The two weeks I recently spent in Europe helped me appreciate even more the international reputation Georgia Tech has developed, the global impact we have, and the value our global presence creates back home.

This week, I embarked on my first Georgia tour as president, resuming an Institute tradition started by my predecessor, G.P. “Bud” Peterson, that the pandemic put on hold the past two years. The three-day trip was a whirlwind with more than 20 events in eight towns across 550 miles. At each stop, we met with students and their families alongside friends, alumni, businesses, and local leaders.

In the most recent episode of the “EduTrends” podcast, I spoke with José "Pepe" Escamilla, associate director of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey, about Georgia Tech's response to the pandemic and approach to educational innovation as well as my forecast for the future. This story gives us a lot to be proud of, and I hope you can give it a listen.

The semester is winding down and the Thanksgiving break is upon us. I imagine, like me, that this small break is coming right on time for you. This community has worked tirelessly this semester, and, once again, proved that Georgia Tech is an institution unlike any other.

Over the past two years I’ve been impressed by the professionalism, integrity, honesty, and dedication throughout our campus. A strong culture is indeed the best defense we have. Reputations are hard to build and easy to blemish. As the old saying goes: One bad apple spoils the whole barrel — and can cast doubt about an entire organization.

On Sept. 8, I spoke at a conference organized by the University of Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia, where I discussed (in Spanish) the role and responsibility of the modern research university to develop creative, sustainable solutions to confront the complex challenges affecting humanity everywhere.

As we join with our colleagues, families, and friends to remember 9/11 this and every year, I am grateful for the stories that keep the sacrifices close in our hearts and minds. Stories like these are the ones that I told my own children, who were at the time too small to comprehend the incomprehensible — stories of individuals, communities, a country, and a world in grief and turning to hope. These are the stories that we must honor, remember, and tell over and over for generations to come.

Nearly two years after becoming president, I had the pleasure of speaking at my first New Student Convocation in McCamish Pavilion on Sunday, Aug. 22. In my address to our incoming class, I discussed Georgia Tech’s mission and offered my top 10 suggestions for a safe and productive Fall 2021 semester.

I know you are as excited as I am to see our campus full of life again — classes and labs, vibrant residence and dining halls, old traditions and new friendships, and an exciting football season just around the corner! I am looking forward to welcoming both our newest and our returning students, faculty, and staff, and to work with you toward another successful year. Thanks to your work and the collective efforts of our community last year, we were able to keep Georgia Tech moving forward while… more

As an alum of the oldest school of its kind, I had the honor of being the keynote speaker for the 100th anniversary of the first class of Telecommunications Engineers in Spain. The field, which is very similar to what we know in the United States as electrical and computer engineering, has played a pivotal role in driving progress around the world, connecting us, enabling economic opportunity, and, very importantly, preparing us to deal with the global pandemic. Interestingly, 100 years… more