EDUCATION
Virginia Tech has announced the following:
John Allen Burns, professor of mathematics in the College of Science, has been conferred the title of the Hatcher Professor Emeritus of Mathematics.
Burns, a member of the Tech community for more than 50 years, made research contributions to the development of computational algorithms for control, optimization, and design and sensitivity analysis of engineering and biological systems.
His research applied to a wide variety of areas including fluid dynamics, smart materials, large space structures, nano-devices, aerodynamics, mathematical biology, and energy efficient buildings.
Burns served the university and professional communities as director of the Center for Optimal Design and Control, technical director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Mathematics, and program adviser for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
He held visiting appointments at the University of Graz, Clemson University, the University of Trier, and the University of Southern California, as well as consulting positions at more than six private or governmental firms.
Burns received his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma.
Michael Madigan, professor of industrial and systems engineering in the College of Engineering, has been named to a Grado Senior Faculty Fellowship in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
A member of the Virginia Tech community for more than 24 years, Madigan has contributed to human factors engineering and ergonomics, including occupational biomechanics and ergonomics, slips, trips, and falls and the effects of aging and obesity on physical capability and injury risk.
Madigan served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics from 2017-21, associate editor for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise from 2013-17, and associate editor of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics from 2012-16. He was named a fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics in 2021.
Madigan has contributed to more than $10.6 million in externally funded research projects. His research has been sponsored by federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Madigan received his bachelor's and master's degrees in bioengineering from Texas A&M University and his doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Raymond Major, professor of business information technology in the Pamplin College of Business, has been conferred the title of associate professor emeritus.
Major, a member of the Tech community for more than 30 years, made contributions by upholding the Principles of Community in his teaching, research, and service responsibilities. He also served in many offices and on numerous professional committees, including the Decision Sciences Institute and the National and Southeast Regions of the Institute for Operations and the Management Sciences.
Major was the first in his department to begin actively publishing in the journals of machine learning and artificial intelligence. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical/electronic engineering, Master of Business Administration, and Ph.D. in decision and information sciences with a concentration in information systems from the University of Florida.
OTHER
Hidden Valley Country Club, in partnership with Links Asset Trust, has announced the appointment of Scott Rieth as the club's new general manager.
Rieth's career spans more than two decades in luxury hospitality management, including leadership roles at Four Seasons Hotels in Beverly Hills and San Francisco, as well as tenure with brands such as Fairmont Hotels, Discovery Bay Country Club, and Shutters on the Beach Hotel in Santa Monica.
His experience further extends to the collegiate hospitality sector, where he held senior leadership positions at both the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
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