POSTPONED/CANCELLED : March 2020 GEDA Luncheon

Program

Our topic will be Georgia Innovation.

Featured Speaker: G.P. "Bud " Peterson

Currently President Emeritus and Regents Professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Peterson will speak about Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan’s Georgia Innovates Task Force to enable Georgia to be the “Technology Capital of the East Coast.”

He served as the 11th president of Georgia Tech from April 1, 2009 through August 31, 2019. Under his leadership Georgia Tech exceeded the $1.5 billion goal for Campaign Georgia Tech by 20%, grew innovative collaborations and strategic partnerships, expanded the campus infrastructure, and increased national and global visibility. Notably, in that decade the total research awards more than doubled exceeding more than $1 Billion in new awards in 2019; undergraduate and graduate appplications and enrollment increased by 24% and 159%, respectively; ethnic and gender diversity of the undergraduate student population increased from 13.5% to 17.2% and 30% to 42%, respectively; and the six year graduation rate and first year retention reached all time highs of 87% and 97%, respectively.

After Dr. Peterson, we will have a panel that will discuss the Georgia Smart Initiative. The Georgia Smart Communities Challenge (“Georgia Smart”) is a funding and technical assistance program for local governments within the State of Georgia. Georgia Smart is a first-of-its-kind opportunity for communities of any size in Georgia to receive grant funding and support that enables them to envision, explore, and plan for their “smart” future. Communities will be given financial assistance, a partnership with a Georgia Tech research team, networking opportunities, and access to additional, unique resources to execute their projects. These resources include connections to industry experts and access to technology solutions provided by our provider-partners.

Panelists will include: 

Debra Lam, Managing Director, Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation, Georgia Tech

Tom Sever, P.E., Deputy Director for Traffic Engineering, Operations & Maintenance, Gwinnett County

Christine Primmer, Smart Cities Program Manager, Georgia Power

Steve Justice, Executive Director, Centers of Innovation, Georgia Department of Economic Development