Board of Visitors Student Representatives
Ryan C. Smith
Undergraduate Representative to the 
Board of Visitors
My name is Ryan Smith, and I am the Undergraduate Student Representative to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. The Board of Visitors is the supreme governing authority responsible for every aspect of your life as a student at Virginia Tech. Each decision the Board makes will impact your life in some way, and my job is to make sure that they hear our collective voice, as undergraduates, before they arrive at any and all decisions. If you are interested in learning more about the Board of Visitors, please visit www.bov.vt.edu.
This is a critical and special time for each of us as students at Virginia Tech and for our university as a whole. With the world watching, we showed our strength as a community and collectively decided not to be paralyzed by our past, but to invent our own future. As we move forward, it is imperative that each and every one of us has a say in the direction of our university. While I am in constant contact with student leaders from a broad cross-section of student groups, the heart of Virginia Tech lies within the individual experiences and concerns of us as students. It is my hope that you will not only feel comfortable sharing these experiences with me, but also will feel encouraged to do so. Whether you want to share a serious concern, lift up a university success, or simply talk about the Hokie sports games for the week, always feel wanted and welcome to contact me at rcsmth@vt.edu. I look forward to working with each and every one of you throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Ryan C. Smith
Brennan Shepard
Graduate Representative to the
Board of Visitors
As your new BOV Gradrep, I am excited to be able to represent graduate students in our community and work to ensure that our ideas and needs are recognized. I look forward to listening to your thoughts and answering your questions over the next year.
Originally from Roanoke, Virginia, I earned my bachelor's degree at Virginia Tech in 2002 in Political Science, minoring in Philosphy and concentrating in legal studies. From there, I have worked in political campaigns around the state as well as as in the Virginia General Assembly as a legislative aide. The need for sound fiscal policy and interdisciplinary approaches to solving the complex issues of our day has led me back to pursue a Masters in Business Adminstration, which I hope to use in state government upon graduation.
I am from a long line of Hokies, with each of my older brothers and father all attending VT. Growing up right down the road, I have a unique understanding and apprectiation for the challenges and offerings of southwest Virginia. There is no place I would rather be than in Blacksburg, Virginia. I hope to use my experiences at Tech and in state government to work to improve the already amazing community we have here.
Please feel free to contact me at brshepar@vt.edu to discuss ideas you may have to improve your experience as a graduate student. I look forward to meeting you!