Ferris, Virginia Rogers, 1927-
Person
Dates
- Existence: March 26, 1927 - August 13, 2017
Biographical Information
Born and raised in Abilene, Kansas, as a child Virginia Ferris was intrigued by plants and nature, a fascination which laid the foundation for her career as an award-winning botanist. She attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts (Phi Beta Kappa), and earned her PhD from Cornell University in 1954. At Purdue she became an award-winning microbiologist and academic leader.
Following her work as Assistant Professor at Cornell, Virginia began a nematode consulting service for agriculturalists in Champaign-Urbana when her husband joined the Entomology faculty at the University of Illinois. In 1965 she became an Assistant Professor of Entomology at Purdue after her husband’s appointment there. Ferris was the first female professor in the Department of Entomology. There she shifted her research to microbiology and genetics, and discovered and patented a nematode-resistant strain of soybean. Tenured in 1970, she was then appointed Assistant Dean of Purdue’s Graduate School, and later Assistant Provost. The holder of several patents, Dr. Ferris received many awards over the course of her career and was elected for three six-year terms as national president of Phi Beta Kappa.
Following her work as Assistant Professor at Cornell, Virginia began a nematode consulting service for agriculturalists in Champaign-Urbana when her husband joined the Entomology faculty at the University of Illinois. In 1965 she became an Assistant Professor of Entomology at Purdue after her husband’s appointment there. Ferris was the first female professor in the Department of Entomology. There she shifted her research to microbiology and genetics, and discovered and patented a nematode-resistant strain of soybean. Tenured in 1970, she was then appointed Assistant Dean of Purdue’s Graduate School, and later Assistant Provost. The holder of several patents, Dr. Ferris received many awards over the course of her career and was elected for three six-year terms as national president of Phi Beta Kappa.