James Marchman honored with emeritus status
James F. Marchman III of Blacksburg, Va., professor of aerospace and ocean engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was given the title "professor emeritus" by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board’s quarterly meeting June 12.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members who have given exemplary service to the university and are recommended to the board of visitors by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger. Nominated individuals approved by the board of visitors receive an emeritus certificate from the university.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1968, Marchman has made significant contributions in the fields of aerodynamics and aircraft design as a researcher and as the author and co-author of textbooks and of more than 100 technical papers and conference presentations. He has been active in a number of professional and technical societies, including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society of Engineering Education, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.
During his career at Virginia Tech, Marchman served the College of Engineering as associate dean of engineering for academic affairs and the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering as assistant department head. He has mentored numerous classes of students in the science of aircraft design, and received the university’s 2003 Alumni Award for Excellence in International Programs for directing award-winning design collaborations between Virginia Tech students and engineering students in England, France, and Thailand.
Marchman received his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.
The College of Engineering at Virginia Tech is internationally recognized for its excellence in 14 engineering disciplines and computer science. The college's 5,500 undergraduates benefit from an innovative curriculum that provides a "hands-on, minds-on" approach to engineering education, complementing classroom instruction with two unique design-and-build facilities and a strong Cooperative Education Program. With more than 50 research centers and numerous laboratories, the college offers its 1,800 graduate students opportunities in advanced fields of study such as biomedical engineering, state-of-the-art microelectronics, and nanotechnology.
Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech has grown to become among the largest universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Today, Virginia Tech’s eight colleges are dedicated to putting knowledge to work through teaching, research, and outreach activities and to fulfilling its vision to be among the top research universities in the nation. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs.
