BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 27 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:
Virginia Tech lost one of its preeminent scholars and educators on Aug. 18, 2026, with the passing of James Michael "Mike" Duncan, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
For more than four decades, Duncan was a defining figure in Virginia Tech's world-class geotechnical engineering program, which he built through his teaching, research, mentorship, philanthropy, and professional connections. Beyond the university, his expertise was sought on some of the world's most significant geotechnical engineering challenges, from dams and offshore infrast...