During its most recent meeting the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors conferred the emeritus title on the following faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences:

Julia Beamish, Professor of Housing, was honored for her scholarship in kitchen and bath design. The author or co-author of more than 50 journal articles, book chapters, and reviews, she was the principal or co-principal investigator on several grants researching age-friendly housing and kitchen and bath design; she also was recognized as one of the Top 50 Innovators in Kitchen and Bath Design by Kitchen and Bath Design News. Beamish served as head of the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management for more than a decade and held leadership positions in professional organizations, including the Housing Education and Research Association. Beamish earned her bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. 

Robert Denton, Professor of Communication and W. Thomas Rice Chair, is a scholar in the fields of media and politics, political communication, and presidential discourse, authoring or editing 33 books and publishing nearly 110 book chapters and articles. He has served as an analyst of Virginia and U.S. politics for 30 years and is the recipient of a number of statewide and national regional awards, including Communicator of the Year by the Virginia Association of Communication Arts and Sciences. Denton served as head of the Department of Communication from 1988-96 and 2009-2020 and as director of the School of Communication from 2020-2022; in addition, he was the founding director of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Rice Center for Leader Development from 1997 to 2007. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wake Forest University and a Ph.D. from Purdue University.

Virginia Fowler, Professor of English, was recognized for her scholarship in the fields of African American literature, literary pedagogy, and women writers, and on the works of Henry James, Nikki Giovanni, and Gloria Naylor. She authored five books and numerous essays and book chapters. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1977, Fowler mentored a generation of faculty members and served in a number of leadership roles in the Department of English; she chaired or served on 72 departmental committees and 75 college or university-level committees. She was the recipient of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Diversity Award and a member of the Academy of Faculty Service. Fowler taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.