inside.hokiesports.com 29 The Monogram Club via Brian Lubin – ’90 recently caught up with Matt Eick – ’87. Hailing from Springfield, NJ, which is a stone’s throw from NYC, Matt Eick swam for VT from 1982 to 1986 and in 1987 graduated cum laude with a degree in agronomy. During his four years on the swimming and diving team he primarily swam the 200 and 500 free events and occasionally the 100 free and relays. He was elected team captain his senior season. Matt currently lives in Blacksburg with his wife Renee and their two dogs, Shirley, a toy poodle, and Teddy, an Australian Shepherd. Matt is a Professor of Environmental Soil Chemistry /Environmental Science in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech. When not working, Matt enjoys swimming during his lunch break with a great group of faculty and others, brewing beer, mountain biking, kayaking, and traveling. Matt’s perspectives in a recent Q&A are presented below. Q: Describe your experiences as a student-athlete. Matt Eich (ME): Swimming for VT was one of the best experiences of my life. Although, it was demanding both mentally and physically it provided me with the discipline and focus not only to succeed in the pool but also in the classroom. Additionally, the camaraderie and fellowship of my teammates is something I will never forget. The experience I had as a student athlete has shaped me as a person and provided me with the motivation and discipline to succeed in my career and life. Q: Who made the biggest impact on you as a student athlete? ME: Scott Morris (my coach freshman year) and Rich Bader my coach the rest of my years at VT helped me to mature and grow from a young, naive, and brash teenager from Northern NJ to a leader. Additionally, Drs. David Parrish and Lee Daniels. professors and mentors in the Department of Agronomy, instilled a love of science in my life that forged my career path and ultimately led me back to Virginia Tech. Q: How did your experience at VT prepare you for a career in academia? ME: The discipline and focus that I developed as a swimmer at VT has provided me with the motivation and skill set to succeed in graduate school and the rigors of academia. I truly believe without this experience I would not be a professor at VT. Q: What path did you take to get where you are? ME: I graduated from VT in 1987 and I immediately went on to pursue my MS in Environmental Soil Chemistry at the University of Delaware. After spending seven straight years in school, I was done, and I joined the Peace Corp and spent some time as a volunteer in Nepal. After the Peace Corps, I moved to Atlanta, GA, and worked as a scientist for an Environmental and Engineering consulting firm for 3 years. After three years, I was looking for a change and my old advisor from theUniversity of Delaware contactedme about coming back to school for my PhD. He said he was contacted by NASA about doing research on moon rocks to develop a regenerative life support system that could be used for long range missions to Mars. I wrote a proposal that got funded and I received my PhD. I never intended to go into academia, but I needed a job, so I applied for an assistant professor position at LSU and got the job. After 2 years in Baton Rouge a position came open at VT in the same department as my undergraduate degree and I jumped at the opportunity. Failure is not an option was my mantra! I was offered the position and have had the opportunity to work with colleagues that were my mentors as an undergraduate. It was a dream come true and I have been at VT for 25 years. I absolutely love to teach and mentor students and share my life experiences and love of VT with them. Q: Anything else you would like to add? ME: Being able to come back and be a professor at my alma mater was a dream come true. Being a student athlete has provided me with the discipline and motivation to succeed and I will forever be thankful to VT for this opportunity. SPIRIT The Virginia Tech Spirit Squads traveled to Orlando, FL in January to compete in the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship. For more than 35 years, the event has been the culmination of the season for cheerleaders and dancers across the country. It’s the most prestigious collegiate national championship in the country and the perfect opportunity for cheerleading and dance teams to get together and celebrate with each other at the Most Magical Place on Earth, the Walt Disney World Resort. Each squad performed well, ranking 19th for Division 1A Cheer, 16th for Division 1A Hip Hop, and 13th in Division 1A Pom. Way to go Hokie Spirit Squads! (Mary-Catherine Steigerwald– ’10; mhutc06@vt.edu)
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