The inaugural 40 Under 40 program, launched by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, has been one of the most rewarding and engaging programs released in 2020, despite being programmatically challenged by the pandemic. In creating this program, we had two goals in mind: to engage with campus partners on a higher level and to reengage a population of disengaged young alumni. In just the first year, we received more than 400 nominations, were endorsed by each college at the institute--all facilitated by just one staff employee. To date there has been zero budget dollars spent. This program was supported publicly by the president of Georgia Tech, had representation from each college on the selection committee and in the nomination pool, and is truly the first of its kind at Georgia Tech. From creation to marketing to public release, 40 Under 40 was created and implemented virtually during the preliminary months of the pandemic shutdown. Although our original plan included an in-person weekend celebration for the honorees, we were able to completely change course and offer virtual engagements to introduce honorees to campus partners, the alumni community, and to current students. Next fall, we are planning an in-person weekend event that will include a breakfast with Alumni Association board members, a campus tour with students, a chance for them to meet with any student organization connections, a celebratory lunch for honorees and, most important, a chance for these honorees to get in the classroom with students and meet with faculty.
