Diana Farkas, professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emerita 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 in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1982, Farkas has an international reputation for pioneering work in computational materials science with a focus on intermetallic alloys and nano-crystalline materials. She has published more than 235 papers and co-organized 14 symposia in her field of scholarship.

Farkas has been honored with Fellow status in the American Society for Metals, the Materials Research Society, and the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. She has also served as program director in the Division of Materials Research at the National Science Foundation and has been a visiting scientist or visiting professor at numerous universities, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and abroad.

In addition, Farkas played a significant role in Virginia Tech’s Computer-Activated Virtual Environment (CAVE) facility that brought great visibility to the university. She has also advised and mentored numerous graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, most of whom have gone on to positions in industry, academia, and national laboratories.

Farkas has been recognized with many honors and awards, including the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Excellence in Research, a College of Engineering Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research, a Fulbright Scholar Award, a Faculty Award for Women from the National Science Foundation, and a Jefferson Science Fellowship.

Farkas received her bachelor's degree from the Physics Institute at Bariloche (Argentina) and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware.

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