Richard Oderwald honored with emeritus status
Richard Oderwald, professor of forest biometrics and associate dean of academic programs in the College of Natural Resources and Environment 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 1975, Oderwald made significant contributions to the understanding of forest biometrics through his work in forest inventory and sampling. He was a frequent reviewer for national and international journals.
He taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses ranging across the forestry and natural resources curricula, placing strong emphasis on standards and student learning. He advised numerous students on master’s and doctoral dissertations and helped them develop successful careers in both academic and industrial settings.
Oderwald, who is a popular instructor with the students, continues to teach the college's Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources course in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. He is also developing an online course on statistics for forest inventory and point sampling.
He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
