‘Never Been Better’ — Murdie Celebrates the State of the Ivan Allen College

Posted September 23, 2026

The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts (IAC) is maturing into a tech-forward powerhouse for transforming timeless humanities and social science perspectives into tangible social and career advantages, Dean Amanda Murdie said in her second State of the College Address.

Speaking Sept. 17, 2026, at the Georgia Tech Alumni House, Murdie told the IAC community that despite the headwinds facing higher education, the College has smashed through fundraising goals, largely held its own in enrollment, and continues to innovate, on campus and beyond.

“We have never been better as a community, and the Institute increasingly recognizes the value of our work in the humanities and social sciences, especially as the rise of artificial intelligence puts what it means to be human front and center,” she said.

View Murdie’s State of the College Presentation

Presentation Slides

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The College recently convened leaders of liberal arts units at tech institutions from around the country to discuss AI in education and is leading the upcoming AI & Society speaker series focused on the intersection of data, human rights, energy, and health.

The College has also taken a foundational role in the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership, created to prepare students to navigate technology, civic life, and leadership.

She also highlighted the Ivan Allen Advantage, the lifetime earnings premium Georgia Tech liberal arts graduates enjoy thanks to the additional STEM training represented in their bachelor and master of science degrees.

Georgia Tech students with IAC credentials on their resumes also are ranked as more hirable, whether they are primarily liberal arts students or studied a STEM curriculum, Murdie noted.

“It works both ways, for our students being embedded in a tech institute having that B.S. with that math training, but also for the rest of the Institute and having those future-proof skills that come from the liberal arts.”

Under Murdie’s leadership, the College also recently completed a refresh of its Strategic Plan. The Spring 2026 update didn’t change the College’s core mission or goals but provided ways to better measure progress and address emerging challenges and opportunities.

In all 86 IAC faculty members, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the College participated in the update.

Murdie also highlighted initiatives such as the launch of the Staff Advisory Council, fully funding Ivan Allen College Ph.D. students, and course evaluations that continue to show Ivan Allen College units coming out on top with students.

Murdie said that the College must continue to focus on recruiting and retaining the best students, overcoming barriers to transfer that make it difficult for some students to switch to Georgia Tech.

One way to do that is through new offerings, she said. The College is holding listening sessions soon to discuss possible opportunities in computational social science, medical humanities, AI and society, and interdisciplinary social science.

"Our students are still writing their stories and contributing to that Ivan Allen Advantage, and that all depends on you,” Murdie told attendees. “Thank you for the work that you're doing. I hope you see yourself reflected in where we're going and where we've been this past year, and I am super excited about how we are all contributing to this important conversation about the role of humanity in the age of AI."