2024 Awards and Appointments
Hall of Distinction
In 2024, the College of Science welcomed two new members to its Hall of Distinction. Hall of Distinction members represent an array of professionals, including scientists, doctors, policy makers, and business leaders. They are graduates and supporters of Virginia Tech who exemplify traits such as loyalty, trust, leadership, integrity, talent, dedication, and enthusiasm. With an insatiable thirst for learning, scientific exploration, and discovery, they embody the university’s spirit of Ut Prosim, or That I May Serve.
The Hall of Distinction honors alumni and friends of the college who have achieved excellence in their professional careers and have shown remarkable service and philanthropy to civic groups and the university, including the College of Science. Hall of Distinction members truly embody the values that have shaped Virginia Tech’s legacy for more than 150 years.
David Armistead earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Virginia Tech in 1977 and 1979, respectively. Subsequently, he pursued a doctorate degree in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of South Carolina, followed by a prestigious National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship at Yale University.
Armistead's career, spanning 35 years, has been marked by significant contributions in drug discovery, business development, and corporate strategy. Beginning his journey in medicinal chemistry at Merck and Co. in 1986, he co-founded Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 1989, pioneering structure-based drug discovery. Later, he played crucial roles in cofounding Kinetix Pharmaceuticals, focusing on selective kinase inhibitors, and CGI Pharmaceuticals, later acquired by Gilead Sciences. Joining Third Rock Ventures in 2006, he co-founded Blueprint Medicines, dedicated to revolutionizing cancer treatment through genomic subsets.
Beyond his professional achievements, Armistead holds over 70 U.S. patents and serves on various biotech companies’ Scientific Advisory Boards. He is also a member of the External Advisory Board for the Virginia Tech Center of Drug Discovery (VTCDD). Alongside his wife, Armistead generously supports the Armistead/ Stansfield Endowed Scholarship Fund, aiding undergraduate students from underrepresented populations in Southwest Virginia. They have also established the David and Sharon Armistead Endowed Professorship at Virginia Tech, supporting interdisciplinary life sciences research associated with VTCDD. Together, they also support the Beyond Boundaries Scholars Program and are members of the university’s Legacy Society and 1872 Society.
Scott Keeney, hailing from New York City, earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Virginia Tech in 1987. He pursued further education, obtaining a doctorate degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1993, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry at Harvard University.
Recognized as a distinguished geneticist and molecular biologist, Keeney is renowned for his groundbreaking work on homologous recombination during meiosis. His notable discovery of Spo11 as the protein responsible for making the DNA double-strand breaks that are essential for recombination initiation has significantly contributed to understanding genome integrity during sexual reproduction.
Since 1997, Keeney has served as a faculty member in the Molecular Biology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, alongside his role as an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 2008. He leads a dynamic research lab dedicated to unraveling the intricacies of chromosomal recombination during the meiotic cell division. Using yeast and mice as model organisms, he and his team investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation and repair of double-stranded DNA breaks, crucial for genetic information exchange between homologous chromosomes. By identifying these fundamental mechanisms, Keeney aims to shed light on the failures in recombination observed in conditions such as Down syndrome and certain cancers.
Keeney is a member of the American Academy of Microbiology, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences.
new roundtable members
The Virginia Tech College of Science Roundtable Advisory Board is a group of key volunteers consisting of alumni and friends of the College. This group serves at the discretion of the Dean and, through the knowledge and experiences of its members, helps support key priorities across the college.
Members apply their knowledge, experience, expertise, influence, and financial support for the Dean, faculty, staff, researchers, and students in achieving and promoting the programs, goals, and objectives of the college and the university at large. Areas of activity fall under advice, access, and advocacy.
LORRAINE FEURY
What was your favorite class at Virginia Tech, and what did you like about it?
World History in Burruss Hall. This class taught me the importance of storytelling and how any hero can be viewed as a villain in someone else's story.
How did your field of study here affect your career path?
I earned B.S. degrees in mathematics and sociology. I was paving my foundation for data science before I knew its name. These degrees drive my passion of helping people become more aware of the different ways analytics is already a part of their day-to-day life.
What made you decide to give back to the college/university by joining the Roundtable?
Your network is your net worth. The activities, memories, and accomplishments across academics and student groups happened due to the amazing faculty and staff that helped me out. I want to give back to encourage the next generation of Hokies that Ut Prosim is a motto we all live by and by and to extend our service to our communities.
TED KING
How did your field of study here affect your career path?
After finishing my degrees at Virginia Tech, I interned in a fiscal management program for two years at the Atomic Energy Commission in the Washington, D.C. area. I then decided to attend law school at the University of Virginia. Over the next 40 years, I was a practicing attorney with a major corporate law firm in Baltimore and then served behind the scenes as legislative counsel and policy analyst with the Maryland General Assembly. ln each of these endeavors, the critical thinking skills, attention to detail, and ability to analyze multiple sides of an issue — all of which were part of my educational journey at Virginia Tech — positioned me for a successful and enjoyable career.
What made you decide to give back to the college/university by joining the Roundtable?
I am very cognizant of what an enormous benefit I received from the educational experience I received and how it positioned me for success in life. Being in the position to "give back" and to help others very much appeals to me. It is my hope that they too will then express their gratitude for the doors that Virginia Tech opens for them and will be moved also to "give back" — both to Virginia Tech and to society at large.
Did you have a research experience here that was meaningful to you?
In the early 1970s there was a lively debate ongoing in the Blacksburg area about whether the town should break away from Montgomery County and become a separate independent city so that it could better align its political, governmental, and economic interests with the preferences of the town, particularly with regard to funding for the local schools. Professor Charles Goetz, the advisor for my master's degree economics thesis, was affiliated with the Center for the Study of Public Choice and had a strong interest in local government policy. Since I also had a keen interest in this subject, we settled on a study to define and analyze "Some Economic Implications of City Status for Blacksburg, VA".
ASHLEY FLORA
What was your favorite class at Virginia Tech, and what did you like about it?
Pathogenic bacteriology, Dr. Melville. This class steered my career into becoming a medical laboratory scientist and eventually to my first job working in a microbiology lab in a hospital.
What made you decide to give back to the college/university by joining the Roundtable?
I love Virginia Tech. I moved from upstate New York to attend Virginia Tech, and I have never left the area. This is home. I want to continue to support the college and engage with College of Science students, especially those interested in compliance or medical laboratory science.
Did you have a research experience here that was meaningful to you?
I did my undergraduate research in human nutrition, performing many simple laboratory tasks such as making solvents, washing glassware and running the autoclave. But my favorite was running PCR gels on diabetic mice. My undergraduate research experience absolutely prepared me for my career. Some of my favorite memories at Virginia
ROBERT GARNETT
What was your favorite class at Virginia Tech, and what did you like about it?
Seminar in Global Political Economy, taught by Scott Nelson. It was a small format, which allowed for intimate dialogue on current and historical issues driven at their heart by political economy. The work was challenging, but incredibly rewarding, and now looking back about 20 years, still highly relevant given current social, political, and economic conflicts in the Middle East and Europe.
How did your field of study here affect your career path?
Political science established an analytic rigor that has been the foundation supporting much of my professional contributions in my career. While I later added an MBA from William & Mary, I find my draw on analytical reasoning to be a common thread I pull on more than anything else. My undergraduate studies established and fed a continual curiosity in understanding the drivers of change, problem solving, and strong communication skills.
What made you decide to give back to the college/university by joining the Roundtable?
Giving back to a university that has given me so much has always been an objective of mine. The opportunity to give back to the College of Science via the Roundtable gives me immense pride and joy in supporting the dean and the college’s staff in executing on their vision. I couldn’t be more excited about the direction they are leading and to be a part of the process. I am adamant that Virginia Tech represents one of the best educational values in the country and supporting the school’s ability to deepen this value and broaden awareness is tremendously exciting.