At his June 6 update to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, Lance Collins, vice president and executive director of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, emphasized the appointment of 12 computer science and computer engineering faculty members to the campus team.
Collins arrived at Virginia Tech in fall 2020 to lead the Innovation Campus. Two years later, some of the nation’s leading researchers in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, applied machine learning (ML), 5G/6G networks, and energy efficient systems will join him at the Innovation Campus.
Virginia Tech computer science and computer engineering faculty were invited to apply to transfer from their current positions in the College of Engineering to take on new positions with the Innovation Campus. The 12 faculty members will retain tenure within the College of Engineering while embarking upon their new roles.
“I’m confident this high-achieving faculty cohort will propel us to attract additional top talent from around the country to join in building a campus culture that is outward-facing, connected to the technology ecosystem, and impactful in identifying technology solutions to societal problems,” Collins said. Read more about all the new faculty.
Collins further detailed the “faculty lead” positions, with several of the new faculty members accepting key leadership roles at the institution.
Kirk Cameron, professor of computer science, is the first faculty lead and will represent the faculty to the senior administration of the Innovation Campus. Other new faculty governance positions are as follows:
- Paul Ampadu, diversity lead
- Chang-Tien Lu, curriculum lead
- Naren Ramakrishnan, AI/ML lead
- Walid Saad, Next G lead
- Angelos Stavrou, entrepreneurship lead
To aid with curriculum development, Jeremi London also has joined the Innovation Campus on a partial appointment from the College of Engineering. London, associate professor of engineering education, brings additional expertise in project-based learning.
Collins also updated the board on the enrollment in the Master of Engineering program. This fall, the Innovation Campus is expecting to draw a higher percentage of in-state and diverse students as it continues its drive to increase access to tech talent in the region.
His presentation included a brief look at some interior renderings of the Innovation Campus’ Academic Building One. A double-height indoor drone cage and immersive visualization room were some of the highlights. View them on this virtual tour.