William Dougherty retires after 40 years in IT at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech alumnus William Dougherty retired on July 1 from his role as executive director for Network Infrastructure and Services, which he held from from 2010-24, and with more than 40 years of service at the university. 

As executive director, Dougherty led the largest unit within the Division of Information Technology. Network Infrastructure and Services provides and manages the university's wired and wireless data networks, voice communications, emergency communications, video networks, and related services — if it involves exchanging information at Virginia Tech, Network Infrastructure and Services (NI&S) is most likely involved.

“The team effort and spirit I witnessed working with the staff in NI&S was unlike anything I’d experienced anywhere else. The activity was constant, but complaining was nonexistent. Everyone knew the importance of our mission and accepted it as their own, no matter how daunting it might have seemed at the start,” said Dougherty. 

Under Dougherty’s 14-year leadership, Network Infrastructure and Services worked continuously to advance the university’s core communications infrastructure in a rapidly evolving technological environment.

Two overhauls of voice communications

Network Infrastructure and Services led the university through two major voice service upgrades during Dougherty’s tenure as executive director. In 2012, the $8 million Unified Communications reinvestment program brought voice communications into the 21st century by merging the university’s phone system with the high-speed data network, replacing thousands of 1980s-era phones with Avaya voice-over-internet-protocol phones, and upgrading cables and switches in hundreds of buildings across Virginia Tech’s campuses.

In 2023-24, Network Infrastructure and Services migrated more than 12,000 phones and all university call centers across 28 campus locations to Zoom Phone, a cloud-based solution that allows employees to make and receive calls via the Zoom app. This latest voice services migration was Dougherty’s final major project as executive director.

“This was truly a collaborative effort between NI&S, the Division of IT, and many groups across the university,” said Dougherty. “Moving the entire university to a new phone system is no small feat, and I am proud of how our units worked to make these transitions as seamless as possible for our employees and offices.”

Keeping pace with demands for wireless connectivity

Under Dougherty’s leadership, Network Infrastructure and Services worked continuously to meet the university’s ever-growing demand for fast, reliable wireless internet. Virginia Tech went from having just 15,000 unique devices using Wi-Fi in 2009, to more than 108,000 per day in 2024. In 2016, installation teams had completed work to make eduroam Wi-Fi available in residence halls. That same year, Network Infrastructure and Services helped coordinate the expansion of eduroam to downtown Blacksburg. By 2017, all academic and residential buildings were equipped to offer the more advanced IPv6 protocol. 

Network Infrastructure and Services has also stepped up with innovative solutions when unexpected needs arise. During the summer of 2019, the team upgraded networks at area hotels being used for temporary student housing following a swell in enrollment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Network Infrastructure and Services increased outdoor wireless availability at Virginia Tech and expanded access to wireless networks in Roanoke and the greater Washington, D.C., metro area. Most recently, Network Infrastructure and Services debuted the VT Open Wi-Fi guest network, which lets campus visitors get online in seconds.

Investing in safety and security

Emergency communications are the kind you never want to use, but always want to work reliably when needed. As a member of the Incident Management Team and Security Operations Committee, Dougherty worked closely with Virginia Tech Emergency Management and the Virginia Tech Police Department to identify the university’s critical needs for emergency communications and implement effective, sustainable solutions. Under his leadership, Network Infrastructure and Services expanded and improved the university’s infrastructure in this area.

"William was an inaugural member of Virginia Tech’s Incident Management Team and served in that capacity until his retirement. He was always a great partner to public safety at Virginia Tech,” said Andrew Marinik, executive director for emergency management.

The VT Alerts emergency notifications system, established in 2007, initially included text, voice, instant messenger, and desktop alerts to about 18,000 subscribers. In the years since, Network Infrastructure and Services, in collaboration with Emergency Management, has made significant advancements to the system. Today, VT Alerts includes 73 annunciator locations broadcasting to 7,300 fire alarm speakers and 631 message boards in Blacksburg, as well as individual device alerts for nearly 64,000 users.

“Under William’s leadership, NI&S was fully committed to the development and continuous improvement of VT Alerts. He knew the importance of a high-quality emergency notification system and supported it with a high-quality team," said Marinik, who also worked with Dougherty to coordinate the VT Alerts network. "We couldn’t be more grateful for what he did and the legacy he left behind.”

Network Infrastructure and Services also provides the network connection and data center storage for the security and safety cameras used for public surveillance across the Blacksburg campus. The first 82 cameras were installed in 2012. Today, that number has increased to 1,136, allowing first responders to rapidly identify the correct location when needed.

From around the world to Virginia Tech

Born in Dover, Delaware, Dougherty became a world traveler early in life through his father’s career in the U.S. Air Force. During his youth, he lived in Bermuda, the Azores, Okinawa, the Philippines, and multiple states including Georgia, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and of course, Virginia, where he graduated from Tabb High School in Yorktown as his class salutatorian.

Dougherty completed his bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in history and philosophy at Virginia Tech in 1981. Dougherty first ventured into the information technology field during his undergraduate years, working for both the Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Services and the Department of Planning and Budget in cooperative education positions.

“I happened to enter Virginia Tech during a time when engineering — my originally chosen major — had unusually large student numbers to the point of overcrowding and was actively discouraging new students, so I changed majors,” said Dougherty. “My thought was to find a program where cooperative education opportunities existed, as co-op students gained real-world skills and thus were more employable. Political science provided that opportunity, and each co-op position I held had some computer automation aspect. It was a natural step to seek positions in the computing field after graduation.”

Dougherty stayed at Virginia Tech as data-entry operator for the University Libraries while also taking graduate courses in programming and database architecture. Throughout the 1980s, he advanced through several IT roles in the library, eventually managing the Virginia Tech Library System software system and becoming head of the libraries’ systems operation team.  

In 1991, he moved over to the Computing Center, which would later become the Division of IT. As he advanced in his career, Dougherty played a key role in the management of communications systems at the university: 

• In 1995, he became email system postmaster and member of the email support group.
• In 2000, he began managing the electronic communications and client tools team in Systems Engineering and Administration, later taking on Windows Administrative Services tasks.
• In 2004, he became director of systems operations for Network Infrastructure and Services, where he led the organization and restructuring of the Help Desk and Call Center functions into a single Customer Support Center.
  
• In 2010, he was promoted to executive director of Network Infrastructure and Services.

Dougherty also led several key universitywide task forces during his career, including:

• Chair of the Committee on Server Security, VT IT Security Task Force, 2003-06 
• Chair for Evaluation Committee for Emergency Notification Systems, 2006-07
• eDiscovery Coordinator, where he served as a liaison between the Division of IT and University Legal Counsel for data collection and preservation efforts, 2007-24 
• Member of the COVID-19 pandemic readiness team, 2020-22

Steve Lee, who previously served as senior director of operations for Network Infrastructure and Services, was appointed to the executive director position after a national search that followed Dougherty’s retirement. 

Currently, Dougherty lives in the forest with his wife, Diana; dog, Coco; and cat, Roo. He is enjoying the extra time he has for birdwatching, foraging for edible and medicinal plants, writing short fiction, and spending time with his family.