H. Pat Artis

B.S. Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 1972
M.S. Computer Science, Rutgers University, 1976
Ph.D., Informatics (Computer Performance), University of Pretoria, 1992

Professional History
More than forty years after graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and mechanics, Pat Artis’ love of his alma mater has not wavered. Over the years, Pat and his wife, Nancy, have repeatedly donated both time and money to the university.

The Artises donated money to open the Liviu Librescu Student Engagement Center in Norris Hall; provided funding for promising students to take courses at the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, Calif; and despite Mr. Artis never being a member while a student, he and Nancy created the Barqawi ’09/Artis ’72 Emerging Leader Scholarship for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. The couple has committed $10 million in monetary gifts to the Virginia Tech engineering science and mechanics (ESM) and aerospace and ocean engineering (AOE) departments, while also supporting nearby Radford University.  Mr. Artis serves on the College of Engineering’s Campaign Steering Committee, and previously chaired the College Advisory Board. He and Nancy are members of the Legacy Society and Ut Prosim, and he serves as a professor of practice in the AOE department.

Graduating in 1972, he had a love of experimental mechanics and left Virginia Tech with experience with computer hardware and software architecture. This would spur a wildly successful career, starting out at Bell Laboratories developing computer measurement techniques. Mr. Artis returned to Virginia in 1981 to join Morino Associates, a start-up software company, where he led teams developing computer performance evaluation products. In 1986, he set out on his own, forming Performance Associates Inc., which focuses on the characterization and performance of storage subsystems. In the three decades since, Colorado-based Performance has developed new industry standard tools for the characterization and testing for storage performance, reliability, and replication.

Select Awards and Recognition
A.A. Michelson Award, 1984
Virginia Tech College of Engineering’s Distinguished Alumnus, 2008
Virginia Tech College of Engineering’s Academy of Engineering Excellence, 2010