Alumni Awards for Excellence in Research

Established in 1975 by the Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Research Excellence goes to outstanding members of the research faculty. It is presented annually to up to two Virginia Tech faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in the area of research. Awards are made in two categories: science or engineering and social sciences, humanities, or arts with one award in each category and no more than one awardee from a single major unit (college or institute). Alumni, students, faculty, and staff may nominate candidates for the award. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize. The award, created to recognize outstanding contributions outside the classroom, was presented for the first time in 1976.

2023: Mehdi Ahmadian, Ralph Bueller
2022: Brett Jones, Maury Nussbaum
2021: Kevin Boyle, Amy Pruden
2020: Martha Ann Bell, Rafael Davalos
2019: Carol Mullen, Leo Piilonen
2018: Wenjing Lou, Billie Lepczyk
2017: Liwu Li, Janell Watson
2016: Joyce Arditti, Kathy Lu
2015: France Belanger, William Hopkins
2014: Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, Shashank Priya
2013: Jeffrey Walters, Joseph Pitt
2012: Stephen Prince, T. Daniel Crawford
2011: J. Riffle, N. Ramakrishnan
2010: T. Long, S. Xiao
2009: Roger Ekirch, Brett Tyler
2008: S. Ted Oyama, Xiang-Jin Meng
2007: Toni Calasanti, Dwight Viehland
2006: Harry Dorn, Karen Roberto, Marc Edwards
2005: Michael F. Hochella Jr., Michael W. Hyer
2004: Harry W. Gibson, Romesh C. Batra
2003: Diana Farkas, David Lindsay
2002: John G. Casali, Malcolm Potts
2001: Scott Geller, Daniel Inman
2000: R. Michael Akers, Layne T. Watson
1999: Richard A. Winett, Neal Castagnoli Jr.
1998: Seshu B. Desu, Joseph A. Schetz
1997: Joseph A. Ball, Christopher R. Fuller
1996: Theodore S. Rappaport, Hanif D. Sherali
1995: Frank C. Gwazdauskas, William H. Velander
1994: Richard O. Claus, Young-tsu Wong
1993: James E. McGrath, Michael Renardy
1992: Raphael T. Haftka, John J. Tyson
1991: Donald G. Baird, Robert J. Bodnar
1990: Richard A. Arndt, Fred C. Lee
1989: Daniel Post, Garth L. Wilkes
1988: Halbert F. Brinson, Harold E. Burkhart
1987: E. T. Kornegay, Raymond H. Plaut
1986: Joseph P. Fontenot, Loke T. Kok
1985: Frank S. Quinn, J. N. Reddy
1984: William S. Saric
1983: Mary H. Ross
1982: Kenneth L. Reifsnider
1981: Leonard Meirovitch
1980: Luke W. Mo
1979: Walter E. C. Moore
1978: Donald G. Cochran
1977: C. William Smith
1976: Charles H. Domermuth Jr., Clifton S. Douglass Jr., Robert T. DuBose, Walter B. Goss