State of the College is ‘Fantastic,' New Dean Says

Posted September 17, 2025

New Ivan Allen College Dean Amanda Murdie had a simple message in her first address to the IAC community: “The state of the College, our college, the Ivan Allen College, is fantastic, and it looks like it’s just getting better.”

Murdie offered that assessment at the end of a nearly 40-minute address in which she highlighted the many successes of the College and its faculty, staff, and students over the past year.

“I’m so happy with what I’ve seen so far,” Murdie said. “I’m so excited for the future of the college. And I really think we are at the heart of Georgia Tech's mission.”

View a video of the address

Among the successes mentioned by Murdie are the all-time high level of degrees awarded, soaring interest in attending the College, Fall course enrollments that are higher than the Georgia Tech average and, of course, Murdie’s own Ivan Alen Advantage initiative highlighting the high return on investment for liberal arts students at Georgia Tech when compared to their peers at other Georgia public research institutions.

“Your return on investment is better if you get your degree here at Tech than if you were to go to a comparable school anywhere else in the state,” she said. “Those students are getting a better return on investment, a better salary one year, five years, and 10 years out if they got their degree at Tech than if they went elsewhere, and this, I think, is really our Ivan Allen Advantage.” 

She also highlighted the School of Economics’ ranking as the No. 1 public university in Georgia for economics students, expansion of the GTDC program, and expanded academic offerings through several new minors, including the Minor in Science, Communication, and Policy and the Minor in the Business of Sports and Entertainment.

Murdie noted that the College’s research output remains high and touted the success of the School of Public Policy and the School of Economics for reaching their Transforming Tomorrow fundraising goals.

“I am excited to be your cheerleader-in-chief for the next year, to share this message both on campus, across the state, and around the world,” Murdie said.