Virginia Tech announces new Institute for Advanced Computing in the Washington, D.C., area
Virginia Tech is growing its network of innovation in the greater Washington, D.C., area with the formation of a new Institute for Advanced Computing that will serve as a cross-cutting academic and research program at the forefront of computing and computing technology anchored at Academic Building One in Alexandria.
The institute will support new industry and government partnerships that advance research and learning opportunities and enable graduate students to address global-scale problems in close proximity to the nation’s capital. It represents the next step in the evolution of a regional presence established in support of Amazon H2Q and guided through its first phase of development by Vice President and Executive Director Lance Collins.
“I appreciate the leadership and guidance Dr. Collins has provided to establish a foundation upon which a truly distinguished program is being built,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. “As Virginia’s land-grant research university, we are connecting the world’s best talent and partners to the commonwealth and bridging the gaps between academia, industry, and government in the greater D.C. area. This new institute strengthens a growing ecosystem of partners, professors, students, and peers working together to address global scale problems.”
The university-level thematic institute will house a growing group of faculty that drive innovation in core computing, including in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing, as well as advanced computing systems and applications such as next-generation wireless technology and intelligent interfaces. The institute will also manage Master of Engineering programs in computer science and computer engineering.
“The organization of the new institute is built around core expertise and innovation in computing and structured to advance high-potential areas of application across a variety of disciplinary interests such as business, arts, and health sciences,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke. “It provides our university with a firm foundation for recruiting and retaining world-class talent, fostering industry collaboration and creativity, advancing partnerships and priorities, and educating a workforce necessary to drive economic growth in the region and beyond.”
In alignment with the university’s future vision for Virginia Tech in the greater Washington D.C. area, the new institute will develop and grow its network of innovation with expertise in cutting-edge research and teaching within Virginia Tech while benefiting from the strength of the entire university.
Kirk Cameron, professor of computer science, has been named as the interim director of the institute. A national search for the position will be launched this summer. The master of engineering programs affiliated with the institute will engage in project-based learning informed by industry, government, and nongovernment organization partners.
“The Institute for Advanced Computing is designed to produce world-class engineers, computer scientists, and business leaders to support the region’s booming technology sector,” said Cameron. “Research will be collaborative and engage community partners, taking full advantage of our location at the heart of the tech ecosystem and at the center of our federal government.”
The formation of the Institute for Advanced Computing adds to Virginia Tech’s growing presence in the greater D.C. area. This includes the recent opening of Academic Building One that houses graduate programs with the Pamplin College of Business and College of Engineering, as well as K-12 initiatives that build on the university’s commitment and long-standing reputation of partnering with schools across the D.C. area.
Virginia Tech’s presence in the greater D.C. area is an important link beyond Blacksburg that is growing innovation across the commonwealth and beyond. For example, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute based in Roanoke recently established a laboratory on the Children’s National Hospital Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C., to advance pediatric cancer research. The Virginia Tech National Security Institute is engaged in both Blacksburg and Arlington, and the university has an emerging Coalition for Smart Construction in Falls Church, among other initiatives that have developed in the region over the last 50 years.