Join the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech as they host John Rice, retired vice chair of GE and CEO of Global Growth Organization and Wayne Clough, president emeritus of Georgia Tech and former secretary of the Smithsonian Institute.

Wayne Clough will be speaking about “Why Big History Matters - Explaining Change in Context.”

John Rice's topic is, “Leadership changes and challenges in the 21st Century.”

About Wayne Clough

Wayne Clough served as the 10th President of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1994 to 2008 and as the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 2008 to 2014. He previously held faculty appointments at Duke University, Stanford University and Virginia Polytechnic and State University, where he also served as Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Dean of the College of Engineering. He was Provost and Vice President of the University of Washington just before coming to Georgia Tech. Shortly after Clough became president, the Institute served as the Olympic Village for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games and home to two of the competition venues. During Clough’s tenure, Georgia Tech’s national rankings rose into the top 10 among public universities. The student population increased from 13,000 to 18,000, and funding for external research more than doubled from slightly more than $200 million to $425 million. Clough was the first alumnus to serve as president of the Institute: he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1964 and a master’s in the field in 196

About John Rice

John G. Rice retired as vice chairman of the General Electric Company in April 2018.  He began his GE career in 1978 and has held several leadership positions in the United States, Canada, and Singapore.  Beginning in 2010, he lead the company’s global operations based in Hong Kong.  Immediately prior to that role, he served as vice chairman of GE and president & CEO of GE Technology Infrastructure; from 2005-2007 as vice chairman of GE’s industrial and infrastructure businesses; from 2000-2005 as president and CEO of GE Energy; and from 1997-2000 as president & CEO of GE Transportation.  

Rice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and is a life trustee there.  He was elected a trustee of Emory University in 2006, and currently serves as chair of the Woodruff Health Sciences Board.  He serves on several other boards including Li and Fung Limited; Baker Hughes, a GE Company; the International Advisory Board of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; and the Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.  

About Pizza, Policy, and International Affairs

Pizza, Policy, and International Affairs, are a series of town halls featuring current and former executives in government, higher education, military, nonprofit and private sector. These town halls are an informal conversation on topics in global affairs, global security, the challenges facing education, media, energy, infrastructure, and the future of civil discourse. 

Ongoing Dates for Pizza, Policy, and International Affairs

Check next semester for the line-up of guests