Retired U.S. Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Dwayne R. Edwards to serve as interim commandant
Retired U.S. Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Dwayne R. Edwards, head of Virginia Tech’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering, has been appointed as the interim commandant for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve Virginia Tech and the corps in this leadership role and to play a small part in the tradition of service that is global, ethical, and above all, selfless. I look forward to working with world-class corps staff and to being inspired by the next generation of servant leaders,” said Edwards.
A former enlisted soldier and graduate of the Arkansas Military Academy, Edwards was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Arkansas Army National Guard, serving as an infantry platoon leader, weapons platoon leader, detachment commander and company executive officer prior to transitioning to the U.S. Army Reserve.
In his career in the Army Reserve, he commanded at the company, battalion, brigade, and division levels with staff assignments as battalion operations officer, brigade operations officer, and training command operations officer.
His command assignments include the 362 Psychological Operations Company at Fayetteville, Arkansas; 4/399th of the 100th Division at Fort Knox, Kentucky; and the 7th Brigade of the 80th Division at Salem, Virginia. Upon his promotion to brigadier general, Edwards served as deputy commanding general of the 108th Training Command at Charlotte, North Carolina; commanding general of the 98th Training Division at Rochester, New York, and Fort Moore, Georgia; and deputy commanding general of the 99th Regional Support Command at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
He is also a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command Arms Staff and Services School Course, Psychological Operations Officers Course, Command and General Staff Officers Course, Army War College, and the Army Strategic Leadership Development Program. His awards include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster and Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. He is also an inductee of the Arkansas Military Academy Hall of Fame.
“We are so incredibly fortunate to have Brig. Gen. Edwards stepping into the role of interim commandant,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Frances Keene. “His years of leadership and commitment to excellence at Virginia Tech will guide our cadets during this transitional period.”
Specializing in surface hydrology and water quality, Edwards earned bachelor’s and master's degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Arkansas, a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Oklahoma State University, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College. He served as a tenured researcher and held faculty positions at the University of Arkansas and University of Kentucky and will continue to lead the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, a position he has held since January 2020.
Edwards will serve as the interim commandant until the arrival of U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. William H. Seely III, who has been named the next commandant of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
