“I had always heard that my degree from Georgia Tech would unlock doors,” said Gatens, director of the International Space Station and acting director of commercial spaceflight at NASA.

“Little did I know, though, it would lead me to a lifelong career in human spaceflight for NASA, using my chemical engineering degree to design and test the life support systems for the space station that enabled the station to accommodate more crew and to accomplish more science to benefit life here on Earth.”

Fellow Hall of Fame inductee Ronald Nash, IE 1970, said he had his speech ready the morning of the awards, but he threw it away after meeting a newly admitted student and his father on campus earlier in the day.

Nash said the trio ended up in conversation for two hours as he shared his Georgia Tech experience and the value his engineering education had provided over his long career as a technology CEO and senior leader of multibillion dollar companies. He told the student about critical decision-making skills, thinking systematically about problems, leadership, and working hard under pressure.

“And as I was walking back to the hotel, it hit me that I’m talking to him about things I learned that were important to my career — and I learned them five decades ago,” said Nash, managing director of Nash Technology Group. “It’s stunning in our technological age that I learned something five decades ago that year after year was valuable for me. All of us here ought to thank our lucky stars that we have been associated with this magnificent institution. The value that it brings is just incredible.”

Despite their vastly different careers, each of the alumni honored at the 2025 awards described in different ways how Georgie Tech changed their lives.

Hall of Famer and 1971 civil engineering graduate José Domingo Pérez put it this way: “We do not celebrate our individual achievements but the shared values that guide us as alumni and engineers in our commitment to serving society and mankind.”

“Georgia Tech provided me with a robust, dynamic, eager partnership so that I could create the translational and biomedical engineering programs around the country that have, are and will forever continue to save lives,” Van said. “So, Georgia Tech, you deserve this award because you gave me the opportunity to create, to develop, to experiment — and I could not have done that anywhere else.”

The Dean’s Impact Award went to SlateSafety founders Zachary Braun, Joseph Boettcher, and Tyler Sisk for their innovative approach to protecting workers. Their flagship wearable device monitors heat stress, environmental conditions, and real-time location to help avoid some of the 300 million worker injuries reported worldwide every year.

Retired Army colonel and former astronaut Shane Kimbrough served as emcee for the ceremony. He earned a master’s in operations research at Tech. His spaceflight career included more than a year orbiting Earth.