A Word from our Dean

Richard Benson, Dean, College of EngineeringThe construction of the Signature Engineering Building is addressing our vital need for undergraduate academic space for Virginia Tech's College of Engineering. Our new facility, to open late in 2013, will be a combination of seven classrooms and one auditorium, and more than 40 instructional and research laboratories and offices to house a number of departments and programs within the college. This state-of-the-art academic facility will contain highly specialized instructional laboratories that will support our hands-on, minds-on learning in the engineering disciplines.

It is our “hands-on, minds on” educational philosophy that has made our program nationally recognized. In fall 2010, during the same week as the Student Engineers' Council hosted Engineering Expo, our annual job fair, The Wall Street Journal released a survey it conducted of recruiters. The 479 public and private company and government representatives who responded to the newspaper survey ranked Virginia Tech's College of Engineering fifth in the country for graduates best prepared and most able to succeed. They also ranked Virginia Tech as 13th in the nation in all recruiting areas. Our students and faculty are recognized the world over.

When ground was broken on the Signature Engineering Building at the northern entrance to campus, it represented the first building of the new engineering gateway to our campus. This new engineering precinct will help us in our efforts to continue to provide our recruiters with the nation’s best and brightest engineers.

Our Student Engineers' Council already is showing its path to leadership with many significant donations toward the college's initiatives and the Signature Engineering Building. It has now paid two-thirds of its $100,000 commitment to this new building.

One of our alumni made an anonymous $25 million gift to support the new building. Another major gift of $3 million came from alumnus Michael J. Quillen and the Quillen family of southwest Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly is authorizing approximately one-half of the construction money needed. We still need to raise another $15 million for this building and then look to our future needs.

Richard C. Benson is the Dean of the College of Engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace and mechanical science engineering from Princeton University, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to coming to Virginia Tech in 2005, Benson was head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

For information about supporting the Signature Engineering Building contact Erin Edwards at (540) 231-4066 or eedwards@vt.edu.

Southwest