On Thursday, February 18, 2021, at 3:55 p.m. EST, we landed a 1,025-kg rover the size of a small car on Mars. After a seven-month journey through space, a jetpack hovering a few meters over the surface of Mars lowered the rover on cables and gently dropped it as planned. A few minutes later — it takes that long for a radio signal to make it back to Earth — we had received the first photos from Mars. Truly amazing.
Let’s not forget the lessons of the last 24 hours. That our faith in democracy is tested not when our own ideas or candidates win, but when others do. That democracy is difficult and fragile. That it shouldn't be taken for granted. That every generation must work hard to preserve it. And that we, as educators, have an essential responsibility to ensure that every generation is prepared to inherit this republic, make it its own, and make it better.
Georgia Tech's "Conversations on the Hill" series event in December centered around the Institute's response to Covid-19. The panel discussion included several of the Institute's leading experts who have played some of the most instrumental roles in Georgia Tech's response to the pandemic, including Julia Kubanek, professor and associate dean of the College of Sciences, who served as our moderator. We were joined by M.G. Finn, professor and James A. Carlos Family Chair for Pediatric Technology, Joshua Weitz, Patton Distinguished Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and director of the Quantitative Biosciences Graduate Program, and Greg Gibson, Patton Distinguished Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Director of the Center for Integrative Genomics.
I delivered a keynote address (in Spanish) to the Universidad de Alcalá leadership team on Dec. 9, 2020 as they embark on a strategic planning process. Universidad de Alcalá is one of the oldest universities in the world, founded in the Middle Ages in a historic city near Madrid. I shared with them our experiences in crafting the Georgia Tech strategic plan as well as my thoughts on the global environment for higher education.
As Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff pause for the Thanksgiving break, President Cabrera shares a message of gratitude — reflecting on the successes and challenges of the fall semester and looking ahead to the spring.
On Nov, 18, I was honored to be one of the speakers at the ForoMET Global Summit 2020, an event organized by the MET Community Foundation to celebrate the International Day of Women Entrepreneurs. Participants included female entrepreneurs, businesswomen, and other experts from several countries, with a focus on Latin America and Spain. The talk, delivered in Spanish, is on critical characteristics of successful women entrepreneurs.
Every day, I am amazed by the impact that we have together. The caliber of students we attract and graduate, the top-ranked national programs we deliver, and the research breakthroughs we discover. Each one of us plays an important role in those achievements. What each of us does matters a great deal — especially when no one is watching.
I am honored to join you for the 75th anniversary of United Nations Day. With all its political complexities and imperfections, the founding of the United Nations (UN) remains a towering example of global collaboration — living proof that humans can come together and find peaceful ways to solve conflict and support human development.
Earlier this year, I was a guest on The Innovating Together Podcast. Produced by the University Innovation Alliance, Innovating Together brings together leaders and experts in higher education to share insights, research, and advice.
