The tragic death of George Floyd last year, the deep pain it caused across the country, and the guilty verdict announced yesterday in the trial of the police officer who murdered him are reminders of the work that still lies ahead in our journey toward justice.

I recently participated in a panel discussion called "What are the learnings from learning online?" at the Times Higher Education (THE) Live U.S. conference. The conversation brought me together with administrators from private institutions like Stanford and Marymount to discuss the challenges and takeaways from a year of learning remotely.

This week, we gathered for a dedication of an exciting addition to Georgia Tech’s growing public sculpture collection, named Koan. Standing 12 meters tall, Koan is a magnificent structure in the center of campus, designed by the late John Portman, renowned architect and designer and one of our most distinguished alumni.

This week, I received my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. It filled me with relief and immense gratitude. Never before had we (the global "we," the humankind "we") developed, tested, manufactured, distributed, and delivered a vaccine to so many people this fast. Much work remains to be done to increase distribution by an order of magnitude and reach billions of people. But what we have so far accomplished makes me optimistic about our ability to tackle the most complex problems affecting us… more

Yesterday’s senseless acts of violence in metro Atlanta are heartbreaking and incomprehensible. Together with recent reports about increased violent acts against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country, they raise deeply concerning questions about racism in our country. Violence against Asian Americans is violence against us all.

Following an extensive synthesis process and aligning with the strategic plan, I’m proud to share the Georgia Tech 17 Rooms Recommended Actions report. I hope you’ll find something in this report to inspire you. As an institution with extraordinary strengths, we have the ability and the responsibility to make a difference. These actions in this report are not all-inclusive. They are one point along a journey of bettering ourselves, our local community, and our global community.

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 Dec. 17 installment of the our "Conversations on the Hill" series focused on 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.

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.