APLU Honors Virginia Tech with 2025 International Impact Award

Philadelphia, PA – In recognition of extraordinary global teaching, learning, and engagement efforts, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) today named Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as the winner of its 2025 International Impact Award.

“Congratulations to Virginia Tech on winning the 2025 APLU International Impact Award,” said APLU President Waded Cruzado. “We’re delighted to recognize Virginia Tech for its work advancing innovative global learning and engagement opportunities for students and faculty.”

The awards recognize results in three categories across the institution:

• Widespread Global Engagement— how the institution empowers all stakeholders in its global efforts;
• Institutional Commitment—how the institution’s leadership (at the president/chancellor or provost level) is committed to global efforts, and how they make them a priority for the institution;
• Assessment—how the institution measures participation and impact.

Virginia Tech has worked to embed global learning and engagement opportunities across the institution. The university launched its Global Teaching Scholars initiative to provide a place-based, immersive faculty development program focused on building high-impact international experiences, encouraging integration of local contexts and global challenges into study abroad opportunities, and on-campus instruction. The initiative has supported more than 65 faculty collaborating with peers in Switzerland, Ecuador, and beyond. 

The effort spurred the launch of new Collaborative Online International Learning modules, co-taught international courses, and faculty-led study abroad programs. Looking to engage more STEM students who typically face hurdles to global learning opportunities, Virginia Tech’s Steger Center for International Scholarship in Switzerland also launched a monthlong summer study abroad program to help students complete coursework in general education degree requirements without delaying their path to graduation.