Fritz Oehlschlaeger honored with emeritus status
Fritz Oehlschlaeger, professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of “professor emeritus” by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board of visitors by Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands. 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 1978, Oehlschlaeger made significant contributions to the understanding of American literature, not only by publishing in his original field of transcendentalism, but also by writing on a variety of figures and periods ranging from the late 18th century to the present.
He worked diligently to become an interdisciplinary scholar concerned with bringing into conversation the fields of literary criticism, philosophical ethics, bioethics, and Christian theology. As a result, Oehlschlaeger wrote three books, co-authored a fourth, edited or co-edited three others, and published more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
As a teacher, Oehlschlaeger taught, advised, and mentored undergraduates at every stage of their course of study. He developed and taught well over 30 different courses during his career.
He received several college and university awards for teaching excellence, including a Certificate of Teaching Excellence, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Professor of the Year Award, and the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence.
Oehlschlaeger frequently taught in the graduate program in the Department of English as well, directing several capstone Master of Arts degree thesis or independent studies, participating as a reader on many others, and encouraging the efforts of many other students.
Oehlschlaeger received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
