Virginia Tech has announced a $7 million gift from the Cranwell family in support of the Cranwell International Center.

The largest gift in support of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech will enable the center, which serves more than four thousand undergraduate and graduate students from over a hundred countries, to expand the depth and breadth of its institutional impact through a number of initiatives, including the Global Fellow in Residence Program, pre-departure programs in China, the International Street Fair, the Global Competence Aptitude Assessment, and a range of intercultural training and assessment programs. In addition, a portion of the funding will be used to enhance the center's Mozaiko Living-Learning Community, which connects international and domestic students to learn about each other's culture, immerse themselves in language practice, and prepare for intercultural leadership.

The gift, which was inspired by the tragic death of an international student during the winter break, is a combined gift from Bill Cranwell ('57) and his wife, Ellen, as well as Bob Cranwell ('60) and his wife, Susie. Bill and Bob attended Virginia Tech in the 1950s.

"We are incredibly grateful for the Cranwell family's generosity to Cranwell International Center and Student Affairs," said Virginia Tech president Tim Sands. "Their dedication to the university's international students is meaningful to all of us. International students enrich our community with unique perspectives, enhance research and teaching, and help Virginia Tech prepare the next generation of world leaders who will work across language, culture, and borders to solve shared global challenges."