Virginia Tech dedicates Hitt Hall
A $2 million scholarship endowment in memory of building namesake Russell Hitt was announced at the dedication event.
University and industry leaders celebrated the opening of Hitt Hall, a cutting-edge facility that expands the Myers-Lawson School of Construction and provides critical dining and academic spaces in the North Academic District.
A highlight of the Sept. 20 event was an announcement from the podium of a new scholarship fund endowed in memory of Russell Hitt, whose family’s earlier lead gift named the building.
“My dad, he only talked about the student experience and the need for everybody to get access to an equal education,” said Brett Hitt, whose family founded one of the nation’s largest general contractors. “We’ll start the endowment with $2 million. We’ll start that now, and that’s so people can have access to what is a terrific education here at Virginia Tech.”
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands thanked the Hitts for their continued generosity.
“Russell Hitt was an outstanding leader in the industry who was focused on the future as he supported our students and employed our graduates,” Sands said. “This scholarship fund is a fitting tribute that will bring more Hokie talent into this important field. I’m grateful for the generosity and continuing support of Brett Hitt and his family.”
Brian Kleiner, a Preston and Catharine White engineering professor who directs the Myers-Lawson School of Constrution, also expressed gratitude to the Hitts.
"This scholarship will make a major difference in the lives of our building construction students,” Kleiner said. “Russell Hitt's legacy and generosity live on through his impact on the next generation of leaders in the industry. On behalf of our future student recipients, thank you for changing lives."
Hitt Hall opened to the campus community in August. Located off West Campus Drive, it features state-of-the-art spaces for construction education and research, including the two-story Procon Innovation Center. The roughly 100,000-square-foot building also includes Perry Place, a 600-seat, two-story facility with nine dining venues.
“Hitt Hall and Perry Place reflect our value of creating environments where learning, connection, belonging, and well-being are integrated and connected across campus,” Vice President for Student Affairs Frances Keene said during the dedication. “When we offer students an inspiring and comfortable place to gather, to eat, and to collaborate on big ideas, or just exchange the small ideas of the day, we help them feel at home, and we help create a sense of belonging on our campus.”
Dedication speaker and Board of Visitors undergraduate representative Leslie Orellana, who is due to graduate from the Myers-Lawson School in May, said students from her program and many others are excited about Hitt Hall.
“It will be so great for us to have classrooms, team spaces, dining options, and refreshments all located in one place,” Orellana said. “Not only will this building be home to students in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, it will also serve all students.”
The new building’s design and construction was managed by Virginia Tech’s Division of Facilities in close collaboration with architectural and engineering firm Cooper Cary and contractor W.M. Jordan Company and served as the backdrop for the day’s events.
During his remarks, Sands highlighted philanthropy’s role in making the building possible. He described two plaques that will hang in the building to honor key donors. One honors the Hitt family. The other honors the Hitts and four alumni who have been extraordinarily generous to construction education over the years: George B. Clarke IV, John R. Lawson, A. Ross Myers, and Preston White.
“Deep connections to alumni, friends, and industry partners is a great strength of our construction program and the College of Engineering that oversees it,” Sands said during the event. “These connections help our students thrive and support the talented faculty who teach and conduct research to develop best practices for an industry that builds the world around us.”
Prior to announcing the scholarship, Brett Hitt stressed the need for greater research and innovation in construction, saying, “It’s one of the few industries that hasn’t been disrupted.”
In her remarks to close the event, Julie Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering, said Virginia Tech is ready and eager to push forward the boundaries of construction education and research.
“As we look to the future, we see a construction industry that is increasingly shaped by innovation, sustainability, safety, and efficiency,” Ross said. “Hitt Hall places Virginia Tech at the forefront of this transformation.”
