Mike Quillen honored with 2022 Alumni Distinguished Service Award

One thing is clear to everyone who meets Mike Quillen. "As soon as you start talking to him, it's very clear that he's committed to the success of Virginia Tech. He cares deeply. He wants the institution to thrive." Mike is not only a 1970 alumnus of the College of Engineering, he served on Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors, spent two years as rector, and helped hire the university's 16th president. "Because of his experience with the university, he really understands how it works. He understands how the budget works. He understands all of the different complexities that go into running a university. And so he's the kind of person you can sit down with and just really have a very substantial conversation about how to move things forward, what it's going to take, and he gets it. And so that really puts him in a special place in terms of his ability to have impact at the university." Mike's love for Hokies extends beyond the College of Engineering. "He's one of the best. I mean, he's proven it by how he's given back to obviously Virginia Tech, but what he's given to the athletic program and not just like through football or the sports, but what he's done with our Academic Advising Center." His generosity helped establish the Quillen Student Athlete Academic Support Services Center for student athletes in Lane Stadium. "It's one of the finest academic support facilities in the country. We have some of the finest people supporting, you know, our student athletes and it's a tremendous resource for them. But that facility, without a doubt, will help our young people become well-rounded and help them become well rounded and allow them the opportunity to be successful with life after football." A Hokie through and through, and an advocate for his Alma mater. "Mike's amazing. Yeah, I think it's exciting to see him being recognized for the impact that he's had. And when you look around campus, certainly he's had impact at the College of Engineering level. But he's had impact all across campus and that's what's truly incredible about him."