A group of alumni, in conjunction with the College of Engineering, has awarded its fifth and final $10,000 prize to Virginia Tech’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering for improving its Ph.D. program during the past year.

“This year’s award for improving its Ph.D. program reflects a 47 percent increase in one year. This follows last year’s recipient, the computer science department, which increased its Ph.D. enrollment by more than 50 percent in one year. As we make these awards, we feel that a significant change is occurring in the way the departments are recruiting Ph.D. students. We are very pleased to see the increases,” said Hyde Tucker, a 1956 electrical engineering alumnus and retired CEO and president of Bell Atlantic Corporation.

In its plans for continued improvement of its Ph.D. enrollment, biological systems engineering has established several programs. For several years the biological systems engineering department participated in the summer NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates. This program is designed to develop students’ interest in research careers. It also has a formal undergraduate research fellowship program to enhance student interest in graduate studies. In 2006 they established a weekend program for undergraduates to learn about their graduate program. Biological systems engineering is actively recruiting domestic undergraduates through emphasis on undergraduate research programs. And it created a program to directly admit outstanding undergraduates to its Ph.D. program.

“The BSE Department is very appreciative of the financial support being provided by members of the College’s Committee of 100. We continue to place strong emphasis on the recruitment of high-quality Ph.D. students to our programs. We intend to use the $10,000 provided by the Board to aid in the recruitment of new Ph.D. students for next fall,” said Saied Mostaghimi, department head.

The alumni who contributed to the award are members of the College’s Committee of 100 and some were also members of the college’s marketing committee formed by former Dean F. William Stephenson in 2000. This committee formed a subcommittee to investigate how to improve the number of doctoral students in the college. Tucker chaired the marketing committee and Larry Marshall, senior research fellow at E. I. DuPont, headed the Ph.D. subcommittee. Marshall earned a Ph.D. in engineering science and mechanics from Virginia Tech in 1974.

“The members of the Committee of 100 are active participants in advancing the progress of the College and providing for its needs. In creating this award, they recognized the severe competition among engineering schools for high quality graduate students and the importance of increasing our number of Ph.D. enrollees. The College is most grateful to Hyde Tucker and to Larry Marshall who led the effort. We are, indeed, fortunate to have alumni who show such dedication and loyalty. The motto Ut Prosim is well illustrated by their work,” said Richard Benson, dean of engineering.

In addition to Tucker and Marshall, the following alumni contributed to the award: Mary Berry of Oakton, Va., Jerry Ballengee of Roanoke, Va., John DeBell of Catharpin, Va., Jim George of Austin, Texas, John Rocovich of Roanoke, Va., Tom Robertson of Charlotte, N.C., and Ed Tiedemann of Concord, Ma.

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