By VCU College of Engineering staff

The celebration brought together nearly 150 attendees, including representatives from Richmond’s regional robotics teams, members of FIRST’s board of directors and various corporate and academic partners.

“The VCU College of Engineering is extremely proud of our long partnership with FIRST and FIRST Robotics,” said Gary Tepper, Ph.D., senior associate dean for academic affairs. “We are just as excited today as we were back in 1999, the first time we hosted a competition in the Siegel Center. We look forward to the continuing partnership between us and FIRST.”

During his welcome remarks, Tepper highlighted VCU Engineering’s commitment to experiential learning through several new initiatives, including a bachelor’s degree in robotics and autonomous systems engineering — the first of its kind in Virginia.

“The courses you take will be project-based, much like the hand-on work students are doing now in FIRST competitions,” he said. “We really think that’s the best way to get students passionate about learning and engineering.”

VCU has played a pivotal role in bringing FIRST Robotics to Virginia since the launch of the NASA/VCU FIRST Robotics Competition 26 years ago. The program was created through a partnership between then-VCU President Eugene Trani, Motorola, NASA Langley and FIRST.

June Laffey, chief of staff for Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, who chairs the Senate Education and Health Committee, emphasized the importance of STEM education for Virginia’s future.

“So much of Virginia’s future, whether it’s discovering new renewable energy technology, maximizing the capabilities of artificial intelligence, protecting our most crucial data through cybersecurity or revolutionizing healthcare science, is going to be reliant on the passion, drive and determination of young people interested in STEM,” Laffey said.

The designation of Virginia FIRST Robotics Day stems from legislation proposed by students from the Maggie Walker Governor’s School and co-sponsored by Del. Betsy Carr and Sen. Bill Stanley. The joint resolution recognizes robotics as “one of the most effective, compelling and engaging means for teaching and reinforcing fundamental science, technology, engineering and mathematics concepts.”

Del. David Owen from the 57th District shared his experiences with FIRST Robotics teams, emphasizing the comprehensive skills students develop.

“It’s not just a few people programming and building a robot. They’ve got people advocating at the General Assembly for funding, raising funds to build the robots,” Owen said. “The passion, the teamwork and the life lessons will stick with every one of you throughout your professional careers. I think it’s fabulous.”

Alex Bryant, executive director of FIRST Chesapeake, highlighted the organization’s growth and impact across the region.

“Today, FIRST Chesapeake serves more than 7,000 students on over 700 teams across Virginia,” Bryant said. “We are proud to be the third largest FIRST Tech Challenge district in the world, only behind Michigan and Texas. These programs thrive in communities large and small because innovation, creativity and drive are not limited by geography.”

Bryant also announced plans to bring the district championship to Virginia State University in 2026 and discussions to host the FIRST Tech Challenge Championship at VCU, which would be “the second largest First Tech Challenge competition after the World Championship.”

Christie Neller, vice president of administrative services at FIRST Chesapeake and board chair, shared her perspective as both a parent and industry leader.

“I watched as students learn not just the technical skills on how to build a robot, but the marketing skills, business skills, teamwork and programming,” Neller said. “At the same time, I was running a national engineering and construction organization and I was hiring for those exact skill sets.”

The event highlighted VCU’s commitment to supporting FIRST participants through two endowed scholarships: the Karl Linn Scholarship and another FIRST scholarship, providing opportunities for FIRST Robotics participants to continue their education at VCU Engineering.

Mark Meadows, director of engineering enrollment at VCU, served as co-host for the event. “We’re delighted to partner with FIRST Robotics in so many different ways. We look forward to more amazing, incredible growth with FIRST Robotics, FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Lego League, all partnering with the commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University.”

The robotics industry is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of nearly 20% over the next few years, becoming a $27 billion industry worldwide, according to the Virginia General Assembly resolution.