Pandas, Holiday Hosts, and a High Museum Partnership: Georgia Tech Academic News

Campus and Community

Home for the Holidays registration is open. The undergraduate Student Government Association’s annual initiative matches undergraduate and graduate students who can’t be home for Thanksgiving with a local Yellow Jacket faculty, staff, or alumni host for a shared meal. Registration runs through Nov. 19, and hosts typically welcome two to six students. SGA Executive Vice President Andrew Tso says, “On a day meant to celebrate community and gratitude, no student should be alone.” Read the full story.

Panda diplomacy comes to Zoo Atlanta. As giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang meet the public on Nov. 6, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs professor Fei-Ling Wang explains what the return of pandas means for U.S.-China relations, conservation, and research. He sees the program as a rare area of cooperation between the two nations, even as geopolitical tensions linger. Read the full story.

Georgia Tech joins the High Museum of Art’s Academic Affiliate program. Students, faculty, and staff now get free daytime walk-up admission, discounted memberships, access to exhibition resources, and opportunities including a student art exhibition at the High. Read the full story.

Leadership

Ron Johnson to depart for Morehouse College. Ronald L. Johnson, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff, will leave Georgia Tech to become chief of staff to the president of Morehouse College, effective Jan. 4, 2027. A retired Army major general, alumnus, and former professor of the practice, Johnson joined Tech in 2013 and departs the Institute Dec. 18. Interim President Tim Lieuwen thanked him for his service to the nation, students, and the Institute. Read the full story.

Which of these stories stands out to you? Share your thoughts with fellow Yellow Jackets in the comments, and check back tomorrow for more from the Flats.