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Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine
G e o r g i a l e c h At u m n i
Volume 86, Number 2
Publisher: Joseph P. Irwin, IM 80 Editor: Kimberly Link-Wills Assistant Editor: Van Jensen Assistant Editor: Leslie Overman Design: Ryan Giusti Executive Committee Joseph W. Evans, IM 7 1 , Chair William J. Todd, IM 7 1 , Past Chair Alfredo Trujillo, AE 8 1 , Chair-elect/Finance C. Dean Alford, EE 76, Vice Chair/Roll Call Steve W. Chaddick, EE 74, MS EE 82 Phillip N. Gee, ISyE 81 Cheryl J. Weldon, ChE 85 Members At Large Joseph P. Irwin, IM 80, President Board of Trustees Ana I. Anton, ICS 90, MS ICS 92, PhD CS 97 Thomas G. Arlotto, ME 82 Jennifer M. Ball, Arch 94, M CP 01 Coe A. Bloomberg, ME 66 David A. Bottoms, Mgt 01 William B. Bourne III, GMgt 72 Marc A. Corsini, IM 80
Ashley Gigandet Joseph, IntA 94 Kelli H. Keb, IM 78 John A. Lewis Jr., IM 79 A. Wayne Luke, IE 72 Robert A. Madayag III, ChE 02 Benton J. MathisJr., IM 81 Wanda B. Murray, HS 82
Tracey M. Countryman, IM 98
Eric L. Pinckney Sr., ME 86, M CP 93
Steven R, Cover, Arch 78, M Arch 81, M CP81
Troy W. Rice, IE 01
Marian H. Epps, IM 83
John E. Robertson, ChE 66
Mack Reese, IM 83, MS Mgt 85
J. Gregory Foster, ME 95
Heather S. Rocker, ISyE 98
Angela D. Fox, EE 91
Victoria L. Selfridge, IE 96
Richard A. Guthman Jr., IE 56
Rush S. Smith Jr., Phys 72
S. Wesley Haun, Mgt 72
Robert N. Stargel Jr., EE 83
Jeffrey S. Hurley, MS Chem 90, PhD Chem 92
Jeb M. Stewart, CIs 91
Joseph C. Irastorza, EE 60, MS EE 68, PhD ISyE 73
James E. Trimble Jr., Mgt 91 Janet C. Wilson, ICS 81
Advertising Holly Green (404) 894-0765; holly.green@alumni.gatech.edu Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine (ISSN; 1061-9747) is published bimonthly for contributors to the annual Roll Call of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313. The Georgia Tech Alumni Association allocates $10 from a contribution toward a year's subscription to its magazine. Periodical postage paid in Atlanta and additional mailing offices. © 2009 Georgia Tech Alumni Association Postmaster: Send address changes to Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313. E-mail: editor@alumni.gatech.edu or ramblinroll@gtalumni.org Telephone: Georgia Tech Alumni Association (404) 894-2391 Change address or unsubscribe at bioupdate@alumni.gatech.edu
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Engineering Tech's Past, Present and Future
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e said goodbye to a longtime friend and leader of Georgia Tech's alumni in September. Buck Stith, CE 58, passed away after a courageous bout with cancer. Buck was the kind of guy who lived life with great passion and energy, a wonderful sense of humor and a sharp intellect. His service to Georgia Tech was extraordinary, and we honored him with the Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2004. He served in numerous leadership roles including a term as president of the Alumni Association. His last leadership role was chairman of the Georgia Tech Foundation, and during his tenure we broke ground on Technology Square — one of Tech's "crown jewels." Technology Square is an amazing tribute to all alumni because its construction was entirely funded through the leveraged use of our collective philanthropy (including Roll Call) and investments in the Foundation over the years. He was indeed a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer. We'll miss his bright smile and booming voice.
President Peterson's investiture was a great event that honored the past while providing a platform for the future. He is our 11th president and already has begun to put his imprimatur on the campus community. President Peterson began a strategic planning process to look at what Georgia Tech should look like in 25 years. It's a yearlong effort engaging the entire community. On the afternoon of the investiture, more than 700 alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends participated in the effort to "blue sky" what Tech might become years from now. Admittedly it's a difficult challenge because we're all fighting economic "forest fires," and it's hard to get out of that mode. That being said, if you look back 25 years, you'll see that an amazing transformation occurred: Twenty-five years ago, we had 11,000 students, four colleges, 500 faculty members, $66 million in research awards, 4.6 million square feet of campus space and a $174 million budget. Today we have 20,000 students, six colleges, 925 faculty, $483 million in research awards, 14.5 million square feet of campus space and a $1.2 billion budget. We have grown but far more than that has changed — this is a much better institution than it was two-plus decades ago. A Georgia Tech degree means more now than ever before. That's a significant return on your investment of four (or five or six) years of your life and another reason for you to continue to support Tech. The future is bright and we as alumni need to make sure that a Tech degree is even more valuable 25 years from now. Your contributions to Roll Call will help accomplish that goal. This is our 63rd year of Roll Call. Tech alumni have led the nation for years in participating in this annual fund drive. Thank you for your generosity to Tech and the Alumni Association.
Mixed Sources Product group from well-managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood or fiber www.fsc.org Cert no. SW-COC-002556 © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council
Joseph P. Irwin, President of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association