Michael Mulhare recognized for service and leadership during Virginia Tech’s COVID-19 response

Michael Mulhare, assistant vice president for emergency management at Virginia Tech, has received special recognition for his leadership and service to the university during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Tim Sands presented Mulhare with a Presidential Commendation for Exceptional Service during a meeting of the President’s Council on Nov. 10.

For the past 20 months, Mulhare has been at the forefront of the university’s response to the virus, serving as Virginia Tech’s COVID director, leader of the Incident Management Team, and advisor to President Sands and his leadership team.

“Managing our COVID response has been Mike’s full-time job for more than a year, in addition to his other emergency management responsibilities, and we deeply appreciate his dedication,” Sands said. “His unique knowledge and insight has been invaluable to the university and the surrounding community during our response to the pandemic.”

Mulhare has spent hundreds of hours engaging with campus leaders, constituent groups, and stakeholders; collaborating with COVID directors from other institutions in Virginia and across the country, and partnering with local and regional agencies.

“Mike’s commitment to service and dedication to our students, faculty, and staff is extraordinary,” Sands added. “Virginia Tech is fortunate to have someone of Mike’s caliber as a key member of our leadership team.”

Mulhare will continue serving as the university’s COVID director as Virginia Tech progresses through the recovery phase of the pandemic.

Prior to being named Virginia Tech's first director of emergency management in 2008, Mulhare served as chief of the Office of Emergency Response and the emergency response administrator for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. In 2014, under his leadership, Virginia Tech became the first college or university in the country to receive accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program, an independent nonprofit organization that has established rigorous national standards for emergency planning. In 2016, he was named assistant vice president for emergency management.

Mulhare and his wife have three children, two of whom have graduated from Virginia Tech. He received his bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's College (Maine) and a master's degree from the University of Rhode Island.