Clough delivers upbeat State of Institute

Institute President Wayne Clough discussed Tech’s achievements and spoke of maintaining a reputation of technological innovation in his annual State of the Institute Address Tuesday.

Clough said that an important goal for the future is “to define Tech as a research university of the 21st century and to educate the leaders of a technology-driven world.”

After an introduction, Clough spoke about issues regarding funding.

State funding, which currently comprises 25 percent of the Institute’s total funding, down from 34 percent in 2002, has not kept up with Tech’s growth and has forced some streamlining in recent semesters.

Clough pointed out that increased class sizes are a noticeable effect of the cutbacks to students.

He said he wants students to be aware of these issues. Clough said that “a shift of financial support is occurring from state support to student and parent support. Students should be concerned when they may be denied the great opportunities that Tech has to offer.”

Despite budget cuts, Clough said he is committed to maintaining the academic excellence of Tech. Clough said that he believes in the further development of need-based scholarships.

These scholarships could help to retain students who may be unable to afford Tech after a possible tuition increase.

Also, Clough spoke about current state laws regarding funding. “It is time for a state-wide discussion on how the state is funding [education],” he said.

Students attending the address believed that Clough is legitimately concerned with funding issues.

Leroy Campbell, SGA co-chair of public relations, said, “It seems like he is dedicated to maintaining the quality of education and is doing an excellent job of keeping [Tech] competitive.”

Clough also spoke of other issues.

He said Tech faculty has made significant achievements in the past year. Thirteen new faculty members won CAREER Awards and two new members were elected to the National Academy of Engineering. “Our faculty is as great as our students,” Clough said.

The achievements of the diverse student body are equally prestigious, he added. The incoming freshman class has the highest average SAT score and is the most diverse yet, with more women and minorities enrolled than ever.

He continued with more praise of the student body, including reports of scholarships won and research conducted.

“They don’t stop achieving after getting here,” Clough said. According to his speech, Tech students won several prestigious scholarships and four graduates were chosen to receive NASA fellowships. “Our people are what make Georgia Tech great,” he said.

Students play an important role in Tech’s research as well, according to Clough, who said this creates a fertile environment for innovation.

He then spoke more on the topic of research at Tech, highlighting new facilities and projects undertaken at the Institute.

This year the Ovarian Cancer Institute opened a new research laboratory at Tech. Research programs like this, according to Clough, “humanizes our endeavors.”

Clough also spoke about the notable research in the area of nanotechnology.

Tech is among 13 universities participating in the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, a system of educational and research facilities of nanotechnology.

“The Research being conducted is as cutting edge as our educational programs,” Clough said.

Tech’s programs continue to rank highly, Clough said. According to U.S. News & World Report, the Institute is currently ranked among the top ten public universities in the nation.

Furthermore, all engineering programs rank in the top 15. Two of the programs that rank the highest are Biomedical Engineering, which ranks second, and Industrial Engineering, which holds a No. 1 spot in the rankings.

“Essentially all of the programs are ranked in the top 10 percent of their disciplines,” Clough said.

Clough also spoke about Tech’s interdisciplinary programs and their contributions to innovation.

The School of Modern Languages has 61 new programs and received the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Clough said he believes that students are responding to Tech’s interdisciplinary programs. There was a 14 percent increase in the number of students electing to study abroad.

The programs provide unique educational experiences tailored to the location of study. Students in Angola surveyed the damage done to infrastructure by war, and in Ecuador students studied urban sprawl.

These programs allow students to “tackle real-life problems,” Clough said. The ability, he said, “to share knowledge with others differentiates Tech students."