Terry Rakes honored with emeritus status
Terry Rakes, the William C. and Alix C. Houchens Professor of Business Information Technology in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of William C. and Alix C. Houchens Professor Emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1986, Rakes has made significant contributions in the fields of management science and information technology, writing more than 40 research articles in his career and being named a fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute.
Rakes has served as president of the National and Southeast Region of the Decision Sciences Institute and president of the Southeastern Chapter of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences. He was the recipient of each organization’s distinguished service award.
In the classroom, Rakes taught 28 different courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The quality of his teaching has been recognized by the university’s William E. Wine Award, the Pamplin College of Business Certificate of Teaching Excellence, the university’s Certificate of Teaching Excellence, the Pamplin College of Business Ph.D. Teaching Award, and the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council University Outstanding Professor Award. He was a member of the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence.
Rakes was an advisor to several graduate students in the Department of Business Information Technology and university during his career, including service as chair of seven Ph.D. dissertation committees, membership on 32 Ph.D. committees, and chair of five master’s degree thesis committees.
Rakes received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.
