John Lee honored with emeritus status

11 Oct 2010

John Lee, professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine 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 1981, Lee contributed to research in the neural and hormonal control of cardiovascular and respiratory functions, with research funding support in excess of $3.5 million from sources including the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He wrote more than 85 peer-reviewed journal publications and 80 peer-reviewed abstracts or conference papers and was elected or appointed to 57 commissions, committees, and advisory groups.

In addition, Lee established the college’s graduate/resident program, developed an innovative graduate training curriculum, initiated the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) student summer fellowship training program, incorporated the clinical correlation to the DVM physiology course, and eliminated the use of animals in all physiology labs.

He also served as the college’s interim associate dean for research and graduate studies, associate head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, head of the graduate program of veterinary medical sciences, director of Southgate research laboratories, and chairman of the veterinary medical experimental station board.

Lee has received many honors and awards for teaching, research, and outreach excellence, including the college’s Teaching Excellence Award, the college’s Best Teacher of the Year Award, the Beechem Research Excellence Award, a Certificate of Teaching Excellence, induction into the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence, the college’s Research Technicians and Staff Association Certificate of Appreciation, the Southern States Association Agricultural Experiment Station Directors’ Certificate of Service Award, the Montgomery County American Heart Association’s Distinguished Service Award, the Virginia Affiliate of the American Heart Association’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Friend of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association Award.

Lee received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.