Charles Hagedorn, professor of crop and soil environmental sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the university community since 1986, Hagedorn made significant contributions to the management of fecal bacteria and viruses in waste treatment and land-based application systems, on the impacts of environmental release of genetically modified microorganisms, and to determining sources of fecal pollution in contaminated water.

He led more than 40 research projects in Virginia, 16 in other states and the District of Columbia, as well as others in Puerto Rico, Canada, Egypt, Spain, Tanzania, and China.

For his work, Hagedorn received distinguished service awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Society for Microbiology, the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, and the Maryland Biotechnology Institute.

Support for his environmental microbiology research program included 78 state, private, and federal competitive research grants totaling more than $5 million.

He was the co-editor of two books and published 142 peer-reviewed journal articles; 18 invited review articles; 10 invited book chapters; 82 invited presentations at international, national, and state conferences; 12 peer-reviewed bulletins; and 142 abstracts and presentation papers.

Hagedorn taught environmental microbiology for more than 25 years. Fourteen Ph.D. and 22 master’s degree students completed their degrees under his direction and more than 80 undergraduate students worked in his laboratory to gain an out-of-the-classroom experience.

Hagedorn received his bachelor's degree from Kansas State University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

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