Dean's message

Welcome to the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD) at Virginia Tech!

We are a vibrant community of passionate, talented individuals where creativity thrives. Together, we enrich the human experience and integrate intention and innovation to improve our spaces and places in the global built environment. Curiosity, empathy, beauty, and responsibility are at the heart of everything we do.

We prepare students to become bold leaders in architecture, art, design, music, storytelling, entertainment, education, and business. Our faculty and staff genuinely care about each student’s learning experience and success. With a faculty-to-student ratio of 9:1, we foster personal mentorship and close collaboration, not only across our 15 nationally and globally respected majors, but also through projects that connect students across the college. In addition to learning alongside their AAD peers, students have the chance to engage with peers from more than 150 Virginia Tech majors, broadening perspectives and amplifying impact.

Our faculty also benefit from the interdisciplinary collaboration that thrives within the college, across the university, and with partners in other academic institutions, industry, and nonprofits. They are conducting world-class research and creating extraordinary works, while bringing the spirit and results of this collective culture into the spaces where students learn and create.

Together, our students, faculty, and their colleagues learn, work, and create in studios, classrooms, and labs in Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C., area, Boston, Chicago, and Riva San Vitale, Switzerland — each offering unique opportunities for collaboration and transformational learning. We also remain connected with our strong alumni community, who continue to engage with current students and faculty, while making lasting, meaningful contributions where they work and live.

I encourage you to explore the inspiring stories on our website and experience daily life in the college by following us on social media. Imagine yourself here: in this college, this place, this moment. Be part of our future-focused, student-centered, and interdisciplinary community that serves society through creativity and purpose.

With Hokie and AAD pride,

Lu Liu
Dean of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design