A Message from the Interim Dean
Dear Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts community and partners,
The values section of Georgia Tech’s Strategic Plan includes a statement that leaves no doubt about what is at the heart of our efforts:
“We are educators first and foremost, committed to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. We measure our success by the achievements of our students and the impact of our graduates in improving the lives of others.”
The clarity and positioning of this declaration is perhaps surprising at a top research university that employs just about as many research faculty as academic faculty. However almost all our activities, by researchers and academic teachers, contribute to the quality of student learning and success after graduation.
As you’ll see from the teaching and research highlighted in these pages from the 2023-24 academic year, we are increasingly emphasizing students as an integral part of the College’s mission. Students who will go on to shape healthcare policy, improve national security, preserve history, and advance the art of storytelling. Students who are prepared to innovate from a human-centered perspective.
It starts with two newly created minors (the applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning minor and the health policy and economics minor), which help students navigate the complexities of technology and healthcare. It includes programs such as GTDC (a transformative semester in Washington) and diplomat-in-residence (with diplomats teaching and mentoring), which immerse students in real-world experience. It culminates with projects that allow students to directly tackle societal challenges such as power outages and preserve the stories of enslaved peoples — important work at the intersection of the liberal arts, humanities, medicine, science, and technology.
We hope the teaching and research you read about in this report will inspire you to join our mission to improve lives and deepen our understanding of the world, whether you’re a student, academic, donor, or a fellow curious human being.
