Leading the Way

President Mark P. Becker

As we enter another fall semester, there is much excitement and enthusiasm about the wonderful things happening at Georgia State University, many of which you will read about in this edition.

Panther football is now in its sophomore year, after a winning inaugural season that brought much national attention to our university. In this issue you'll meet the team's 13-man Leadership Council. They are committed to the pursuit of excellence as students and as athletes, and are leaders for the entire team.

You'll also read about how Georgia State University is leading the way in our efforts to retain and graduate students. Recently, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education ranked GSU nationally in eight of its 12 categories, highlighting how GSU is truly making every student count. Associate Provost Tim Renick and his team are doing a phenomenal job of helping all students succeed.

Finally, you'll meet GSU alumnus David Adelman, whom I had the pleasure of visiting recently in Singapore. Adelman, the son of a hardware salesman and a nurse at Crawford Long Hospital, was raised here in Atlanta and served Georgia as a state senator. Now, he's serving his country as the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, helping to advance U.S. interests in Singapore and the region.

In this issue and elsewhere, we celebrate the GSU faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends whose stories put a face on the many outstanding accomplishments of our fine university.

Sincerely,
Mark P. Becker