Richard O. Claus honored with emeritus status

Richard O. Claus of Eggleston, Va., who holds the Lewis A. Hester Chair of Engineering and has joint appointments in the departments of electrical and computer engineering and materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was conferred with the title of "professor emeritus" by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board's quarterly meeting March 31.

The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members who have given exemplary service to the university and who are specially recommended to the board of visitors by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board of visitors receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1977, Claus was a pioneer in the development of sensing methods and instrumentation systems for the nondestructive characterization of smart materials and structures. He was the first to embed optical fiber sensors in advanced composite materials, allowing the analysis of material synthesis, in-service performance, and degradation properties.

Claus has served as the principal investigator on more than 700 separate research programs totaling more than $50 million. In addition, more than 20 spin-off companies have been created as a result of his work with students in Virginia Tech’s Fiber and Electro-Optics Research Center.

During his career at the university Claus received numerous honors, including the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Research Excellence and the Sporn Award for Teaching Excellence. He also received the State Council of higher Education of Virginia Teaching Award, the Optical Engineering Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist Award, and additional honors from the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Before his appointment to the Hester Chair, Claus held the Willis G. Worcester Professorship of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. He received his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University.

The College of Engineering at Virginia Tech is internationally recognized for its excellence in 14 engineering disciplines and computer science. The college's 5,700 undergraduates benefit from an innovative curriculum that provides a "hands-on, minds-on" approach to engineering education, complementing classroom instruction with two unique design-and-build facilities and a strong Cooperative Education Program. With more than 50 research centers and numerous laboratories, the college offers its 1,800 graduate students opportunities in advanced fields of study such as biomedical engineering, state-of-the-art microelectronics, and nanotechnology. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.