Much of our internal work and discussions these days revolve around managing our growth. Demand for a Georgia Tech education is at an all-time high, and companies are recruiting our graduates in record numbers — both great signs of our value and reputation. But the growth in applicants has overwhelmed our capacity, and as a result, we have become the third most-selective public university in the nation — only UCLA and UC Berkeley are more selective.

One of the most consequential, yet often not well understood, parts of Georgia Tech is the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Established back in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station with a state investment of $5,000 (about $110,000 today) and a handful of part-time researchers, GTRI has since grown into a research powerhouse that brings in more than $833 million in annual funding and has an outsized impact on our state, our nation, and the world.

In mid-December, while we were wrapping up the fall semester, the National Science Foundation quietly released its fiscal year 2021 Higher Education Research and Development Survey, an annual report of research spending at U.S. colleges and universities. Our $1.1 billion of spending placed us at No. 20 in the nation. Only 24 institutions recorded expenditures of $1 billion or more, and for the second year in a row, Georgia Tech was the only one to reach that level without a medical school (medical schools account for about 25% of all research spending in the U.S.).

This past weekend, we awarded more than 5,600 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees to another remarkable group of graduates. Representing 82 countries around the world, these graduates come from all backgrounds and circumstances, and they are embarking on a multitude of different paths. Yet, they all leave the Institute with a keen ability to solve problems, the confidence to innovate and lead, and a commitment to drive positive change.

Every chance I get, I love to drop by and visit faculty and students in their labs. Invariably, I’m amazed by the breadth and depth of ingenuity and expertise on our campus — the discoveries, inventions, and innovative solutions to some of the most important issues facing humanity.