“As we look around this campus of course you will note many impressive facilities, many impressive new facilities going up, so one could be excused for thinking this is just a normal day at the office. However of course, it is not,” said Errol B. Davis, Chancellor of the Board of Regents (BOR) at the historic ground-breaking ceremony for the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons (CULC). The CULC itself was highlighted at the event.

The selection of Tech’s 11th president echoes back to the selection of its previous leader 14 years ago. On July 11, 1994, Wayne Clough was selected as the 10th President of the Institute after the ninth President, John Patrick Crecine, resigned the same year amidst controversy and conflict with faculty members.

Provost and vice president of academic affairs Gary Schuster will formally begin his term as interim institute president on July 1. Schuster’s appointment to the role of president comes after Institute President Wayne Clough’s announcement to step down from office in March to become the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

For the last 14 years, Tech has been graced with the presence of President Clough, who greatly contributed to the progress Tech has made over the past decade. From rapid campus expansion to the steady improvement of Tech’s national rankings, Clough is the superlative force behind an institute that is already redefining university-level education and the research industry.

During dead week, students will have a last chance to say goodbye to President Wayne Clough before his departure in June. The Student Government Association has planned an ice cream reception to honor Tech’s outgoing president. President Clough Day will be held Monday, April 21 at the Campanile Plaza.

For this generation of Tech students, Wayne Clough is the only Institute president they have ever known. That will soon change, as Clough announced in an e-mail to students Saturday, March 15, that he is stepping down from his position as of July 1 to become the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the top administrative position at the renowned educational and research facility.