Jack Webster

June 9, 2015: Jack Webster honored with emeritus status

Jackson R. Webster, professor of ecology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of “professor emeritus” by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Timothy D. Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1975, Webster has established himself as an exceptional teacher-scholar. He has taught a variety of courses ranging from junior to the advanced graduate level for the Department of Biological Sciences.  

Webster has been an advisor to many undergraduate and graduate students during his career, serving as a graduate advisor for 17 master’s degree and 10 doctoral degree students He also has served on graduate advisory committees in several other departments and colleges.

In 2012, Webster was honored with Virginia Tech's William E. Wine Award in recognition of his outstanding work in the classroom.

Webster is an accomplished researcher in the areas of ecosystem-level processes of aquatic ecosystems, biogoechemistry of streams, and riparian-stream interactions. In his career, he has secured more than $6 million as a principal or co-principal investigator on grants and another $32 million as a contributing member of research teams involving other universities.

Webster has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 35 book chapters. One of his papers was published in Science and another was published in Nature, the leading journals in the scientific community. He has served as an associate editor for three professional journals and on state and national technical advisory boards and committees.

Webster received his bachelor’s degree from Wabash College and his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.