Mike Duke Forecasts Walmart’s Future
In an auditorium so crowded that latecomers sat in the aisles and huddled in the wings, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. president and CEO Mike Duke spoke about the retail giant’s future. Duke, IE 71, was invited back to campus in October to deliver a speech in the College of Management IMPACT series. Surveying the packed room, he joked, “Was this intended to be a pep rally?” Among those in attendance was John Weitnauer Jr., IE 49, who gave Duke his first job out of Tech at Richway, a division of Rich’s Department Stores. After quickly recapping his time at Tech and rise through the retail industry, Duke looked ahead. He said Walmart will continue to grow around the world, and it’s becoming ever more important to take care of the environment. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, he said. “The topics of global growth and sustainability are intertwined.” As the global population continues to increase — Duke expects another 1 billion in population in 20 years — that will bring both opportunities and challenges for the world’s largest retailer. “That will bring a strain on resources,” he said. “There will be a doubled demand for food.” Walmart strives to become truly global while knowing its challenges, maintaining its culture and taking an active role in big social issues, Duke said. Part of that can be accomplished through utilizing local resources. “The customer wants to shop locally, and we want to support that,” he said. Duke said Walmart, which employs 2 million associates worldwide, plans to hire an additional 500,000 in the next five years. Before his stop at Tech, Duke was inducted into the National Academy of Engineers in an Oct. 2 ceremony in Washington, D.C. The academy said Duke was chosen for his leadership and contributions to the design and implementation of innovative logistics and retail technologies. — Van Jensen
Dean Giddens Retiring Next Summer
Don Giddens, dean of the College of Engineering, is retiring effective July 1, 2011. Giddens, AE 63, MS AE 65, PhD AE 66, has spent most of his more than 40-year career at his alma mater, interrupted only by a five-year tenure as dean of engineering at Johns Hopkins University from 1992 to 1997. Upon his return to Tech, Giddens led the development of a new type of joint education and research model, partnering with Emory University in the creation of the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. The program built on each institution’s respective strengths and was one of the first of its kind in the nation. Giddens served as the inaugural chair of the fledgling department and was subsequently named dean of the college in 2002. Following his retirement, Giddens will return to the faculty on a part-time basis to continue his research in cardiovascular fluid mechanics. He will divide his time between homes in Atlanta and Kernville, Calif., where his son, Eric Giddens, ABiol 98, is an owner of Kern River Brewing Company.
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“The impact that Don has had on this institution is immense,” President G. P. “Bud” Peterson said. “His enthusiasm for engineering cannot be overstated, and we will continue to look to him as a resource in assessing the future of engineering education in the United States.”
Management Program Named for Denning
Management Dean Steve Salbu announced Oct. 11 that the technology and management program will be named for Steven A. Denning, IM 70, who made a $5 million gift in 2007 to launch it. “Mr. Denning has committed to provide the College of Management with a second $5 million gift, which will be matched dollar for dollar out of the $20 million challenge funds provided last November by an anonymous donor, elevating total funding of the program to $15 million,” Salbu said. The program enrolls students from the College of Engineering and the College of Management and is designed to provide a unique academic and experiential environment that sets a global standard in interdisciplinary education.
Tech Hires Diversity Vice President
President G. P. “Bud” Peterson announced on Oct. 5 the appointment of Archie Ervin as Georgia Tech’s inaugural vice president for Institute Diversity. He will start Jan. 1. Ervin, who has served as the associate provost for diversity and multicultural affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 2005, will be charged with oversight of all diversity-related matters at Georgia Tech. In a public address on campus in September, Ervin outlined the responsibilities for the job: to provide dedicated leadership to the diversity mission and functions of the university; to elevate the visibility and establish the credibility of those functions; and to ensure the diversity goals and priorities of the institution are at every level of governance within the university structure. “If you want to be an excellent institution, then you must have the talent of the world at your doorstep,” he said. “Our challenge is to create a community of scholars and learners who feel valued, respected and welcomed.” Ervin earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Appalachian State University and his doctorate in educational organizations and policy studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
University System Chancellor Leaving
University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. announced on Oct. 7 that he will retire at the end of his current contract year, June 30, 2011. Davis has served as chancellor of the system’s 35 colleges and universities since February 2006. Davis said he promised the Board of Regents a five-year commitment to the job, and he told Gov. Sonny Perdue that he would continue as chancellor until the conclusion of his term in January. Despite University System budget cuts, Davis is credited with a number of major changes in both its academic and operational structures that have followed the blueprint of the board-approved strategic plan adopted in 2007. November/December 2010
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