Angelos and Daliborka Stavrou

Stavrou family gift strengthens faculty recruitment in the D.C. area

Angelos and Daliborka Stavrou are helping accelerate Virginia Tech’s expanding footprint in the greater Washington, D.C., area. Angelos Stavrou, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the entrepreneurship lead for the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing, understands firsthand the importance of investing in emerging talent. Through their endowed junior faculty fellowship, the Stavrous are ensuring the Institute for Advanced Computing in Alexandria can recruit and support the next generation of leading researchers.

For the Stavrous, philanthropy is rooted in gratitude. Both completed their graduate education in the United States after growing up abroad, and deeply value the transformative role institutions of higher education play in shaping lives.

“Education and academic institutions are central to how we grow as people, how we progress,” said Stavrou. “Daliborka and I have always believed in giving back, and supporting junior faculty and graduate scholarships at Virginia Tech in the D.C. area allows us to open doors for others in a truly meaningful way.”

The newly established fellowship will play a vital role in the institute’s ambitious plans for growth in faculty members with research focused on artificial intelligence, wireless and next‑gen technology, quantum information science, computer systems, and human‑computer interaction. With Stavrou’s deep background in entrepreneurship and security already strengthening the university’s innovation ecosystem, this investment amplifies that momentum.

For Angelos, who joined Virginia Tech in 2020 as part of the institute’s inaugural cohort of faculty, supporting rising scholars is essential to building a vibrant academic community.

“Supporting the next generation of faculty is essential,” Stavrou said. “Junior faculty members bring energy, new ideas, and emerging expertise, and when combined with the experience and mentorship of senior faculty, they help renew and revitalize the university.”