George W. Crofts honored with emeritus status
George W. Crofts of Blacksburg, Va., senior associate dean and associate professor of mathematics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, was conferred with the title "senior associate dean emeritus" by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board’s quarterly meeting March 27.
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 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 1970, Crofts played a significant role for his work in establishing the core curriculum for the (former) College of Arts and Sciences which eventually evolved into the university core curriculum. He also made significant contributions on the college and university’s undergraduate curriculum committees. During his years of service in the College of Arts and Sciences, Crofts acquired a solid understanding of college financial management and applied his expertise to the formation of the new College of Science in 2004.
During his years in the Department of Mathematics, Crofts distinguished himself as an outstanding researcher and highly regarded teacher, conducting a wide range of courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. He was the recipient of several teaching-learning grants, including those from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation.
Crofts received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a Ph.D. from Tulane University.
The College of Science at Virginia Tech gives students a comprehensive foundation in the scientific method. Outstanding faculty members teach courses and conduct research in biology, chemistry, economics, geosciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and statistics. The college is dedicated to fostering a research intensive environment and offers programs in nano-scale and biological sciences, information theory and science, and supports research centers—in areas such as biomedical and public health sciences, and critical technology and applied science—that encompass other colleges at the university. The College of Science also houses programs in pre-medicine and scientific law.
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.
