Last week, the Georgia Tech Office of Government and Community Relations hosted a delegation of Congressional staff members for a three-day visit to campus. The group, consisting of 25 staff from both U.S. Senate offices and most of Georgia’s U.S. House districts, convened on campus to learn more about the innovative ways Georgia Tech is engaged in federally funded research, student entrepreneurship initiatives, K-12 programs and economic development.

President G. P. “Bud” Peterson kicked off the visit by welcoming the guests and sharing an update on the tremendous momentum surrounding the Institute’s educational and research programs. He highlighted recent successes, including the opening of the interdisciplinary Engineered Biosystems Building, the campus address by President Obama on college access and affordability, and the welcoming of the best qualified, most diverse freshman class in Georgia Tech history.

The Congressional staff members attended demonstrations and briefings highlighting Georgia Tech’s expertise in areas such as smart textiles manufacturing, research commercialization and disaster preparedness. These sessions included a tour of the Smart Textiles Lab, a presentation by Professor Julie Swann from the School of Industrial & Systems Engineering and a breakfast with representatives from Waffle House and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce to discuss the importance of partnership between universities and industry and the invaluable impact it has on economic development.

The staffers particularly enjoyed a discussion on student-led innovation and entrepreneurship with Professor Craig Forest from the School of Mechanical Engineering and a rock star panel of student entrepreneurs: Rachel Ford, Scott Schroer and Megan Fetcher. The discussion focused on the entrepreneurial culture growing throughout the Institute, and the students shared how a myriad of resources on campus, particularly the InVenture Prize competition, aided in their success as young entrepreneurs.

“This annual visit is a special opportunity to showcase what Georgia Tech is doing for the state and nation," said Tech federal relations director Robert Knotts. "Federal funding and federal policies have a major impact on Georgia Tech’s successes. Allowing these congressional staffers to see firsthand what we’re doing with federal funding is incredibly important.”

To close out the visit, participants learned about Georgia Tech’s involvement in training the next generation of scientists and engineers through a variety of K-12 programs offered on campus for students and teachers alike. Staffers observed demonstrations by students and teachers from Meadowcreek High School who participated in summer programs hosted by Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC).

The Office of Government and Community Relations often hosts federal officials and their staff on campus to promote the Institute’s strategic vision and goals as they pertain to federal research and education programs and policies. If you are interested in inviting a federal official, please contact Robert Knotts, Director of Federal Relations, at knotts@gatech.edu.