This year, the Office of the Provost has established a new award to honor the top-ranked student from each of Georgia Tech's six colleges. The Provost's Academic Excellence Award acknowledges the finalists of the Love Family Foundation Award, an annual award that recognizes the undergraduate student who is graduating in spring with the most outstanding scholastic record of all members of the class.

As part of the Love Award selection process, each college nominates its top graduating student and the winner is selected by the Academic Associate Deans of all six colleges. Being one of the finalists for the Love Award and recipient of the Provost's Academic Excellence award means that the student was among the top undergraduate students at Georgia Tech based on their academic accomplishments. 

This year, we are also excited to honor the finalists for the first time with the inaugural Provost’s Academic Excellence Award,” said Steven P. Girardot, associate vice provost for undergraduate education. Girardot has led the selection committee for several years, and he is always impressed with the caliber of students nominated. “These four outstanding students will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship and also recognized at the annual student honors program.

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This year's recipients of the Provost's Academic Excellence Award:

It’s such an honor to receive this award, especially because of how transformative the past four years at Georgia Tech have been for me. I’m particularly thankful for the incredible LMC faculty whose teaching has been so important to me, both academically and personally. With less than a week until I graduate, I know how proud I’ll be to call myself a Georgia Tech alumna.

College Represented: Ivan College of Liberal Arts

What's next for Kathryn: Next fall, Kathryn will begin an MA in English Literature at the University of Virginia.

I am honored and humbled to be a recipient of the Provost’s Academic Excellence Award. In my time at Georgia Tech, it has been my goal to juggle academics, community contribution, leadership, and lots of fun. This award recognizes the achievement of that goal and reminds me of the contributions of so many who have supported me in my studies and beyond, making my dreams possible. I am, and will always be, proud to be a Yellow Jacket.

College Represented: Scheller College of Business

What's next for Natalie: Post-graduation Natalie will be working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in their Management Consulting practice. She hopes the experience will allow her to solve important problems for businesses that impact our everyday lives.

Thank you to the Love family for their consistent devotion to philanthropy and their continued advancement of the Georgia Tech motto of progress and service. I am grateful to have earned this Provost Award and feel so lucky to represent the College of Design. The School of Architecture and larger College of Design have profoundly transformed how I see the world and how I aim to impact it in the future.

College Represented: College of Design

What's next for Chloe: In the fall, Chloe will be starting an M.S. in Sustainable Architecture program as a recipient of the Fulbright-Tampere University Graduate Award. She will move to Finland for two years to study environmental and community stewardship at an institution and in a culture that prioritizes sustainability at a degree yet to be seen elsewhere globally. Chloe continued, "I am grateful for my education at Georgia Tech and hope to serve as a positive ambassador for the school through this experience and beyond."

I was very surprised when I learned I had received the Provost's Award for not only the College of Sciences but also the College of Computing. During my years at Tech, I've met some truly outstanding students in both departments, so I know it was likely difficult to decide on a winner. I would also like to give a huge thanks to the faculty in the School of Mathematics and College of Computing for helping me these past four years by being such incredible teachers, mentors, and advisors. Without them, I would not be where I am today.

Colleges Represented: College of Sciences & College of Computing

What's next for Kalen: After graduation, Kalen plans on returning to Georgia Tech in the Fall 2021 semester to pursue a Ph.D. in the Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization (ACO) program. Kalen added, "I will be able to continue my studies of math and computer science and to work more closely with the Georgia Tech departments I came to love as an undergraduate."