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Greetings from the Office of the Provost, and welcome to the Provost’s blog. The mission of this blog is to share observations on recent events, highlight exciting initiatives here at Georgia Tech, and provide resources and information to faculty, staff, students, and alumni alike. 

Summer is upon us and Campaign Georgia Tech continues to hit significant milestones, creating exciting opportunities for transformation, and providing critical and timely investments in the Institute as we position ourselves to be designers of the future and extend our regional, national, and global reach through innovative education and research.

In May, a generous gift from Southern Company Charitable Foundation created the Southern Company Dean’s Chair in the College of Engineering. And just this month, John and Mary Brock announced they are endowing the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Chair, pending approval from the Board of Regents. These are just two gifts amongst many that enable Georgia Tech to recruit and retain the very best faculty in the nation and the world, push the limits of science and technology, and continue to be a global leader in scientific and technological research and education. 

These gifts are vital support to the academic enterprise, and are distinct in their ability to allow for discretionary use of funds that enhance the respective faculty holder’s unique research, support higher risk projects, support graduate students through financial aid, purchase equipment, or support college and school initiatives and priorities. Through the generosity of donors, faculty who hold these chairs are able to take critical and calculated risks in research, and leverage subsequent federal dollars in creative and dynamic ways.   From investing in historically underfunded research areas to seeding new academic courses, these funds provide the freedom to be bold, take risks, and dream big.  

Georgia Tech is a place where those bold ideas become a reality and can change the face of the research environment. The Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) is doing just that. We took occupancy of the facility just last month and are excited to see the potential opportunities take shape.  Designed as an interdisciplinary hub to foster collaboration, the EBB will drive innovation and have an undeniable impact on biomedical science and human health, as well as the state of Georgia’s economy. Co-location will yield critical research and collaboration in the areas of biomedical technology, cellular therapies, and complex systems biology, and bring together some of the world’s finest researchers. These innovative approaches have impact on the economy around us as well.  They will help foster economic development through the formation of startup enterprises; the creation of high-skill, high-paying jobs; and the commercialization of new devices, drugs, and technologies. 

The EBB would not be possible without the public-private partnership between Georgia Tech, the state of Georgia, the Georgia Tech Foundation, and private donors. 

We have much to be proud of. To transform, we must do transformational work. That is accomplished through visionary leadership, high quality research, teaching excellence, collaborative partnerships, and a collective body of stakeholders who are committed to the Institute. We are incredibly fortunate to have those elements here at Georgia Tech.

But the work continues. 

My vision for the blog is that it will serve as a useful communication tool to keep you informed about activities in the Provost’s Office that affect you. Please check back for regular updates and blog postings from the Office of the Provost.  

- Dr. Rafael Bras