{"692300":{"#nid":"692300","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cabrera Delivers Final Institute Address on a High Note","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera delivered his final Institute Address from the Walter G. Ehmer Theater inside the John Lewis Student Center, he emphasized that the end of his tenure is not the end of a race but rather the next leg of a relay. As he prepares to pass the baton to the next president, he outlined Tech\u2019s unprecedented momentum. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHere\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned about relays: The best handoffs happen at full speed. Not when a team is limping and not when it\u2019s regrouping, but rather when the momentum is strong, the baton is secure, and the next runner is already moving,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew Heights\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 2019, when Cabrera took office as the Institute\u2019s 12th president, Tech has become one of the nation\u2019s fastest-growing universities, delivering a strong return on investment for students, life-changing research, and record economic impact for Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eaac63ac10224f4067cde758cf98e034b\u0022\u003EEnrollment grew from 36,490 to 59,000 in 2026 \u2014 a 62% increase. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ecf288d1be4ed0f84ed4d21ac4ced8a57\u0022\u003EThe four-year graduation rate rose from 51% to nearly 75%.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e19447499fb65feb3f8020dc8938178a1\u0022\u003EThe number of conferred degrees has risen from 8,535 to nearly 14,000 annually \u2014 a 64% increase.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e33e816050a58dcf01b5a56bc745eceb3\u0022\u003ETech\u2019s state economic impact is\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E$6.3 billion, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/14\/georgia-techs-record-63b-economic-impact-leads-usg-institutions\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elargest of any USG institution\u003C\/a\u003E and a 61% increase. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e534fca7c660e80783475ba0ece377590\u0022\u003EResearch expenditures rose from $834 million to $1.35 billion \u2014 a 62% increase \u2014 and Tech remains the largest research enterprise in the nation among higher education institutions without a medical school.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAgainst the Grain\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECabrera outlined how Tech is bucking national trends to achieve the goals outlined in its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/strategicplan.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estrategic plan\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed2c32fea7824f68ed1db74bc43d9e99e\u0022\u003EAs costs rise nationally, Cabrera pointed out that, adjusted for inflation, attending Georgia Tech this year is nearly $4,400 cheaper for Georgia residents than it was in 2019 \u2014 a 27% cost reduction. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e4bb566955c0dc479e4fbc6ab19a8bb31\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech graduation rates are well above the national average\u2014with 94% of students graduating in six-years and three-quarters of students graduating within four years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0b90dfacf387f209b291872e59e71ea2\u0022\u003ETen years after graduation, Tech alumni are earning a median salary of $126,000, and students enter the workforce with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/09\/georgia-tech-earns-top-c-suite-ranking-among-forbes-new-ivies?utm_source=newsletter\u0026amp;utm_medium=email\u0026amp;utm_content=Tech%20tower\u0026amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Digest%20-%20April%209%2C%202026\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe skills employers seek\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e35fcab524bc06b21a29cd968ac31d0e7\u0022\u003EThrough the continued expansion of need-based scholarships and financial aid options, a Georgia Tech degree is within reach for more students than ever before.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe noted that, as the No. 2 university in federally sponsored research, Tech continues to conduct life-changing research that addresses real-world challenges. His examples included a cancer-screening breath test, skin patches that deliver vaccines and medicines without needles, stronger and more sustainable batteries, new methods of mining critical minerals, and pioneering \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/building-future-aerospace-engineering\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Einnovative aircraft solutions\u003C\/a\u003E for the next generation of flight. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech students fill the job openings of Georgia and the nation\u2019s most critical industries, and funds invested in the Institute become a crucial part of the state\u2019s economic engine. As a hub for innovation, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/commercialization\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETech has risen from No. 48 to No. 19 worldwide in patents\u003C\/a\u003E issued to faculty. Last year, faculty and students launched 179 startups, compared to 57 in 2019.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDemand for a Georgia Tech degree is at an all-time high because the value of a Georgia Tech degree has never been greater,\u201d he said. \u201cState and philanthropic support are at all-time highs because our quality, scale, and impact have never been greater. Our research enterprise has never been stronger because our research has never done more to make this state and this nation safer, healthier, and more competitive. The public\u2019s confidence in higher education is not something we can lecture our way back into. It has to be earned. Georgia Tech is earning it every day.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the second consecutive year, Georgia Tech set a new fundraising record. The Institute raised more than $415 million in fiscal year 2026, exceeding the previous record by more than $100 million and pushing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E past the $2 billion mark with 18 months remaining. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA $30 million donation has established the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/01\/georgia-tech-launches-michael-e-tennenbaum-family-institute-technology-and-civic\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership\u003C\/a\u003E, a new interdisciplinary institute designed to prepare students to navigate the intersection of technology, civic life, and leadership. It is an integral part of Tech\u2019s efforts to foster open inquiry, civil discourse, and responsible problem-solving through teaching, research, and public engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPassing the Baton\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs he prepares to depart from his alma mater at the end of October, Cabrera sees an opportunity for a smooth transition with a leadership team ready to hit the ground running.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLook at where we are. Enrollment, research, state support, philanthropy, and economic impact are all at record levels,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are several years into a strategic plan that is working and that our community believes in. Our newest leaders are in place and past the learning curve. The executive leadership team is in lockstep. Students want to come here. Companies want to move here to work with us and hire from us. Government agencies bring us their hardest problems. Donors want in on all the amazing work being done here every day.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EConcluding his final Institute Address, Cabrera reflected on the role that Tech has played in his life and his wife Beth\u2019s life. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI got something almost nobody gets: the chance to come back and lead the place that made me. Serving as your 12th president has been the honor of my career,\u201d he said, becoming visibly emotional. \u201cI\u2019ve had the enormously good fortune to spend seven years working alongside some of the best people in higher education anywhere \u2014 to do work that truly matters and makes a huge difference in the lives of countless thousands \u2014 at the institution that set the course of my own life.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOn Beth\u2019s role as Tech\u2019s first lady, Cabrera praised the passion and generosity that she has shown since the couple arrived on campus. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cA lot of what people describe as the warmth of this community, or my own, has come from Beth. She\u2019s poured more of herself into Georgia Tech than most people will ever know, and she did it with great joy, without expecting anything in return,\u201d he said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"President Cabrera delivered his final address, noting that Georgia Tech has built considerable momentum in seven years. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPresident Cabrera delivered his final address, noting that Georgia Tech has built considerable momentum in seven years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"President Cabrera delivered his final address, noting that Georgia Tech has built considerable momentum in seven years. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-09-03 19:49:42","changed_gmt":"2026-09-04 13:45:41","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681068":{"id":"681068","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera delivers the 2026 Institute Address from the Walter G. Ehmer Theater inside the John Lewis Student Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788465465","gmt_created":"2026-09-03 19:57:45","changed":"1788465465","gmt_changed":"2026-09-03 19:57:45","alt":"Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera","file":{"fid":"265420","name":"Institute-Address-39.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/Institute-Address-39.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/03\/Institute-Address-39.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2016763,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/03\/Institute-Address-39.jpg?itok=kjkMEXHq"}}},"media_ids":["681068"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/president.gatech.edu\/institute-address","title":"Watch the Institute Address"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"14056","name":"Annual Institute Address"},{"id":"172533","name":"\u00c1ngel Cabrera"}],"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":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}