D.C. area graduate programs to share new home at Innovation Campus Academic Building One opening in January

Virginia Tech graduate students in a variety of programs will have one thing in common come January: a new home at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus Academic Building One in Alexandria.  

The 11-story, 300,000-square-foot building in its final stages of construction in the Potomac Yard neighborhood, will house Innovation Campus academic and research programs, including the Master of Engineering programs in computer science and applications or computer engineering and faculty focused on four key research areas.  

To align with the university’s strategic vision for its growing presence in the D.C. area, graduate programs with the Pamplin School of Business, as well as additional programs with the College of Engineering, will also relocate to Academic Building One in Alexandria following the closure of the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church.  

“The relocation and repositioning of academic programs and student support services in Northern Virginia is an important step toward enabling Virginia Tech’s long-range vision for the region,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke. “This transition will offer more opportunities for collaboration at both the programmatic and research levels and furthers our commitment to support innovation and interdisciplinary scholarship.”  

Falls Church will remain part of the university’s plan to advance its growing network of innovation in the D.C. area. A new initiative for smart construction will support research of faculty in Northern Virginia and Blacksburg, occupying 40,000 square feet on the ground floor of the new headquarters HITT Contracting is building in Falls Church. 

Currently, there are more than 450 Master of Engineering students who will move into Innovation Campus Academic Building One in January.  

Students from additional degree programs within the College of Engineering also will be located in the new building, including master's degree and Ph.D. students in computer science and applications, computer engineering, and industrial and systems engineering.

“Virginia Tech’s work in the region is expanding in all the right ways,” said Lance Collins, vice president and executive director of the Innovation Campus, who served on the Northern Virginia Steering Committee. “Our location in Alexandria, at the southern end of the National Landing Innovation District, gives our faculty, students, and programs access to numerous partners in the business and tech communities. It’s a place where opportunities abound.” 

Also relocating to the new academic building in Alexandria is the Qualcomm ThinkABit Lab program under the leadership of Director Jim Egenrieder. This alignment will bring added capacity to the K-12 initiatives led out of the Innovation Campus and build on the university’s commitment and long-standing reputation of partnering with K-12 schools across the D.C. area. The new building will have dedicated K-12 space to engage students, educators, and families in efforts to grow diverse tech talent and meet workforce needs of the future.   

Pamplin College of Business

Faculty and administrators from the Pamplin College of Business will occupy much of the fourth floor of Academic Building One. Pamplin graduate students will have the benefit of being in proximity to businesses in National Landing/Crystal City and Washington, D.C.  

The largest business program with faculty and administration housed in Alexandria is the Online Master of Information Technology program, a joint program with the College of Engineering with a current enrollment of more than 380 students. Evening and Online MBA Programs, an Executive Ph.D. Program, and Master of Science in business administration programs in hospitality and tourism management and global business analytics also will relocate to Alexandria.  

"As we co-locate to the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus with engineering, computer science, and computer engineering students, we are fostering a dynamic ecosystem where collaboration sparks sustainable and responsible innovation,” said Saonee Sarker, dean of the Pamplin College of Business. “By creating a seamless alignment across disciplines, ensuring that technology is developed with both technical excellence and business acumen, our graduates will be ready to meet the complex and multifaceted demands of tomorrow." 

Central Hokie One Stop

All graduate students in the region will be served by the new Hokie One Stop, located on the second floor of Academic Building One. The Hokie One Stop is a one stop shop for student services such as counseling, the registrar, financial aid, and housing.  

“Our goal is to develop programming that brings together our diverse community as they get to know the benefits of their new location in Alexandria,” said Barbara Hoopes, associate dean of the Graduate School in the D.C. area. “I’m really looking forward to all the state-of-the-art facility and the new location have to offer.” 

Virginia Tech will host a welcome week for graduate students starting Jan. 18, prior to the first day of classes for the spring semester on Jan. 21. An official opening/ribbon cutting celebration for the Innovation Campus is scheduled for Feb. 28.