It is hard to believe that our Fall 2020 semester is finally underway. After a summer of hard work and preparations, students are just completing their first week of classes through a blend of in-person, remote, and hybrid course modes. Despite the circumstances, we just welcomed 3,250 first-year students, the largest and strongest first-year class in Institute history, and our largest-ever transfer class, 900.

When we look back at 2020, despite the pain caused by the novel coronavirus, there will be much for all of us at Georgia Tech to be proud of — how our community, relying on science and technology, came together to fight the pandemic through innovation and collaboration, and with compassion and a shared commitment to Progress and Service.

After a summer of hard work and preparations, students are just completing their first week of classes through a blend of in-person, remote, and hybrid course modes. Despite the circumstances, we just welcomed 3,250 first-year students, the largest and strongest first-year class in Institute history, and our largest-ever transfer class, 900.

Georgia Tech is a far-reaching global institution and a strategic national asset. But we never forget that, as an institution of Georgia, Georgia Tech is foremost committed to making our state better. Our national and state priorities are not at odds. On the contrary, they are mutually supportive.

Our newly approved mission statement commits us to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. In order to do that, it is imperative that we empower people of all backgrounds to learn, grow, and contribute. That’s true for at least two major reasons.