Rate My Professor Timothy Larson

Timothy J. Larson served as Professor of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech for over 38 years until his conferral as Professor Emeritus by the Board of Visitors in 2025. His scholarly work centered on bacterial physiology and genetics, with a particular emphasis on the regulation of prokaryotic gene expression and metabolic pathways involving sulfur, carbohydrates, and lipids. As principal investigator for grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), he advanced knowledge in bacterial carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Larson published over 50 refereed journal articles, book chapters, and reviews, and disseminated his research through presentations at various conferences worldwide.

In education, Larson instructed a broad spectrum of undergraduate and graduate courses focused on biochemistry and bacterial gene regulation. For the last 15 years of his career, he dedicated himself to the intensive six-credit capstone course, Laboratory Problems in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCHM 4124), teaching it for 28 semesters and serving as course coordinator for 10 years. He mentored numerous undergraduate researchers, master's and doctoral students, and postdoctoral associates, many achieving success in academic and industrial positions. Additionally, he contributed to institutional service on multiple university, college, and departmental committees, the Faculty Senate, and several NIH study sections for grant reviews.

His academic journey began with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biology from Texas Lutheran University, followed by a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston. Larson's commitment to Virginia Tech’s Principles of Community was evident in his collaborative work with students and colleagues.