In January 2013, Sands returned to his role as Provost where he was responsible for all of Purdue's schools and colleges across campuses. On December 6, 2013, Sands was announced as Virginia Tech's 16th president effective June 1, 2014. In 2009 and 2010, Sands was honored as a fellow of both the Materials Research Society (MRS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), respectively. In 2013, Sands was honored as a charter fellow in the 101-member inaugural class of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Sands is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Tau Beta Pi. Sands is married to Laura Sands, Ph.D., a faculty member in the Center for Gerontology and Professor of Human Development at Virginia Tech, as well as editor-in-chief of the open-access journal "Innovation in Aging". The Sands have four children, all of whom are Purdue graduates. Timothy Sands grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and was valedictorian at his high school.