{"685135":{"#nid":"685135","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Residence Hall to be Named for Former President, First Lady ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe residence hall \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/projects\/curran-street-residence-hall\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enearing completion on Curran Street\u003C\/a\u003E will be named the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall, honoring the tenure of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the naming at its Sept. 16 meeting in Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EG.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson served as president from 2009 to 2019. Under his leadership, Georgia Tech enhanced student programs and grew enrollment; increased collaboration and built strategic partnerships in Atlanta and Georgia; expanded its global reach, with a focus on innovation; executed Campaign Georgia Tech, which raised $1.8 billion for the Institute; and more than doubled new research awards, exceeding $1 billion for the first time in 2019.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe naming of this residence hall is a fitting tribute to the Petersons, whose unwavering commitment to Georgia Tech and its students shaped our Institute in lasting ways,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cThis building will stand as a reminder of their remarkable service and of the deep respect and affection the entire Georgia Tech family will always have for them.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeterson has remained involved with the Institute as president emeritus, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/peterson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegents\u2019 Professor\u003C\/a\u003E in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and a member of the steering committee for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe earned a bachelor\u0027s degree in mechanical engineering, a second bachelor\u0027s degree in mathematics, and a master\u0027s degree in engineering, all from Kansas State University. Peterson earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Texas A\u0026amp;M University.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to thank President Cabrera and the USG Board of Regents for this recognition,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cAs undergraduate students at Kansas State, Val and I both lived in campus residence halls, and we are especially pleased to be recognized in this way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs first lady, Val Peterson was a dedicated presence on campus and an ardent supporter of students and faculty. She served as a chief spokesperson for the Tech Ends Suicide Together initiative when it launched in 2016 and was a mentor to students and campus organizations. Val Peterson holds two bachelor\u2019s degrees and a teaching certificate from Kansas State University and a master\u2019s degree from Texas A\u0026amp;M. She has been recognized as an honorary alumna by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association for her devotion to the greater good of Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNames like Brittain Dining Hall, the Pettit Microelectronics Building, and the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons just roll off my tongue. But it feels quite different having the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall, which we\u2019ll be able to walk into one day soon,\u201d she said. \u201cThe beauty of having a two-in-one residence hall that carries both of our names is that it represents our body of work as we ran this university together. We gave her our hearts and souls for 10 and a half years, and that love has been returned to us a hundredfold.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Petersons have four adult children, two of whom are Georgia Tech alumni, and eight grandchildren. They have also served as foster parents for nine children.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall is the first new residence hall constructed on campus since 2005. The 191,000-square-foot facility for approximately 860 first-year students is scheduled for completion in 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe residence hall nearing completion on Curran Street will be named the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall, honoring the tenure of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The residence hall nearing completion on Curran Street will be named the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall, honoring the tenure of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-09-23 00:33:04","changed_gmt":"2025-09-23 14:03:17","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678087":{"id":"678087","type":"image","title":"Bud and Val Peterson","body":"\u003Cp\u003EG.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson and Val Peterson during their time as president and first lady of Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758502820","gmt_created":"2025-09-22 01:00:20","changed":"1758502820","gmt_changed":"2025-09-22 01:00:20","alt":"Bud and Val Peterson","file":{"fid":"262070","name":"09C2003-P49-014-web.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/21\/09C2003-P49-014-web.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/21\/09C2003-P49-014-web.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1888839,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/21\/09C2003-P49-014-web.jpg?itok=vjz6LyXM"}}},"media_ids":["678087"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/archive\/features\/peterson-legacy.shtml","title":"The Peterson Legacy"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}