To Hokies everywhere,
There is no better role in higher education than to serve as president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. With our commitment to service in the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), our engaged presence in every community in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and our growing research impact across the globe, stewarding Virginia Tech as president over the last dozen years has been the most fulfilling experience of my career. It is now time, while Virginia Tech has momentum on so many fronts, for me to start the process of stepping aside so that the next president can take the baton in full stride. I have shared with the rector of the Board of Visitors my commitment to serve until my successor is in place to ensure a smooth transition for the university community.
Together, we have transformed Virginia Tech for the better. Undergraduate enrollment has grown by 30 percent, extramural research expenditures are up 70 percent, our endowment has increased by 185 percent, our U.S. News & World Report ranking among national universities has improved by 20 spots, and applications for undergraduate admission are up 200 percent. I am most proud that more than 100,000 Hokies have earned their degrees since I began in 2014. Our ambition to go further is reflected in our current priorities of Virginia Tech Advantage, Virginia Tech Global Distinction, and Invest to Win.
The late Nikki Giovanni, Hokie Nation’s world-renowned poet, so eloquently captured the Virginia Tech ethos when she said, “We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be.” I am confident that the next president will lead us forward with that same spirit, new aspirations, and an incessant drive to advance Virginia Tech.
Laura and I will always be Hokies. We plan to stay rooted in Blacksburg as this is most definitely home.
Go Hokies!
Tim Sands
President
