As an undergraduate, I remember working as a resident assistant, a student assistant in the campus fitness center, and as an undergraduate engineering research assistant. Each of these roles provided valuable skills and preparation for my later career in the areas of team dynamics, communication, time management and applying my academic training to practice.
Here at Georgia State, our administrative professionals provide key assistants and are in many ways, the backbone to operations within divisions and offices throughout campus. They enable us to better serve our students every day.
It’s with very mixed emotions that I announce the departure of Jay Kahn, Vice President for University Advancement and President of the Georgia State University Foundation, who led Georgia State to incredible new fundraising heights during his time at the institution.
I appreciate the students and staff that joined us on Tuesday night for the Town Hall to discuss safety in our residence halls. Over the past 48 hours, our senior leaders have huddled quickly to develop immediate actionable steps. Although the Chief Operating Officer communicated these steps by email this afternoon, I also want to reflect on sentiments from the town hall.
By now, you have seen or heard of the unruly and unlawful behavior that occurred last weekend. Although we share our streets with non-GSU property owners and businesses, our university leadership finds this behavior unacceptable and we will do all in our power to stem this activity. The safety of our students is our top priority.
First, let me thank the Strategic Planning Committee and everyone who gave us feedback throughout the planning process. Your input and energy have been invaluable as we developed this plan, which will guide our 10-year aspirations for our university.
Dear Panther Community, I want to send a message to update you on safety incidents over the past few weeks and continue to encourage you to be safe and careful as we approach the final weeks of the spring semester. When asked what keeps me up at night, my first response is always the safety of our students in our urban setting. Georgia State’s downtown location provides our students with amazing access to the city and is one of our greatest assets as an institution. It can also present challenges as we share our streets and spaces.
Networking plays an important role in building connections with other professionals. Building community with likeminded peers is especially helpful for faculty as they conduct research and move forward in their academic careers. The Faculty Pop-Up Club at Georgia State hosted popular meetups pre-COVID. After many requests, the Pop-Up events are back and just as lively as ever!
My wife, Dr. Bridget Blake and I were pleased to host the latest Senate Executive Committee reception at our home. Throughout the year, our team of Senators work incredibly hard to move the university forward by implementing our strategic plan and “Pillars to Build Upon” with the end goal, as always, to better serve our students.
Georgia State students had an enriching opportunity to learn about business development and leadership in the workplace at the 9th Annual Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series. This is the first endowed speaker series for the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration at GSU. Mit Shah, chief executive officer of Noble Investment Group, endowed the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series in honor of his father, Dr. Bharat Shah, a highly respected and well-known leader and philanthropist in our industry.
