BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 23, 2004 – Cahit Coruh, of Blacksburg, professor of geosciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, was conferred with the title "professor emeritus" by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board's quarterly meeting Monday, Aug. 23.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors and associate professors, administrative officers, librarians, and exceptional staff members who have given exemplary service to the university and 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 faculty since 1979, Coruh was a dedicated teacher and adviser to both undergraduate and graduate geophysics and geosciences students. Coruh served as the head of the Department of Geosciences from 1994 to 2004 and led the department to become one of the top-rated geosciences programs in the country. He was the author of 43 published papers, two books (including the mostly widely-used textbook in exploration geophysics), and 124 abstracts of presentations at national and international conferences.
Coruh is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and was recently appointed by Virginia Gov. Mark Warner to serve on the Virginia Oil and Gas Board.
He received his Ph.D. from Istanbul University.
The College of Science at Virginia Tech gives students a comprehensive foundation in the scientific method. Outstanding faculty members teach courses and conduct research in biology, chemistry, economics, geosciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and statistics. The college is dedicated to fostering a research intensive environment and offers programs in nano-scale and biological sciences, information theory and science, and supports research centers—in areas such as biomedical and public health sciences, and critical technology and applied science—that encompass other colleges at the university. The College of Science also houses programs in pre-medicine and scientific law.
Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech has grown to become the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Today, Virginia Tech's eight colleges are dedicated to putting knowledge to work through teaching, research, and outreach activities, and to fulfilling its vision to be among the top research universities in the nation. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg, and other campus centers in northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls 28,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 170 academic degree programs.