Chris Byron named C.R. Roberts Professor of Clinical Veterinary Medicine

Chris Byron, associate professor and head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, has been named the C.R. Roberts Professor of Clinical Veterinary Medicine by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The C.R. Roberts Professorship in Clinical Veterinary Medicine was established by Kent C. Roberts to honor the life and contributions of his father, Clarence, a veterinarian who began his career as a hard-working dairy practitioner in upstate New York. Clarence Roberts went on to forge a career in corporate veterinary medicine, retiring as president of Sealtest, a division of Kraft Foods.

The professorship recognizes teaching and research excellence. The appointment is for five years and is renewable.

Byron joined the veterinary college in 2014 after completing an equine surgery residency and becoming board certified in veterinary surgery. He worked in both academia as well as private practice as an equine surgeon prior to coming to Virginia Tech.

Byron excels in all mission areas—teaching, research, and outreach—of a land-grant university. His clinical and research interests include pathobiology and treatment of osteoarthritis in horses as well as multidisciplinary research in the development of cancer treatments and identification of surgeon performance metrics. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters. Byron advises and teaches both graduate and professional students, and has a strong record of research productivity as seen by serving as principal investigator and co-principal investigator on grants totaling more than $4 million.

Byron has administrative and leadership experience as the equine section chief and Large Animal Medicine and Surgery Service chief in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Blacksburg, as the Large Animal Medicine and Surgery representative on the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Board of Directors, and as the Large Animal Medicine and Surgery clerkship leader. He was named head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences earlier this year.

A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Byron received his bachelor’s degree and his D.V.M. degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree while completing a residency in equine surgery from Michigan State University.

Written by Mark Owczarski, associate vice president of communication and marketing for Virginia Tech.