Michael “Mike” William Hyer, the N. Waldo Harrison Professor
of Engineering Science and Mechanics and affiliate professor of the Kevin T.
Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, both at Virginia Tech,
died unexpectedly on Wednesday, Feb. 15. He was 74.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend
and esteemed colleague,” said G. Don Taylor, interim dean of the College of
Engineering. “Mike was eternally dedicated to his students and well-respected
in the field of composite materials. He will truly be missed.”
Hyer was a world-renowned scholar, teacher, and researcher
in the area of the mechanics of composite materials and structures and solid
mechanics. Hyer earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New
York at Buffalo and a master’s degree from Purdue University. Upon completion
of his master’s, Hyer went to work for Boeing on the Super Sonic Transport
division.
The Wellsville, New York native later obtained his Ph.D from
the University of Michigan where he met and married the love of his life, Pat.
Shortly after, Hyer began his first faculty appointment Old Dominion University
in Norfolk, Virginia.
After joining the Virginia Tech community in 1978, Hyer
taught a wide range of courses from freshman to advanced graduate level. Hyer
cherished relationships he built with his students. As a result, the College of
Engineering cited Hyer often for his excellent teaching evaluations and
received the Frank A. Maher Award for Excellence in Education.
Upon his retirement from Virginia Tech and 32 years of
service, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors conferred upon him the title of
“N. Waldo Harrison Professor Emeritus.”
Hyer’s research excellence was recognized by the American
Society for Composites’ Best Paper Award and Outstanding Research Award, the
American Society for Testing Materials’ Award of Appreciation and Virginia Tech’s
Alumni Award for Research Excellence.
He wrote more than 300 publications, including journal
papers, conference proceedings, and government and university reports and gave
100 presentations in Asia, Europe, North America, and the former Soviet Union.
From 1988 through 1996, he directed the NASA-Virginia Tech Composites Program,
which conducted research totaling $4.2 million.
Hyer was named a Fellow of the American Society for
Composites, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the
American Society of Mechanical Engineering, and the American Academy of
Mechanics.
He was former president of the American Society for
Composites, vice president of Region 3 (the Americas) of the International
Committee on Composite Materials, past editor for the Society of Engineering
Science, and a member of the Society of Engineering Science board of directors.
Hyer’s passion extended beyond academia — to
high-performance cars, jazz music, and adventure. He owned a 1963 Cobra and
ordered a Telsa 3 on the day it was made available to the market. In
retirement, Hyer developed an interest in jazz, attended concerts, and devoted
time to the Lifelong Learning Institute at Virginia Tech. With his wife Pat,
they traveled the world, seeking out new adventures.
A celebration of Hyer’s life will take place at McCoy
Funeral Home in Blacksburg, Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to
causes Hyer supported: the Virginia Tech Foundation in support of the Center
for the Arts or Earth Justice.
