If you haven’t had a chance to read President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough’s new memoir yet, I strongly recommend it. The Technological University Reimagined tells the story of Georgia Tech’s journey during President Clough’s 14 years at the helm — a period of growth that set us on a course to become the powerhouse we are today.

This week, a record-setting incoming class of about 4,500 first-year and transfer students moved in, filled our campus with energy and excitement, and walked to their first classes. Just a year ago, weak national trends in higher education plus the dramatic disruption of the pandemic foreshadowed a bleak future. Yet our community came together and innovated to find a way forward, and we’re now welcoming the largest, strongest, most diverse class in Institute history. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) just announced a large strategic effort to advance the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States, and I’m proud that Georgia Tech was named one of its key leaders. Our decades of investment and world-class work across the Institute were recognized when we received two awards totaling $40 million to establish new NSF AI Research Institutes.

As we establish ourselves among the most innovative regions in the world, Atlanta has an opportunity to stand out also as an example of inclusive innovation, a place where men and women of all backgrounds can find a welcoming environment where they can build exciting new technologies and businesses that create economic opportunities for others.

A couple of months ago, we unveiled a beautiful, mind-bending sculpture on our campus: the last project by revered architect, designer, and proud Tech alumnus John Portman. Known as Koan, this striking 40-foot piece now stands near the northeast corner of Tech Green, sending us a message only art can.