J. Wallace 'Wally' Grant honored with emeritus status
J. Wallace "Wally" Grant, Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow and professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering, has been conferred the “Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics” title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members who are specially recommended to the board of visitors by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board of visitors receive an emeritus certificate from the university.
A member of the university community for 31 years, Grant was instrumental in developing a biomedical engineering education, research, and outreach program and was a key individual involved in establishing the School of Biomedical Engineering, serving in the roles of director and later department head until 2009. The school graduated its first class in 2006 with three Ph.D. and three master’s degree students.
Reflecting upon the school’s growth during Grant’s leadership, a five-year review in 2008 noted that the school had seven faculty members and had graduated 10 doctoral and 10 master’s degree students that year. Research awards had grown to $6.5 million.
During his tenure, Grant obtained several million in biomechanics funding from the National Institutes of Health and mentored numerous students by using those funds.
Grant was a dedicated teacher of a wide range of courses, from freshman to advanced graduate level, twice receiving a Certificate of Teaching Excellence from the college as well as the Frank J. Maher Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. He was appointed the first Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow in 2010.
He received his bachelor’s degree from the West Virginia Institute of Technology, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Tulane University.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
