On Aug. 31, I had the pleasure of speaking alongside Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan at the grand opening of the Carbice Corporation’s new headquarters and manufacturing facility along the Beltine in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood.

In interpreting rankings, it is important to keep in mind that different rankings focus on different metrics, which will resonate with students and families differently — and the metrics may vary from year to year. I always recommend that families look at a variety of rankings, understand their unique methodologies, and then make their own assessment based on their own criteria.

The two weeks I recently spent in Europe helped me appreciate even more the international reputation Georgia Tech has developed, the global impact we have, and the value our global presence creates back home.

This week, I embarked on my first Georgia tour as president, resuming an Institute tradition started by my predecessor, G.P. “Bud” Peterson, that the pandemic put on hold the past two years. The three-day trip was a whirlwind with more than 20 events in eight towns across 550 miles. At each stop, we met with students and their families alongside friends, alumni, businesses, and local leaders.

In the most recent episode of the “EduTrends” podcast, I spoke with José "Pepe" Escamilla, associate director of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey, about Georgia Tech's response to the pandemic and approach to educational innovation as well as my forecast for the future. This story gives us a lot to be proud of, and I hope you can give it a listen.

The semester is winding down and the Thanksgiving break is upon us. I imagine, like me, that this small break is coming right on time for you. This community has worked tirelessly this semester, and, once again, proved that Georgia Tech is an institution unlike any other.

Over the past two years I’ve been impressed by the professionalism, integrity, honesty, and dedication throughout our campus. A strong culture is indeed the best defense we have. Reputations are hard to build and easy to blemish. As the old saying goes: One bad apple spoils the whole barrel — and can cast doubt about an entire organization.

On Sept. 8, I spoke at a conference organized by the University of Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia, where I discussed (in Spanish) the role and responsibility of the modern research university to develop creative, sustainable solutions to confront the complex challenges affecting humanity everywhere.

As we join with our colleagues, families, and friends to remember 9/11 this and every year, I am grateful for the stories that keep the sacrifices close in our hearts and minds. Stories like these are the ones that I told my own children, who were at the time too small to comprehend the incomprehensible — stories of individuals, communities, a country, and a world in grief and turning to hope. These are the stories that we must honor, remember, and tell over and over for generations to come.