Scott Midkiff is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Professor, by courtesy, of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, where he has been on the faculty since 1986. He was the university’s Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (VPIT/CIO) from 2012-2023, the Department Head of the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 2009-2012, and a Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2006-2009. Midkiff conducts research in wireless networks, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things. He has developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in IoT, networking, wireless networks and mobile systems, network applications, telecommunications, and microprocessor system design.

As VPIT/CIO, Midkiff was responsible for Virginia Tech’s overall strategy and vision for information technology. He led the Division of Information Technology and approximately 400 employees to provide IT services and systems for teaching and learning; advanced research computing; network, telecommunications, and enterprise computing infrastructure and services; enterprise administrative systems; IT security; identity and access management; email and other collaborative tools; user support; procurement and licensing for software and IT services; and IT policies and standards. The Virginia Cyber Range and the U.S. Cyber Range were created under his leadership as VPIT/CIO to provide hands-on learning environments and other resources for cybersecurity education for K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities. As VPIT/CIO, Midkiff was a member of the boards of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation, Virginia Tech Innovation Corporation, the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, and the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority.

Midkiff served as a Program Director at the NSF in the Directorate for Engineering and Division of Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems from 2006-2009 under an interagency personnel agreement. While at the NSF, he was a co-leader in establishing the Cyber Physical Systems program and managing the first year of awards. Midkiff received an NSF Director’s Award for Collaborative Innovation in 2008 for his work with the Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) program.

Midkiff received the B.S.E. degree from Duke University in electrical engineering and computer science, the M.S. from Stanford University in electrical engineering, and the Ph.D. from Duke University in electrical engineering. He is a Life Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of the Association for Computing Machinery and the American Society for Engineering Education. Midkiff has served as a program evaluator for the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET 2011-2024. He currently serves as a Commissioner and Team Chair for the Engineering Accreditation Comission of ABET.