John Robertson, professor in the Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics department at the College of Engineering, professor of biomedical sciences and pathology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and lecturer at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired faculty members 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 for more than 34 years, Robertson made significant contributions to alleviate human and animal suffering through his work developing novel medical tests and biomedical devices, including a simple test for identifying the presence of cancer using molecular urinalysis, treatments for aggressive malignant brain tumors in dogs and humans, and a system for prolonged preservation of human organs that will be used to treat patients with kidney and liver failure.

He supported the critical biomedical research mission of the university by participating in and generating over $21 million in research funding as principal investigator, co-principal investigator, and co-investigator, which resulted in over 200 publications, a textbook on diseases of horses, eight book chapters, 100 public presentations, and 11 patents held by the university. His efforts in the development and commercialization of medical technologies for treatment of kidney failure and cancer was recognized by the vice president for research with the award as Startup Builder at the time of induction into the National Academy of Inventors in 2022.

In addition, he served as the director of the Center for Comparative Oncology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and as the head of the Faculty Senate Reconciliation Committee.

Robertson served the national and international communities as a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, where his service was recognized with several awards of merit; as the president and secretary-treasurer of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology, as the chairman of two international conferences of the Society of Toxicology Pathology, where his service was recognized by two meritorious service awards. He also served as an advisory council member for the Westie Foundation of America; as a reviewer of scientific grants for the National Institutes of Health; as a consultant on toxicologic pathology for the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Health Canada; and as a peer-reviewer for four international journals.

Robertson held a special recognition award from the American Heart Association, an original research award from the Lyme Disease Foundation, and the Pfizer Research Excellence Award.

In the classroom, he taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses ranging across the medical and biomedical curricula of the College of Engineering, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. In addition, Robertson served as a mentor and advisor for numerous undergraduate research, capstone design, and independent study projects.

Roberston received his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the State University of New York. He received his second master's, Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris, and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Written by Anja Hemesath, a senior and a student writer for Virginia Tech Communications and Marketing

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