BLACKSBURG, Va., March 19, 2002 – John Eaton, retired senior associate dean of the Graduate School at Virginia Tech, has received the 2002 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education in the Southern Region from the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS). Eaton was recognized as the driving force behind the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation project.
According to CSGS, "John Eaton’s name is nearly synonymous with Electronic Theses and Dissertations. His leadership has transformed the way knowledge is disseminated throughout the scholarly community, not just in the Southern Region, but throughout the United States and much of the rest of the world. He is widely recognized and credited as being the primary promoter of and leading expert in electronic theses and dissertations."
Joseph Moxley, professor of English at the University of South Florida, stated, "Theses and dissertations reflect the heart and soul of graduate education. By helping to increase access to graduate students’ work by contemplating, organizing, and developing the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD at www.ndltd.org/), John Eaton has radically transformed the landscape of graduate scholarship. Thanks to John’s work with the NDLTD, graduate students can realistically expect to reach millions of readers in the scholarship."
Since 1992, more than 50 U.S. and 100 worldwide universities have joined the NDLTD to help advance the ETD process. Eaton has personally helped many of these graduate schools with this project. Harnessing the power of digital technology, researchers are able to more appropriately document and present their research, including graphics, color, sound, movement, simulation and the capability for the reader to interact in real time with the ETD materials.
Regarding the award, Graduate School acting Dean Joseph Merola commented, "Dr. Eaton has been a major contributor to the growth of graduate education at Virginia Tech since joining the Graduate School 13 years ago. His numerous contributions as graduate dean have undoubtedly benefited all aspects of graduate education, particularly in the use of innovative technology. Eaton’s latest important contribution, the establishment of the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation, has impacted the submission and dissemination of these works at graduate schools worldwide."
At the CSGS meeting in Baton Rouge, Eaton was also cited as a consistent and valuable contributor to graduate education at Virginia Tech and at the regional and national levels through CSGS and CGS (Council of Graduate Schools), serving on many committees, chairing panels, giving invited workshops, and presenting papers. More importantly,
Eaton has been committed to graduate education for more than 32 years. As a faculty member in the discipline of entomology, he was a major professor for many master’s and doctoral students and served on the research committees of over 60 students. As a graduate administrator, he served as acting dean of the Graduate School from 1992 to 1993, and became associate provost for graduate studies in 1995. In 1996, he became Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School, a position he held until he retired in December 2001. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Entomology and Associate Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School.
PR CONTACT: Julie Kane, 540-231-9934, kane@vt.edu