Mary Leigh Wolfe honored with emerita status
Mary Leigh Wolfe, professor and former head of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emerita by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The emerita 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 since 1992, Wolfe brought international attention to Virginia Tech through her work in nonpoint source pollution, the food-energy-water nexus, and engineering education. She has authored or co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, and reports.
While also serving as co-editor, Wolfe co-led an international team of authors to publish "Introduction to Biosystems Engineering," an open textbook representing the first partnership between Virginia Tech Publishing and the international Open Education Network Partnership Cooperative. She has held numerous leadership positions in professional organizations, including president of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and president of ABET (accrediting organization of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology).
In the classroom, Wolfe has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses and directed both master’s degree and Ph.D. students.
Wolfe has received several professional honors and awards, including fellow member of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), fellow member of ABET, member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and recipient of the ASABE Massey-Ferguson Educational Gold Medal.
Wolfe received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering from Virginia Tech and her Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from the University of Minnesota.
