To the Georgia Tech Community:

Dr. G. P. "Bud" Peterson

I want to thank everyone who attended the investiture three weeks ago and also to send a special thanks to the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Georgia Tech who participated in the opening discussions of our strategic plan, Designing our Future. Approximately 700 members of the Georgia Tech community turned out to provide their perspective on one or more of the issues we have identified as critical to the future of the Institute. As I noted in my investiture address earlier in the day, Georgia Tech has much to be proud of. The existing foundation of excellence will serve us well as we chart a course for how the Institute will achieve its vision as the technological research university of the 21st century.

Our planning process has been structured so as to be both comprehensive and inclusive. As we move forward, we will respect our past, but also design our future, for ultimately, we will be judged not by how well we have done in the past, but by how well we can meet the evolving needs of the world around us. I encourage you to review the themes articulated on the strategic vision Web site — http://www.gatech.edu/vision — and invite you to stay involved by participating in the ongoing discussions or through the site’s commenting features. Only with your input can we use our best thinking to design effective and successful action plans around these key issues. Our intent is to keep the Web site updated as a principal communication tool throughout the process, so please check it frequently.

Students Construct Tech Tower for Charity

Despite full class loads and a wide assortment of extracurricular schedules, it’s always nice to hear of the many ways our students are giving back to the community. Members of the Student Construction Association and students in the College of Architecture are building a miniature replica of the Tech Tower as part of HomeAid Atlanta’s Project Playhouse. The Tech Tower is one of three playhouses that will be raffled off in a fundraiser for HomeAid Atlanta, which builds and maintains transitional housing for the homeless. Individuals can buy raffle tickets at Tech football games or online at homeaidatlanta.org.

Recruiting Our Graduates

Even in a challenging economy, Georgia Tech graduates are still in high demand. Representatives from more than 350 companies were on campus recently as part of our annual Career Fair. While this is an encouraging sign for our students, it also serves as a reminder that we must continue to review our curricula to ensure that they fully prepare our students to distinguish themselves in the global environment. This is one of the topics we are examining as part of our strategic planning.

Excellence and Equity

I was very pleased to have the opportunity to welcome nearly 200 faculty, staff, and students to the first annual Diversity Symposium earlier this month. Under the direction of Vice Provost for Academic Diversity Gilda Barabino, the Symposium aimed to initiate a conversation about issues of diversity among academics and administrators here at Tech. Recruiting, retaining, and recognizing a diversity of people and thought is key to making Georgia Tech a truly great university. I strongly believe that the best ideas come from having a diverse group of minds and experiences at the table, and hope the discussion initiated here will continue throughout the year.

Changing the Conversation

Don Giddens, the dean of our College of Engineering, recently discussed his work chairing a committee for the National Academy of Engineers on how to attract and educate the next generation of engineers. This important work emphasizes the development of a coordinated communication strategy in order to generate enthusiasm for and broaden the diversity within this rewarding profession.

Professor Cited for Work in Robotics

Congratulations go to Interactive Computing Assistant Professor Andrea Thomaz, who has been recognized as one of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35. Her robot, Simon, is featured on the cover of the September/October issue of Technology Review. Thomaz’s research focuses on social interactions between robots and humans. Videos of some of these exciting projects are available through her laboratory Web site.

Alumnus Named a “Master of Innovation”

Our alumni are also known as world-renowned innovators. BusinessWeek magazine recently named Craig Mundie, currently the chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft, as a corporate “Master of Innovation”. Mundie, who earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in information theory and computer science from Tech, is now directing the company's investments in software. His philosophy — making significant, long-term investments and a willingness to take risks echoes the strategic planning process we are undertaking at Tech.

Family Weekend

On Friday, September 25, Georgia Tech will welcome the parents and relatives of our students to campus for our annual Family Weekend. At last report we have more than 2,600 registrations from more than 700 families planning to attend, both of which put us on track for our largest celebration ever. The weekend is packed with events designed to give our guests a sense of what life is like on the Georgia Tech campus. In addition to the seminars and conferences, the campus will host a college tailgate party — complete with southern barbecue — before our Yellow Jackets take on the University of North Carolina. Val and I are looking forward to meeting as many of you as we can.