Scott Midkiff
Scott Midkiff arrived at Virginia Tech in 1986 and has developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in networking, wireless networks and mobile systems, network applications, and telecommunications. He was appointed head of the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) in 2009, and served as the chief information officer at Virginia Tech from 2012-2023. Dr. Midkiff continues to serve on the faculty of ECE.
From Versailles to Bell Labs
Scott was born into a family of teachers in Versailles, Kentucky. At first, he wanted to be an architect, but realized later that engineering was his passion. He took that passion to Duke University where he earned his undergraduate degree. While working with Bell Labs, he was able to get his master's and Ph.D.
Computer engineering in late 1980s
The computer engineering department started with about 30 students. Now it's one of the larger departments in the College of Engineering.
Focus on research
Teaching in Northern Virginia gave Scott a chance to think more about research. He worked to bridge the digital divide in rural areas in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After 9/11/2001, Scott and others researched how to help first responders have connectivity during and after disasters.
Tenure as chief information officer
After three years as head of the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering a meeting with President Steger led to Scott's next big career move. During Scott's tenure as the Chief Information Officer, the Division of Information Technology experienced a lot of change including establishing the Virginia Cyber Range and transforming the Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning (IDDL) into Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS).
What he's the most proud of
Many things have changed at Virginia Tech during Scott's tenure. Here are some of the things he's the most proud of.