Cabrera Delivers Final Institute Address on a High Note

As Georgia Tech President Ángel 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's unprecedented momentum.

"Here's what I've learned about relays: The best handoffs happen at full speed. Not when a team is limping and not when it's regrouping, but rather when the momentum is strong, the baton is secure, and the next runner is already moving," he said.

New Heights

Since 2019, when Cabrera took office as the Institute's 12th president, Tech has become one of the nation's fastest-growing universities, delivering a strong return on investment for students, life-changing research, and record economic impact for Georgia.

• Enrollment grew from 36,490 to 56,715 in 2025 - a 55% increase.
• The four-year graduation rate rose from 51% to nearly 75%.
• The number of conferred degrees has risen from 8,535 to nearly 14,000 annually - a 64% increase.
• Tech's state economic impact is $6.3 billion, the largest of any USG institution and a 61% increase.
• Research expenditures rose from $834 million to $1.35 billion - a 62% increase - and Tech remains the largest research enterprise in the nation among higher education institutions without a medical school.

Against the Grain

Tech's continued growth has occurred during a period when many universities are struggling to maintain public trust. Cabrera outlined how Tech is bucking national trends to achieve the goals outlined in its strategic plan.

• As 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 - a 27% cost reduction.
• Tech students outpace the national four-year graduation rate by 30% and the six-year rate by a margin of 94% to 61%.
• Ten years after graduation, Tech alumni are earning a median salary of $126,000, and students enter the workforce with the skills employers seek.
• Through the continued expansion of need-based scholarships and financial aid options, a Georgia Tech degree is within reach for more students than ever before.

He 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 innovative aircraft solutions for the next generation of flight.

Tech students fill the job openings of Georgia and the nation's most critical industries, and funds invested in the Institute become a crucial part of the state's economic engine. As a hub for innovation, Tech has risen from No. 48 to No. 19 worldwide in patents issued to faculty. Last year, faculty and students launched 143 startups, compared to 57 in 2019.

"Demand for a Georgia Tech degree is at an all-time high because the value of a Georgia Tech degree has never been greater," he said. "State 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's 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."

For 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 Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech past the $2 billion mark with 18 months remaining.

A $30 million donation has established the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership, 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's efforts to foster open inquiry, civil discourse, and responsible problem-solving through teaching, research, and public engagement.

Passing the Baton

As he prepares to depart from his alma mater, Cabrera sees an opportunity for a smooth transition with a leadership team ready to hit the ground running.

"Look at where we are. Enrollment, research, state support, philanthropy, and economic impact are all at record levels," he said. "We 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."

His address was followed by a panel discussion featuring Provost Raheem Beyah, Executive Vice President for Research Tim Lieuwen, Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance Tricia Chastain, and Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff Ron Johnson.

"The only thing that is constant is change," Johnson said. "Our North Star is our strategic plan - our mission, our values, and our goals remain the same. If we focus on that, and let that be our guide, we'll get through whatever change there is. I'm happy to be a part of it with this team."

Concluding his final Institute Address, Cabrera reflected on the role that Tech has played in his life and his wife Beth's life.

"I 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," he said, becoming visibly emotional. "I've had the enormously good fortune to spend seven years working alongside some of the best people in higher education anywhere - to do work that truly matters and makes a huge difference in the lives of countless thousands - at the institution that set the course of my own life."

On Beth's role as Tech's first lady, Cabrera praised the passion and generosity that she has shown since the couple arrived on campus.

"A lot of what people describe as the warmth of this community, or my own, has come from Beth. She's 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," he said.

As Cabrera departs to serve as the next president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia is conducting a national search for Georgia Tech's 13th president.

The Presidential Search Committee is currently inviting nominations and applications from qualified individuals.