President G.P. “Bud” Peterson welcomed the guests and kicked off the visit with an update on the Institute’s tremendous momentum. He highlighted recent successes, including the mention by President Obama of Georgia Tech’s online Masters degree in Computer Science, the opening of the AT&T Foundry in Tech Square and the visit to campus by the new Secretary of Commerce.  The congressional staffers also saw demonstrations and briefings that highlighted expertise in cybersecurity, wearable technologies, and sensor systems for healthcare applications. Gary May, dean of the College of Engineering, delivered a lunch presentation discussing challenges and opportunities presented with the innovation deficit facing the nation and the importance of federal funding for research.

“Georgia Tech has many interests before Congress, from research funding to student aid,” said Tech federal relations director Robert Knotts. “The visit was a great opportunity to tell our story through Tech’s faculty and students who are so passionate about the impact their work can have.”

Participants also learned about Tech’s music technology, digital media and K-12 outreach prowess in an interactive workshop. Working with high schoolers from Gwinnett County where Tech’s NSF funded Earsketch curriculum is being rolled out, staffers learned computing principles through collaborative computational music composition and remixing.

The Office of Government and Community Relations often hosts federal officials and staffers on campus to promote the Institute's strategic vision and goals as they pertain to federal research and education programs and policies.  If you are interested in inviting a federal official, please contact Robert Knotts.