08 LC 18
7482
Senate
Resolution 1220
By:
Senators Rogers of the 21st, Grant of the 25th, Harp of the 29th, Johnson of the
1st, Hudgens of the 47th and others
A
RESOLUTION
Commending
Dr. G. Wayne Clough; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
Dr. G. Wayne Clough has long been recognized by the citizens of the State of
Georgia for the vital role that he has played in leadership and his deep
personal commitment to the welfare of the citizens of this state;
and
WHEREAS,
he has diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time,
talents, and energy toward the betterment of his community and state as
evidenced dramatically by his superlative service during the past 14 years as
president of the Georgia Institute of Technology and during his tenure Georgia
Tech was transformed into one of the top ten public research universities in the
United States; and
WHEREAS,
under his leadership, Georgia Tech increased its enrollment from 12,900 to
18,742 and emerged as the nation's leader in graduating engineers, including
African American and female engineers; and
WHEREAS,
he became a national leader in reshaping engineering education and enhanced the
educational experience at Georgia Tech, resulting in more than 40 percent of
undergraduates engaging in structured research, a third of undergraduates
studying abroad, and a significantly higher graduation rate; and
WHEREAS,
during his tenure, research expenditures at Georgia Tech have increased from
$212 million to $473 million, making the university second highest in the nation
in engineering research funding; and
WHEREAS,
he pioneered a unique partnership between Georgia Tech and Emory University to
educate students, conduct research, and spin off new companies in biomedical
engineering, driving Atlanta's emergence as a center for biotechnology;
and
WHEREAS, under his leadership, Georgia Tech's annual economic impact on the State of Georgia grew to $4 billion, and more than100 new companies emerged from Georgia Tech's research labs; and
WHEREAS, under his leadership, Georgia Tech's annual economic impact on the State of Georgia grew to $4 billion, and more than100 new companies emerged from Georgia Tech's research labs; and
WHEREAS,
he engineered more than $1 billion in new construction at Georgia Tech, more
than doubling facility space to over 14 million gross square feet,
rehabilitating dilapidated areas adjacent to campus, refocusing the operation of
campus on sustainability, and winning many local and national awards;
and
WHEREAS,
he extended engineering education to South Georgia through the Georgia Tech
Regional Engineering Program and developed research and education platforms in
France, Ireland, Singapore, and China, to the benefit of the state's
international economic relationships; and
WHEREAS,
he is the only person appointed by President George W. Bush to both the
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the National
Science Board, giving Georgia and Georgia Tech a higher profile in Washington
and providing national policy leadership; and
WHEREAS,
his significant organizational and leadership talents, his remarkable patience
and diplomacy, his keen sense of vision, and his sensitivity to the needs of the
citizens of this state have earned him the respect and admiration of his
colleagues and associates; and
WHEREAS,
he is a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for
integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness; and
WHEREAS,
he has been called by a unanimous decision of the Smithsonian Institution's
Board of Regents to be its next Secretary, directing the nation's premier
educational, historical, and cultural archive and it is abundantly fitting and
proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished
Georgian be appropriately recognized.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend
Dr. G. Wayne Clough for his many years of efficient, effective, unselfish, and
dedicated public service to the Georgia Institute of Technology, his community,
this state, and this nation; congratulate him upon the grand occasion of his
appointment as Secretary of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution;
and extend to him their most sincere best wishes for continued success, health,
and happiness.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Dr. G. Wayne Clough.