Timothy D. Sands is the 16th president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a professor in the College of Engineering. Since joining Virginia Tech in 2014, he has worked collaboratively with university leadership, the Board of Visitors and the Commonwealth of Virginia to set the university on track to become a leading modern, global, land-grant institution. Virginia Tech’s strategic plan and vision, The Virginia Tech Difference: Advancing Beyond Boundaries, aligns the university with the emerging needs and opportunities of a rapidly changing world in the context of the evolving higher education landscape.

A leader in research and innovation, Virginia Tech’s residential campus in Blacksburg is focused on living-learning experiences, transdisciplinary collaboration, accessibility, and sustainability. The Innovation Campus in the greater Washington D.C. area is part of a bold new vision for graduate education in computer science and computer engineering, preparing leaders and pursuing research to take on big problems amid a digital revolution that is changing the way people live, work, and think. The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at the Virginia Tech Carilion Health Sciences and Technology campus in Roanoke, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and a partnership with Children’s National Hospital’s Research and Innovation Campus in Washington D.C. are expanding the scope and impact of the university’s health science research.

A noted researcher in microelectronics, optoelectronics, and nanotechnology, President Sands has published more than 250 refereed papers and conference proceedings and has been granted 21 patents in electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Materials Research Society, and the National Academy of Inventors. He chairs the Board of Directors for the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and the Board of Trustees of the Universities Research Association (URA). He is a member of the Board of Visitors of the National Intelligence University, the Board of Directors for the Atlantic Coast Conference, and recently became chair of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors.

President Sands earned a bachelor's degree with highest honors in engineering physics and a master's degree and a doctorate in materials science from the University of California, Berkeley. He is joined at Virginia Tech by his wife, Dr. Laura Sands, a professor of gerontology in the Department of Human Development at Virginia Tech. Follow President Sands on X and Instagram at @VTSandsman.