From the Dean

Greetings, College of Science alumni, friends, and families.

It’s tremendously exciting to be reaching out to you in our annual magazine, which goes to 37,000 of our alumni and friends both in print and online. As I write this, I’ve only been dean of the College of Science for a few weeks, and I’m delighted to be witnessing firsthand all the great things I learned throughout the interview process.

I am energized to see that the College of Science is on an upward trajectory and in great shape to continue to shine. I’m grateful for the groundwork that interim dean Ron Fricker, former dean Sally C. Morton, and, going back to the beginning of this college, Lay Nam Chang did to put us on such solid footing.

A dean could achieve nothing without a great team. Even at this early stage, I’ve engaged with dedicated alumni, fantastic faculty, committed staff, and wonderfully driven students. This is a strong and growing college, and I’m honored to be part of it.

In the pages that follow, you can read about our recent successes, as well as research we have just initiated aimed at finding answers to major issues that plague our community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the country, and world.

While that can seem like a platitude, take a look: We’re working on things like substance abuse disorder in Appalachia, pollution in our coastal waters, unique trauma and stressors in rural Black communities, and developing batteries that last longer and are more environmentally friendly.

With the College of Science doing such great work, my first goal — to paraphrase the Hippocratic Oath — is to not get in the way of the momentum. My strategy is to let great people do great things and help where I can. I am excited to knock down barriers in support of faculty and to help faculty support our students’ ambitions.

A rock-solid scientific foundation helped propel Virginia Tech during its first century and a half to become the great university that it is today. Scientific excellence will drive the College of Science and University to greater heights in our next 150 years. 

It’s thrilling to have a devoted group of alumni and friends such as yourselves supporting us along the way.