G. P. "Bud" Peterson

For other people named George Peterson, see George Peterson.
G. P. "Bud" Peterson

Georgia Tech President G.P. "Bud" Peterson
Born (1952-09-01) September 1, 1952
Palo Alto, California
Residence U.S.
Nationality American
Fields Mechanical Engineering
Institutions Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Colorado at Boulder
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Texas A&M University
Alma mater Texas A&M University
Kansas State University
Doctoral advisor Mario Colaluca
Known for Contributions to
phase change heat transfer

George P. "Bud" Peterson (born September 1, 1952) is the 11th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology.[1][2][3][4] Peterson is a graduate of Kansas State University, where he earned B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics and an M.S. in Engineering, and Texas A&M University, where he earned a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering.

Prior to his position at Georgia Tech, he served as the chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder,[5] the provost of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and associate vice-chancellor and executive associate dean of Engineering of Texas A&M University.[6]

Peterson was named as the sole finalist for the position of president of Georgia Tech on February 2, 2009,[7][8] and was accepted on February 25, 2009. He succeeded G. Wayne Clough and Gary Schuster (interim) when he took the position on April 1, 2009.[9] He was officially installed as president at a September 3, 2009, investiture ceremony.[10] Peterson shares his first name and middle initial with Georgia Tech's famous fictional student, George P. Burdell.

On October 17, 2009 Dr. Peterson accepted the north end-zone goalposts from students and fans on his lawn after the No. 19 Yellow Jackets upset the fourth-ranked Hokies in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field. This was the first time Georgia Tech beat a top 5 team at Grant Field (The Jackets beat No. 3 Miami on the road in 2005) since the 1962 Alabama game.[11]

Peterson has presided during a time of great momentum at Georgia Tech. By 2016, freshman applications had tripled since his arrival, resulting in the best-qualified and one of the most diverse freshman classes in Georgia Tech history for eight consecutive fall semesters. Enrollment has increased by 23 percent. Under Peterson’s leadership, the Institute has expanded collaborations and strategic partnerships with organizations such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, and the CDC, as well as with business, industry, and government. Georgia Tech and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have established a Pediatric Technology Center, located in the new Engineered Biosystems Building. The building has more than 200,000 square feet of multidisciplinary research space and is expected to drive innovation in the areas of biomedical science and human health.

Under Peterson, Georgia Tech has created innovation neighborhoods around the campus. The most notable one is Tech Square, which has become home to innovation centers for numerous Fortune 500 companies. In 2015-16, companies including Anthem, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Emerson, Southern Company, NCR, and Worldpay opened innovation centers in or near Tech Square, joining AT&T Mobility and Panasonic, among others. These innovation centers provide an opportunity for large companies to interact with the talent, expertise, and technologies at Georgia Tech, including students, faculty, and staff researchers, as well as startups.

A project under development in Tech Square is Coda, a collaborative building with John Portman & Associates in which Georgia Tech will be the anchor tenant. The 750,000-square-foot facility will house Tech’s high-performance computing center, which is expected to draw even more expertise and enterprise to Tech’s mixed-use community of innovation and education. The project is scheduled for completion by mid-2018.

Early life and education

Peterson was born in Palo Alto, California in 1952,[12] but spent his early life in Prairie Village, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. He attended Shawnee Mission East High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track.[13] He subsequently went to Kansas State, where he played American football first as a walk-on and later as a scholarship student-athlete with the Kansas State Wildcats. He started 26 games and lettered three years as a tight end/wide receiver from 1970 to 1974, catching 30 passes for 359 yards.[13][14]

Peterson graduated from Kansas State with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1975 and Mathematics in 1977.[15] Peterson stayed at Kansas State and received an M.S. in Engineering in 1980.[15] He then went to Texas A&M University, receiving a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering in 1985.[13]

Career

Peterson worked at Black & Veatch Consulting Engineers in the summer following his graduation with his first bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. After receiving his second degree (mathematics) in 1977, he worked as a math, chemistry and physics teacher at Wabaunsee County High School in Alma, Kansas, and later as a mathematics teacher at Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas.[12]

After receiving his M.S., Peterson was an associate professor and head of the General Engineering Technology Department at Kansas Technical Institute in Salina, Kansas, from 1979 to 1981.[12] He was subsequently a visiting research scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, during the summers of 1981 and 1982.[16][17] While at NASA, Peterson developed a (still used) technique to determine the priming capability of high-capacity heat pipes in low gravity.[17]

In 1985, Peterson moved to the Mechanical Engineering department of Texas A&M University.[6] Initially an assistant professor, he became an associate professor in 1988 and a full professor in 1990. Peterson held other miscellaneous positions around this time; he became the head of the Thermal and Fluid Sciences Division in 1989, was the Halliburton Professor of Engineering in 1990-1991, the Tenneco Professor of Mechanical Engineering in 1991-2000, and was the head of the Mechanical Engineering department from 1993 to 1996.[12] From August 1993 to September 1994, Peterson also worked for the National Science Foundation as the program director for their Thermal Transport and Thermal Processing Program.[12] In 1996, Peterson was appointed Texas A&M's executive associate dean of Engineering and also served as the Associate vice chancellor for the Texas A&M University System.[12]

From July 2000 until June 2006, Peterson was the provost at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. As provost at Rensselaer, he played a key role in the institutional transformation and the dramatic improvement in the quality, size, and diversity of the faculty – overseeing the hiring of nearly 40 percent of the faculty, increasing the total number of tenured and tenure-track faculty by 20 percent, and improving the diversity of the tenured/tenure-track faculty by more than doubling the number of under-represented minorities and increasing the number of women by 40 percent. In addition, during his tenure as provost, the quality, size, and diversity of the student body increased, with the number of full-time PhD students increasing by 25%.

He was then the chancellor at the University of Colorado at Boulder from July 2006 until his departure for Georgia Tech in 2009. As the University of Colorado chancellor, Peterson led the development of a new university-wide strategic plan, Flagship 2030, which defined a vision for the university for the next 20 years. In his nearly three years as chancellor, freshman applications increased by 35 percent, the number of underrepresented minorities in the freshmen class increased by 38 percent, sponsored research increased by more than 18 percent, and private philanthropy for the university increased by nearly 80 percent.

A distinguished scientist, Peterson was appointed in 2008 by President George W. Bush, and again in 2014 by President Barack Obama, to serve as a member of the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation and advises the president and Congress on national policy related to science and engineering research and education. In the spring, he was elected for a two-year term to chair the NCAA Board of Governors, the organization’s highest governing body. He also serves on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Books

References

  1. ↑ "Georgia Tech Presidential Search". Georgia Institute of Technology. 2009-02-09. Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  2. ↑ White, Gayle (2009-02-09). "Georgia Tech names 1 finalist for president job". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  3. ↑ Anas, Brittany (2009-02-09). "CU chancellor finalist for Georgia Tech presidency". Daily Camera. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  4. ↑ Tabita, Craig (2009-02-13). "At Last: Presidential Finalist Named". The Technique. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  5. ↑ "President G. P. "Bud" Peterson, PhD Search". Georgia Institute of Technology. 2009-02-09. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  6. 1 2 "Office of the Chancellor: Biography". University of Colorado. Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  7. ↑ Tabita, Craig (2009-02-09). "CU chancellor Peterson named sole finalist for presidency". Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  8. ↑ Fain, Paul (2009-02-09). "Georgia Tech Taps Colorado-Boulder Chancellor as President". Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  9. ↑ "Peterson Named President of Georgia Institute of Technology" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. 2009-02-25. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  10. ↑ "Georgia Tech Celebrates Investiture" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. 2009-09-03. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
  11. ↑ Video on YouTube
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "G.P. Peterson Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). University of Colorado. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2012. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  13. 1 2 3 "2008 Colorado Track and Field Media Guide" (PDF). University of Colorado. 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  14. ↑ Brown, Zak (2006-11-02). "Modern system: That's the ticket at CU". Daily Camera. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  15. 1 2 "Biographical Sketch: G. P. "Bud" Peterson" (PDF). University of Colorado Chancellor Search. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2006. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  16. ↑ Ensslin, John C (2006-05-12). "CU chancellor hopeful Peterson does his homework". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  17. 1 2 "Dr. G. P. "Bud" Peterson". coolingzone.com. 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-03-19. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
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