The Maj Gen W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development

Medal of Honor recipient Melvin Morris speaks to the regiment in Burruss Auditorium. — Medal of Honor recipient Melvin Morris, a retired U.S. Army sergeant first class, shares his story in Burruss Auditorium.

Success in today's highly competitive society depends on leadership.

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets' Rice Center for Leader Development strives to transform aspiring undergraduates into inspiring leaders. It does so through a comprehensive program of academic coursework, real-world leadership experiences, ethics education, public lectures, and guest speakers.

Virginia Tech is the first land-grant university in the nation to successfully combine the leadership development elements embedded within a corps of cadets experience with existing ROTC training to produce a program of study so rigorous it has been recognized by the award of a minor in leadership studies.

The Rice Center, however, does more than just study leadership. Its primary mission is to train young men and women to lead while it fosters the growth of leadership-related programs and initiatives at the university.

The Rice Center fosters the next generation of public leaders by integrating theory and practice through scholarly dialogue and experiential learning in the areas of leadership, civic responsibility, service, and moral values. It contributes to the development of informed and responsible individuals who are committed to making a difference in their nation and the world. To support this mission, the Rice Center supports the Corps’ academic programs and administers the Corps’ minor in leadership studies.

The center is named in honor of the late Maj. Gen. W. Thomas Rice (Class of '34, civil engineering), a railroad industry executive and rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Learn more about the Rice Center's Leader Development Program.