Virginia Science & Technology Campus
Virginia Science & Technology Campus
Located in Virginia’s technology corridor, the momentum at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus (VSTC) is palpable. VSTC’s 120 acres in Ashburn, VA, are home to more than 20 degree and certificate programs and 17 research labs, centers and institutes.
Here, researchers, faculty and students are advancing the frontiers of knowledge in cross-disciplinary STEM-based disciplines.
Campus Highlights
Hands-On Learning for Hands that Heal
GW’s School of Nursing—ranked as one of the nation’s best—has its home and a vibrant presence at VSTC. Undergraduate and graduate nursing students, as well as community partners, put their knowledge into action in the Skills and Simulation Laboratories. In addition to preparing compassionate health care practitioners, the school is poised to transform health care delivery and policy locally, nationally and globally.
Shaking Up the Knowledge Base
Researchers in the Earthquake Engineering and Structures Laboratory study buildings, bridges, power plants and other infrastructure systems to advance safe and stable building practices. The laboratory includes the Shake Table, one of the most powerful earthquake simulators on the East Coast. The Shake Table produces every motion that a building or structure may experience during an earthquake, allowing it to simulate the most severe earthquakes recorded worldwide over the last 100 years.
Weaving Together the Past and Present
The Avenir Foundation Conservation and Collections Resource Center is located on VSTC. This environmentally-controlled facility is designed for the long-term protection, study and care of the The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum’s collections. The 22,000 square foot space provides storage, conservation and behind-the-scenes support for the public exhibitions and programs at the museum on Foggy Bottom Campus. While the primary use of the Avenir Center is collections storage and care, this private facility is open to visiting scholars and students by appointment.
Big Data Capabilities to Support Bigger Thinking
Faculty research is strengthened by the university’s investment in a high-performance computing cluster and storage resource that provides big data initiatives with cutting-edge computing, network capacity and engineering services.
Research & Academics
At VSTC, we are engaged in the dual mission of educating and preparing the next generation through innovative academic programs and advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge through research.
VSTC offers degree and certificate programs in cross-disciplinary and STEM-based disciplines including cybersecurity, education, engineering, health sciences, information technology and nursing. As a leader in the innovative delivery of education to non-traditional learners, many programs are designed to match the needs of professional students with evening, weekend and online courses.
Faculty, graduate students and research scientists—in collaboration with government and corporate partners—are advancing knowledge in biological and health sciences, big data and data analytics, high-performance computing, energy science and technology, infrastructure safety engineering and other STEM disciplines.
One interdisciplinary team modeled how earthquakes affect nuclear reactors—knowledge that could help prevent the repeat of disasters like that in Fukushima, Japan.
Getting to Virginia Science & Technology Campus