Thomas Fox honored with emeritus status
Thomas Fox, former professor of forestry in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of the Honorable Garland Gray Professor Emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.
A member of the Virginia Tech community from 2000 to 2017, Fox made significant contributions to the field of forestry through his work in forest soils and silviculture that focused on intensive plantation management. He authored or co-authored more than 110 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and was principal or co-principal investigator on research grants exceeding $38 million.
Fox brought national and international notoriety to Virginia Tech by serving as co-director of the Forest Productivity Cooperative, a university, agency, and industry partnership with more than 50 members across the United States and Latin America. He also served as the Virginia Tech site director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for Advanced Forestry Systems from July 2007 to July 2017.
Fox received numerous honors and awards throughout his career, including the USDA National Partnership Award for Research and Extension in 2016 and the Society of American Foresters Barrington Moore Award in 2013. He was named a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters both in 2012.
He held the Honorable Garland Gray Professorship of Forestry in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation from 2014 to 2017.
In the classroom, Fox taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in forest soils, silviculture, sustainable forest management, and forestry field skills. He advised numerous students on master’s theses and doctoral dissertations and helped them develop successful careers in both academic and professional settings.
In 2017, Fox was named vice president of forest productivity and sustainability for Rayonier Inc.
Fox received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, his master’s from Virginia Tech, and his doctorate from the University of Florida.
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