Samuel G. Riley III Memorial Scholarship
Sam G. Riley Ill was a member of the Virginia Tech faculty, serving as a professor of communication the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech at the time of his passing. During his long career at Virginia Tech, beginning in 1981, Riley taught undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, magazine writing, the history of mass media, communications law, travel writing, and public speaking, to name a few. Funded by Virginia Tech, the Samuel G. Riley III Memorial Scholarship is a one-time award open to School of Communication majors (Advertising, Communication, Multimedia Journalism, Public Relations, and Sports Media and Analytics).
- Award
- Varies
- Deadline
- 01/22/2026
- Supplemental Questions
- Dr. Sam Riley was a professor in the Department of Communication where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, magazine writing, the history of mass media, communications law, travel writing, and public speaking. In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Riley was passionate about writing. His editorial columns, which appeared in places like the New York Times, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, were often humorous but touched on serious issues. Dr. Riley cared about the power of language and the role it played in shaping our world. In an essay of approximately 500 words, please describe your interest in writing and the field of communication.