BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 28, 2010 – Terry Wildman, professor of learning sciences and technology in the School of Education in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the “professor emeritus” title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members 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 1976, Wildman made significant contributions to research on the process of learning to teach, the development and nurturing of learning communities, and curriculum reform. He made more than 120 presentations, authored 65 publications, and was awarded $2.3 million in external funding.
As director of the Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (now the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research), Wildman lead the university for more than 13 years in the design and development of opportunities for faculty collaboration in all aspects of learning, discovery, and engagement. He provided leadership in creating a culture of academic assessment at Virginia Tech that included a strong emphasis on assessment as the collective responsibility of all academic enterprise participants; as critical inquiry into matters of vital interest such as curriculum building, instructional effectiveness, and student development; as a continuous process integrated into daily academic life; and as a process that promotes scholarly understanding of learning and student development.
In addition, he served the Virginia Tech faculty in various leadership roles, including as president of the College of Education’s faculty association, as president of the College of Human Resources and Education’s faculty association, as a member of departmental, college, and university-level promotion and tenure committees, and as coordinator of the Teacher Education Task Force.
Wildman received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.
The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech includes programs in the arts, humanities, social and human sciences, and education. The college seeks to illuminate human experience and expression by creating works of lasting scholarly, cultural, and aesthetic value; empower individuals to engage critically with the complexities of a diverse, global society; and foster the inquiry, innovation, and growth that produce individual and social transformation.