Inaugural cohort completes Institute for Leadership in Technology fellowship

Eleven fellows, leaders from around the world, stepped into Blacksburg for a new experience. Rishi Jaitly: "It's been amazing to feel and see and bear witness to the humanities being worth the hype is, I guess what I would say, as I look back on the last seven months." These professionals with diverse backgrounds, make up the inaugural cohort of Virginia Tech Institute for Leadership and Technology. Marisa Ronan: "What was just so beautiful about this whole process was meeting like-minded people, but not just people with the humanities background." Amrita Tripathi: "It's been incredible to see everyone on this journey where we kind of leave the day to day cynicism aside, and we're like, all actually the 'awe and wonder' that Rishi talks about is something that we really feel resonates throughout the program." They engage in person and through virtual seminars and guest speakers to grapple timeless questions of leadership in a technology-driven world. Rishi Jaitly: "One thing you realize is how many of these big questions of how to lead internally and externally are universal and have been questions people have been wrestling with with since time immemorial." From the vibrant city of Miami, fellows witness the intersection of technology and humanities in a city known as a haven for art. Rishi Jaitly: "Part of what we've been trying to illuminate for our fellows is give them a feel for how the humanities do play a foundational role in institutions and in communities. I think it was wonderful for our students to see at an institution known widely around the world for its leadership in science and engineering that the humanities matter here too, in big and small ways." A group connected by a shared vision... Richard Averitt: "I think this group comes to the table with a sort of shared set of agreements around what it is we're hoping to do. We're all going to have different ideas of where we take it from here but all of us want to see a future that looks a little different than it looks like the direction we're headed. And we're willing to work on that." Rishi Jailty: "They all have comported themselves as co-founders actually of this institute and so I think that's the thing I've been struck by, is just the level of energy and dynamism on the part of the fellows to make the most of this experience. Make the most of it intellectually, make the most of it relationally, and more." A community of co-founders empowered to learn and grow. Bryan Garey: "It really, I hope is a bit of a movement to inform and remind people that the work in the humanities is relevant and vital to our success in all ways."