Jason Snook '00, '02, '05

Fellow, CapTech

I started at Virginia Tech in computer science wanting to be a programmer. After taking an elective on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), I became passionate about users and user research. That led me to stay at Virginia Tech for my master’s and Ph.D. working in the Center for HCI.

From there, I moved to Richmond with my new wife Katie (also a Hokie - ’04,’05) and started working at CapTech Consulting. I'm now a Fellow in the Customer Experience (CX) practice area I helped start. I've worked with clients in almost every industry, helping them design experiences that are enjoyable, easier, and more effective for their customers. I help lead our work in emerging tech including conversational technologies, ledger technology, artificial intelligence, and many others. Outside of work, I’m the board president for Virginia Supportive Housing, working to end homelessness in Virginia.

How did the department equip you for the ‘real world’...
My professors and advisors did such a great job of teaching me how to "learn how to learn", which is a skill that has consistently helped me as the technology landscape changes so rapidly.

Being a Virginia Tech alumnus means...
Identifying with a larger network of Hokie alumni in all the various places we live, excelling in our professions and serving our communities together.

My fondest memory from my time in the department is...
McBryde Hall was a second home for me. I spent many hours sitting in the halls and computer labs there. Getting to walk across the Drillfield hundreds of times never got old to me.

The main reason I’m a 17-year veteran at CapTech is...
I left academia but still very much loved doing research and learning. One of CapTech's core values is intellectual curiosity, so, in a lot of ways, I've been able to continue my research in innovation and emerging technologies.

I volunteer because...
Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). It's at the core of who we are as Hokie alumni. Most recently, I'm the president of the board at Virginia Supportive Housing. Its mission is to permanently end homelessness in Virginia. How could you not be passionate about something like that?