Successful organizations are grounded in a strong sense of purpose and values. They stand for something. They are bound by a shared mission and find inspiration in something that matters to their members. For some it may be beating a common rival (think “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC”) or winning a race (e.g. be the biggest, reach the highest ranking, etc.).

Ángel Cabrera, Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, Atlanta, February 29, 2020. Memorial Service for Ford C. Greene (Feb. 23, 1944 - Jan. 25, 2020). Ford Greene was one of the first three African American students to attend Georgia Tech. As an institution, Georgia Tech has been proud of the fact that it was the first university in the deep South to integrate without a court order. There were no riots and little controversy as compared to other places. So, for decades, we lived under the comfortable… more

In the mid-1990s, Tech President Wayne Clough asked the Georgia Tech Foundation to buy $60 million in land on the south, west, and north sides of campus for expansion. He wanted Tech to be more of an integral part of the Atlanta community and have room for growth. The request to “jump the connector” was an “add on” at the Georgia Tech Foundation annual meeting in Sea Island. Georgia Tech Foundation Chair Charlie Brown told the group, “Oh, by the way, I’ve got an option on some old, worn-out… more

One of the visits we found especially impactful was the National Center for Civil and Human Rights downtown. It was a powerful experience that made us reflect on the magnitude of the impact Atlanta had on the entire nation and beyond during the Civil Rights movement. And it inspired us to think of how much more we are poised to do. Right after we arrived, Congressman John Lewis invited me to his office. We talked about the Civil Rights movement and he shared some historic photos. I was moved… more

Several years ago, a group of organizational behavior scholars at Case Western Reserve University started experimenting with a surprisingly simple yet revolutionary idea: what if you brought people together not to discuss problems but to reflect on what is going well? Thus was born a management tool now referred to as “appreciative inquiry.” The idea is to facilitate conversations about the things that work well in an organization—its strengths as opposed to its dysfunctions. And by doing that… more

This weekend in New York I will be working with a group of university leaders from around the world and faculty champions from Georgia Tech and other leading universities to identify ways in which universities can best help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs are 17 goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 representing some of the most consequential and complex problems we face as a species. The Goals range from poverty and hunger, to health, gender equality… more

Beth and I received the warmest welcome from the entire community, and, as I have told many people, we feel like we are coming home again. I’ve been here as a graduate student, as an alumnus, as a member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board, and as a parent. I never imagined I would return one day as president. Incredible.

Today, I begin my service as Georgia Tech’s president. I am thrilled to be back at a place that means so much to my family and me, and I am honored to be able to work with you and serve this remarkable institution.

I just returned to Fairfax, Virginia, from a brief and emotional visit to campus with my wife Beth on Friday, and I wanted to let you know that I am thrilled to have been selected as your next president.