Mark G. McNamee, senior vice president and provost, appointed seven faculty members to the Academy of Faculty Service, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

The Academy of Faculty Services recognizes a faculty member’s exceptional service to the university beyond their usual responsibility. Instructional, research, administrative, and professional faculty members are eligible for inclusion.

The following individuals received new appointments:

  • W. Samuel Easterling, department head and Montague-Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design in the Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. Easterling has served in a variety of roles for the Faculty Senate, Commission on Faculty Affairs, Board of Visitors, and other governance and service committees and task forces.
  • Kenneth Eriksson, professor of geology in the College of Science. Eriksson has made key contributions and positive impact across the university through his role chairing the Faculty Senate’s Committee on Reconciliation.
  • Richard Hirsh, professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Hirsh has long-standing service and extraordinary contributions to the community and university through his service with the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad.
  • Frances Keene, chief of operations and deputy to the associate vice president in the Division of Student Affairs. Keene demonstrated strong leadership and responsiveness to administrative professional faculty through her service as Chair of the Commission on Administrative and Professional Faculty Affairs.
  • Gary Long, associate professor of chemistry and associate dean for curriculum and instruction in the College of Science. Long has notable activity and contribution to the faculty through his roles in the Faculty Senate, Commission on Faculty Affairs, and the Commission for Outreach and International Affairs.
  • Joseph Merola, professor of chemistry in the College of Science. Merola has a long-standing record of service to the faculty and university through a variety of roles in the Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies, Commission on Faculty Affairs, Faculty Senate, and other task force and service leadership roles.
  • Ann Stevens, professor of biological sciences in the College of Science. Stevens showed exemplary leadership and vision in her service to the Academy of Teaching Excellence in addition to noteworthy service to department and college honorifics committees.

“Each of this year’s appointees have gone above and beyond the requirements of their roles in providing exemplary service to the university and our community,” said McNamee. “This appointment recognizes their outstanding efforts, and will revitalize academy representation for other university service opportunities.”

The University Council revived the Academy of Faculty Service in May 2013, following a long period of inactivity. The academy is structured to parallel the Academies of Teaching Excellence and Outreach Excellence, and members are called upon for representative service to university committees.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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