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Virginia Tech is a public university and one of Virginia's two land-grant institutions. Its academic programs are administered by nine colleges, the Graduate School, and the Honors College.

The board of visitors is the university’s primary governing organization responsible for the maintenance of the university, its property, and its students.^[1] The first board was established in 1872 by Virginia Governor Gilbert C. Walker.^[2] Since Virginia Tech is a public, land-grant university, the board’s members are almost all appointed by the governor of Virginia. The board contains fourteen total members, thirteen of which are directly appointed by the Virginia Governor. The fourteenth member serves as an ex officio, and is also the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer services president. A minimum of six board members are required to be alumni of Virginia Tech and a minimum of ten board members must be Virginia state residents.^[3]

The current 2025 board of visitors members are as follows:

Edward Baine- President of Utility Operations and Dominion Energy Virginia^[4]

David Calhoun- Former Chief Executive Officer of Boeing, 2020-2024^[5]

Sandy Davis- Retired Owner of BCR Property Management^[6]

Nancy Dye- Republican Senate Candidate, 2015^[7]

William Holtzman- President and Owner of Holtzman Oil Corporation^[8]

Donald Horseley- Owner of Land of Promise Farms^[9]

Anna James- Director of Business Development and Academic Affiliation at Sentara Healthcare^[10]

Starlette Johnson- Board chair of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and board member of Jack’s Family Restaurant Group^[11]

Letitia Long- Previous Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency 2006-2010, Previous Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, 2010-2014, Chairman of the Board of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance^[12]

Ryan McCarthy- Former Secretary of the United States Army and employee of Lockheed Martin^[13]

Jim Miller- Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Research LLC^[14]

J. Pearson- Executive chairman of Vehicle Accessories, Incorporated^[15]

John Rocovich- Chairman of Moss and Rocovich, Board of Visitors Chairman for the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine^[16]

Jeanne Stosser- President of CMG Leasing^[17]

[edit] The Fralin Life Science Institute is an expansion of the Fralin Biotechnology Center, which was established in 1991, and is one of four investment institutes at the university. The expansion was established in 2008. Research at the institute is focused on the areas of vector-borne disease; infectious disease and microbial sciences; plant sciences; obesity; cancer biology; and ecology and organismal biology. Their research strategic priority areas are research ecosystem, people, research opportunities, and research background.^[18] The institute’s main office and laboratory is currently situated in Steger Hall, in Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus.^[19] Fralin oversees five buildings on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus in total. Supporting research centers affiliated with the Institute include the Translational Plant Science Center, the Global Change Center, and the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens.

The institute provides multiple opportunities for undergraduate research, including the First-Year Fralin Undergraduate program, Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and Fralin Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.^[20] Research conducted at the Institute is published in the following journals: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 2020, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, April 2022, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, July 2022, Science Signaling, October 2022, Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, October 2022, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, October 2022, The Lancet, October 2022, Nature, February 2023, mSphere, April 2023, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, May 2023, Atmosphere, May 2023, Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, August 2023, Nature, August 2023, Current Psychology, September 2023, G3 Genes Genomes Genetics, September 2023, American Journal of Undergraduate Research, September 2023, Weather and Forecasting, October 2023, Journal of Experimental Biology, October. 2023, and Ecology, October 2023.^[21]

[edit]

The Virginia Tech cultural and community centers are designated physical spaces in the Squires Student Center. There are five centers: the Black Cultural Center, the Ati:Wa:Oki Indigenous Community Center, El Centro, the Pride Center, and the APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American)+ Center.^[22] The Black Cultural Center is the longest-standing center, having opened in 1991, and the APIDA Center is the newest center, opening in 2019. All of the centers serve as inclusive spaces to the community and offer a variety of educational and support resources as well as various programming and events throughout the school year. Typical programming and events include speaker series, free learning lunches, identity-based support groups, artistic performances, cultural celebrations, holiday celebrations, and achievement ceremonies. In 2023, Virginia Tech was designated as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).^[23] Virginia Tech is the fourth higher education institute in the commonwealth of Virginia to be designated as an AANAPISI. It is estimated that around 12% of students at Virginia Tech identify as AANAPI, exceeding the 10% requirement set by the grant.^[24] AANAPISI is a Minority Serving Institution designation and grant implemented by the United States Department of Education. The grant program aims to expand access, opportunity, and scholarship for Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander students. The AANAPISI grant at Virginia Tech directly supports the programming efforts of the APIDA+ Center.

As of March 2025, Virginia Tech eliminated its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and removed the affiliated websites. This action was prompted after a federal executive order enacted by the Trump administration in January demanded the elimination of DEI programs from all schools under the threat of pulling federal funding^[25], along with the “Dear Colleague Letter”^[26] released by the Department of Education. The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors voted to remove the office on March 25, 2025, inciting backlash in the community. A marching protest on the Blacksburg campus occurred on the same day in response. The protest began at Burruss Hall, went around campus, and ended at the Inn at Virginia Tech where the Board of Visitors meeting was concurrently taking place.^[27] Programs and organizations subject to the effects of this decision include the Cultural and Community Centers, university dormitory living learning communities, registered student organizations, university chartered student organizations, student unions, graduate student organizations, alumni groups, caucasus, greek life, and university scholarships that are identity or culture-based. However, the “InclusiveVT” website and commitment remains: “InclusiveVT is the institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (that I may serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence.”

[edit] Virginia Tech's presence in the Washington Metropolitan Area links regional graduate education and outreach programs that are consistent with the university's strategic research areas of excellence: energy materials and environment, social and individual transformation, health, food, and nutrition, and innovative technologies and complex systems.

Supporting the university's missions is the Virginia Tech National Capital Region. The university has established collaborations and partnerships with local and federal agencies, nonprofit research organizations, businesses, and other institutions of higher education. Current locations include Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Leesburg, Manassas, and Middleburg.

Biomedical Technology Development and Management is an executive program in the National Capital Region. The Master of Science in Biomedical Technology Development and Management (BTDM) is a graduate level degree created by Virginia Tech in response to future directions in medical product discovery and development and the emerging needs of industry and regulatory agencies. Curriculum for the degree program integrates science with technology, management, ethics, and public policy, and draws on the strengths of Virginia Tech in science, industrial and systems engineering, business and management, and medical research programs.

In 2014, the university opened a Language and Culture Institute location in Fairfax. The institute offers intensive English language programs for college-age students, professionals, and diplomats.

The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is a development initiated by the university in 2018 located in Alexandria, Virginia’s Potomac Yard.^[28] The campus is part of the Virginia Tech Greater Washington, D.C. Metro Area campuses, previously known as the Northern Virginia Center or National Capital Region.^[29] The campus currently offers only graduate-level degrees, including a Master’s in Engineering, Computer Science and Applications and a Master’s in Engineering, Computer Science.^[30] A fast-track partnership program that allows students to earn credits preemptively at approved universities is also available. These degree offerings highlight the major research focus areas of the campus, which include technological advancement related to artificial intelligence, wireless network systems, machine learning, software development, and quantum research and development.^[31] Plans for the campus’ program additions include the addition of higher level graduate degrees, such as doctoral programs.

The first major campus building, Innovation Campus Building One, finished construction in February 2025. It became open to the public as part of the campus grand opening ceremony.^[32] Innovation Campus Building One is 300,000 square feet in area and 11 stories tall.^[33] The cost of the campus development is estimated at 1 billion dollars.^[34]

Key financial partners and supporters for the campus construction and overall development include The Commonwealth of Virginia, The City of Alexandria, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. Advisory board members hail from Hunch Analytics, Boeing, KPMG, Greater Washington Partnership, and Octo.^[35] The Commonwealth of Virginia donated approximately 2 billion dollars to support university research and development by both Virginia Tech and George Mason University, subsequently impacting Amazon’s decision to build Amazon HQ2 headquarters in Arlington, Virginia just 2 miles from the Innovation Campus. Northrop Grumman’s donation totals 12.5 million dollars^[36], and Boeing’s donation totals 50 million dollars.^[37]