Klaus Elgert
March 26, 2014: Klaus Elgert honored with emeritus status
Klaus D. Elgert, professor of immunology in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of “professor emeritus” by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The title of emeritus may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers 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 1974, Elgert taught the flagship undergraduate course, Immunology and Immunology Laboratory, and advanced courses in immunology for graduate students.
His teaching was recognized with four Department of Biological Sciences Teaching Awards and two College of Science Teaching Awards.
In his career, Elgert mentored three undergraduate honors theses, more than 50 undergraduate research students, 11 master’s degree students, 10 Ph.D. students, and four post-doctoral appointees. He served on multiple graduate advisory committees in biological sciences and other departments.
Elgert's research focused on tumor immunology. He authored and co-authored more than 80 peer reviewed publications and a widely adopted textbook on immunology. He presented multiple papers at regional, national, and international science conferences, and received research funding from a variety of sources.
Elgert received his bachelor’s degree from Evangel University and a doctoral degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.