Virginia Tech Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Scott Midkiff has been named a 2021 Capital CIO of the Year, earning an “ORBIE” Award for his excellence in leadership and innovation in information technology as Virginia Tech navigated one of the most unusual and challenging years in its history.

Midkiff, who has served as CIO since 2012, said, "I am honored to receive this award, but the entire Division of IT at Virginia Tech has earned the recognition. This award reflects our employees' hard work and dedication to providing Virginia Tech with the best possible technology services, especially considering the extraordinary challenges we have faced since March 2020."

Midkiff’s nomination was supported by Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Dwayne Pinkney and President Tim Sands, who noted the Division of IT’s important contributions to the university’s COVID-19 response.

“The support Dr. Midkiff’s team provided through the Division of IT’s Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies unit made it possible to quickly shift instruction, meeting, and event spaces to virtual platforms, allowing us to continue our education, research, and engagement missions,” Sands said.

“Scott’s IT leadership over the past nine years, demonstrated in his strategic thinking, partnership building, and openness to continuous improvement, have provided a solid foundation for Virginia Tech to not only navigate the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, but to come out stronger and more agile,” Pinkney said.

The CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards program is the premier annual recognition program for technology executives in the United States. Finalists and winners are chosen by prior ORBIE award recipients through a rigorous selection process. Midkiff emerged among five finalists in the CapitalCIO chapter as the winner in the Large Corporate Category. Midkiff received his award on Aug. 13, 2021, in an online ceremony. More information about the awards and this year’s award recipients can be found on the CapitalCIO website.

Scott Midkiff holding brass and crystal ORBIE award
CapitalCIO award winners receive an "ORBIE" to commemorate their achievement.
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