The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has named Mark A. Widdowson as interim department head, effective July 1, 2019. Widdowson replaces W. Samuel Easterling, who was recently appointed the James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering at Iowa State University.
An international search for the new department head will commence in Fall 2019. In the interim, Widdowson will be responsible for the administrative oversight of the department while guiding the department to advance its mission.
Widdowson joined the Virginia Tech community in 1993 and has served as assistant department head since 2009. He has also served as the graduate chair in the department for many years.
During his time at Virginia Tech, Widdowson has received numerous accolades, including the Samuel Arnold Greeley Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute, the College of Engineering’s Certificate of Teaching Excellence, and the Outstanding Civil Engineering Faculty award. He has contributed to many publications, lectures, and presentations over his career.
Widdowson’s research primarily focuses on mathematical modeling and experimental studies on the fate and transport of contaminants in soil and groundwater, and the management of water reuse in groundwater systems.
Widdowson earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the University of Cincinnati, a master’s in water resources engineering from the University of Kansas, and a doctorate in civil engineering from Auburn University.