10/16/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Microsoft’s $2 Billion Investment in Southern Virginia Fulfills the Early Vision of Dr. Carole Cameron Inge and Virginia Tech
SOUTH BOSTON, VA – October 2025 — Microsoft Corporation’s multi-billion-dollar data center investments in Boydton, Virginia, have brought new prosperity and global attention to Southern Virginia. Yet, few realize that this transformation began over two decades ago—when Dr. Carole Cameron Inge, a cognitive scientist and early artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer, first envisioned the broadband and innovation network that would make such growth possible.
When Microsoft selected Mecklenburg County in 2010 for its first Virginia data center, the company committed $499 million to build a Gen-4 cloud facility in the Boydton Industrial Park, creating about 50 jobs. Continued expansions in 2011 ($150 million), 2013 ($348 million), 2014 ($346 million), and 2015 ($402 million) brought total investment to nearly $2 billion, generating more than 250 high-skill positions in IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, network management, and operations.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded $1.6 million to upgrade Boydton’s wastewater system, unlocking another $1.6 billion in private investment and an estimated 270 additional jobs.
“What’s happening in Southern Virginia today is the realization of a plan that started long before anyone was talking about the cloud,” said Dr. Inge. “The broadband, the partnerships, the education—all of it was designed to prepare for this kind of digital new AI -driven economy.”
From Riverstone to Microsoft: The Untold Backstory
Some citizens may remember the first ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Riverstone Technology Park, where Dr. Carole Cameron Inge was officially named Virginia Tech’s lead representative for the site. Her appointment was deliberate: Virginia Tech selected Inge because of her deep background with the Department of Defense (DoD), DARPA, and NASA, and her reputation as one of the first U.S. researchers to apply artificial intelligence to education and training.
While at Virginia Tech, Inge also held a NASA education contract focused on interactive video, simulation, and digital learning—technologies that would later evolve into frameworks behind modern AI tutoring and virtual reality systems. These efforts became part of the Riverstone Modeling and Simulation Center of Excellence, a first-of-its-kind regional facility she founded with support from Research Triangle International (RTI).
“We were building the human side of technology—training, visualization, intelligent systems,” Inge explained. “But the region could only grow if it had broadband first.”
That conviction led to the founding of the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC)—co-established by Dr. Inge, Ben Davenport (then Rector of Va Tech’s Board), and a third pivotal founding board member, David Hudgins of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. Together, these three individuals recruited Tad Deriso as MBC’s first CEO, laying the digital infrastructure that would eventually attract Microsoft and other global technology players. Inge advocated for MBC moving to Riverstone Technology Park and today they have as many a 50 employees coming and going to support the regional broadband network, now turned private from non-for-profit.
A Foundation of Education, Robotics, and STEM Innovation
Beyond broadband, Dr. Inge believed that educational content was the 'fuel' of the new digital economy. She founded the first regional FIRST Robotics teams, connecting students in Southern Virginia to national STEM competitions and emerging engineering careers. She also advocated for expanded science programs—helping local schools launch telescopes, access NASA’s live video streams, and introduce interactive video and video-on-demand content from NASA and Discovery Education.
“Broadband gives you access,” Inge said. “Content gives you capability and especially AI. Everything we did with NASA, Discovery, and robotics was building toward what we now call AI literacy.”
The Vision Fulfilled
Microsoft’s massive data center footprint now validates those early efforts. What began as a risky experiment in rural technology diversification has become one of the nation’s most powerful examples of long-term planning, collaboration, and foresight.
Virginia Tech’s partnership with Dr. Inge and local leaders provided the technical expertise and academic credibility necessary to secure broadband funding, attract global partners, and inspire regional economic renewal.
“In 2005, we were talking about intelligent systems, not call centers,” Inge reflected. “People didn’t believe it then. But the foundation we built—education, broadband, and human capital—is exactly what Microsoft and the AI economy are built on now.”
Today, as CEO of IntelligentTutor.ai, Dr. Inge continues to champion the same interdisciplinary vision she began in South Boston—merging AI, neuroscience, education, and community development to prepare the workforce for an era defined by intelligence, automation, and human creativity.
“AI is not a replacement for people—it’s a learning evolution,” she said. “The communities that embrace it will not just survive but thrive.”
About Dr. Carole Cameron Inge
Dr. Carole Cameron Inge, is a cognitive scientist, AI researcher, and early DARPA investigator recognized as one of the first developers of AI for education and training in the U.S. She co-founded the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC), founded the Riverstone Modeling and Simulation Center of Excellence, and pioneered broadband and STEM initiatives that seeded Southern Virginia’s transformation. Dr. Inge is now CEO of IntelligentTutor.ai, which develops AI-driven education, health, and workforce systems.
Media Contact
Office of Dr. Carole Cameron Inge
📧 [email protected]
📞 434-294-9423
🌐 www.IntelligentTutor.ai
