To the Georgia Tech Community:

Dr. G. P. "Bud" Peterson

One of the important aspects of my role as president is to share Georgia Tech’s story in an effort to communicate the positive impact our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have on their respective communities and the world. In order to do that well, Val and I first wanted to listen to your stories and learn more about your experiences here at Tech. During the past three months, we have been fortunate to hear from many of you whose remarkable achievements and good deeds have improved the lives of countless individuals at home and abroad. These stories have deepened our respect and admiration for the people, the history, and the impact of this great institution.

More recently, we have been traveling the state to hear what our alumni, local public officials, and community leaders need and want from a technological research university like Georgia Tech. These visits have been both very exciting and enlightening, and I thank all of those we visited for their time, hospitality, and input.

Georgia Tech’s story has many facets, and I am eager to share these with you and others. To facilitate this process, we recently launched a redesigned Web site that will highlight recent achievements and update our university community on new developments here at Georgia Tech. The site can be found at http://www.gatech.edu/president, and I encourage you to visit — it will help to keep you informed and improve our communications.

Commending Our Faculty and Staff

The recent announcement that Georgia Tech was named to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s honor roll as one of the best universities to work is a nice external validation for what many of us already knew. More importantly, the passion and dedication of our faculty and staff deserve to be noticed. If “people” define an organization, then each of us should take pride in our contributions toward shaping and sustaining this community. Thank you for all you do on behalf of this great institution.

Curiosity Guides Students to World Recognition

A team of Georgia Tech students recently received worldwide recognition for their entry in the finals of the 2009 Imagine Cup in Cairo, Egypt. Georgia Tech’s Team Curious — mechanical engineering undergraduate Marc Pare and computer science graduate student Kathy Pham — placed first in the competition’s MashUp category, and were the only U.S. group to receive top honors in any of the nine invitational categories. Using the competition’s theme “imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today,” these students developed a program that aggregates news and information on the Web in a way that is intended both to highlight the people making a difference and inspire others to join in. You can see more about this exciting project at http://www.teamcurious.com/actors.

Crossing the Century Mark

Thursday, July 9, marked my 100th day at Georgia Tech. Val and I cannot begin to express our appreciation to everyone who has worked to make this transition a smooth one. Our time here has been both an exciting and rewarding experience, and I feel privileged to be in a position to help shape the future of Georgia Tech. My recap of our first three months is available at the Office of the President Web site.

Professor Briefs Legislators on Cyber Insecurity

One area in which I believe Georgia Tech can raise its national profile is its service in the public arena, sharing our expertise with legislators and serving on high-profile national committees. Professor Sy Goodman recently spoke to a House subcommittee on cybersecurity, a “broad societal issue” requiring greater research investment and education.

Alumnus to Visit International Space Station

Georgia Tech is extremely well represented among NASA astronauts, and the current mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavor includes an engineer with Institute ties. STS-127 will be the first spaceflight for alumnus Tim Kopra, who earned his master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Tech in 1995. We are proud to count him among our graduates and wish him a safe and successful mission.

Fulfilling Our Promise to the State of Georgia

Last month’s announcement that Fortune 500 company NCR Corporation would move more than 2,100 jobs to Georgia by relocating its headquarters to Duluth and developing a new manufacturing facility in Columbus was welcome news as we try to expand the economic impact of our state. As has been noted in several places, Georgia Tech played a key role in NCR’s decision to move to Georgia. Clearly, NCR views Tech as a source of talent and innovation as well as a partner in their future. As a state-supported institution, Georgia Tech strives to maximize the return of the public investment to our state and its people.

Presidential Investiture/Strategic Planning

Finally, as I noted in my July 6 message to campus, we are preparing to embark on a strategic planning process to envision what Georgia Tech should look like in 25 years, at the 150th anniversary of its founding. During the next few weeks, we will be working to identify a set of strategic topics around which we can frame a community-wide discussion. As part of the investiture ceremony on September 3, the entire campus community will have a chance to come together to participate in a series of directed discussions in order to develop a shared vision for the Georgia Tech of the future. The participation of the entire Georgia Tech community will be invaluable, and it is my sincere hope that you will join in these conversations over the course of the coming year.