With the clock running down on Campaign Georgia Tech, three additional programs join the ranks of those that have already surpassed their goals: intercollegiate athletics, the College of Architecture, and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. 

Intercollegiate Athletics

“Reaching our goal early is a huge achievement,” said Director of Athletics Mike Bobinski. “And it was only possible because of the generosity of so many people — alumni, friends, and fans who are deeply committed to supporting the Yellow Jackets.” The Campaign goal is $250 million, and in the first quarter of 2015, an influx of philanthropy brought the total funds raised to an impressive $253 million. 

During the past 11 years, the Campaign has made a significant and lasting impact on athletics. From state-of-the-art facilities such as McCamish Pavilion, the John and Mary Brock Football Practice Facility, the Zelnak Basketball Center, and the Byers Tennis Complex to the creation of hundreds of endowed scholarships totaling more than $67 million, Georgia Tech
is well positioned to remain highly competitive in the ACC and to continue nurturing the academic success of its student-athletes.

Bobinski noted that, while there is much to celebrate, there is also much work still to be done. “It is crucial that we take this momentum and build on it,” he said. “There is no time to rest on what we have accomplished.” The top priority in the months that remain is completing the funding for three major renovation projects: the Noonan Golf Facility, Russ Chandler Stadium, and the Edge Center.   

College of Architecture

The College of Architecture joins Computing and Sciences in surpassing its goal, pushing past the $40 million mark in the early months of 2015.

“I am thrilled,” said Steven P. French, dean and John Portman Chair. “Thanks to the dedication of our many alumni and friends, we have met our goal and hope to add to it significantly in the coming months.” The College of Architecture will continue its focus on building a world-class faculty through endowed chairs and professorships, as well as increasing the number of undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships.   

“It has taken a team effort to get where we are today,” French said. “Dean [Thomas] Galloway laid a solid foundation for this Campaign years ago, Dean [Alan] Balfour continued the effort, and our development team has been incredibly effective over the years. We are pleased to have reached this milestone, but we do not intend to rest yet.”

Biomedical Engineering

The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering has become the third school within the College of Engineering to pass its goal, joining the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. 

The Coulter Department’s total now stands at more than $37 million against a goal of $35 million. 

“It is impossible to overstate the significance of the support we have received from visionary, generous donors,” said Ravi Bellamkonda, professor and Wallace H. Coulter School Chair. “Or the impact that support will have on biomedical engineering education and research at Georgia Tech for years to come.”

But Bellamkonda, like his counterparts in other programs, emphasized, “The work is still ongoing.” For the Coulter Department, that means an intense focus on faculty support — creating endowed chairs, professorships, and early career professorships — not only to compete for the most promising talent, but just as importantly, to retain the rising stars and the eminent teacher-scholars already within the Department.

“We are also grateful to our donors who are supporting the innovations in undergraduate education that are being pioneered in the Coulter Department,” he added. “Philanthropic support is the critical magic ingredient on our journey to becoming the best BME program in the country.” 

What’s Next?

Some of those areas still working toward individual goals include the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. 

The Campaign also seeks to secure 100 endowed faculty chairs and professorships, of which it has secured 93, and to fulfill the naming opportunity for the Engineered Biosystems Building. 

For additional information about the Campaign, visit www.development.gatech.edu.