Libby Morris Bring out the cake, light the candles, the Institute is 50! On July 1, 1964, with University System Board of Regents approval, the continuous efforts by President O. C. Aderhold to establish an “Institute of Higher Education and Research” came to fruition. The Institute was founded to serve the institution, the state and the region in building institutional capacity. Then and now, IHE conducts public service programs, doctoral education, and applied and basic research. Now, more than 200 graduates from our PhD and executive EdD programs lead as presidents, vice presidents, researchers, directors, and faculty in colleges, foundations and agencies nationwide. Our faculty engage students in research and outreach through grants from the National Science Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Watson Brown Foundation, AT&T, and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, to name only a few. Our research strengthens the field, informs the activities and performance of colleges and universities around the globe, and supports economic development. In addition to graduate education, we continue our commitment to public service and outreach through our oldest program, Faculty Development in Georgia, and its spin-off, the Governor’s Teaching Fellows program, now 20 years old. In 2009, the Institute launched the Georgia College Advising Corps to assist underserved students with the complex college-going process. Service to diverse populations continues to be an important thread throughout our history. We are honored to hold in the Institute the Louise McBee Professorship, the Zell Miller Distinguished Professorship, and the Thomas G. Dyer and J. Douglas Toma Academic Support funds. We stand on their contributions to the Institute over time and on your investment in our future. To honor the past and plan for the future, a series of events will be held during this academic year (see program insert). I hope to see you there.irector, Institute of Higher Education Type of News/Audience: 2014 IHE Report