2026 ADDRESS
By President M. Brian Blake
Good morning, and happy Employee Appreciation Day. Thank you all for being here.
More importantly, thank you for the work you do every day for this university and the students we serve.
Your presence here matters because you are the people who make Georgia State what it is. In ways both visible and behind the scenes, you shape who we are and who we are becoming.
As I begin, let me go ahead and share our headline for today and the year ahead.
The state of this university — your university — is strong and strengthening.
With each day, we’re becoming more vibrant and growing. Open and welcoming. Challenging, inspiring and uplifting. A place of excellence and, what I think we all love, a place of belonging.
We are all — each and every one of us — authors of this story. With purpose, innovation, dedication, excellence and quiet confidence.
Through teaching and learning, research and discovery. Collaboration and healthy competition. Thirsty for knowledge, wisdom and community. With the heart of true neighbors who care deeply about those around us.
And I want to thank you for the unique Panther spirit you’ve brought to all we’ve done — a spirit of service, kindness and thoughtfulness that enriches this wonderful community we’re all so proud to be part of.
I think it’s only fitting today to look back on not only the past year, but also the past five years. Since 2021, I’ve had the privilege of walking our campuses, listening to our students, learning from our faculty and staff, and experiencing firsthand the drive, ambition and passion that defines the Panther community.
It’s fair to say that any new leader wants to make a difference when taking a new role and joining a new community. And certainly, this was true of me.
The thing is, I wanted it all overnight.
But before long — and honestly, it didn’t take very long at all — I came face to face with the reality that even as president, we can’t do everything overnight.
The truth is that with any organization of this size and scale, even one with a heritage of reinvention, change comes over time. Incrementally. And always with many people pushing and pulling and moving in the same direction.
Together, one step at a time, we have made a difference.
With altruism and effort, steeped in passion and vision, grounded by dedication and purpose. Together we’ve celebrated milestones. We’ve navigated tough moments. And we’ve seen this university rise again and again to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
Together we’ve expanded opportunity, advanced discovery, deepened our commitment to student success and reaffirmed our position as a leading public research university in the heart of Atlanta.
Day by day. Semester after semester. Year after year, we keep realizing a better morning than the day before.
And this morning, in fact, I could not be prouder of all we’ve done over the past five years or more honored to be walking with you on this journey.
Today gives us a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and look ahead to where we’re going. And that feels right to me.
Because our Panther spirit has never been about standing still. We’re always on the move, because we all know our best days are yet to come.
The first chapter of this presidency focused on driving progress academically, financially and operationally.
Our next chapter is about sharpening that momentum with purpose.
And the momentum is real.
Enrollment continues to grow. It’s up 5 percent overall since 2023. Last fall marked our highest total enrollment in five years.
And just as important, Georgia State now enrolls the largest number of graduate students in our history.
A clear signal that our academic offerings are strong, our research enterprise is maturing and our stature as an urban R1 institution is rising.
Academically, Georgia State continues to lead the way.
For the sixth consecutive year, we were named the nation’s number one public university for undergraduate teaching — well-deserved recognition that reflects the exceptional work of our faculty as teachers, mentors and innovators.
At the same time, our research enterprise remains strong, with annual sponsored awards exceeding $160 million for the fourth consecutive year. Our scholars continue to publish and produce creative works.
But momentum only matters when it produces outcomes that change lives.
Here at Georgia State, success is ultimately measured not in rankings or resources, but in student outcomes delivered at scale.
Students from every background succeed here at comparable rates — a distinction few institutions in higher education can claim.
One example of what that success looks like is Salem Mutata.
Salem came to Georgia State from Zimbabwe, navigating a whole new country, a new culture and significant responsibilities.
Like many of our students, she balanced academics with work and family obligations.
At Georgia State, she found advisors who reached out early, faculty who believed in her potential and financial support that made persistence possible.
Salem did not just persist. She thrived.
She graduated with a degree in biology, earned the Nell Hamilton Trotter Award for Student Leadership and charted a bold course to becoming a cardiologist.
Salem’s story is extraordinary, but it is hardly an exception here. It is the result of a system intentionally designed to support student success without sacrificing rigor or losing sight of the individual.
Together, our work is guided by our BluePrint to 2033 — a ten-year strategic framework built around four interrelated pillars that shape how we invest, grow and measure progress.
As a community, we are strengthening identity, placemaking and belonging.
We are innovating research, scholarship and creative activity.
We are advancing Student Success 2.0.
STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS | 2026
And we are accelerating our commitment to preparing students for life and work beyond college.
Together, these pillars provide the foundation for our aspirations and define what success looks like as we move toward 2033.
By 2033, we will grow our academic expertise by recruiting a larger body of faculty while doubling our funding and scholarly activity.
We will continue to enhance our overall enrollments to new heights, including a robust graduate population.
We will retain, graduate and facilitate career opportunities for students at the highest levels in our history.
We will complete Georgia State’s largest fundraising campaign.
And we will enrich the student experience by cultivating a dynamic campus community that empowers every student to engage and connect. Lofty goals, yes — but I believe we are up to the challenge.
Now let’s take a moment to reflect on what we have already accomplished together.
Our progress begins with people.
This past year we welcomed more than 100 new faculty members across our campuses. This investment has strengthened our academic programs, expanded access to high-demand courses and created more meaningful learning environments for students.
We also paused to celebrate faculty excellence — from Regents Professors and Distinguished University Professors to faculty receiving promotion and tenure.
These recognitions reflect the depth of talent across Georgia State.
Over the past year we have also seen our educational commitment take shape physically.
In 2025 we broke ground on the new Research Tower in downtown Atlanta.
This fall we will unveil modern laboratories, flexible research space and teaching environments designed to foster innovation and collaboration.
Last summer we opened our new Student Success Center on Auburn Avenue, bringing together student success services and our renowned National Institute for Student Success.
These spaces reflect how we think about research and student success as connected — not separate.
Behind the scenes, we have enhanced how research is supported, doubling the amount of internal research grants and launching the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry.
As our academic enterprise has grown, so has our campus and our reach.
Enrollment is rising. Demand is strong. And fallto-fall retention increased over the past year.
We are continuing to build Panther Quads on every campus as centers of student and community life.
Transformative work is underway at the center of our downtown campus, with a PantherQuad connecting the student center, downtown library, College of the Arts and Hurt Park.
Clarkston’s Quad broke ground last year and next month will be the first PantherQuad completed and opened.
At the same time, we have invested heavily in campus safety and technology on the downtown campus, making meaningful progress with the GSU Blue Line through more lighting, landscaping and beautification.
Student engagement continues to deepen, with signature events bringing together students, families, alumni, faculty, staff and neighbors.
Athletics also play an important role in that experience.
There is growing excitement surrounding the return of baseball to the historic site of AtlantaFulton County Stadium. Our new ballpark, now under construction, will enhance the student experience and strengthen our connection to the Summerhill community.
None of this would be possible without strong partnerships and sustained support.
Fundraising continues to play a critical role in advancing our priorities. Our most recent Georgia State Day set a new record with nearly 2,000 donors supporting hundreds of programs with $1 million in a single day.
Today our financial position is strong and improving.
Next year, for the first time in five years, we will see an increase in our state appropriations based on our performance as an institution.
And I am pleased to announce that our staff compensation structure was approved this month by the University System of Georgia. As a result, 324 staff members will see an increase in salary, bringing the entire population closer to competitive market ranges.
More work remains, but I hope our commitment to take care of our people is clear.
As we look ahead, we will continue to position Georgia State for excellence in a rapidly changing world.
By staying focused on people. Responsive to change. And clear about where we are going next.
As we come to the close of this year’s State of the University, I trust this much is clear: we’ve accomplished a great deal in the last year — and the past five years — working together.
Each of you will play a role in shaping what Georgia State becomes next.
So my invitation to you is simple.
Stay engaged. Stay ambitious. And continue to bring the spirit of collaboration and camaraderie that defines this university.
The future of Georgia State is not something we’re waiting for, but something we’re creating together.
My friends, I am proud of how far we have come and gratified by where we stand today.
And yet I am even more excited about where we are going and what we — together — will accomplish in the years to come.
Thank you very much, and go Panthers.