Virginia Tech celebrates historic opening of new academic building in Alexandria

Virginia Tech marked a new chapter in its commitment to innovation and technology education on Friday with the opening celebration and ribbon-cutting for its new academic building in Alexandria.

The event, attended by more than 1,000 people, highlights the university’s growing presence in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area and its role in shaping the future of technology research and graduate education.

The 300,000-square-foot, 11-story Academic Building One, which opened to students in January, represents the transformational investment by both the commonwealth and Virginia Tech announced in 2018 as part of Virginia’s successful bid to attract Amazon’s HQ2. 

"We have an extraordinary statement to make today. Innovation is alive and well not just in Virginia, not just in the mid-Atlantic, but across the United States. And it’s happening right here at the Innovation Campus at Virginia Tech — how exciting,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said. “This journey is one that is filled with both a sense collective pride, a sense of collective accomplishment, and a real sense of opportunity and aspiration for what will happen here.”

The event also featured remarks from Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, Sen. Mark Warner, Sen. Tim Kaine, and keynote speaker Regina Dugan, a two-time Virginia Tech alumna and president and CEO of Wellcome Leap.

“Virginia Tech now has an open front door in the heart of this region’s innovation economy, ready to welcome new talent, partners, and opportunities,” Sands said, addressing the crowd of community members, Virginia Tech alumni, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and D.C. area industry representatives. “This is the new manifestation of an engaged university — meeting people where they live and work to understand their needs and seek solutions that make a difference.”

Designed to foster collaboration between academia, industry, and government, the facility houses graduate programs in computer science, computer engineering, and business while supporting cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and next-generation wireless technology. With growing enrollment and hundreds of graduate students already benefiting from its programs, Virginia Tech is becoming a hub for talent development in the nation’s capital.

"Project-based research insists that we focus on the 'why.' And when we do this — teams unite. They begin to depend on each other, so that they can accomplish something together that they cannot accomplish alone," said Dugan, who was also the 19th director and first woman to lead the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, also known as DARPA. "The new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is built on this belief. It promises to be a hotbed of learning across disciplines — a crucible of urgency and purpose." 

The opening of Virginia Tech’s new location continues to grow the university’s network of innovation in the greater D.C. area, building upon its more than 50-year presence in the region. Faculty and programs in Alexandria will support new outreach and partnerships that advance research and learning opportunities, enabling graduate students to address global-scale problems.

“Today we are celebrating a historic milestone in the life of the university,” said Lance Collins, vice president and executive director of the Innovation Campus. “Our world-class faculty and talented computer science and computer engineering graduates will amplify the region’s tech ecosystem with benefits to local industry and the federal government. Their ingenuity and accomplishments inspire me — I can’t wait to see what they take on next.”

The commonwealth and Virginia Tech have made a significant investment in the university’s growth in the region. Virginia Tech began development on the project in 2018, broke ground in Alexandria in September 2021, and has been increasing enrollment in its Master of Engineering program in the region in preparation for this 2025 opening. Today the university enrolls more than 350 engineering students in Northern Virginia, and more than 500 graduate students currently take courses at Academic Building One. 

Academic Building One, designed by SmithGroup and constructed by Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, focuses on sustainability, emphasizes health and wellness, and creates spaces that foster a sense of community. The building was designed with cutting-edge technologies at the forefront of the fields of computer science and computer engineering. It is located adjacent to the new Potomac Yard-VT Metro Station, connecting Virginia Tech students and faculty to D.C., Alexandria, the National Landing business community, and Reagan National Airport.

“National security is about more than just tanks and guns and ships and planes — for our defense industry and our economy, America must continue leading the way in artificial intelligence and other next generation technologies as well,” Warner said. “I’m thrilled to see Virginia Tech cut the ribbon on their new Innovation Campus and look forward to seeing the great work it will do training Virginians for essential, cutting-edge tech jobs.”

Kaine has been a longtime supporter of Virginia Tech’s expansion in Alexandria.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, which will provide students with greater educational opportunities in technology, science, business, and more,” Kaine said. “I’ve worked for many years to boost investments in the surrounding area, including by helping to open the Potomac Yard station and supporting Amazon HQ2. I look forward to continuing to work together with the Tech community to support this new campus and its students.”

The new building is also home to Pamplin College of Business graduate programs in the D.C. area, including its online Master of Information Technology program, 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.

“The opening of Virginia Tech’s new Innovation Campus marks a transformative moment for Northern Virginia, cementing our region’s role as a leading national technology hub,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Standing at the intersection of academia, industry, and government, this campus will drive groundbreaking research, cultivate top talent, and foster strategic partnerships that will propel the future of technology innovation and our local economy forward. As it strives to be among the premiere STEM graduate programs in the country, the Innovation Campus will shape the next generation of leaders who will confront and solve the world’s most complex challenges and opportunities.”

Boeing graduate scholar Lamice Albaayno, a Master of Engineering student in computer science and applications, shared her first impressions of Academic Building One with the event attendees: “This new and unbelievable facility in Alexandria is an ideal place to grow and innovate. It gives students direct access to some of the most exciting opportunities in tech.”