Growing up four hours away from Blacksburg in the outer beltway of Alexandria, Virginia, Todd Ogle had few ties to the Hokies. Despite an older cousin that attended Virginia Tech in the early ‘80s, Todd never considered Blacksburg to be the place of his future college – much less his future home. Instead, Todd planned on going to school at George Mason University, just as his older sister had done. That was until Todd laid eyes on the Hokie stone and breathed in Blacksburg’s early fall breeze.
“I stayed the night, went and ate at the dining hall, went over to a concert with a popular band at the time. And I was like, “Wow. This is college.” I looked around campus and was just blown away by the feel of it. It felt like a campus, sort of an embedded campus, like I was used to and what I was thinking I was going to be doing. So, that’s when it really solidified for me. That’s where I wanted to go for sure.Todd Ogle
Outside the classroom, Todd’s days in college were spent indulging in different forms of campus entertainment: Hokie football games, concerts in Burruss Hall, taking in the winsome Tech campus, and more. Inside the classroom, Todd was fascinated by humanities studies and enjoyed toying with computers. After realizing his passion through a Digital Media Teaching and Learning course, Todd realized that industrial technology was a career path he could see himself pursuing, which he eventually earned a Master’s and Doctorate in. Currently, Todd is the Senior Director of Learning Environments, Research, and Development.
Despite his “NOVA” upbringing, Todd has solidified himself as a true Blacksburg townie, calling the area his home since arriving at Virginia Tech in the fall of 1992. In comparison to the D.C. area, Todd appreciates Blacksburg for its simplicity, friendly community, and easy-commuting.
Todd’s appreciation for Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech community has motivated him to give back and create more opportunities for the current student body. One way that Todd hopes to do this is by creating summer courses and study abroad experiences for students involved with technology and humanities studies. By implementing these types of programs, students would be able to diverge from their standard, set curriculum and learn through hands-on experiences and experiment with their individual studies.
Todd feels that he has been a major contributor to the Hokie community, indicating his motivation as leaving things better than the way he found them. Through teambuilding, Todd envisions more academic opportunities for present Hokies and Hokies yet to come. Todd credits this mindset through his experience at Virginia Tech, suggesting that the Hokie experience makes you want to serve and engage in your former community. “It’s in the DNA,” as Todd explains it.
Today, Todd is a proud Hokie alumni who resides with his high school sweetheart (also a Virginia Tech alumni) and their kids. Todd hints at hopes that his experience at Tech might be the beginning of a legacy for his family.
“Once you’re a Hokie, you’re always a Hokie . . . My kids—some of them may be Hokies. I’m not sure, we’ll have to see. Depends on what they want to do and how far away from home they want to get. We’re probably the beginning of a Hokie family.”Todd Ogle
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About this Story
Date Recorded: April 3, 2017
Interviewer: Maddy Bloomer
Date Posted: September 8, 2017
Editor: Maddy Bloomer and Matt Crisafi