Dr. Nathaniel A. White II, professor of large animal clinical sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine 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 and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members who are specially recommended to the board of visitors by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger. 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 1985, White was the Theodora Ayer Randolph Professor of Surgery from 1987 to 2003 and the Jean Ellen Shehan Professor and director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center from 2003 to 2012.

A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, White has made significant contributions to the understanding of colic and orthopedic disorders in horses through his work in equine surgery focusing on diagnosis, surgical correction, and post-operative management of these debilitating disorders. His research has expanded knowledge in the areas of ischemia-reperfusion injury, epidemiology of colic, abdominal and orthopedic surgery, and treatment of orthopedic diseases.

White has authored several books on these topics, including Equine Acute Abdomen and Handbook of Equine Colic. He was a senior editor for the surgical texts Current Techniques in Equine Surgery and Lameness, and Current Practice of Equine Surgery.

White has supported the broader veterinary community through his role as a director of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Symposium since 1997. He also is a past president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Research and Education Foundation. He is the former director-at-large and past president for the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

White received his bachelor’s degree and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Kansas State University.

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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