Administrators and faculty from across Ivan Allen College and Georgia Tech turned out for a reception hosted March 10, 2010 by Georgia Tech Provost Gary Schuster in honor of new Dean Jacqueline Jones Royster.

Formal remarks welcoming Royster were offered by Provost Schuster, Georgia Tech President G. P. "Bud" Peterson, Search Committee Chair Doug Allen who is Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Architecture, and Interim Dean of the College Kenneth J. Knoespel.

Provost Schuster acknowledged the Dean Search Committee for their work in the selection process and offered special recognition to Doug Allen who chaired the committee "with great style and grace." Schuster also expressed his gratitude to Ken Knoespel for serving as interim dean of the College during the search period "without missing a beat" and "during what has been an especially difficult time at Tech given the budget cuts."

Welcoming the Dean Designate, Schuster said, "Jackie Royster is uniquely suited to lead this College particularly in light of the role she has played in integrating disciplines across the sciences, humanities, and arts during her tenure at The Ohio State University."

Schuster highlighted the important role the Ivan Allen College occupies for Georgia Tech. "In the strategic plan, as we think about the next twenty-five years, the significant problems facing generations to come will be solved by the marriage of technology and the social sciences, public policy, and cultural disciplines. Georgia Tech is a leader in this integration and Ivan Allen College has a great share of responsibility for that. We look forward to Jackie Royster's work taking Georgia Tech and the College to the next level."

Georgia Tech President G. P. "Bud" Peterson spoke about the challenges that faculty and Georgia Tech leadership will undertake, especially "how we prepare our students for a very uncertain future" . Peterson recalled that "a broader educational experience" was one of the top priorities outlined by students in a white paper presented him when he first came to campus. "A lot of that will come from the Ivan Allen College." Peterson expressed his confidence that Royster's vision, leadership, and capabilities are a fit for this role at Georgia Tech.

Interim Dean Ken Knoespel highlighted the extraordinary growth of the Ivan Allen College during the past two decades "not simply in numbers, but in wisdom of itself and through our own capacity to learn." Knoespel said that the College has served as a model of diversity, both human and programmatic, and that its growth is a consequence of emphasizing the human context of science and technology." Knoespel cited Royster's experience and savvy in program building and reinforced a "vision that looks to the future of education and Georgia Tech's role in the city, nation, and world and the promise to grow stronger and affirm the legacy of Ivan Allen Jr. and Georgia Tech."

In her remarks, Royster expressed her gratitude for the goodwill and warmth of welcome she received at the reception and her anticipation of the opportunities ahead "for robust collaboration."

Royster posed the question: "What is an English teacher doing as dean of a College at Georgia Tech? I am a native Georgian, and I have always taken great pride in Georgia Tech. It is an excellent institution. It is great to have the opportunity at this point in my career, not only to come home, but to come to Georgia Tech. It is a special place."

The selection of Royster as the new dean of the College was announced February 18, 2010 following a national search. Royster, a professor of English with interests related to rhetorical studies, women's studies and literacy, has held a series of executive positions. Most recently, she was senior vice provost and executive dean of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences, serving as chief academic officer and providing leadership for its five arts and sciences colleges from 2004-2008 at The Ohio State University She is expected to start in her new role September 1, 2010.