Matthew R. Eatherton, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named the John Montague-Betts Professor in Structural Steel Design by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The Montague-Betts Professorship of Structural Steel Design was endowed by William E. “Ping” Betts Jr., who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architectural engineering from Virginia Tech and co-founded the Montague-Betts Co., a structural steel fabricator. The professorship recognizes teaching and research excellence.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2010, Eatherton is internationally recognized in the field of steel structures and is acknowledged to be one of the leading researchers in the area of seismically resilient and sustainable structural systems. His work has impacted national design codes.

Eatherton has published 86 peer-reviewed papers, books, and book chapters. He has directed or co-directed approximately $6.7 million in externally funded research with a personal share of approximately $3.4 million. The quality of his research has been recognized with the National Science Foundation Early Faculty Career Development (CAREER) award in 2015. He also was selected by the American Institute of Steel Construction with the Milek Faculty Fellowship in 2012 and the Early Career Faculty Award in 2016.

At Virginia Tech, he received the College of Engineering Dean's Award for Outstanding New Assistant Professor in 2013 and College Faculty Fellow in 2016. He currently holds the title of the Raymond G. and Madelyn Ann Curry Faculty Fellow.

Eatherton is a well-respected and sought out graduate advisor, having advised or co-advised to completion eight Ph.D. students and 40 master’s degree students.

A member of the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Building Seismic Safety Council, Eatherton received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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