BLACKSBURG, Va. – 75-year-old Stephen “Steve” Gerus will earn his doctoral degree in sociology Friday at Virginia Tech’s graduate commencement.
He will soon become one of only four graduate students at Virginia Tech to complete a Ph.D. at 75 or older.
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42 years ago, Gerus and his wife, Rosemary Blieszner, were both graduate students at Penn State. In 1980, Gerus earned a master’s degree in anthropology.
Once Blieszner accepted a position at Virginia Tech in 1981, the two moved to Blacksburg.
In pursuit of continuing his research, Gerus agreed to Blieszner’s plan of relocating so she could take on her new role. Soon after their move to Blacksburg, the anthropology program was discontinued.
Gerus says his next step was to start a business of his own. “It was either that or change my major to sociology, and I was not interested in sociology whatsoever,” he said.
Gerus had a background in commercial and industrial construction and had served an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Since there were no options to be a union contractor in Montgomery County, he soon launched his own company, Bell Electric.
Thirty-five years later, a close friend suggested that Gerus join a graduate seminar called “Culture and Society.”
“That course was so interesting that for the next two years, I took one course at a time while I was still running the company.” Soon after, he sold the company and went back full-time to graduate school.
For Gerus, going back to school didn’t come without its struggles. “When I walked into a classroom, there was nobody my age,” Gerus said.
But before long, he was able to find his groove with the new environment. “I was particularly impressed by how respectful people were of all the diversity in those classrooms,” Gerus said. “That’s an important part of the sociology department’s culture.”
After officially earning his degree on Friday, Gerus will teach Introduction to Social Anthropology in the Department of Sociology in the spring. Blieszner currently serves as interim dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.
Gerus’ family, including his grandchildren, will attend the graduate commencement in Cassell Coliseum, where Gerus will be one of three student speakers.