Meet Tech's New Provost Raheem Beyah
By: Jennifer Herseim | Categories: Featured Stories
On November 1, 2025, Raheem Beyah, MS EE 99, PhD ECE 03, became Tech’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. While Beyah is no stranger to Georgia Tech, the Alumni Magazine sat down with him earlier this year to learn more about this Yellow Jacket. Here are 10 facts about Tech’s new provost.
1. If it weren’t for biscuits, he might have been a triple Jacket. Beyah was accepted at Georgia Tech, but was wooed away by his grandmother and her famous biscuits. He studied Electrical Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University to be closer to his grandmother and her baking. “There’s no known recipe. They’re just made with love and grandma magic,” Beyah recalls.
2. He’s signed Tech Tower. One of his favorite Tech memories happened as dean of the College of Engineering, when he signed the inside of Tech Tower.
3. Hard work is hard-wired in him. He wasn’t a serious student until midway through high school, when “a switch flipped” and he realized he needed to help more at home. “I just started working extremely hard,” he says. He even took precalculus and calculus at the same time, against his high school counselor’s advice.
4. Mentorship is central to his identity. Beyah’s mentees span from high schoolers to academic leaders. In his undergrad, during a visit to his high school, he met Gary May, EE 85, HON PhD 21 (who became dean of the College of Engineering). “He was volunteering at Douglass High School with the Alumni Association. He became very influential in my life for decades after that.”
5. He’s raising awareness about prostate cancer. About a year after a surgery to remove his prostate, Beyah publicly shared his cancer story to encourage men to get checked for prostate cancer. His experience also shaped his leadership style. “It really puts things into perspective. As I was being wheeled off to the OR, I thought about whether I’d be able to have coffee with my wife again, and that’s the stuff that’s important. When I talk to my colleagues now, I remind them, what’s important is what brings you joy and happiness.”
6. He meditates daily. Beyah doesn’t take his health or well-being for granted. “I’ve always been a hard worker, but I’ve realized that to get things done you have to have balance. You have to take care of your physical and mental health.”
7. He’s preparing students for an AI-driven world. Two years ago, Beyah started AI for Engineering, which aims to prepare engineering students to be ready to enter an AI-native workforce. Expanding that initiative across Tech and starting an AI Advisory Committee are priorities for him as provost. “We need to make sure our students not only understand AI but also have the experience solving real-world problems so they graduate with the technical skills and the experience to contribute from day one.”
8. He’s expanding access. A top priority for him as provost is making sure that if a student gets accepted
to Georgia Tech, finances are not a barrier.
9. He’s scaling staff development. Beyah aims to bring practices from the College of Engineering to the rest of the Institute. One example is a staff development program that creates mentorship opportunities for staff.
10. He still plays video games (and can usually win against his kids). Gaming inspired Beyah’s early interest in engineering, and he still plays today with his two children. “I played my daughter last night in college football and managed to eke out a win,” he says.
