Thomas J. Grizzard, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of “professor emeritus” by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board of visitors by Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands. 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 1974, Grizzard has been the director of the Occoquan Laboratory in Manassas, Virginia, throughout his 40-year career. His teaching, research, and outreach have contributed to the sustainability of the urban landscapes in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.

Grizzard has received external research funding totaling more than $40 million, with a personal share of almost $30 million. His research has made substantial contributions to the body of knowledge on the urban water cycle relating to the potable reuse of reclaimed wastewater, the management of drinking water impoundments, and the characterization and control of urban stormwater.

In the early 1980’s, Grizzard helped introduce graduate education in civil and environmental engineering to the National Capital Region. Over the course of his career, he taught more than 1,000 students in environmental engineering and science. He also advised more than 200 master’s degree and Ph.D. students.

Grizzard has been the longest-serving member of the College of Engineering faculty in the National Capital Region, and he served as the director for civil and environmental engineering graduate programs in the National Capital Region for nearly 25 years

Grizzard received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.

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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