X.J. Meng named second vice president of Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Andrew Mann

9 Jul 2025

X.J. Meng (at left) working with members in his lab. — X.J. Meng (at left) works with members in his lab. Photo by Andrew Mann for Virginia Tech.

X.J. Meng doesn't just study emerging viruses. He develops effective preventive and control measures to stop them.

Outside the research lab, Meng’s career epitomizes Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), in serving Virginia Tech as well as his profession at commonwealth, national, and international levels.

The University Distinguished Professor and National Academy of Sciences member in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine has spent decades turning laboratory discoveries into life-saving solutions, such as the invention of the first U.S. Department of Agriculture fully licensed commercial vaccine that's still on the global market today protecting animals against a deadly pig virus worldwide.

Now, Virginia's scientific community has named Meng second vice president of the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM), the commonwealth's most influential scientific advisory organization.

Founded in 2013 at U.S. Sen. Mark Warner's urging, the academy brings together more than 140 distinguished scientists, engineers, and health care professionals, including more than 120 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine from Virginia, to tackle the commonwealth's biggest challenges, such as pandemic preparedness, climate resilience, energy transitions, and semiconductor supply chains.

Its recent work includes data center technology assessments for Loudoun County and comprehensive coastal climate resilience studies.

"This appointment reflects Dr. Meng's remarkable leadership in the scientific community and his commitment to translating research into real-world solutions that benefit society," said Cyril Clarke, executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech.

Meng has served on the academy’s board of directors since 2016. He joins a leadership team that includes President Alfred Grasso, former CEO of MITRE Corporation; First Vice President David Roop, a Virginia Tech alumnus, energy expert, and former Dominion Energy executive; and Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer West, dean of the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science.

From lab to global policy

Meng's appointment builds on a career defined by solving problems that matter. As holder of more than 20 U.S. patents and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors since 2014, he's proven that basic scientific research can translate into tangible products that change lives, grow the economy, and benefit society.

Meng currently chairs the National Academy of Sciences’ Discipline in Veterinary and Wildlife Sciences and Health and serves on the Joint World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Expert Panel on Microbiological Risk Assessment of Viruses in Foods.

He also served on the World Health Organization's Pathogen Prioritization Advisory Committee in 2024, where he chaired a subcommittee identifying pandemic threats, and was an invited participant in a White House Roundtable on Emerging Technologies for Preventing Health Emergencies in 2024.

"Dr. Meng's research expertise in emerging infectious diseases and his track record of developing practical solutions to global health challenges make him an invaluable addition to VASEM's leadership," said M. Daniel Givens, dean of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

A lifetime of service

Since joining Virginia Tech in 1999 from the National Institutes of Health, Meng has combined groundbreaking research with institutional leadership, including the founding director of the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, interim executive director of the Fralin Life Science Institute, a member of the board of directors of Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc., and director of the Virginia Tech Post-DVM T32 Graduate Training Program.

Meng also has dedicated tremendous amounts of his time serving his profession outside the university. He served as a standing member on three National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections, chaired a NIH special emphasis panel, chaired an Agricultural Research Service animal health national program panel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and served as a rapporteur on a European Union research panel.

Meng currently serves as editor-in-chief or editor for four international journals.

Meng's appointment comes as Virginia positions itself as a leader in biotechnology, semiconductor manufacturing, and renewable energy — all areas where Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine's scientific guidance proves invaluable. His expertise in health and biomedical sciences and pandemic preparedness addresses critical state and national priorities.

Meng has received many prestigious honors and awards, including an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016, an elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2012, an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2021, recipient of the NIH MERIT Award in 2024, recipient of outstanding faculty award from State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in 2017, and recipient of the Virginia Tech Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation in 2023.

“It’s an honor and privilege to serve and contribute to the important mission of VASEM in providing sound scientific, analytical and technical support to inform policy critical to the Commonwealth,” said Meng, who is also a professor of internal medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.