David Schmale named J.B. Stroobants Professor of Biotechnology
The professorship recognizes Schmale’s research at the intersection of biotechnology, plant disease, atmospheric science, and agricultural biosecurity.
David Schmale, professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been named the J.B. Stroobants Endowed Professor of Biotechnology by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The J.B. Stroobants Professorship was established in 1986 through a generous gift from Alphonese and Maria Stroobants of Bedford County, Virginia, in memory of Alphonese Stroobant’s father, J.B. Stroobants. The endowed funds support a researcher in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences advancing knowledge and discoveries in biotechnology.
During more than two decades in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech, Schmale has pioneered research into how plant pathogens and invasive pests move through the atmosphere — work with implications for food security, agricultural resilience, and biosecurity.
His research brings together autonomous sensing technologies, atmospheric modeling, and biological analysis to better understand and predict the movement of airborne biological threats. His work has helped establish the modern field of pathogen aerobiology and enabled researchers to predict disease outbreaks at regional and continental scales.
Schmale also is nationally recognized for his research on mycotoxins, toxic compounds produced by certain fungi that can contaminate crops and threaten food and feed safety. His research has contributed directly to the development of wheat and barley cultivars and generated economic benefits to agriculture estimated to exceed $100 million.
The Stroobants Professorship also carries a distinctive legacy within Virginia Tech's life sciences. Its previous holders include Tracy Wilkins, a microbiologist who helped build Virginia Tech's biotechnology enterprise; Dennis Dean, an internationally recognized leader in nitrogen fixation research and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus; and the late John McDowell, whose research advanced understanding of the molecular interactions between plants and pathogens. Dean and McDowell were longtime colleagues and mentors to Schmale.
"To follow Tracy, Dennis, and John in holding the Stroobants Professorship is deeply meaningful," Schmale said. "I had the privilege of knowing Dennis and John well, and both had a profound influence on my career and on how I think about science, mentorship, and service. I am grateful for the paths they helped create and honored to carry forward the legacy of this professorship."
Over the course of his career, Schmale has secured more than $26 million in competitive research funding, received major national and international honors, and delivered invited presentations around the world.
Schmale is a two-time Fulbright Scholar. In 2026, he received a Fulbright AUKUS award to advance collaborations in Australia and the United Kingdom focused on atmospheric incursions of invasive plant pathogens. The award follows his 2020 Fulbright in New Zealand, where his research focused on new technologies to sense and respond to harmful algal blooms.
In addition to his research, Schmale is an accomplished educator and mentor. His teaching and advising support experiential learning, inclusive excellence, and global engagement, and his contributions to education have been recognized through induction into Virginia Tech’s Academy of Teaching Excellence.
Beyond his research and teaching, Schmale has contributed to interdisciplinary science and leadership across Virginia Tech. He served as director of the Translational Plant Sciences Center from 2023-26, strengthening a university-wide community that advances fundamental plant science, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and translates discoveries into solutions for sustainable agriculture.
Schmale earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.
