Geography Alumna Name Dean at Virginia Tech
UT Alumna Named Dean of Virginia Tech Geography Department
Department of Geography PhD alumna Saskia L. van de Gevel has been named dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.
Van de Gevel has served as chair of Appalachian State University’s Department of Geography and Planning since 2020. She built a reputation there as a passionate advocate for geographic education with an immersive, hands-on teaching style. As chair, van de Gevel secured major research grants, revised the curriculum and launched an online graduate certificate program in geographic information science, and implemented a new scholarship for first-generation college students.
She officially starts at Virginia Tech on July 1 and will be on the Blacksburg campus starting August 1.
