The University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are two institutions close to the hearts of the many alumni, parents, students, or student hopefuls in our region. Northern Virginia Magazine takes a look at their history as both rivals and partners and shows you how they stack up.
UVA President James Ryan
What are the greatest challenges you see for students?
College students today experience challenges and opportunities that are quite different from when I went to school. Technology, for example, opens doors to new ways of learning and connecting but can also make social dynamics more complicated. We have more resources than ever dedicated to student health and wellness, but mental health challenges continue to rise. And we live in a political climate that is terribly divided, which makes it more important than ever for our students to learn to be empathetic speakers and generous listeners.
Overall, I am incredibly optimistic about our students. They are active, informed, conscientious, and kind. They come to UVA having lived through an economic recession, a global pandemic, and many other experiences that inform their understanding of how connected we all are to each other and what responsibility we have to make the world a better place.
How do you view the university’s future?
I see a future for UVA where we continue to honor the history that defines us and to protect values that make us unique, like the Honor System and student self-governance. I believe we will continue to adapt and modernize in a changing world where the requirements for colleges and universities are different than they were 200 years ago, or even 20 years ago.
What goals and expectations do you want your university’s students to set as they move into the next phase of their lives?
I’d advise them to stay curious about the world around them, about their work life and their personal lives, and about other people. College is not the end of learning new things — their lives will require more learning. The future success of society depends on our ability to better understand one another, which begins with a motivation to listen to and learn about others.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from your university’s students?
I learn from UVA students every day. They have taught me what it means to be creative, compassionate, and courageous, especially during the most challenging times.
Any friendly bets coming?
By my count, UVA has played Tech about 25 times this year across all sports. We’re about evenly split in terms of wins. I’ll go ahead and bet that this is one rivalry that will never get old.
Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands
What are the greatest challenges you see for students?
Our students have the opportunity to dramatically change the world in their lifetime. Rapidly evolving fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum information science, security, and whole health hold incredible potential for positive change. These fields also encompass some of our greatest challenges. We are preparing our students with the knowledge, tools, and human perspective they need to advance and explore these research frontiers in the best interests of humanity.
Many of our students are also challenged by the ability to access and afford the educational experience that will best equip them or empower them to have an impact on their world. One of our primary initiatives is the Virginia Tech Advantage, aimed at making the Virginia Tech experience more accessible and affordable, especially for those who are under-represented and underserved.
How do you view the university’s future?
I see our future graduates making a difference across the globe, being strong, wise, caring, and committed to making the world a better place in the spirit of Ut Prosim — “That I May Serve.” I envision Virginia Tech as a leading global research university that can anticipate and meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
What goals and expectations do you want your university’s students to set as they move into the next phase of their lives?
Virginia Tech graduates go out into the world empowered with knowledge, tools, and skills to confront the world’s greatest challenges. I want them to define their own unique role in serving humanity, understand how to communicate and collaborate with others across their differences, and continue to learn, evolve, and thrive in a rapidly changing global environment.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from your university’s students?
Virginia Tech students continue to impress me with their strength, empathy, innovative spirit, and resilience. They take the initiative, engage with each other, and seek out experiences and opportunities that support and empower their vision for the future. Our students give me great confidence and hope in the ability of our graduates to meet the daunting challenges facing our world.
Any friendly bets coming?
I’m always open to a friendly bet with President Ryan, but our two institutions share a mutual tradition of both competition and cooperation. … We are engaged almost daily in some sort of competition.
Feature image of James Ryan (left) courtesy UVA and Timothy Sands (right) courtesy Virginia Tech
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This story originally ran in our August issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
