John G. Rocovich, Jr. is an alumnus of Virginia Tech's Class of 1966, having graduated with a B.S. degree in Business with honors. He went on to earn a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from the University of Richmond and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Taxation from New York University. He is the currently the chairman of Moss & Rocovich, P.C. Attorneys-At-Law. Mr. Rocovich is being inducted into the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni in recognition for his sustained and on-going  dedication to the department.



In 1987, as trustee for the late Mrs. Marion Bradley Via, Mr. Rocovich arranged for both the Department of Electrical and Computer  Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to each receive a $5 million gift. Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors  subsequently named the ECE department in honor of Mrs. Via's deceased father, Harry Lynde Bradley, and the CEE department in honor of her late husband, Charles E. Via, Jr.



The objectives of the CEE Via Endowment program include the recruitment of outstanding Ph.D. and M.S. students, support for  undergraduate student organizations, new faculty recruitment, two Via professorships, facility enhancements, outreach programs involving field trips and invited speakers, external review of academic programs, publicity, and recognition events such as the Via Banquet.



Mrs. Via passed away in 1993, but Mr. Rocovich's continued oversight and management of the endowment has led to more than $16 million in scholarships and fellowships for civil engineering students, and helped the department become a consistent presence among the Top 10 ranked civil and environmental engineering programs nationally.



Mr. Rocovich is currently serving his third four-year term on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, having previously served from 1997 to 2005. He was elected Rector of the Board in 2002 and held that position for two years. Among the myriad of other ways Mr. Rocovich has served his alma mater, he has been a director and president of both the Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. and the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. He has also served on the Pamplin Advisory Council, the College of Engineering Committee of 100 and Advisory Board, the Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Board of Directors, and Hokies for Higher Education. He is a member of the Ut Prosim Society and the Legacy Society, and he is a lifetime Golden Hokie in support of athletics. He was the recipient of the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2000.

 

Mr. Rocovich's involvement in higher education extends beyond the bounds of Virginia Tech. From 1999 to 2000, he served on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education. He was also the driving force behind the creation of the Edward Via Virginia  College of Osteopathic Medicine with campuses in Blacksburg, Va., and Spartanburg, S.C. He has a long record of community involvement, having served on the boards of numerous non-profit, for-profit, and religious organizations in the region.



Mr. Rocovich and his wife, Dr. Sue Ellen Rocovich, live in Roanoke.