Michael Denbow honored with emeritus status
Michael Denbow, professor of animal and poultry 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 1979, Denbow was involved in research emphasizing the neurochemical control of food intake in chickens, emphasizing how selection for body weight alters the neurochemical mechanisms within the central nervous system. His work has helped researchers understand how long-term selection for either high or low body weight has altered the neurochemical mechanisms within the brain controlling intake.
Over his career, Denbow has published more than 230 peer-reviewed papers.
In addition to his research, Denbow was heavily involved in the department’s teaching program, having served for 10 years as the program director responsible for the undergraduate teaching program. He taught a variety of courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Science, and the Honors Program (now the Honors College).
His outstanding teaching has been recognized with the Purina Mills Award for Teaching Excellence in 1996, Virginia Tech’s William E. Wine Award for Teaching Excellence in 2003, and a Teaching Award of Merit from the National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture in 2004.
A member of the Poultry Science Association, Denbow received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Maryland and his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.
