A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing 2,526 undergraduate students receive their Georgia Tech degrees at Commencement. It is a visible and powerful reminder that lives have been changed and transformed thanks to our work (and in some cases, not just students, but entire families and generations to come)- thank you! It’s also a reminder to me of how quickly time goes. My social media feed is filled with various graduations, from kindergarten to doctorates, all reflecting on the same theme. My daughter just “graduated” from Pre-K, and I was reminded about what someone told me when she was born: “the days are long, but the years are short.” It is so true!

I realize that summer is still a busy time for us. We are preparing to welcome a few thousand new first-year and transfer students, while concurrently planning for the next academic year. However, I urge each one of you to find some time to disconnect, refresh, and spend time with friends and family. This summer, we will continue our flexible working arrangements (“Working at OUE”) established last fall, and I’ve asked our leadership team to find ways to prioritize staff engagement and professional development, including being as flexible as possible with vacation/PTO requests.

Finally, this summer, I hope you’ll join me for a coffee, tea, or snack at some point (friendly reminder, it’s on me!) to catch up, say hello, and let me know how you are doing and what’s on your radar.

VPUE Coffee Hours will be held from 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. at the Blue Donkey (located on the first floor of the Library), on the following dates:

• Wednesday, June 22
• Tuesday, July 26
• Thursday, August 18

If those dates don’t work, please drop by my virtual office hours, or set up some time to connect.

Warmly,

Steven