Three Women Scholars at Virginia Tech Granted Emerita Status

Helene Renard was named associate professor of interior design emerita at Virginia Tech. She joined the faculty at the university in 2008.

Renard received her bachelor’s degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York and a master of architecture degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield, Michigan.

Ruth Grene, professor of plant science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been conferred the title of professor emerita. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1988, Grene made significant contributions to plant biology, providing an increased understanding of the effects of drought and air pollution on crops, trees, and plants.

Professor Grene received her bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she majored in biochemistry. She earned a master’s degree from Washington University and a Ph.D. in plant physiology from the University of California, Davis.

Jill Kiecolt, professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, was named professor emerita. Professor Kiecolt joined the Virginia Tech community in 1993. Her research has focused on social psychology, race relations, and family.

Professor Kiecolt received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.