The Veterans Resource Center, a department within the Division of Arts, Belonging, and Community, celebrated ten years of service on Georgia Tech’s campus in 2023. Georgia Tech has a distinguished history of supporting active-duty service members and veterans, spanning more than a century since July 1917, when the School of Military Aeronautics was established to train military pilots.

In 2012, Georgia Tech established a student veteran workgroup to provide support and a sense of belonging to student veterans on campus. Their primary goal was to increase campus involvement and promote awareness of student veterans. As a result of their efforts, the Veterans Resource Center opened on Sept. 9, 2013, under the leadership of David Ross, Ed.D., USAF Ret., as director. With the financial support of two Georgia Tech alumni donors, the Veterans Resource Center opened the doors to its new location in August 2020. Located next to the Molecular Sciences and Engineering Building, the Veterans Resource Center continues to play a pivotal role in supporting student veterans and their dependents.

“It’s truly a blessing for me to witness the Veterans Resource Center grow before my eyes in these past ten years. I aim to always support our student veterans and to continue to build this community. I relate to them so much since I am an Air Force veteran, and I want to help them achieve their goals while attending Georgia Tech,” said Mr. Ross.

In previous years, Veterans Day was celebrated with a small ceremony in front of Tech Tower and concluded with a free meal at one of the dining halls operated by Tech Dining. Although those ceremonies did not include a guest speaker, President Ángel Cabrera provided memorable remarks and thanked veterans for their service.

To commemorate the center’s tenth anniversary, the Veterans Resource Center hosted its annual Veterans Day luncheon on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in the Ferst Center.

The luncheon allowed student, faculty, and staff veterans to gather and celebrate their military service and accomplishments while enjoying a catered lunch. The guest speaker was Major General (Retired) Larry Taylor, B.S. Industrial Management ’62, a United States Marine Corps Reserve veteran and devoted supporter of the Veterans Resource Center. The luncheon was especially notable as it was the Veterans Resource Center’s first event under the recently launched Arts, Belonging, and Community division within Student Engagement and Well-Being.

In addition to the luncheon, the Veterans Resource Center commemorated ten years of service through campus community events. Student veterans from the Veterans Resource Center participated in the 42nd Annual Georgia Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 in Midtown Atlanta; the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center welcomed all Georgia Tech veterans and active-duty military personnel to use the facility free of charge on Nov. 10 and 11; and active-duty military members and veterans were honored during the Georgia Tech Heroes Day football game on Saturday, Nov. 18, as the Yellow Jackets played Syracuse.