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Engineering Open House for Undergraduates

Three dean's team student excited for engineering open house

Are you a high school student interested in applying to Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, or an undergraduate student considering a transfer into Virginia Tech and the College of Engineering? Or have you been offered an admission to the College of Engineering and want to learn more to make an informed decision? 

The Engineering Open House is organized every year in the Spring to showcase the opportunities offered at VT COE through presentations, lab tours, booth showcases and campus tours.

Thank you for joining us at the 2026 Engineering Open House on Monday, April 13, 2026. We enjoyed welcoming you and hope you found the experience valuable.

Please stay tuned for information about our 2027 Engineering Open House; dates will be announced this fall. Interested to know more about the Open House Program? Review the 2026 schedule below. Contact us at EngrRecr@vt.edu for questions. 

2026 Engineering Open House Schedule

  • Location: Squires Student Center - 290 College Avenue, Blacksburg, VA 24060.
  • Parking & Shuttle: See details below

Morning Sessions:

7:30AM - 8:25AM: Check-in - Room 226
8:30AM - 8:40AM: Welcome and Day's Agenda - Commonwealth Ballroom A
8:40AM - 9:00AM: College of Engineering Overview - Commonwealth Ballroom A
9:00AM - 9:30AM: Office of Undergraduate Admissions - Commonwealth Ballroom A
9:30AM - 10:00AM: Introduction to General Engineering - Commonwealth Ballroom A
10:15AM - 11:05AM: Breakout Sessions Schedule & Room Locations:

  • Aerospace and Ocean Engineering (AOE): Grand Challenges and Career Prospects | Ella M. Atkins – ROOM: Squires, Commonwealth B
  • Improving the Human Condition: Discover Biomedical Engineering | Sara Arena – ROOM: Squires 343
  • Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech | Jeremy Wilson – Room: Squires 219
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech | Scott Case & Lauren Varboncoeur – Room: Squires 305
  • Why Computer Science? | Christine Julien, Melissa McPeak and a student ambassador – Room: Squires 236 & 238
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering: where people and engineering intersect | Natalie Cherbaka & ISE Academic Advisors – Room: Squires 300
  • Building the Future: Mechanical Engineering at VT | Sarah Deisher and ME Students – Room: Squires, Haymarket Theatre
  • Robotics and Machine Learning - Mechanical Engineering | Dylan Losey – Room: Squires, Commonwealth A
  • The Hidden Tech Behind Your iPhone: How Mining Engineers Power the Future | Aaron Noble – Room: Squires 232
  • Discover Degree Programs Offered by the Myers-Lawson School of Construction | Lisa Tenley – Room: 342

11:15AM - 12:05PM: Breakout Sessions Schedule & Room Locations:

  • Aerospace and Ocean Engineering (AOE): Grand Challenges and Career Prospects | Ella M. Atkins – Room: Squires, Commonwealth B
  • Improving the Human Condition: Discover Biomedical Engineering | Sara Arena – Room: Squires 343
  • Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech | Jeremy Wilson – Room: Squires 219
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech | Scott Case & Lauren Varboncoeur – Room: Squires 305
  • Why Computer Science? | Christine Julien, Melissa McPeak and a student ambassador – Room: Squires 236 & 238
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering | Virgilio Centeno and ECE Ambassadors – Room: Squires, Commonwealth A
  • Green Engineering Minor | Sean McGinnis – Room: Squires 234
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering: where people and engineering intersect | Natalie Cherbaka & ISE Academic Advisors – Room: Squires 300
  • Building the Future: Mechanical Engineering at VT | Sarah Deisher and ME Students – Room: Squires, Haymarket Theatre
  • Robotics and Machine Learning - Mechanical Engineering | Dylan Losey – Room: Squires 314
  • The Hidden Tech Behind Your iPhone: How Mining Engineers Power the Future | Aaron Noble – Room: Squires 232
  • Discover Degree Programs Offered by the Myers-Lawson School of Construction | Lisa Tenley – Room: Squires 342

Afternoon Sessions: 

12:30PM - 3:30PM -  Booth showcase locations:

  • Graduate Life Center - Multipurpose Room indoor event
  • Graduate Life Center - Lawn/Stage area outdoor event

The booth showcase will be organized to provide an opportunity to connect with faculty, staff and students from COE majors, departments and student organizations. No sign up is needed for booth showcase and following are the participating departments and student organizations: 

  • Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
  • Biological Systems Engineering 
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Building Construction & Construction Engineering and Management
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • General Engineering - Engineering Education
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mining Engineering
  • Career and Professional Development
  • The Marching Virginians
  • GEER: Study abroad and international programs and opportunities
  • VT Rec Sports
  • Engineering Accelerated Masters Programs
  • Housing Services
  • University Scholarships and Financial Aid
  • Office of Undergraduate Admissions
  • GE Vernova - Industry Representatives
  • Center for Engineering Excellence and Discovery
  • Army ROTC
  • VT Corps of Cadets
  • Engineers Without Borders
  • MachWorks
  • Archimedes
  • Rocketry at Virginia Tech
  • The Office of Undergraduate Research
  • Society of Women Engineers
  • SHPE - Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  • STARS Rocketry
  • SolarCar at Virginia Tech
  • Sigma Phi Delta
  • VT Baja SAE
  • Society of American Military Engineers
  • inspireFly @ VT
  • NSBE - National Society of Black Engineers
  • Interdisciplinary Projects (IDPro) class in Engineering Education
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
  • HEVT

Afternoon Specialty Sessions and Tours: 

Specialty sessions, campus tours, and lab tours are offered during the following three time blocks. Students will be able to attend only one program per time block in the afternoon and only one lab tour during the entire event. Please attend only the lab tour to which you were assigned, as indicated in the email confirmation sent before the event. 

  • Lab tours will depart from the Squires first-floor stairs, located outside the building entrance.
  • Campus tours will depart from the Squires Alumni Mall entrance.

1:15PM - 2:00PM: 

  • Explore our Hidden Gems: Materials Science and Engineering and its Opportunities - Room: Squires 305
  • WHY VT COE? Hear from Student Engineers' Council: Room Squires 300
  • Study Abroad for Engineers by Office of Global Engineering, Engagement, and Research: Squires, Commonwealth Ballroom B
  • Campus Tour: leaving from Alumni Mall entrance
  • Lab Tour: VT Tow Tank (AOE)
  • Lab Tour: Granata Lab and the Therapeutic Ultrasound (BME)
  • Lab Tour: Non-Invasive Therapies Laboratory (BME)
  • Lab Tour: Procon Innovation Center (BC & CEM)
  • Lab Tour: Viz Classroom (CS)
  • Lab Tour: Autonomous Mastery Prototyping Lab (ECE)
  • Lab Tour: Learning Factory (ISE)
  • Lab Tour: Center for Autonomous Mining (MME)
  • Lab Tour: Collaborative Robotics Lab (ME)
  • Lab Tour: Invents Studio (COE Living Learning Community)
  • Lab Tour: Ware Lab (undergraduate engineering design team build space across all discipline)
  • Lab Tour: Frith First-Year Makerspace (first year general engineering student lab)

2:15PM - 3:00PM:

  • Explore our Hidden Gems: Materials Science and Engineering and its Opportunities - Room: Squires 305
  • WHY VT COE? Hear from Student Engineers' Council - Room 300
  • Career and Professional Development Overview and Services for Engineering Students - Squires, Commonwealth Ballroom B
  • Campus Tour: leaving from Alumni Mall entrance
  • Lab Tour: VT Tow Tank (AOE)
  • Lab Tour: Granata Lab and the Therapeutic Ultrasound (BME)
  • Lab Tour: Non-Invasive Therapies Laboratory (BME)
  • Lab Tour: Procon Innovation Center (BC & CEM)
  • Lab Tour: Exhibits (CS)
  • Lab Tour: Autonomous Mastery Prototyping Lab (ECE)
  • Lab Tour: Learning Factory (ISE)
  • Lab Tour: Center for Autonomous Mining (MME)
  • Lab Tour: Collaborative Robotics Lab (ME)
  • Lab Tour: Invents Studio (COE Living Learning Community)
  • Lab Tour: Ware Lab (undergraduate engineering design team build space across all discipline)
  • Lab Tour: Frith First-Year Makerspace (first year general engineering student lab)

3:15PM - 4:00PM:

  • Explore our Hidden Gems: Biological Systems Engineering and its Opportunities - Room: Squires 305
  • Explore our Hidden Gems: Materials Science and Engineering Demonstrations by MSE Student Ambassadors - Room: Squires 343
  • WHY VT COE? Hear from Student Engineers' Council - Room: Squires 300
  • Hear from our Industry Representative GE Vernova - Learn about why we hire Hokies - Room: Squires, Commonwealth Ballroom B
  • Campus Tour: leaving from Alumni Mall entrance
  • Lab Tour: VT Tow Tank (AOE)
  • Lab Tour: Granata Lab and the Therapeutic Ultrasound (BME)
  • Lab Tour: Non-Invasive Therapies Laboratory (BME)
  • Lab Tour: Procon Innovation Center (BC & CEM)
  • Lab Tour: DDS 40 (CS)
  • Lab Tour: Autonomous Mastery Prototyping Lab (ECE)
  • Lab Tour: Learning Factory (ISE)
  • Lab Tour: Center for Autonomous Mining (MME)
  • Lab Tour: Collaborative Robotics Lab (ME)
  • Lab Tour: Invents Studio (COE Living Learning Community)
  • Lab Tour: Ware Lab (undergraduate engineering design team build space across all discipline)
  • Lab Tour: Frith First-Year Makerspace (first year general engineering student lab)