Peter Eyre honored with emeritus status
Peter Eyre, professor and former dean of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, was conferred with the title, "professor and dean emeritus" by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board's quarterly meeting March 26.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members who have given exemplary service to the university and 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 Virginia Tech community since 1985, Eyre served as the dean of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine for 18 years. Through his leadership, he advanced the college’s missions of education, biomedical research, and outreach to the broader community.
As a biomedical researcher, Eyre was responsible for the acquisition and completion of more than $1.2 million in sponsored grants and contracts. He wrote 350 scientific publications, including more than 200 in refereed journals. He received numerous honors and award for his accomplishments, including the Norden Award for Distinguished Teaching in Veterinary Medicine, the Sigma Psi Award for Distinguished Research, and the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate Joint Resolution for Distinguished Service to the Commonwealth.
Eyre served on the board of directors and as president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). He also served on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Government Relations, and provided leadership for many other professional associations.
Eyre has been honored for outstanding leadership by the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, and the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. He spoke frequently at professional veterinary association meetings and universities around the nation concerning curricular reforms designed to promote the veterinary profession’s economic well-being.
After earning the BVMS degree and the MRCVS diploma in veterinary medicine, Eyre earned B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in pharmacology, all from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) is a two-state, three-campus professional school operated by the land-grant universities of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and the University of Maryland at College Park. Its flagship facilities, based at Virginia Tech, include the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which treats more than 40,000 animals annually. Other campuses include the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., and the Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center at College Park, home of the Center for Government and Corporate Veterinary Medicine. The VMRCVM annually enrolls approximately 500 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and graduate students, is a leading biomedical and clinical research center, and provides professional continuing education services for veterinarians practicing throughout the two states.
