Message from the President

The enduring strength and relevance of an institution like Georgia Tech is derived from many sources.

• Our internationally renowned faculty, who are passionate about teaching students to apply their gifts in meaningful and beneficial ways.
• Our gifted students, who possess a global perspective and legendary drive to achieve and succeed that ultimately benefits not only themselves but also their fellow human beings and their all-too-fragile planet.
• Our highly accomplished alumni, who understand and treasure the part their Georgia Tech education has played in their success and who want to see that tradition continue.
• Our strategically focused industry and research partners, who value the role that our faculty and students play in advancing their vision and their success.
• Our local, state, and federal legislators, whose longstanding support and advocacy have been absolutely vital to Georgia Tech’s rise to world-class status.
• Our many other friends and associates across the country and around the world, whose good will has bolstered our reputation and added to our trajectory.

Clearly, the broad scope and robust variety of the Georgia Tech community is breathtaking. For us, diversity is much more than an altruistic ideal or goal; it is a competitive advantage that becomes increasingly valuable every day.

This year’s 65th anniversary of the admission of women as full-time students at Georgia Tech vividly illustrates this advantage. Many of our alumni — both women and men — would be surprised to know that this year’s freshman class is 43 percent women.

Additionally, we are a global university, attracting some of the world’s brightest scholars, researchers, and teachers. Students come from all 50 states and 117 countries. They bring with them a broad range of cultural, ethnic, and diverse backgrounds that makes us all better and strengthens and greatly enriches our campus community. This diversity helps each of us grow intellectually and socially as we share different traditions, beliefs, knowledge, and perspectives with one another.

Our welcoming and inclusive environment strengthens our ability to come together to address some of the world’s biggest challenges and most pressing problems in a positive and constructive manner. Dozens of examples of our community’s collaborative spirit are found within this year’s Institute Annual Report. I hope you are not only impressed but also inspired by these stories, as they reflect who we are and the values we hold dear.

Sincerely,

G.P. “Bud” Peterson
President, Georgia Institute of Technology