Timothy Larson honored with emeritus status
Timothy Larson, professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, 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 38 years, Larson made significant contributions to biochemistry through his work in bacterial physiology and genetics, with a recent focus on metabolic pathways involving sulfur. Larson authored or co-authored over 50 refereed journal articles, book chapters, and reviews.
Larson served as principal investigator on National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grants researching bacterial carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. In addition, he served on numerous university, college, and departmental committees. He was a member of the Faculty Senate and served on multiple National Institutes of Health grant review panels.
In the classroom, Larson taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of biochemistry and bacterial gene regulation. For the last 15 years of his career, his teaching focus was on the capstone six-credit course for biochemistry majors, Laboratory Problems in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, having taught the course during 28 semesters and served as course coordinator for 10 years.
Over the course of his career, Larson served as an academic advisor and hosted numerous undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral research associates in his research laboratory, helping them develop successful careers in both academia and industry.
Larson received bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biology from Texas Lutheran University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston.
Written by Anja Hemesath, a student writer for Virginia Tech Marketing and Communications