning architect with a broad base of experience as a designer. He has presented his research to diverse academic groups representing architecture, interior design, health care, and economics, and his work is published in many of the leading international design and business publications. Tew received his bachelor’s of architecture from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute.

William E. Wine Award

Donald J. Orth D

The William E. Wine Achievement Award was established in 1957 by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association in memory of William E. Wine, Class of 1904, who was a former rector of the Board of Visitors and Alumni Association president. Following a collegelevel selection process of candidates nominated by students, faculty, and alumni, each college may put forth one nominee. From this group, three faculty members are selected annually. Each Wine Award winner receives $2,000 and automatic induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1980, Orth has taught numerous classes, from first-year to graduate level, receiving two Certificates of Teaching Excellence and three Outstanding Faculty Awards. He led the efforts to revise his college’s Firstyear Experience Program, Invent the Sustainable Future, and has directed more than 26 undergraduate student research projects and 31 graduate student projects. Among his many classroom contributions, Orth revised the curriculum of Ichthyology, the introductory class on the study of fishes. Today, the course includes drawing, annotating, photography, essays, and reflective writings. He incorporated the use of Flickr for archiving, tagging, and annotating photos of fishes. His research focuses on managing rivers to enhance or protect fish populations and promote sustainability. Orth has published more than 200 technical works. At Tech, he has received 50 grants and contracts totaling $7.5 million. In addition to his teaching and research, Orth served as department head for seven years.

Thomas H. Jones Professor College of Natural Resources and Environment

He is a life member of the American Fisheries Society and a Certified Fisheries Professional. Orth is a Fellow of the American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists and the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute. He currently serves as president of the Virginia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Orth has received the Regional Director’s Conservation Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Making a Difference Award from the Instream Flow Council. A past president of the National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs, Orth has also served as associate editor for the North American Journal of Fisheries Management; Transactions of the American Fisheries Society; and Rivers: Studies in Science, Environmental Policy, and Law of Instream Flow. He received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University.

William E. Wine Award

Elizabeth Struthers Malbon E

lizabeth Struthers Malbon, professor of religion and culture in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 William E. Wine Award.

The William E. Wine Achievement Award was established in 1957 by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association in memory of William E. Wine, Class of 1904, who was a former rector of the Board of Visitors and Alumni Association president. Following a collegelevel selection process of candidates nominated by students, faculty, and alumni, each college may put forth one nominee, three of whom are selected to receive the award. Each Wine Award winner receives $2,000 and automatic induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Malbon has taught 22 different courses since joining the Virginia Tech community in 1980. Her teaching focuses on early Christian literature, with classes on the New Testament, Jesus and the Gospels, and Paul and his interpreters. “Her entire career has reflected her commitment to successful and creative student-centered learning,” wrote Michael Saffle and Brian Britt, professors of religion and culture at Virginia Tech. “She has worked hard to make teaching seem easy, and her students are encouraged both to engage with complex material and to evaluate it for themselves because her goals are clear and her teaching is skillfully conceived and enthusiastically implemented.” Malbon consistently receives among the highest student evaluations in her department. “The academic study of religion, especially of the New Testament ... presents unique challenges to which Elizabeth has always responded creatively and resourcefully,” wrote Saffle and Britt. Professor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

“Dr. Malbon gains the respect of her students not by force or fear but through relating to them,” wrote Morgan Coyner, a senior majoring in religion and culture at Virginia Tech. “She uses anecdotes from her own life in order to get certain points across. This is why so many of her students remember concepts from her classes long after the class ends.” Malbon was instrumental in the creation of Virginia Tech’s new undergraduate degree in religion and culture, launched in 2013. Malbon is nationally and internationally known for her literary studies of the Gospel of Mark. She is the author of five books and has edited or co-edited five additional books. She is an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature, serving as regional president and member of the national program committee and nominating committee, among other duties. She is an elected member of the international Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. Malbon received her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Florida State University.

William E. Wine Award

Wing Ng W

ing Ng, the Christopher C. Kraft Endowed Professor in Engineering in the College of Engineering, has received the university’s 2014 William E. Wine Award.

The William E. Wine Achievement Award was established in 1957 by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association in memory of William E. Wine, Class of 1904, who was a former rector of the Board of Visitors and Alumni Association president. Following a collegelevel selection process of candidates nominated by students, faculty, and alumni, each college may put forth one nominee, from which three are selected to receive the award. Each Wine Award winner receives $2,000 and automatic induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1984, Ng frequently has been ranked among the best teachers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering over his 30-year career. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses on thermo-fluid science. During that time, Ng has mentored approximately 100 master’s degree and doctoral degree students as their thesis advisor. His students have received national awards for their research; five have won best paper award from professional societies. Ng led the effort to restructure the junior-level fluids classes to a large-class-size format that includes both a lecture and recitation component. Multiple small recitation sessions are used each week to engage the students in a more personalized format. Students have responded to this format enthusiastically. “A keystone in Dr. Ng’s pedagogical approach is to have fun teaching,” wrote Warren N. Harder, associate professor and director of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics, in his nomination letter. “When an instructor has fun teaching, and truly enjoys teaching as his or her core, the benchmarks of successful teaching and transfer of knowledge are attained with relative ease.”

Christopher C. Kraft Endowed Professor College of Engineering

Ng is known to be a tough and demanding teacher, added Harder. “Despite this, students consider him an excellent teacher and he is extremely well liked.” An entrepreneur who has a 20-employee spin-off company, Ng uses this experience to teach his students what to expect when they enter industry. Ng has also received the Ralph Teetor Education Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers in recognition of significant contributions to teaching, research, and student development. At Virginia Tech, he has received the Sporn Award for Teaching Introductory Subjects in Engineering, the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and three Certificates of Teaching Excellence. Ng received his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 29

SCHEV AWARD State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award

Wu-chun Feng T

he State Council of Higher Education for Virginia named Wu-chun Feng, professor and Elizabeth and James Turner Fellow in the Department of Computer Science, as a 2014 Outstanding Faculty Award winner.

The award, sponsored by the Dominion Foundation, a philanthropic unit of the energy company based in Richmond, Va., is the commonwealth’s highest honor for university faculty. Feng also holds professorships with the Virginia Tech Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Virginia Tech Faculty of Health Sciences. The honor for Feng follows several other awards and accolades, including a five-year Turner Fellowship awarded in March 2012 by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. Feng, a member of the faculty since 2006, is an internationally recognized researcher in efficient parallel computing. His work ranges from core computer science research to highly interdisciplinary research, including the life sciences and neuroscience. Feng is best known for his research in energy-efficient parallel computing, which started in 2001 with his founding of the Supercomputing in Small Spaces project and resulted in the creation of Green Destiny, a 240-node supercomputer in 5 square feet with a power envelope of only 3.2 kilowatts. This invention led to international media coverage by CNN and The New York Times, among others. Feng has more than 200 publications with 50-plus awards, including six best paper awards and three R&D 100 Awards – known as the “Oscars of Invention” – that connect to research fields as diverse as biology, geology, education, and health care. Professor and Elizabeth and James Turner Fellow College of Engineering

Feng’s recent research has delivered parallel computing to the masses by simultaneously coordinating two types of silicon brains in mobile devices, desktops, supercomputers, and MOON and cloud computing to accelerate research and innovation and to educate tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. In all, his research has been supported by more than 70 grants totaling more than $32 million, including the first award from NVIDIA to “Compute the Cure” for cancer. Feng received a doctoral degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996, a master’s degree in computer engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1990, and bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and music (with honors), both in 1988, also from Penn State. Feng is one of 12 Outstanding Faculty Award recipients to be honored by the council this year.

XCaliber Award: Individual Excellence for making extraordinary contributions to technology-enriched learning activities

Matthew Wisnioski M

atthew Wisnioski, associate professor in the Department of Science and Technology in Society in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, has received the university’s 2014 XCaliber Award for an individual making extraordinary contributions to technologyenriched active learning. Established in 1996 by the Office of the Provost, the XCaliber Award (shorthand for exceptional, high-caliber work) is presented annually by Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies to recognize individual faculty members or teams of faculty and staff who integrate technology in teaching and learning. The award celebrates innovative, studentcentered approaches.

This year’s individual award recognizes the unique design of Wisnioski’s graduate course, Origins of Innovation. Wisnioski’s seminar explores the boundaries of innovation by using interdisciplinary course content and co-collaborative teaching strategies. A diverse group of students, with expertise in areas like engineering, anthropology, computer science, education, and policy and governance, work together to design and implement an investigation exploring how innovation has become the dominant frame for knowledge across the arts, design, engineering, and sciences. At the center of the seminar is a semester-long collaborative project focused on researching, critically analyzing, and creating a public account of innovative activity at Virginia Tech. Technological enrichment is an essential element of the course and serves to create an environment for collaboration, enable data collection and analysis, and public communication. At the same time, technology serves as an object of critical inquiry. A primary focus of exploring the origins of innovation included working to understand how technology enriches learning and exploring how technology (as object, system, and idea) shapes visions of learning and innovation.

Associate Professor College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

A collaboratively authored multimedia website is a key deliverable of the seminar. It maps the collaborative activities and outcomes of the course and demonstrates the participants’ exploration of the dominant meaning of innovation and innovative practices in an interdisciplinary context. “The course’s true measure will be its impact on careers beyond Virginia Tech,” said Wisnioski, who was a fellow in the university’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology this year. “Students will emerge with new understandings of how to – and how not to – produce successful interdisciplinary research, learning in the process to recognize our individual strengths, limitations, and assumptions.” Wisnioski earned his bachelor’s degree at Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Princeton University.

XCaliber Award: Team Excellence as an interdisciplinary team making outstanding contributions to technology-enriched learning activities

Paola Zellner Bassett, Tom Martin P

aola Zellner Bassett, assistant professor of architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and Tom Martin, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, have received Virginia Tech’s 2014 XCaliber Award for excellence as an interdisciplinary team making outstanding contributions to technology-enriched active learning.

Established in 1996 by the Office of the Provost, the XCaliber Award (shorthand for exceptional, high-caliber work) is presented annually by Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies to recognize individual faculty members or teams of faculty and staff who integrate technology in teaching and learning. This year’s team award recognizes the pair’s development and teaching of the undergraduate design course, Textile Space, which brought together design education and innovative technologies. The course gave both engineering and design students a studio space/learning environment where they worked collaboratively on a wide range of projects, including the application of smart textiles for space exploration for NASA and a responsive installation, Between the Pyramid and the Labyrinth, used this fall at the Tech-or-Treat exhibit in The Cube at the Moss Arts Center. Paola Zellner Bassett Assistant Professor College of Architecture and Urban Studies

As a course focused on innovative applications of smart fabrics in architecture within a technologyenriched learning and teaching environment, engineering and design students were challenged to find common ground by prototyping a toy using an Arduino board, sensors and actuators, and readily available modeling materials. As one of only three schools in the country invited to collaborate with NASA on student projects involving smart fabrics for manned space flight, Textile Space students had the opportunity to focus on one of three projects: an investigation of techniques for sensing and visualizing the 3-D shape of an inflatable, inhabitable textile structure while it unfolds and inflates; designing reconfigurable clothing for long-term space flights; and creating a boot-based interface for a wearable rocket pack. Other student teams focused on the Tech-or-Treat exhibit to create opportunities for K-12 students to interact creatively with art, space, and technology. Their design project explored the incorporation of infrared proximity sensors, microphones, cameras, and sensing devices. Zellner Bassett received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and her master’s degree in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Martin is the co-director of the Virginia Tech E-textiles Lab. In 2006, he was selected for the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for his research in e-textile-based wearable computing.

Thomas Martin Professor College of Engineering

He received his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Staff career achievement

Wanda Foushee W

anda Foushee, retired business manager in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering in the College of Engineering, has received the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 Staff Career Achievement award.

Foushee retired from the university in 2013 after 17 years of service. Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to as many as five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university careers. Nominees must have worked a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 cash prize. Foushee, who joined the Virginia Tech community in 1995, was highly respected by her colleagues for her willingness to go beyond the scope of her assigned duties. She began working for the department as a fiscal technician and was later promoted to business manager. Colleagues speak often of her outstanding problem-solving skills, and her many contributions improved the department as a whole. For example, when the department reconfigured a teaching lab in 2000, the large space needed a custom partition to effectively divide it. Short on time and money, the partition could not be fully installed before the fall term began. Foushee, who wanted to ensure the success of faculty and students, purchased and used her own time to sew together a heavy metal curtain to divide the lab space, completing the task before classes began. Foushee was also involved in several university-wide activities. She served as a member of the Society of Research Administrators International Virginia Chapter, attended business practices seminars, and served on search committees for the department head, operations manager, and manager of fiscal affairs. She also worked closely with job candidates, seminar speakers, and took a personal interest in the well-being of â&#x20AC;&#x153;herâ&#x20AC;? students.

Retired Business Manager College of Engineering

Colleagues say Foushee possesses a natural ability to work with a diverse population of individuals.

Staff career achievement

Sharon Irvin S

haron L. Irvin, retired business manager for the Department of Mathematics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has received the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 Staff Career Achievement award. Irvin retired from the university in 2013 after 39 years of service to the university. Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to as many as five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university careers. Nominees must have worked a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 cash prize. In her role with the Department of Mathematics, Irvin was responsible for all fiscal matters, including personnel and payroll, graduate assistantships, and grant expenditures. She consistently managed budgets in ways that made it possible to offer classes for students that would build a foundation for growth in their lives. Irvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colleagues remember her for her outstanding attention to detail and her enthusiasm. In addition to her daily contributions, Irvin was instrumental in the creation of the Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Mathematics. The center opened in 1987 and she provided valuable guidance to the new faculty and staff to ensure their success. The success of center, her colleagues say, is due in large part to her extraordinary contributions during her career at Virginia Tech. Retired Business Manager College of Science

Staff career achievement

John Nichols

Retired Information Technology Manager Communications Network Services

ohn D. Nichols, retired information technology manager for Communication Network Services at Virginia Tech, has received the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 Staff Career Achievement award.

Nichols retired from the university in 2013 after 38 years of service. Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to as many as five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university careers. Nominees must have served a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 cash prize. Nichols was an advocate for technological advancements across the university. Known for his curiosity, aptitude, and loyalty, he was an integral part of the transformation that made Virginia Tech a leader in advanced computing and communications technology. He also led a major effort to develop technical and implementation strategies for a groundbreaking, fully integrated voice and data communication system in the 1980s. Nichols also served as the technical lead for design, engineering, and development of the highly successful NetworkVirginia program. In the late 1990s, NetworkVirginia extended broadband Internet access to more than 1.4 million Virginia citizens. In 2012, he served as the principal investigator for a program providing research and development of the latest Software Defined Network technology on a regional and national level. According to his colleagues, Nicholsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contributions have been essential to many successful Virginia Tech information technology projects across the state. He was a member of the Network Infrastructure and Services Advisory Committee and served as a technical resource for countless research and network projects across the university.

Staff career achievement

Lawrence Sewell L

awrence N. Sewell, retired computer engineer for the Computing Center, has received the university’s 2014 Staff Career Achievement award. Sewell retired from the university in 2013 after 32 years of service. Just before retiring, he received a 2013 Governor’s Award for Innovation for his work in constructing the core service systems at the Math Emporium.

Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to as many as five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university careers. Nominees must have worked a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 cash prize. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1981, Sewell was part of the Computing Center staff for more than 20 years. He began his career at Virginia Tech as a programmer and analyst, and was quickly promoted to a systems analyst in 1985. In 1991, he accepted the position of Computing Center lead engineer where he served as an integral part of the design and construction of the Math Emporium services. In his most recent position, Sewell was responsible for the oversight and development of the complex computer systems that manage online textbooks, practice problems, asynchronous test and quizzes, and assignments.

Retired Computer Engineer Computing Center

In 2010, when the Math Emporium’s computer system experienced new student usage patterns that stressed the decade-old system, Sewell introduced a new practice problem feature that restored the system’s efficiency. He also worked to preserve student access to the traditional aspects of mathematical learning: the opportunity to work on problems and receive feedback, as well as one-on-one help. Sewell’s contributions to the Math Emporium have helped Virginia Tech students save an estimated $300,000 in textbook costs per year. The Math Emporium is an important resource in instruction for required mathematics courses and has served as a model for several universities that have created their own version of the learning space. Sewell is considered an expert by his colleagues. He is known for his constant desire to expand his knowledge and dedication to the development of resources for the Department of Mathematics and the Math Emporium. His knowledge of contemporary technology was crucial in identifying a long-term strategy, and his ability to anticipate technological developments provided essential insight. Sewell received a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and master’s degree from Virginia Tech.

Staff career achievement

Christa Thomas C

hrista C. Thomas, the recently retired graduate program coordinator for the Department of Physics in the College of Science, has received the university’s 2014 Staff Career Achievement award.

Thomas retired from the university in 2013 after 38 years of service. In 2009, she received the President’s Award for Excellence. Created in 2011 to recognize retiring staff members, the Staff Career Achievement Award is presented annually to as many as five individuals who have distinguished themselves through exemplary performance and service during their university careers. Nominees must have served a minimum of 10 years at Virginia Tech. Each recipient is awarded a $1,000 cash prize. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1975, Thomas served employees, students, and community members in many different ways. She began her career as a clerk typist, and after six years she became an accountant. Serving as an accountant for nine years, she was then promoted to executive secretary in 1990 and program support technician in 1995. With her broad scope of experience in all aspects of the department, Thomas became graduate program coordinator for the Department of Physics in 1997. Thomas was involved in many university committees, including the Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies, the Commission on Outreach and International Affairs, and the Intellectual Property Committee. She also co-hosted a weekly event for the International Club, providing a way for international students to connect with one another and share their personal stories.

Retired Graduate Program Coordinator College of Science

During her time at Virginia Tech, Thomas’ contributions to the Department of Physics positively affected the lives of all who knew her. Her efforts spanned the tenures of eight department heads and chairs, and have helped the graduate careers of many students. Her colleagues considered her the “soul” of the department. In addition to her own professional success, Thomas inspired others. She was known for her personal investment in the well-being of her students and demonstrated unwavering compassion toward those who needed her most. For instance, when a student in the graduate program became ill, she became treasurer of a committee whose goal was to raise funds for the student’s expensive treatment. Her personal interest in the lives of every individual has motivated others to continue her legacy, and she continues to serve as a role model to all who were lucky enough to know her.

Message from Alumni Relations S

ince the 1950s, when the Alumni Association created the first faculty excellence awards, Virginia Tech alumni have proudly helped to recognize faculty and staff members whose exceptional performance enhances and contributes to the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three-part mission of learning, discovery, and engagement. I join with our 230,000 living alumni in commending these notable awardees for their hard work and achievements.

Congratulations to our 2013-14 faculty and staff award winners.

Thomas C. Tillar Jr.

Vice President for Alumni Relations

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination or accessibility should contact the Office of Equity and Access.