Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 7, 1994                   TAG: 9404070086
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

VA. TECH TO INAUGURATE NEW PRESIDENT, HONOR OLD ONE

His predecessor, the late James McComas, also will be honored Friday as a posthumous recipient of the university's highest service award, the 1994 William H. Ruffner medal.

The Virginia Tech board of visitors cited McComas' "deep commitment to the ideals of higher education and his love and concern for students" in naming him.

Torgersen, 62, assumed the presidency on an interim basis in October when McComas resigned after learning he had cancer. The former dean of the College of Engineering took over officially Jan. 1.

While tending to his presidential duties, Torgersen, who won the 1992 Sporn Award for teaching excellence, still hopes to teach at least one class to fulfill a role he has defined for himself as "a professor who is also serving as president."

Since becoming president, Torgersen has emphasized maintaining good relations with Richmond. "It's important in this time of budget constraints that Tech present itself as an institution that is committed to quality in education, in research and in outreach programs while spending state and tuition monies frugally," he said.

Torgersen said he'd like to see lower tuition, higher faculty salaries and graduate student stipends, and more room, if more money became available.

The new president views Tech as "a serious school" with high expectations of its students, and he has pledged that the university will never compromise its high teaching standards, no matter what the budget situation.

Torgersen also has served Virginia Tech as president of the Corporate Research Center and temporarily took over fund-raising and public relations duties in 1992.

As a part of Founders Day this year, the university will dedicate the Hunter B. Andrews Information Systems Building in the Corporate Research Center at 10 a.m. The building is named for Virginia's Senate Majority Leader, who will be the keynote speaker at the Founders Day convocation at 3:15 p.m. Friday, where 30 outstanding faculty, staff and students will be recognized.