New Residence Hall Honors Bud and Val Peterson

Georgia Tech leaders, students, alumni, and friends gathered Aug. 13 to celebrate the opening of the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall, the first built on campus since 1969. Made possible thanks to the support of The University Financing Foundation, the facility is named in honor of President Emeritus G.P. “Bud” Peterson and former First Lady Val Peterson for their lasting contributions to the Institute.

Located on West Campus along Northside Drive, the 191,000-square-foot residence hall will welcome first-year students this fall. The building includes 862 beds, collaboration spaces, lounges, fitness area, and a 24/7 market.

“This is a remarkable place,” said Bud Peterson. “Val and I are enormously honored to be recognized in this fashion.”

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera reflected on the importance of residential life in shaping the student experience. “The transformation of our students happens in the residence halls,” Cabrera said. “It happens in the friendships that you make, the study groups, the activities, and when you’re learning to be independent.”

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue agreed that residence halls play an important role in students’ development beyond academics. Students “will get great content in the classrooms,” he said, “but they’re going to get a great education here in the dorm spaces.” 

The residence hall recognizes a decade of leadership by the Petersons. During Bud Peterson’s tenure from 2009 to 2019, Tech expanded enrollment, strengthened partnerships across Atlanta and Georgia, and surpassed $1 billion in annual research awards for the first time. Val Peterson was a dedicated advocate for students and campus well-being.

Kasey Helton, associate vice president of Campus Services, said the hall reflects the values the Petersons have long championed. “We weren’t trying to create 860 places to sleep,” Helton said. “We were trying to create 860 opportunities to belong.”

Student speaker Kayla Vallere, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major and Residence Hall Association leader, said that, for her, a dorm is “more than a place to live; it’s a place I can truly call home.”

To learn more or support campus facilities, contact Jim Hall, vice president for Development, at jim.hall@dev.gatech.edu.