George Tower:
The New Home of ISyE
By Beverley Sylvester
Expanding on the Success of Tech Square
Technology Square (Tech Square) began when Georgia Tech purchased eight acres of blighted and abandoned land in 1997 across the Midtown/Downtown Connector. By 2003, this land was transformed when Tech Square opened. Tech Square has since become a premier destination and economic engine for innovative corporations, university research and academic enterprises, and startups.
The second phase of Tech Square, the 21-story Coda building, opened in 2019 and has drawn more top-tier tech companies to work as close to Georgia Tech's campus as possible.
Now, the third phase is building on the momentum of Tech Square, along with that of the top-ranked H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) and Scheller College of Business, to expand Tech's success in cultivating one of the country's fastest-growing business and technology ecosystems. Slated to finish in 2026, Tech Square Phase 3 encompasses 416,500 square feet of new space for research and collaboration as well as a large outdoor plaza for street-level retail. The project is anchored by two multistory towers that are connected by a shared elevator.
These towers will be named for philanthropists who played vital roles in advancing Georgia Tech's mission of Progress and Service. One tower, named for Ernest "Ernie" Scheller Jr., IM 1952, HON Ph.D. 2013, will house the graduate and executive education programs of the Scheller College of Business. The second tower will be named George Tower in recognition of Penny and William "Bill" George, IE 1964, HON Ph.D. 2008, to house ISyE.
Tech Square Phase 3 is poised to become a catalyst for innovation — fostering collaborative research opportunities, cross-disciplinary breakthroughs, and dynamic business ventures. The space will provide students with access to corporate innovation centers, incubators, and accelerators and offer opportunities to engage with business partners, receive hands-on experience through capstone projects and practicums, and learn from industry leaders.
The 18-story George Tower will be the new home for ISyE, the highest-ranked industrial and systems engineering undergraduate program for 25 consecutive years and graduate program for 35 consecutive years, providing an inspiring environment for students and faculty to innovate and excel.
A New Home: George Tower
The 18-story George Tower will be the new home for ISyE, the highest-ranked industrial and systems engineering undergraduate program for 25 consecutive years and graduate program for 35 consecutive years, providing an inspiring environment for students and faculty to innovate and excel. ISyE’s home in George Tower will strengthen its ties to local academic and corporate partners.
“We are excited about moving ISyE’s home to George Tower, placing us at the center of the ‘Tech Square Innovation District,’” said Pinar Keskinocak, H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and professor in ISyE. “George Tower offers an ideal setting for us to build on ISyE’s legacy of leadership and excellence in research, education, innovation, and impact. It also helps us create new opportunities for strategic partnerships and collaborations. We deeply appreciate the generous support from Bill and Penny George and all our alumni.”
Photo by Nancy Sandlin. / George Tower is named for William “Bill” and Penny George because of their generous philanthropic support of ISyE and Georgia Tech.
An Inspiring Investment and Legacy
Bill George and his wife Penny — and their strategic philanthropic support of ISyE and Georgia Tech — were key to making all of this come to life.
Bill George is an executive fellow at Harvard Business School where he was a professor of management practice and senior fellow teaching leadership from 2004–2022. He previously served as chair and chief executive officer of Medtronic, a leading medical technology company. Earlier in his career, George was a senior executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense.
George has been named one of the “Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years” by PBS, “Executive of the Year — 2001” by the Academy of Management, and “Director of the Year — 2001–2002” by the National Association of Corporate Directors.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering with high honors from Georgia Tech and his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University where he was a Baker Scholar. He is also the author of True North: Emerging Leader Edition.
“We are excited about moving ISyE's home to George Tower that offers an ideal setting for us to build on our legacy of leadership and excellence in research, education, innovation, and impact. It also helps us create new opportunities for strategic partnerships and collaborations.”
— Pinar Keskinocak, H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Professor, ISyE
Drawing from her career as a consulting psychologist and her experience healing from breast cancer, Penny George is a revered leader in the national movement toward whole-person health and well-being. She received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University, a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas.
Bill and Penny George are members of the Hill Society, the most prestigious donor recognition society at Georgia Tech. In addition to the couple’s visionary philanthropy, George provided volunteer service and leadership to the Institute through his extensive involvement on the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees, Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech Steering Committee, and Georgia Tech Advisory Board, among others.
Bill George credits his educational experience at Georgia Tech for helping him develop both hard and soft skills that he has relied upon throughout his career, particularly the Institute’s dedication to collaboration. With ISyE’s upcoming move to George Tower, current and future generations of industrial and systems engineering students will have even more opportunities for collaborative research, development, and learning.
Bill George credits his educational experience at Georgia Tech for helping him develop both hard and soft skills that he has relied upon throughout his career, particularly the Institute’s dedication to collaboration. With ISyE’s upcoming move to George Tower, current and future generations of industrial and systems engineering students will have even more opportunities for collaborative research, development, and learning.
Opportunities to Support George Tower
Private philanthropy is essential for equipping George Tower's internal spaces, including classrooms, offices, and conference rooms. Support for Tech Square Phase 3 will ensure that students, faculty, and industry leaders have the resources they need to continue transforming education and innovation at Georgia Tech. Naming opportunities are available at various giving levels beginning at $100,000.
Gifts and commitments to Tech Square Phase 3 are included in Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, a more than $2 billion comprehensive campaign that will build a foundation for advancing the Institute and its impact — on people's lives, on the future of collaborative work to create innovative solutions, and on the world — for decades to come.
For more information about making a gift in support of Tech Square Phase 3, contact Nancy Sandlin, Senior Director of Development at ISyE.
Industrial and Systems Engineering
This story originally appeared in the 2025-26 issue of the Industrial and Systems Engineering magazine.