Royce Zia honored with emeritus status
Royce K.P. Zia, professor of physics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the "professor emeritus" title 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 1976, Zia contributed significantly to the understanding of physics through a lifetime of original and internationally recognized scholarly research, which resulted in approximately 200 articles in professional journals and reviews, book chapters, and one book. He served on the editorial board of several prestigious journals and as a reviewer for numerous American and international journals and funding agencies.
He served as the chair of the Department of Physics from 2004 to 2006. As director the department’s off campus programs, he led two successful physics graduate programs — one at the Naval Surface Warfare Center and one at the university’s Northern Virginia Center.
Zia received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
