Galileo

We operate hospitals, educate teachers and support farmers. We train law-enforcement officers, commercialize new technologies, and provide cultural events for communities throughout our state. Our faculty and scientists conduct leading-edge research and our employees provide thousands of hours of community service. The bottom line is that the University System is responsible for the creation of 130,000 jobs annually, and provides a 15:1 return on the more than a billion dollars the state invests each year in the University System. So, with the success of the Total Impact initiative, we can now say definitely that the return on investment in the University System is $23 billion. I am certain that figure will continue to grow in the future, and I hope we will continue to effectively measure, assess and communicate our impact to our funding partners and constituents. I mentioned that this was a year of change and transition. We also oversaw the appointment of new presidents at several University System institutions. Many of you served on the Special Regents Committees that helped to select these presidents, and I'd like to thank you for that special service. We accepted the resignations of two long-serving presidents: Dr. Betty Siegel, after her illustrious 25-year tenure as president of Kennesaw State University; Dr. Harold Wade, who has served Atlanta Metropolitan College well for more than a decade; and Dr. Barbara Losty, who also has provided 10 years of solid leadership at Waycross College. Our own senior vice chancellor for academics and fiscal affairs, Dr. Daniel Papp, will be taking on the KSU presidency, representing another transition in his critical role here in the System office.