Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Vol. 100, No. 3, Summer 2024

“For national excellence in STEM, we must give our most qualified, creative engineering minds the chance to solve the world’s toughest problems at our best institutions.”

—

Deborah Kilpatrick, ESM 1989, M.S. ME 1994, Ph.D. ME 1996

When Deborah “Deb” Kilpatrick left her small hometown in Georgia to attend Georgia Tech, she embarked on a life-changing journey, ultimately earning her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Since then, she has become a respected expert in the medtech sector, rising to executive chair of the Board and former CEO of Evidation Health. Grateful for the support she received during her education at Georgia Tech, she has dedicated her time and resources to give back to the Institute.

Kilpatrick’s wife, Kathleen “Kacey” Fitzpatrick, shares Kilpatrick’s philanthropic spirit and commitment to supporting diverse students and faculty in STEM. Fitzpatrick earned her undergraduate degree in design and architecture from Stanford University and built a residential design and construction business. Together, they have used their success to invest in creating a sustainable and equitable future through an estate provision and current use funds directed to support the Women in Engineering program, the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems.

They have been impressed by the Institute’s commitment to creating a better future — one that brings a wide range of voices to the table to solve the problems of tomorrow. “I would like to see more women and people of color access leadership paths of all types in our country, with representation in STEM fields being critical,” said Fitzpatrick. They also appreciate the interdisciplinary work and emphasis on real-world application in the Woodruff School.

Through their gifts to Georgia Tech, the couple is supporting areas that will lead to the tomorrow they want future generations to experience. “Georgia Tech is incredibly important to STEM education,” said Kilpatrick. “Not just in the United States, but in the world.”

AI has transitioned from a futuristic notion to a pivotal game-changer for businesses globally. To keep up with the competition, it’s necessary to know how to leverage AI today and in the future.

Meet AI for Business, a three-day course offered by Executive Education at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. The class is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of AI, machine learning, and related concepts, empowering you to integrate AI into your organizational strategy.

AI for Business: Fall 2024 Course

Dates: September 17 – 19

Times: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location: Scheller College of Business

Cost: $2,495

HIDDEN TECH

IIT’S NO SECRET that Georgia Tech is a special place. Our accomplishments are anything but hidden! Just this year, we were voted the No. 1 Public University in Energy & Fuels by U.S. News & World Report

It’s widely known that Tech alumni are the best of the best, but parts of the Tech experience remain hidden, known only to those of us who worked tirelessly toward our degrees.

When I walk on campus, I see places that bring back vivid memories of my time as a student. There are the East stands of Bobby Dodd Stadium where my love for Tech and its people blossomed. There are the old post office boxes in the remodeled John Lewis Student Center that spark memories of checking my mailbox as a student. And there is the pathway on West Campus, where I found a quiet spot to unwind between class and homework.

I think each of us has our own “hidden gems” that make Tech a place like no other. Recently, I was reminded by a fellow Yellow Jacket, John Cork, Text 65, of all the

diners and dives that kept countless Tech students well-fed and a bit distracted over the years.

When you’re in the middle of it, it’s hard to see just how unique Georgia Tech can be. The more you immerse yourself in and around campus, the more you appreciate what this place means to each of us and how it touched our lives. Even after four years as a student, 12 years with Georgia Tech’s Office of Government and Community Relations, and now five years as the president of the Alumni Association, I am still discovering new “gems” at Tech. For this issue, we wanted to pull back the cover on lots of hidden gems in and around the Institute. I hope these stories bring back fond memories and inspire you to come visit us for Homecoming in November to explore places you’ve never seen before for yourself.

Go Jackets!

DENE SHEHEANE, MGT 91 PRESIDENT

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE

VOL. 100 | NO. 2

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91

VP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Lindsay Vaughn

Herseim

Hedberg COPYWRITER

Sowell

COPY EDITOR

Barbara McIntosh Webb

STUDENT ASSISTANTS

Riddhi Bhattacharya, Sadie Mothershed, Alisha Tan, Levi Waterhouse, Grace Langan

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair

Tommy Herrington, IM 82

Past Chair/Vice Chair of Finance

Betsy Bulat, IAML 04

Chair Elect, Vice Chair/Roll Call

Rita Breen, Psy 90, MS IE 92

Vice Chair of Engagement

Jimmy Mitchell, CE 05

Member at Large

Anu Parvatiyar, BME 08

Member at Large

Amy Phuong, IA 05, MBA 14

Member at Large

James “Jim” Sanders, IE 88

Member at Large

Sam Westbrook, IE 99

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Latanza Adjei, IE 98; Thomas Antonino, BA 15, MSA 22; Sybrina Atwaters, EE 94, MS HSTS 09, PhD HSTS 14; Donald Beamer, Econ 05; Matt Bishop, CmpE 06; Michael Bogachek, IE 00; Alexia Borden, IE 01; Jasmine Burton, ID 14; Jacky Cheng, IE 17; Kimberly (Kilpatrick) Civins, Mgt 92; Catherine Cooper, IE 90; Aurélien Cottet, MS AE 03; Cynthia Culbreath, IE 93, MS IE 95; Adam Fuller, Mgt 93; Siddharth Gore, ME 17, MS ME 20; Craig Hyde, CmpE 05; Joy Jordan, ChE 92; Brandon Kearse, ME 09, MS CE 10; Olivia Langevine, IAML 13; Randolph McDow, IE 95, MS PP 03; Meredith Moot, Mgt 08; Susan (Sutherland) Piña, IE 93; Kyle Porter, Mgt 04; Jacquelyn Renée Schneider, BC 06, MBA 18; Greg Sitkiewicz, IE 00; Courtney Robinson Smith, Mgt 00; Kamau Smith, IE 99, MBA 09; Miya Smith, IE 03; Russell Smith, Cls 98; John R. Spriggle, ME 02; Peter Stewart, CE 97; Casey Swails, Mgt 07; Maurice Trebuchon, IE 86; Paul Trotti, ME 00; D’Andre Waller, ME 17; Kourtney Wright, CS 15, MS CS 23

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN: 1061-9747) is published quarterly by the Georgia

One of Tech’s most recognizable gems is hiding on the cover of this issue. Reveal it using our Instagram filter. Here’s how:

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Scan this QR code using your phone.

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Capture a photo of the Tech Tower, share it on Instagram, and tag us @gtalumni.

HIDDEN GEMS

Explore these lesser-known treasures tucked in and around Georgia Tech’s campus.

There’s no wrong way to visit campus. Here are four different guides to help you plan your ideal one-day itinerary. 36

SPEND THE PERFECT DAY AT GEORGIA TECH

DEPARTMENTS

SURPRISE DISCOVERY

During

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LARGER-THAN-LIFE ARTS-VI PROGRAM

THE SPRING 2024 , Vol. 100, No. 1 issue included a list of larger-than-life creations, including one of the largest systems ever built by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the 142-ton Advanced Radar Threat System (ARTS-VI). Ryan Lewis, MS ME 12, wrote to say he was “thrilled to see ARTS-VI made it onto the list of larger-than-life creations! The engineering that the researchers do at GTRI is worldclass, and they deserve the recognition for this achievement.” Lewis was the system integration supervisor on the project.

WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED

THE BIG MOMENT: SUGAR BOWL STUDENT PROTESTS

I WAS PART of this early civil rights demonstration [“The Big Moment,” from Spring 2024, Vol. 100, No. 1]. Remember it well! My picture was in Life magazine. What a time!

—ART

VOGAN, AE 59, MS IM 70

THANK YOU for helping us continue to be your preferred method of communication about Georgia Tech alumni and the Institute. See results from the 2023 Readership Survey below:

446 survey respondents

RAMBLIN’ RAFT RACE REMEMBERED

AN ICONIC CHAPTER OF ATLANTA HISTORY, THE RAMBLIN’ RAFT RACE ATTRACTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SPECTATORS. WE ASKED YOU TO SHARE YOUR STORIES ABOUT THE RACE OR “SHOOTING THE HOOCH” WITH FRIENDS. READ A SAMPLE OF THESE STORIES BELOW AND SEE THE REST AT GTALUMNI.ORG/RAFTRACEMEMORIES .

NEAR HYPOTHERMIA BY THE END

I DID NOT PARTICIPATE in the first couple, but my roommates and I were on the river for the one in 1972 when the participation numbers exploded. We just floated in inner tubes, and the water and air temps were very cold. We were very near hypothermia by the time we got to the end. I also seem to recall that it rained the night before, and the put-in parking area and the river take-out area were both extremely muddy with the amount of traffic. It was a mess, but we wanted to be there.

—RUSSELL SMART, CHE 73

RIVER-RAFTING FRIENDS

I LOVED the article in the spring Alumni Magazine on the Ramblin’ Raft Race. That brought back a lot of memories. I started going to parties (and rafting trips) at Delta Sigma Phi in 1971, and I joined in 1972. I can remember many huge rafting expeditions while a Delta Sig at Tech. Our “house-mom” lived on the Chattahoochee River, a little downriver from the Highway 41 exit point. She let us use her backyard as our exit point from the river. The late George Flowers and I continued the rafting fun after our graduation in 1975. I met my future (and current) wife, Cindy, on one of our Saturday rafting trips. Awesome fun and great memories.

—J. COLLIER MULLINS, BC 75

“

I JUST WENT ALONG TO WATCH (ALONG WITH A BAZILLION OTHERS) AND TOOK PHOTOS. I’VE ATTACHED THEM HERE. —JOHN HANDY, IE 73

THE CHATTAHOOCHEE TITANIC LIVED UP TO ITS NAME

MY FATHER and his coworkers built some amazing “rafts” for the Ramblin’ Raft Race! I attended as a child the last two years to cheer him on. He was not a GT alum, but I think part of why he was so proud that I chose to attend Georgia Tech was his love of design and engineering. His team built crazy rafts, including a submarine, a Red Barron–type “airplane,” a pirate ship, and even the Titanic, built to look like it was sinking. True to its name, the Chattahoochee Titanic sank after it hit a bridge on her maiden voyage in 1980. My father talked about the fun he had participating in the raft race all through his life. I found a retro Raft Race T-shirt to give him as a gift a few years before he passed away, and he had the biggest smile wearing it! —BETH SISSON, ID 93

RUNAWAY FLOAT

OUR RAFT was floating down the river without anyone on it. I had to shimmy across the starting cable to catch our raft before it floated down the Hooch.

—SHELDON SIMON, ARCH 75

AROUND CAMPUS

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

On April 25, Georgia Tech and Trammell Crow Company celebrated the opening of the first phase of Science Square, a premier mixeduse development dedicated to the biosciences and located on the west edge of Tech’s campus.

TECH UNVEILS NEW AI MAKERSPACE

THE NEW SUPERCOMPUTER HUB POSITIONS GEORGIA TECH TO TEACH STUDENTS IN A WAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY.

OON APRIL 10 , Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering established an artificial intelligence supercomputer hub dedicated exclusively to teaching students. The initiative—the AI Makerspace—launched in collaboration with NVIDIA. College leaders call it a digital sandbox for students to understand and use AI in the classroom.

Initially focusing on undergraduate students, the AI Makerspace aims to democratize access to computing resources typically reserved for researchers or technology companies.

Students will access the cluster online as part of their coursework, deepening their AI skills through hands-on experience. The makerspace will also better position students after graduation as they work with AI professionals and help shape the technology’s future applications.

WHAT’S A SUPERCOMPUTER?

The first phase of Georgia Tech’s AI Makerspace is powered by 20 NVIDIA HGX H100 systems, housing 160 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs (graphics processing units), one of the most powerful computational accelerators capable of enabling and supporting advanced AI and machinelearning efforts. The system is interconnected with a NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking platform, featuring in-network computing. To put this computational power into perspective, it would take a single NVIDIA H100 GPU one second to come up with a multiplication operation that would take Georgia Tech’s 50,000 students 22 years to achieve.

BY JASON MADERER

At its core, the Georgia Tech AI Makerspace is a dedicated computing cluster paired with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. The software technology resides on an advanced AI infrastructure that is designed, built, and deployed by Penguin Solutions, providing a virtual gateway to a high-performance computing environment.

“The City of Atlanta commends the leadership of Georgia Tech and the College of Engineering in advancing education and technology through the AI Makerspace,” says Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, ChE 98. “Partnerships

“The launch of the AI Makerspace represents another milestone in Tech’s legacy of innovation and leadership in education,” says Raheem Beyah, MS EE 99, PhD ECE 03, dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. “Thanks to NVIDIA’s advanced technology and expertise, our students at all levels have a path to make significant contributions and lead in the rapidly evolving field of AI.”

with industry leaders such as NVIDIA propel our students and workforce toward tomorrow, further enhancing Atlanta’s status as an innovation hub.”

Students and faculty will also receive support through NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute resources, including faculty-run NVIDIA workshops, certifications, a university ambassador program, curriculum-aided teaching kits, and a developer community network.

THE NEXT STEP IN THE COLLEGE’S “AI FOR ENGINEERING” INITIATIVE

The AI Makerspace expands Tech’s foundational, theory-focused AI curriculum by offering students a hands-on platform to tackle real-world AI challenges, develop advanced applications, and present their AI-driven ideas at scale. It also complements two recent announcements: the unveiling of Georgia Tech’s first minor degree program in AI and machine learning, as well as the re-imagining and creation of 14 core AI courses for undergrads. By this fall, every engineering discipline will have new AI courses.

“The AI Makerspace represents a significant advancement in technology for education,” explains Arijit Raychowdhury, professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “To draw a comparison, the makerspace will provide a technological upgrade equivalent to switching from an Etch-a-Sketch to an iPad. That’s the level of difference in technology that the AI Makerspace provides to students.”

Tech’s Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) is providing sustainable cyberinfrastructure and support for the AI Makerspace, ensuring students have the necessary tools and assistance to best use the cluster.

INAUGURAL ALUMNAE HONOREES NAMED FOR CELEBRATION OF GEORGIA TECH WOMEN

THE INSTITUTE ANNOUNCED THE NAMES OF 70 ALUMNAE WHO WILL BE INCLUDED IN A NEW PERMANENT TRIBUTE.

“PATHWAY OF PROGRESS: CELEBRATING GEORGIA TECH WOMEN” is the name of the forthcoming, permanent tribute to the lives and legacies of women from Georgia Tech, now under construction.

Set to open in the fall, the architectural sculpture and accompanying digital resource will honor an inaugural cohort of 70 alumnae, and highlight some 100 events and women of historical significance to the Institute.

In addition to the inaugural alumnae who will be recognized, the Institute will announce the historical honorees this fall. The installation is planned as a living and growing tribute. An annual process will identify additional Tech women to include.

The Pathway of Progress was made possible by generous support from Andrea L. Laliberte, IE 82, MS IE 84, and designed by Merica May Jensen, Mgt 08, M Arch 11. Extending from the ground up to the trees, the tribute comprises 2,946 suspended and mirror-polished metal tiles, of which an initial 168 of them are inscribed with names and stories. Tiles featuring historical information will surround a table and seating area, which will serve as a gathering place for reflection, contemplation, and celebration.

To read the names of the inaugural alumnae honorees, visit news.gatech.edu/ features/2024/03/ celebrating-georgiatech-women.

A committee of alumni, faculty, administrators, and students oversaw the criteria and selection process for the inaugural class of honorees. Following a wide call for nominations in 2022, the committee reviewed hundreds of submissions and selected the women whose stories are the foundation for the Pathway. Those stories also will be featured in an online resource, Celebrating Georgia Tech Women, which will include more information about the people, places, events, and networks represented, extending the experience.

Plans are underway for celebrations surrounding the tribute, including a campus event on November 9. —INSTITUTE COMMUNICATIONS

GRAY

LILYPAD HEALTH CROWNED TECH’S INVENTURE PRIZE WINNER

THE TEAM INVENTED AN AT-HOME MENSTRUAL BLOOD-SCREENING TOOL THAT COULD MAKE TESTING FOR A RANGE OF CRUCIAL HEALTH INDICATORS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND LESS INVASIVE.

BY RACHAEL GREENE

AFTER MONTHS OF FIERCE COMPETITION , Lilypad Health won this year’s InVenture Prize, taking home $20,000 and a coveted spot in CREATE-X’s Startup Launch.

The team invented an at-home, non-invasive menstrual blood-screening tool that could enable women to conduct testing for a range of crucial health indicators, including HPV, cervical cancer, HbA1c, hormones and fertility health, PCOS, and endometriosis—all in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Teammates Rhea Prem, Netra Gandhi, and Ethan Damiani have been working to break down stigma surrounding menstruation and period-related health issues. Their work was recognized with an AIDS Research Award and featured in Women’s Health earlier this year.

With two prototypes already in development and testing underway for preserved biomarkers for sample presentation, Lilypad Health is making significant leaps toward bringing

their innovative solution to the masses. And they aren’t the only ones who feel their invention is urgently needed—the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the team a patent acceleration certificate. They are also in talks with menstrual pad manufacturers about partnering to make their product even more widely available.

Second place and $10,000 went to Makr Papr, a team of computer science, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering students who have developed an innovative, patentpending technology that promises to replace name tags and event apps at conferences with an easy-to-use, tap-and-go printable paper.

The People’s Choice Award, selected through audience voting, went to team Candor. The team invented a Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) platform that aims to make “democratic participation more accessible and effective for everyone.” The platform offers a streamlined reporting and tracking process to expedite infrastructure maintenance for city governments and municipalities.

Judges were Donald Beamer Jr., Econ 05, senior technology advisor for the City of Atlanta; Raj Sardana, MS ME 82, CEO and founder of Innova Solutions; and Leanne West, MS APhys 94, MS EE 97, chief engineer of Pediatric Technology at Tech.

TECH STUDENTS’ SEIZUREMONITORING INVENTION

WINS ACC INVENTURE PRIZE

The NeuroChamp team beat out teams from 14 universities to win the 2024 ACC InVenture Prize.

VIVEK SARKAR NAMED DEAN OF COLLEGE OF COMPUTING SARKAR, WHO MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, ASSUMED HIS NEW ROLE ON JUNE 1.

FOLLOWING A NATIONAL SEARCH, Georgia Tech’s own Vivek Sarkar has been named dean and John P. Imlay Jr. Chair of the College of Computing.

Sarkar brings experience and expertise to the role, having made significant contributions to computing in academia and industry throughout his distinguished career. Most recently, he has served as chair of the School of Computer Science and held the Stephen Fleming Chair for Telecommunications at Georgia Tech.

As a pioneer in his field, Sarkar’s work has advanced academic understanding of high-performance computing systems and influenced the development of technologies that shape modern society. His research has led to breakthroughs in parallel computing, making complex computations more efficient and easier to program. Before Tech,

Sarkar served as the E.D. Butcher Chair in Engineering at Rice University, where he was also chair of the Department of Computer Science. Prior to that, he was at IBM Research as a senior manager and a member of the IBM Academy of Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University and has received numerous awards for his groundbreaking research.

—BRITTANY AIELLO

FOUR FACULTY WIN PRESTIGIOUS SLOAN FELLOWSHIPS

(L-R) Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Chunhui Du, Alex Blumenthal, and Daniel Genkin.

FOUR GEORGIA TECH RESEARCHERS have received the 2024 Sloan Research Fellowships, one of the highest honors for early-career faculty. Alex Blumenthal, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Chunhui Du, and Daniel Genkin are among the 126

researchers chosen from more than 1,000 nominations this year. Fellows receive $75,000 over two years to advance their research. A total of 55 individuals from Georgia Tech have won Sloan Fellowships.

—JERRY GRILLO

TECH’S LATEST RANKINGS

No. 1 Public University in Energy In their latest rankings, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Georgia Tech as the top public university and No. 3 nationally in energy and fuels research. This is the first year the category has been included in the annual rankings.

Second-highest ROI Among Public Institutions Bloomberg analyzed return on investment after 10 years compared with the cost of attendance and found that Georgia Tech had the secondhighest ROI among public institutions. This adds to similar findings from the Princeton Review, U.S. Census Bureau, and Money magazine.

BUZZ’S HIDDEN STORIES

FORMER BUZZES REVEAL STORIES FROM THEIR TIME BEHIND THE MASK.

BY MATT SOWELL

NNOT SINCE George P. Burdell has a member of the community had as demanding a schedule as Buzz.

The definitive Yellow Jacket does a lot, but doesn’t divulge any details until they’re no longer in uniform. Those who don the iconic yellow mask share a secret bond, as well as many stories—never before told. Here, we gathered some hidden tales from former Buzzes.

SUSAN DAVIS, BIO 91

Time as Buzz: 1987 to 1988

There were only two suits at that time. We carried them around in these big, brown, dirty Santa Claus sacks with a huge brown drawstring. We’d drop them off at different places and it was usually a hassle to get them to and from the other place. I’m sure the other Buzzes have experienced that. Sometimes you could launder it between uses, but that didn’t make much of a difference. Kids would come up and go “Buzz!” and then step back and say “stinky.” We’d probably lose 10 pounds in sweat.

BERT REEVES, MGT 00

Time as Buzz: 1997 to 2000

It was 1999 and the Gator Bowl was in Jacksonville, Florida. We got there for a pep rally at The Landing the night before, and I couldn’t find anywhere to change. There was this yacht with “Ramblin’ Wreck” written on the side. I was like, I’m going to have to give this a try because I don’t have any other options. I sneak on, change, and as I’m walking out, I see Dr. Phil Adler, a Tech legend who taught here for 40 years.

I meet him, but Buzz can’t talk, so I’m using thumbs up and down. I’m nodding. And it was so neat that that’s how I became connected with him. A few weeks later, I went to his office and introduced myself. He still called me Buzz, never Bert. He told me, “You don’t realize the fact that you’re Buzz is going to be a defining characteristic of your life. Everyone, for the rest of your life, is going to know you as Buzz. This is a good thing. Harness it.” He was right, I’ve learned that over the last 24 years. I later took three of Dr. Adler’s classes and was his T.A. It all started on the yacht!

There was another time when I participated in the mascot halftime basketball game, where all the Atlanta-area mascots come and play a game and it’s hysterical. Every mascot’s visibility and hearing are limited, and everyone has a hard time catching the ball or even dribbling. It was me as Buzz, McGruff the Crime Dog, the Planters Peanut, the Scottish Rite Penguin, and a few others. So we’re playing the game and everyone is laughing. And I hear the Georgia Tech Marching Band yell something at me, but I can’t hear well. I hear “Hey Buzz, kill the penguin!” I hesitated, but they kept chanting. So I ran toward the penguin. He was in the middle of a basket, and I body-slammed him. I stood up, threw my arms up, and looked at the band. And they’re all, “No, no, no, Buzz! Help the peanut!” I look over and McGruff the Crime Dog is placing my teammate, the Planters Peanut, under arrest! They were yelling “Help the Peanut.” I misheard and took a penguin down because of it!

CHRIS CUSHMAN, IE 05

Time as Buzz: 2001 to 2005

A lot of Tech students aren’t necessarily interested in sports, and there were some cases where they wouldn’t know we had a mascot. We wanted to spread awareness about Buzz. To do this, we would order a large pizza with the words “Happy Birthday” written on the box. We’d take it to the largest lecture hall we could find, look for the shyest kid in the class, who was usually in the front row, and then get the class to sing Happy Birthday to them. Almost universally, the kid who received the pizza would think it was a mistake and most professors were just as confused, especially since it was sometimes during a test. But for us, it was just about outreach and helping people realize that there’s more to Tech than just the academics.

HIDDEN LABS

YOU MIGHT KNOW THE NAMES OF THESE “HIDDEN LABS,” BUT SEEING THEIR ASTOUNDING WORK UP-CLOSE MAY HAVE FELT LIKE A TALL ORDER. CONSIDER THIS YOUR INVITATION TO INNOVATION.

BY ERIC BUTTERMAN

GGEORGIA TECH is filled with its share of mystery when it comes to its innovations. Part of it is a not-so-secret sauce of intelligence, collaboration and forward-thinking, but a less spoken part are the “hidden labs”—the ones alumni may have heard about but seldom seen.

Behind the scenes, this work is changing the school and the world. Here we look at four such labs, touching everything from construction to flight to even a popular international sport.

FROM SERVING DINNER TO SERVING FOR THE MATCH

Matthew Gombolay’s work in the Cognitive Optimization and Relational Robotics Lab touches everything from helping an elderly person make a meal to serving as an opponent for the tennis court.

“Our work focuses on how humans can teach robots skills,” says Gombolay, an assistant professor in the College of Computing and director of the lab. “It’s about enabling robots to understand humans, understanding how we act, how we think and, on the other side, explaining to the person what the robot’s mind is thinking

through explainable AI. The robot tells you, ‘Here’s what I’ve learned, here’s how I do daily tasks, and here is how I can assist you with tasks.’”

That is especially apt for the elderly, a significant portion of whom can’t afford 24-hour care but require a certain level of assistance. In partnership with the Emory Cognitive Empowerment Program, the lab has that demographic firmly in mind. “For those with mild cognitive impairment, we can possibly develop a robot that can help in caregiving,” he says. “It can be programmed by humans demonstrating a task. It can learn from demonstration how to cook a meal and what medicine to take and even how to open bottles—reminding or teaching.”

They are developing a curriculum so novices can teach a robot how to do

ESTHER is a tennis-playing robot that could inform how researchers build fast-moving robots.

KEVIN BEASLEY, COLLEGE OF COMPUTING

Inside GTRI’s Anechoic Static Jet facility, graduate students Jackson Larisch and Reagan Mayo install a test nozzle.

multistep tasks. “What many people don’t realize is robots learn differently than we do, so we use videos and other tools to help teach people how to teach the robot,” he says.

The lab also focuses on supporting medical decision-making. Here Gombolay teams with his wife, Grace Gombolay, an assistant professor at Emory University’s School of Medicine. Their research has found that the robot’s explanations tend to help medical students and residents more than veteran doctors. “It screws up physicians with years of experience many times because, with that experience, they are often not doing things as much through a step-by-step process as they first did when they started out as physicians,” he says. “It throws them off. It’s a good example that we need to remember who is being assisted

by the robot as much as what the assistance is.”

And more recently, the lab is focusing on a robot for tennis. “I love sports, and we have made a tennis robot and got a wheelchair designed for wheelchair tennis, put hardware on it that includes a hardware arm to hit a ball back,” he says. “A goal is to be able to take on a teammate for doubles.”

But will it be programmed to vociferously argue calls like McEnroe?

THE FACILITY IS THE RESEARCH

What’s the target of the AI Manufacturing Pilot Facility Project? The facility itself, says Professor Aaron Stebner, Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair of Manufacturing and principal investigator for the facility project.

In traditional commercialization, he says, there are a decent amount of

steps. It starts with someone having the material and then engineers deciding that the material will work with an application, designing a product, and later the manufacturing design, he says, adding that there can be a completely different group involved at each step. With the facility project, they are exploring how to customize and tailor materials for specific devices and manufacturing processes all in a complete design cycle instead of having all these stages, he says.

The facility is being designed and renovated so that all of the different manufacturing and materials, from plastics to metals to ceramics, and for areas from medical devices to agriculture manufacturing to aerospace, can be approached this way.

“The facility is being designed to be the first in the country that can

AROUND CAMPUS

use machine learning and artificial intelligence to achieve autonomous development of materials and their manufacturing processes,” he says. “It can be a major leap, facility-wise.”

CONSTRUCTIVE THINKING

The Robotic and Intelligent Construction Automation Laboratory could also be a part of facilities—in helping to build them. “A main focus for the lab is automation in robotics in construction,” says Yong Kwon Cho, MS CE 97, associate professor in the College of Engineering and director of the lab. “With mobile robot inspections—they have a wheelbase or leg base usually—robots focus on inspection to watch out for something going wrong, and they can submit daily programs if the work is behind schedule. They are moving around for data analysis and taking pictures to figure out the right combination for efficient construction that is also safe.”

Another part of the research is figuring out how robots can work in a way that is comfortable for nearby humans. “The construction work experience means the robot is moving around to different areas—it’s very

dynamic,” he says. “And we’re studying how robots can fit in with social norms—this way they aren’t getting too far into the human’s space and also, it’s about avoiding collisions for safety. We want humans seeing robots as a plus, not being afraid to work alongside them.”

The lab’s research even extends into wearable IoT.

“The idea of the wearables we are working on is to assess that workers are in the right spot, that there are the right number of workers needed, and that they are in safe areas…” he says. “In different ways, we want to help buildings go up quicker and safer.”

TAKEOFF TO IMPROVEMENT

Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Aeroacoustics Facility is ready for

takeoff—to noise reduction. Its research hopes to lower noise in flight, with a strong focus on supersonic planes—one with a commercial effect would be business jets. They assess sound in anechoic chambers, meaning ones that are echo-free. “They are so quiet that if we locked someone up in there, they might be able to hear their heartbeat,” says Krishan Ahuja, Regents Researcher at GTRI and Regents Professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering. Different nozzles are used to cut down on sound and, employing 50 microphones, they can electronically figure out where sound is coming from, such as what part of a jet. “But also to understand and predict noise, you have to ask what is making the noise,” Ahuja says. “And it’s the turbulence in the flow. We need to understand the turbulence. We can’t just measure the noise but the flow in a big way.”

They work with computational modeling experts from different parts of the United States when it comes to analyzing research measurements. “It requires a lot of care… and patience… Remember, this a problem going back decades, but we continue to seek new solutions to lower noise,” he says. See? It’s yet another “hidden lab” that likes to keep things quiet.

The Robotic and Intelligent Construction Automation Lab focuses on automating construction robots.

Inside the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, researchers are re-envisioning manufacturing.

The Magic of Analytics

After completing the Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in Analytics (OMS Analytics) program, Cindy Kelford went from full-time mom to decision scientist at The Walt Disney Company, where she utilizes data on projects for Walt Disney World® Resort.

QWhat does your position as a Disney decision scientist entail?

I went to Magic Kingdom® Park for the first time right after starting OMS Analytics. Walking around the park with my new coursework fresh on my mind, I was thinking that the entire program could be taught using Disney Parks case studies alone. And now I work on projects for Walt Disney World!

I focus mostly on forecasting (ensemble models, generalized linear models, etc.), but I also work closely with those who run simulation, optimization, visualization, and data engineering for the parks. The broad array of skills I learned from Georgia Tech helps me collaborate with teammates who focus on different disciplines so that we can gain valuable insight from each other’s work. With so much collaborative work across the company, there is a lot of room for developing new skills and having different focuses at Disney.

Why did you choose Georgia Tech and the OMS Analytics program?

I needed a degree that was marketable, online, affordable, and flexible enough to accommodate my schedule. Georgia Tech has a stellar reputation for its online programs, so I knew I would be getting a great education. As it turned out, OMS Analytics’ focus on underlying theory and hands-on application for learning program models allowed me to shine in my interview with Disney.

How has your transition into working with data analytics been?

It’s amazing how many things I learned in OMS Analytics that I continuously use in my position at Disney. Not only in my daily work but also in understanding how what I do contributes to the company’s larger projects. One of the most helpful aspects I learned from the program is being adaptable - learning to think things through and understand the solutions.

I absolutely love working at Disney. It is indeed my dream job. OMS Analytics provided me with the knowledge and skills I needed to work for an industry giant. It delivered everything I was looking for in an online format that I needed. A Q A Q A

•Top-5 nationally ranked program

•100% online and self-paced

•Complete in 24-36 months

•Same faculty and curriculum as on-campus program

•3 specialized tracks:

-Analytical Tools

-Business Analytics

-Computational Data Analytics

•Total tuition under $11,000

•No GRE/GMAT required

omsanalytics.gatech.edu

Read more about Cindy Kelford’s journey at pe.gatech.edu/blog/CindyKelford

Photo from Getty Images

ON THE FIELD

GOLDEN HOUR ON GRIFFIN TRACK

This was Georgia Tech’s fifth time hosting the 2024 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Student-athletes competed May 9-11 at the George C. Griffin Track and Field Facility.

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

HOW TWO GRADS FELL IN LOVE AT THE AER LINGUS CLASSIC—AND WHY FANS ARE ABOUT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH FOOTBALL ALL OVER AGAIN.

SCOTT STEINBERG, MGT 99

OOn September 1, 2016, alumni Ashley Hancock and Elizabeth Elkins met in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic as random strangers, despite living 2 miles apart in Atlanta and sharing mutual friends. Within 24 hours though, they’d already gotten a head start on dating and becoming lasting teammates in life, getting married one year to the day later. Today, after celebrating nearly eight years together as a happy couple, they’re preparing to return to the Emerald Isle alongside their kids Kora (11) and Catherine (4) for this fall’s game. So, too, will Tech’s football team, whose ACC opener

kicks off against Florida State at Aviva Stadium on August 24 in front of up to 50,000 screaming fans.

“The joke was that my friends said to meet somebody while I was over there because I’d been single too long,” Elkins laughs. “They said I might have better luck with an Irish guy, though, because previously, efforts to find an eligible Tech grad didn’t work out.” Ironically, fate would effectively fall into the soon-to-be couple’s lap, almost literally, when—a day after jetting in to meet friends for a 10-day GT tour package—Elkins sat down in an empty seat on a crowded bus next to Hancock. Despite having flown in that morning himself, and having no plans beyond hitting the game, then renting a car to drive around Ireland, he struck up a friendly conversation.

Cheerfully, by the time the bus had parked, he’d gotten her number and made plans to meet for drinks that night at the hotel.

Later that evening, after a nightcap, Hancock told the bartender to put the bill on his room number—and Elkins realized, to her shock, that it was the room right next to hers. “When we rode the elevator up and he walked me back, I went up an extra floor since I’d literally just met him and didn’t think it prudent to let him (or anyone I just met) know which room I was in,” she chuckles. Happily, the chemistry was there, and the couple got on famously, which led to drinks again the next evening—and a goodnight kiss. “I messaged my friends and told them what had happened,” she reminisces. “Of course, when I woke up the next

Elizabeth Elkins and Ashley Hancock at the 2016 Aer Lingus College Football Classic game in Ireland two days after they met.

morning there was an entire text chain saying, ‘No, you have to give us more information.”

Luck was definitely with the pair for the rest of the trip, as evidenced by each accidentally ending up at the same pub, as well as repeatedly bumping into what they realized were mutual friends. “I honestly don’t know how we didn’t meet or cross paths around Atlanta before,” Hancock muses. But the fact that Elkins’ seat also happened to be directly behind his at the game, which they then also spent together, didn’t hurt either. “So I mentioned that I had a car and planned to travel for a couple of days after, and invited her to come—thankfully, she said yes,” he beams.

With so much time to talk on the road, they’d gotten to know each other so well wandering the streets of Galway and Dublin, that by the time Elkins caught a flight back to America, Hancock was calling her every day to talk. And the next Saturday, he flew home for a Georgia Tech football game, which the couple consider to be their first official Atlanta date. Both diehard fans, Hancock notes he has high hopes for this year’s football season. “Fall means that Tech sports will always be on in our home—there’s not much choice of anything else,” Hancock says.

He and Elkins are equally excited to return to Ireland for the big game and share the magic in person with their girls. “It’s their first time out of the country, which will be educational,” says Elkins. “The 4-year-old is super excited to go to Killarney because it’s in the song that I’ve been singing to put her to sleep since she was a baby.”

But as Hancock succinctly puts it, it’s also a joyous homecoming of sorts

for the family, who truly found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow there. And for that matter, a chance for the youngest fans in the family to bask in the joy of sharing the team spirit. “The girls love wearing their Georgia Tech gear…they love the band and fans cheering and cheerleaders and pomp and circumstance of games.”

As for just who’s the luckiest partner in this happy home, Elkins offers some food for thought. “At the time I

went to Tech, it was a majority male student population, and the joke among my circle of friends was that none of us managed to find a husband at Tech—how could we not with the odds? Ironically, of my friend group, I’m one of only a few who eventually married a Tech grad.”

The lesson here is simple, Elkins says: “Remember that you may not meet the right one during school. But you may meet them later.”

SEEING GREEN

THIS SEASON’S PLAYBOOK FOR GRIDIRON SUCCESS

Fresh off last year’s Gasparilla Bowl victory, the Yellow Jackets look forward to kicking off a run of 12 successful games (including six home games in Atlanta) with this year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic appearance. Pitted against FSU in the opener, Coach Brent Key, Mgt 01, hopes to score another wel come win, just as the team did in 2016 against Boston College, and reminds fans that they have many more big moves to look forward to this season as well.

“I’m excited to continue building on our success and to give players a chance to go overseas and play for European fans who enjoy American football and are really behind the game,” he says. “It’s a new team with new players, and we’ve spent the off-season shoring up, improving, and preparing to make some explosive plays.” Noting that this year’s team has put in a huge amount of hard work on the field, and its discipline and commitment is second to none, he says they aren’t unnerved by playing the defending ACC champs in Dublin. “We relish the role of playing the underdog, especially since we’ve been working hard here to develop our players to win championships.”

For Key and the team, that’s meant stepping their game up on a day-today basis—and approaching the process of team and player development with businesslike precision. “We’ve got a great group of folks here this season who work extremely hard to play winning football and represent Georgia Tech the right way,” he notes. “We believe in the same things our alumni do—and as a fan this year, I’d be excited every time we kick off.”

Small wonder that when asked what he plans to bring home from his overseas trip this fall, Key can’t help but smile. “A trophy,” he says.

KUHN MAKES PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION HISTORY

THE VOLLEYBALL ALUMNA BECAME THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING COACH IN THE NEW PROFESSIONAL VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE’S HISTORY.

WITH THE OMAHA SUPERNOVAS becoming the Pro Volleyball Federation’s first-ever champions, Laura “Bird” Kuhn, Mgt 05, also became the league’s first championship-winning head coach.

Kuhn was a three-year starter at Georgia Tech from 2001 to 2004 and helped the Yellow Jackets win three ACC regular season titles and four NCAA Tournament bids as well as their first Elite Eight appearance in school history. Her coaching career began at Appalachian State University. She went on to become part of the coaching squads at University of Kansas and Texas A&M University, before joining the Omaha Supernovas as assistant head coach.

In February 2024, Kuhn stepped in as interim head coach of the team, replacing Shelton Collier, who assumed a role as an advisor to the expanding organization.

The Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season included seven U.S. teams. In May, four teams advanced to the national championship, where the Supernovas beat the Grand Rapids Rise 3-0 to claim the first title in the franchise’s history and earn a $1 million bonus with the victory.

—JENNIFER HERSEIM

BURRESS NAMED 2024 ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

THE IMPRESSIVE GEORGIA TECH OUTFIELDER CONTINUES TO RACK UP HONORS.

GEORGIA TECH OUTFIELDER DREW BURRESS was named the 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year, as a total of three Yellow Jackets earned ACC honors, announced in May. Burress is also in the running for the 2024 Golden Spikes Award. He’s one of 25 semifinalists and the only freshman on the list for the prestigious honor.

On top of the individual awards, Burress also earned a spot on the all-ACC first team and all-freshman team. Joining Burress were Payton Green and Matthew Ellis, who were named to the ACC’s second team all-conference.

The all-conference teams and end of the year awards are voted on by the league head coaches. Burress is the sixth Yellow Jacket to earn the league’s Freshman/Rookie of the Year honor, joining Matt Wieters (2005), Micah Owings (2003), Mark Teixeira (1999), Nomar Garciaparra (1992), and Jason Varitek (1991).

—GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

OMAHA SUPERNOVAS

LAMPRECHT NAMED ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

HE JOINS SIX OTHER YELLOW JACKETS IN SCHOOL HISTORY TO EARN THE HONOR.

GEORGIA TECH’S CHRISTO LAMPRECHT, the world’s top-ranked amateur golfer, has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, the sixth Yellow Jacket to win the conference’s top honor.

Lamprecht, who is on the All-ACC team for the third straight year, joins David Duval (1992, 1993), Stewart Cink (1995), Matt Kuchar (1998), Bryce Molder (1999, 2000, 2001) and Ollie Schniederjans (2014, 2015) as Tech players to be named the ACC’s top golfer.

The 6-foot-8 senior from George, South Africa, sits atop the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and is second in the PGA TOUR University rankings, and sixth in the Scoreboard NCAA Golf ranking system. Collegiately, he won the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational and was co-medalist at the 2023 Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

Lamprecht was also a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award this year and was named the winner of the 2024 Byron Nelson Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top senior golfer based on four years of accomplishment on the golf course, academic performance, and service to the community.

—GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

ROMAN REIGNS SHATTERS WWE WRESTLEMANIA RECORDS

THE FORMER YELLOW JACKET FOOTBALL PLAYER IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRO WRESTLERS IN THE WORLD.

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNUS

and former Yellow Jacket football player Joe Anoa’i, Cls 07, better known as Roman Reigns, broke the record for most WrestleMania appearances. The pro wrestler surpassed the 1998 record for longest streak as

Student-Athletes

Post Highest GPA in School History

Not only do Tech’s studentathletes juggle an intense team schedule, they do it while making top marks in their studies. Georgia Tech student-athletes posted a 3.25 mean grade point average—the highest in Tech athletics history— for the recently completed Spring 2024 semester. Four teams set program records for their team GPA: football (3.02), women’s basketball (3.07), softball (3.44), and women’s cross country/ track-and-field (3.47).

undisputed champion. Reigns first won the WWE Universal Championship in 2018, but his time owning the title was cut short when he was re-diagnosed with leukemia. Six months later, he returned when his leukemia went into remission and is now one of the most successful professional wrestlers in the world.

Reigns maintained a 1,316-day streak as the undisputed champion, the fourth longest in the

history of WWE and the longest since the 1980s. He also set a record for the most appearances at WrestleMania, formerly held by Hulk Hogan.

—CALISTA FLORES

IN THE WORLD

HIDDEN BEAUTY AT THE ENDS OF THE WORLD

Yellow Jackets can explore the far reaches of the world, sea kayaking in Greenland and Antarctica, through Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech and the Alumni Travel Program.

FFOR DESIGNER Kai Williamson, PP 06, MS PP 07, a background working for a nonprofit instilled in her a desire to focus on spaces that build community. Williamson’s work has been featured in Architectural Digest and earned her a spot on HGTV’s Luxe for Less. Over the years, she and her firm, Studio 7 Design Group, have worked on cultural centers like The Gathering Spot, a membership club with three locations across the country; restaurants such as Kevin Hart’s Los Angeles chain, Hart House; and personal residences, the largest of which features an indoor basketball court and aquarium. But she took a nontraditional path

DESIGNING HER DREAM JOB

KAI WILLIAMSON IS A PREVIOUS HGTV DESIGNER AND WORKS WITH CELEBRITY CLIENTS. THE PUBLIC POLICY GRAD TOOK A NONTRADITIONAL PATH TO DESIGN.

BY KELLEY FREUND

to a career in design. Her interest actually began with fashion. As a public policy student at Georgia Tech, Williamson did not, as she puts it, “subscribe to hoodies and sneakers.” Instead, she had a unique style that people noticed. So Williamson developed a hobby that would lay the groundwork for her future career in interior design.

“Other students would ask me for help, so I would go shopping with them,” she says. “With fashion, you’re expressing yourself without words, and you’re making a statement. I wanted to empower women to have a feeling of confidence, and I realized I could turn that into a business.”

After graduating with her master’s in 2007, Williamson headed to New

York to start her own image consulting business. When her mom fell ill, Williamson returned to Atlanta to become CEO of her mother’s nonprofit, Youth Enhancement Services (YES). The organization serves youth who have exited the traditional public school system, helping them enroll in junior and technical colleges, teaching life skills, and providing opportunities for character development. Williamson was just 23 when she stepped into the role, but her education from Georgia Tech served her well.

“I had really strong analytical skills, I was able to synthesize a lot of the data information, and I could handle the demands that came with taking on an organization that was working with both government and community entities,” she says.

While working for YES, Williamson continued her image consulting business on the side. When a client asked for help decorating their house, she found a new calling. After that initial project, Williamson moved on to a small kitchen renovation and then a gym, studying interior architecture and design at night. In 2014, she officially launched Studio 7 Design Group,

a luxury residential and bespoke commercial design firm.

But breaking into the field was a challenge. Even though she had a formidable education, it wasn’t relevant to the industry, and Williamson said she wasn’t taken seriously.

“As a Black woman, I’m not someone you see in this space very often,”

she says. “But there were some vendors who were amazing from day one, and I think that encouraged me. I was able to connect with two Black male builders and architects, and they would allow me to come on site with them and to their office literally every day. It provided me with an ‘in-the-field’ type of experience to understand how all facets of a project run.”

Today, Williamson’s firm does everything from custom home design to interior furnishing, styling, and art curation. Their largest commercial project to date is Hartbeat Productions, comedian Kevin Hart’s 40,000-squarefoot Los Angeles office. Williamson and her team created a modern design featuring open areas, custom art, a red marble bar, and plenty of seating for collaboration. It’s a unique environment, as is any Studio 7 project. In fact, Williamson says her firm is not repetitive with design—they want each project to have its own character.

“I think ultimately our client’s vision should be driving the aesthetic, and our job is to elevate and execute that vision,” she says. “I don’t want someone to walk into a space and think it’s a Studio 7 project. I want someone to walk into a space and think it’s dynamic, welcoming, and elevated.”

In 2022, Williamson’s work earned her a spot on Luxe for Less. Initially she was hesitant about being on camera. But ultimately, the unique opportunity to be part of

a predominantly Black cast on a network that doesn’t have much representation was too good to pass up. “The reason I decided to do it was because I realized I had the opportunity to show other Brown girls that this is a career,” Williamson says.

And although she took a circuitous path to find her dream job, it’s one she loves.

“I feel an extreme sense of gratitude to be entrusted with these personal and professional spaces,” Williamson says. “And on the commercial side, you’re leaving a footprint that is much larger than any one experience because thousands of people are able to experience these spaces. It allows you to leave a visual legacy.”

KAI WILLIAMSON’S TOP THREE TIPS ON CREATING A LUXE LOOK FOR LESS

RUGS

Do not place your furniture half on and half off the rug. Buy the largest rug you can for your space to fit all your furniture. This makes a space feel more defined and makes it look more luxe.

DRAPERIES

Hang draperies as close to the trim or ceiling as possible. This helps elongate the room. Make sure the draperies come about a quarter of an inch off the floor to make them feel customized. And buy panels that are a width that keeps going beyond the window. You can also do a double drapery in some rooms by adding a sheer curtain.

DECORATIVE ITEMS

Accessorize with items that hold visual weight. We often pick up glass or small items. But items that are made of ceramics with a matte finish have a more luxe feel.

TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD

YELLOW

JACKETS EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY AND ADVENTURE OF THE POLAR REGIONS.

EEACH YEAR, Yellow Jackets study abroad, complete coops and internships, or travel the country and the world. But not many students’ destinations have included the glacial fjords of Greenland or the iceberg-laden, deep blue waters off the coast of Antarctica.

For Taylor Sherwood and Grant Reidy, the first day of class for two consecutive semesters was preceded by once-in-a-lifetime sea kayaking excursions at the top and bottom of the world.

In August 2023, Sherwood and Reidy led an expedition of six students and one alumnus on an 11-day adventure to Greenland just below the Arctic Circle. The trip was planned and executed by students, with support from Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT)—a campus recreation

program founded in 1970 that provides opportunities for students to experience recreation away from campus with backpacking, mountain biking, cascading, caving, rock climbing, and kayaking excursions. Sherwood, Reidy, and the rest of the team returned from Greenland the day before classes started. Just 124 days later, the duo, alumnus John Traendly, ME 68, MS IM 73, and a new team were loading onto a ship at the southern tip of Argentina. They were getting set to cross the treacherous seas of the Drake Passage to Antarctica. In just four months, Sherwood and Reidy would paddle in some of the northernmost and southernmost waters on the planet.

The decision to embark on a nearly two-week camping and kayaking trip in a remote wilderness was not made on a whim. Months of education and training went into the formation of

BY BRICE ZIMMERMAN

itineraries and plans.

For Sherwood and Reidy, both Stamps President’s Scholars, that meant research and working with outfitters and guides. They meticulously prepared for every scenario.

“We do a lot of risk mitigation,” says Traendly, an experienced sea kayaker who accompanies students on excursions. “The great thing about Georgia Tech and its support of outdoor recreation is that they allow us to go on very challenging trips.”

The average temperature in Greenland in August ranges from 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with water temperatures that can dip below freezing. The team carried camping gear on their kayaks and averaged about 15 miles per day on the water to complete the expedition. It was the first time that ORGT had sent Georgia Tech students to Greenland.

“We pick some of the most extreme

environments possible to go and do these types of trips,” says Sherwood. “Massive icebergs aren’t something you see on the Chattahoochee River.”

Chad Pozarycki, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry in the College of Sciences, was struck by the wildness of the landscape and creatures that inhabited the fjords.

“Crisp, bright, rugged,” Pozarycki recalls. “On land, there were no trees at all—only small shrubs and huge rocks. The icebergs were the size of stadiums. The whales felt like gods, completely unaware of our existence.”

In 13 years of going on expeditions with college students, Traendly, age 78, has tapped into the proverbial fountain of youth. He started sea kayaking in retirement and became an American Canoeing Association instructor and a British Union coach. In 2011, he learned about ORGT from then Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. Traendly discovered that

“THE

GREAT THING ABOUT GEORGIA

TECH AND ITS SUPPORT OF OUTDOOR RECREATION IS THAT THEY ALLOW US TO GO ON VERY CHALLENGING TRIPS.”

ORGT provided a variety of outdoor activities, but he noticed sea kayaking was missing. He stepped in.

He has led 157 short trips with nearly 1,400 students—and that doesn’t include expeditions to Iceland, Alaska, Washington, the Florida Keys, Norway, Greenland, and Antarctica. “The quiet solitude just paddling in the wilderness...you just feel younger,” Traendly says. “[Tech students] are kind of the ideal audience to share it with.”

For Sherwood and Reidy, going to both Greenland and Antarctica in

the span of four months wasn’t part of their first-year Georgia Tech goals. “It’s not an opportunity I ever expected to have in college,” he says. “I never expected to do this much kayaking in my life. Grant [Reidy] was one of the first people I met at Georgia Tech, so the fact that we’ve been able to lead these expeditions is just crazy.”

Advancing from the tepid waters of Lake Sinclair to the massive floating icebergs in Greenland and blustery seas of Antarctica, Sherwood, Reidy, and their teams have represented Tech at the top and bottom of the earth.

EXPLORE ANTARCTICA WITH YELLOW JACKETS

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

TRAVELING TO THE END OF THE WORLD isn’t only for Yellow Jackets conducting research— Georgia Tech alumni and friends can explore the awe-inspiring views and wildlife of Antarctica with luxury expedition trips through the Georgia Tech Alumni Travel program. This spring, I had the privilege of hosting

17 Yellow Jackets on Expedition to Antarctica, a 14-day trip featuring a 5-star cruise through the Antarctic Peninsula, where we retraced the sea lanes navigated by polar explorers Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott.

After touring the vibrant city of Buenos Aires, our group launched from Ushuaia (the “end of the world”), on the southern tip of Argentina. From there, we crossed the famous Drake Passage, widely known as the most unpredictable and tumultuous stretch of ocean in the world. Travelers often describe two experiences crossing the Drake Passage—the “Drake shake” or the “Drake lake.” Fortunately, with Captain Mickaël Debien at the helm of Le Boréal, Ponant’s luxury ice-strengthened ship, we experienced “light lashing” during the two-day passage.

The morning that we crossed into the Antarctic Circle gave us our first glimpses of Antarctica’s unparalleled beauty. Icebergs in brilliant shades of azure appeared on the horizon as we sipped our morning coffee. We quickly moved to the observation deck to witness the first gigantic chunks of ice float by like delicate puffs of meringue atop the placid water. Several of us, exhilarated by the sights and crisp air, returned to our hot coffee and ginger tea with flushed cheeks and brightened spirits, ready for our first excursions.

Tour operator Gohagan & Co. prepared a well-crafted itinerary that included Zodiac tours led by experienced naturalists, who specialized in marine biology, ecology, glaciers, whales, birds, and sea kayaking.

Over the course of the cruise, our naturalists deepened our understanding and appreciation for our exquisite surroundings. They answered any question—“What’s that soft popping sound? Oxygen releasing from the ice as it melts in the water.” “What are those humpbacks doing? Bubble net feeding, where they blow bubbles in a circle to trap krill.”

A trip highlight was guest speaker and renowned polar explorer Felicity Aston, the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica. Her stories of adventure and resilience in extreme conditions inspired us to “get out of the tent” and always keep exploring.

Our excursions took us to snowcovered islands with colonies of Adélie and chinstrap penguins, which crisscrossed the white turf, scurrying by too busy to care about the curious humans who smiled and laughed at their antics and occasional slips.

We made two Continental landings. The first was at Orne Harbour, a towering peak that would dwarf Mount Doom from the Lord of the Rings. The second landing was at the tamer Portal Point. For many of my well-traveled

UPCOMING EXPEDITIONSTYLE TRIPS

Explore the world with Georgia Tech Alumni Travel. For more information on these and other trips, visit gtalumni.org/travel

Antarctica Discovery Jan. 18–29, 2025 African Expedition by Private Train Aug. 10–24, 2025 Wonders of Peru Sept. 6–17, 2025

companions, this trip was also a chance to check off a seventh continent on their travel list.

Before heading north, we were treated to the magnificent Graham Passage, a narrow channel lined with colossal ice-capped peaks. That evening, we returned to the deck to catch views of dozens of humpbacks and orcas that circled the boat and breeched on the horizon in the sunset.

Of all the delights that we experienced on this bucket-list trip, the one that won’t surprise anyone in this community was the company of our fellow travelers. We swapped stories, oohed and ahhed at the sight of whales, seals, and penguins, and made unforgettable memories in a place unlike any other in the world.

ALUMNI LEADING IN HIGHER ED

LEARN ABOUT THE YELLOW JACKETS SHAPING HIGHER EDUCATION AROUND THE COUNTRY.

GEORGIA TECH has a legacy of producing top talent in a wide range of industries and fields, and academia is no exception. Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera is the second alumnus to lead the Institute, following in the footsteps of G. Wayne Clough, who served as Tech’s 10th president. See where Tech alumni are serving as leaders in higher education:

DAVIS, CALIF.

Gary May, EE 85 – University of California, Davis Chancellor

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO

Bill Johnson, MS ICS 84 –Youngstown State University President

DAHLONEGA, GA.

Mike Shannon, MS HPhys 03, PhD NRE 09 – University of North Georgia President

PITTSBURGH, PA.

Rhonda Phillips, MS Econ 92, PhD Arch 96 – Chatham University President

ATLANTA, GA.

Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95 – Georgia Tech President

M. Brian Blake, EE 94 – Georgia State University President

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, Chem 83 – Morehouse School of Medicine President

CHARLESTON, S.C.

Andrew T. Hsu, MS AE 82, PhD AE 86 – College of Charleston President

EXPLORE THESE LESSER-KNOWN TREASURES TUCKED IN AND AROUND TECH CAMPUS

By Jennifer Herseim and Matt Sowell

The Institute is brimming with hidden gems—some are secret delights appreciated by those in the know, while others hide in plain sight, waiting to be discovered. Several are relics of Georgia Tech’s rich history (Daisy’s apartment and the stands underneath Bobby Dodd Stadium).

Others reflect Tech’s student body (the retroTECH lab in the library). A few are actual gems (Wallace Coulter’s personal jade collection). And one might only be considered a gem to a single alumna (the wall phone at the bottom of the Ford ES&T Building).

Each one, however, serves as a reminder that there is always more to discover at Georgia Tech.

This apartment above Brittain Dining Hall was where Daisy Daniel lived in the 1930s (page 48).

CHRISTOPHER MOORE

CAMPUS CATS GEORGIA TECH’S

Hidden among the landscaped pathways of campus are around 70 cats who have made a home at Georgia Tech. Marilyn J. Smith, professor and director of the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence, is one of several faculty members and students who care for them. According to Smith, the program was started in the late 1990s. Each cat has a name— most are Tech-related. There’s Emmy (named after Cherry Emerson), Buzzy, George, and “Bobbie” Dodd. This year, an official student group called Campus Cats was founded to take care of this clowder of honorary Yellow Jackets.

Below the stands of Bobby Dodd Stadium lies a stone relic of Tech’s past—the original West Stands, which were built in 1913. As the stadium above underwent renovations over the years, the original stands have remained hidden underneath.

Power up a Macintosh Performa 550 and be transported back to 1994 with its iconic startup chime. Or test your Mario Kart skills on an original Super Nintendo console from 1992. The Georgia Tech Library’s retroTECH Lab on the third floor of Crosland Tower offers visitors an opportunity to interact with vintage technologies from the slide rule to the Altair 8800 (the same type of microcomputer that Bill Gates used to write BASIC programming language) or more recent technology like a PlayStation 4.

PLAYGROUND FOR RETRO TECH LOVERS

Walking through the BioQuad courtyard, you’d never suspect that large equipment was moving beneath your feet through a system of labyrinthine tunnels. If you enter the tunnels at the Ford Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T) Building, you could walk to the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) and the U.A. Whitaker Biomedical and Engineering Building without ever stepping outside. The wide underground tunnels were designed to allow researchers to transport equipment, such as incubators, from one building to the next.

ROB FELT

A FUTURISTIC ENTRANCE

The Marcus Nanotechnology Building houses the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, where Georgia Tech researchers have access to state-of-theart equipment and a 28,500-square-foot cleanroom. The research in this building is shaping the future of science, so it’s fitting that the grand foyer greets visitors with a futuristic light show and starship-esque design. A light beam runs along the top of the wide entrance, displaying a variety of colors and patterns.

THE BEST HIDEAWAY TO STUDY

The attic in Harrison Residence Hall holds a hidden study space that echoes Georgia Tech’s history. This scholarly hideaway is an ideal nook for Yellow Jackets who need a quiet place to catch their breath between projects. Riddhi Bhattacharya, a third-year chemical and biomolecular engineering student, says the old-school charm of the cubicles provides an excellent ambiance for focusing on schoolwork.

Behind the door of office 521 in the Tech Square Research Building (TSRB) lies a treasure trove of artifacts and mementos of John Cressler’s life, research, and travels. Cressler, Regents Professor and Schlumberger Chair in Electronics, has taught at Tech for nearly 25 years. Encased in glass on his desk is a replica of the revolutionary first point-contact germanium transistor invented in 1947. The replica was made by one of Cressler’s graduate students using the same materials as the actual transistor. On a nearby table are scientific instruments and puzzles, including a Tippe Top, which Cressler spins, explaining how the inverted top appears to defy physics. Above his computer is a wall of family photos of loved ones.

And just behind his desk is a replica of the prestigious IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal, which he received in 2021 for outstanding contributions to education. (The real gold medal is at home.) Mixed throughout his office are cultural and religious artifacts collected from his students or during his travels. This is the eighth year Cressler has led the innovative course, “Science, Engineering, and Religion: An Interfaith Dialogue,”which is offered to 20 Tech students each year. “We meet to discuss big questions about how religion and science intersect,” he says. The group recently tackled the topic of religion and artificial intelligence. But Cressler says his latest hidden gem is a two-night silent retreat that he began offering last year to Tech students. The program, funded by a gift from alumni Ken Byers and friends, “allows students to unplug from their technology, step away from schoolwork, and practice gratitude and self-reflection,” Cressler says.

TEXTILE TREASURES

There are more than 100,000 paper and paper-related artifacts—one of the most comprehensive collections in the world—inside the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. The paper museum, located on 10th Street, came to Georgia Tech in 1989 with the Institute of Paper Science and Technology, which was later renamed the Renewable Bioproducts Institute. Today, the museum features a permanent gallery on the history of papermaking and hosts a series of interactive papermaking workshops.

On the roof of The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design is a community garden, which is also home to the bee hives of the Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project, an interdisciplinary research and education program. Janelle Dunlap is the Institute’s inaugural beekeeper-in-residence. In addition to caring for the health of the hives, Dunlap’s research interests include studying the therapeutic effects of the bees’ vibrational sounds on individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder.

ROB FELT

Hidden among the garden-lined pathways of the EcoCommons, an 8-acre greenspace next to Hemphill Avenue and Ferst Drive, are areas designed to encourage visitors to engage, learn, and reflect. Visitors can slide down three stainless steel play slides nestled between granite boulders, as well as spot sensors that collect data on air temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. The Unity Plaza at the northwest corner of the EcoCommons is located on the former site of the Pickrick Restaurant. Plaques invite visitors to learn and reflect on the history of the site, where three African American theology students were prevented from entering the restaurant by owner Lester Maddox, a segregationist who would later become Georgia’s governor.

THE LIBRARY’S VAULT

Rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves in the basement of Crosland Tower contain historical records and artifacts of all kinds. There’s even a box marked “Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia” with the Life magazine that features the Hollywood star wearing a Tech sweater on the cover. Behind a thick metal door inside the archives are the Library’s rarest collections. The temperature-controlled vault contains books on the history of science, including a Dutch set of the Grand Atlas by Joan Blaeu from 1664 and a first edition of Newton’s Principia from 1687. More recently, the Library has begun acquiring rare copies of science fiction and horror, including a first American edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

LITERAL GEMS & MOON ROCKS

Some of Tech’s hidden gems are literal gemstones. Wallace Coulter’s extensive personal jade collection is located in the fourth-floor faculty lounge of the U.A. Whitaker Building in the BioQuad. Coulter’s family donated the collection for the Georgia Tech community to experience the beauty and history of the pieces.

(L-R) Building Manager Breylan Boyd, Director of Business Operations Tracie Arnold, and Business Operations Support Donnell Allen are part of the facilities team supporting the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

In addition to the jade collection, Georgia Tech is home to a priceless moon rock. A lunar sample from astronaut and alumnus John Young’s Apollo 16 mission is on display on the Grove level of the Price Gilbert Memorial Library.

SONGBIRDS

OF SWANN BUILDING

This device, nestled behind a light outside the Swann Building, is called a Haikubox. The device transmits nearby bird songs to an app that allows users to listen to the sounds and learn about the birds in that area.

Few people have been inside the top of Tech Tower. The walls and wooden rafters are covered with signatures from former student leaders, including ANAK members.

THE ROOM AT THE TOP OF

TECH TOWER

A GEM THAT IS NO LONGER

For many years, the “Wreck Graveyard” was a place for contraptions of all shapes and kinds to wait until next year’s Ramblin’ Wreck Parade to find a new life as a pirate ship, a fire-breathing dragon, or any number of possible contraptions. The space has been cleared out (R.I.P.), but here are a few images of what once existed near Sixth Street and Techwood Drive.

ROB FELT

Original designs for the former President’s House on 10th Street called for leveling the natural topography, but President Van Leer pushed back. Thanks to Van Leer and his wife, Ella, today the grounds surrounding the manor include stone steps rising from the glade at the back of the property up to the gardens. Azaleas, Japanese maples, roses, oak trees, and boxwoods line the stone and brick paths.

This watchclock, located inside the garage, is one of the few remaining on campus. These were used by security guards to stamp the time of their patrols.

A PLACE TO HONOR YELLOW JACKETS

Georgia Tech’s dedicated bench program is a gem hiding in plain sight. Since the program began, more than 60 campus benches have been dedicated in honor and remembrance of the impact that Yellow Jackets have made during their lifetimes. During her time at Tech, Aubrey DeAugustinis, BA 24, would often visit a bench dedicated to her mother, Tara DeAugustinis, IE 92, who passed away in 2017. “Her bench is near Sideways’ marker, which is such a sweet tradition of bestowing good luck. To have my mom commemorated there felt like a good reminder of her and of goodwill on campus,” Aubrey says. (Pictured: Aubrey (far left) with her cousin, Lizzy Stainback, on the bench. Right: Her mother, Tara DeAugustinis, at graduation in 1992.)

Nestled above Brittain Dining Hall is an abandoned 1930s apartment with stained glass windows on three sides, an unparalleled view of Bobby Dodd Stadium, and a rich Georgia Tech history. The space was home to Daisy Daniel, supervisor of Brittain Dining Hall, who arrived at Tech in 1936. Daniel, a member of the American Dietetic Association, had a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia State College for Women and a master’s degree in Institution Management from the University of Chicago. Her apartment was used for storage for many years after her departure. Today, a rusting spiral staircase above her apartment leads to the dining hall’s roof.

For Shikha Goodwin, MS ChE 05, her hidden gem was a wall phone at the bottom of the Ford ES&T building (still in place, but no longer free). One evening during her last months in grad school, she discovered a secret. “I feel bad even admitting this now, so many years later,” Goodwin says. “But I picked up the phone and it had a dial tone, so I just punched in my family’s number back home in India, and it worked!” As an international student on a scholarship, Goodwin was extremely thrifty. She remembers spending $4 once for tomatoes at a farmers’ market and crying over the cost on the bus ride home. At the time, calling her family cost 49 cents a minute. “I used to end the call at 59 seconds so I wouldn’t have to pay for the next minute!” she recalls. So finding a phone that allowed her to call home for free was a godsend. “This phone meant so much to me at that time,” she says. “When I think about how that phone created a connection for me during a difficult time at Tech, it makes me want to be that connection for other international students who are there today. To pay it forward for them,” she says.

TECH’S

SPACES FOR CREATIONS

Seeded around Georgia Tech’s campus are around 26 makerspaces. Each unique, these hidden gems encourage students to apply what they’ve learned in class and make their innovative visions tangible. Amit Jariwala, PhD ME 13, director of design and innovation, is the faculty advisor for the Flowers Invention Studio, a makerspace located in the Manufacturing Related Disciplines Complex. “It’s a pioneering model of student ownership with faculty mentorship,” Jariwala says. “It is a space and community for students, by students, of students.” Open to current students, staff, and faculty, each tool in the Invention Studio is free to use. Last year, the Invention Studio welcomed over 8,000 students from across campus and over 1,000 external guests.

THE VINTAGE MAILBOX WALL

The John Lewis Student Center and Stamps Commons opened its doors in 2022 after a transformative redesign of the former space. While students can still send mail from a post office located inside, there is no longer a need for physical mailboxes. The former combination-style boxes were preserved and are now on display.

AN ICONIC VIEW OF ATLANTA’S SKYLINE

While running through any part of Tech’s campus offers stellar views, one course rises above the rest (literally). Strolling around the indoor track on the fifth floor of the Campus Recreation Center, Yellow Jackets can enjoy a stunning view of the Atlanta skyline. Many students, staff, and alumni say it’s the perfect place to watch a sunrise.

Find Your Tour Guide

What’s your favorite thing about Georgia Tech?

A. The traditions.

B. The Yellow Jackets.

C. The food.

D. The architecture.

Describe your perfect Saturday at Tech.

A. Studying. We didn’t have free time.

B. Tailgating with my friends.

C. Dinner and drinks at a restaurant in Tech Square.

D. Hunting for the best view of Atlanta’s skyline.

Use this quiz to choose your guide for a perfect day at Georgia Tech.

I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a Helluva ________!

A. Problem solver. Give me a puzzle, a quest, a challenge—I’ll solve it!

B. Fan of the Flats. I know the highlights of every season of Yellow Jacket football.

C. Lover of the things that make Tech Tech. I have pictures of every corner of campus during its best light.

D. Engineer, of course.

You’ve got a date! Where’re you taking them?

A. The Invention Studio. We’re going to build something together.

B. Russ Chandler Stadium. Nothing beats baseball on a warm spring day!

C. Dean James E. Dull Theatre. I’ve heard great things about DramaTech.

D. Tech Tower Lawn. We’ll have a picnic.

Thoughts on Under the Couch?

A. A great Tech tradition more people should talk about!

B. Huh?

C. There’s a new spot, but you probably haven’t heard of it.

D. I discovered so many new music groups there.

Which Tech tradition is your favorite?

A. The whistle really makes history tangible.

B. Watching the Ramblin’ Wreck arrive on the Flats.

C. The Guthman Musical Instrument Competition.

D. I don’_ _hink I can _alk abou_ i_.

Quick! You meet with President Cabrera in five minutes. What do you wear?

A. My Georgia Tech lapel pin.

B. My lucky Yellow Jacket jersey.

C. A custom gold-and-white outfit I made for the occasion.

D. A vintage Georgia Tech sweatshirt.

You got a puppy! What will you name it?

A. Stumpy Bear.

B. Bobby Dodd.

C. Burdell.

D. Griffin.

You just won free housing on campus. Where’s your condo?

A. Daisy’s Apartment. I love the charm.

B. North Avenue. I can walk to the stadium.

C. EcoCommons. I want access to that rooftop garden.

D. The top of Tech Tower would make an incredible loft.

56)

Mostly Bs Buzz (flip to page

Mostly Cs Brittain (flip to page 58)

Whistle (flip to page 54)

Mostly As

How did you answer?

Mostly Ds Sideways (flip to page 60)

Whistle

Launch into SciFi & spaceflight

Start at Sideways Café at the bottom of Price Gilbert Memorial Library, where you can order a latte and peruse one of the largest collections of science fiction in the world. Before you head to the stacks, check out a piece of the moon on display in the Grove level. The lunar sample was collected by astronaut John Young, AE 52, during the Apollo 16 mission. Climb the stairs and cross over the media bridge, a new large-scale digital screen bridging Price Gilbert and Crosland Tower. Once inside Crosland Tower, visit the Science Fiction Lounge to flip through a few titles from the thousands in Tech’s collection.

Your college friends trusted you to make the weekend plans. You’re bold, distinct, and know how to have fun. This is a day guide for the Yellow Jackets who bring the party wherever they ramble.

Shop the Community Market

From the Library, take the pedestrian walkway to Tech Green, one of the busiest pedestrian hubs on campus. If you happen to visit on a Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., shop for local goods and food in Tech’s Community Market. Enjoy some people-watching from one of the hammocks around the green, or take your lunch to the top of the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons to enjoy the view from the rooftop garden.

Afternoon

Choose your own adventure:

Decode campus puzzles

Journey along the perimeter of Tech Green toward the 3,000-pound sculpture of Albert Einstein (one of only three in the world) and head up the walkway to the College of Computing courtyard. From here, choose your next move: Turn right to decode the ones and zeros along the Binary Bridge connecting the College of Computing Building to the Klaus Advanced Computing Building, or turn left to enter the Seven Bridges Plaza between the Howey Physics and Mason Buildings and solve the famous math problem originating from the layout of the city of Königsberg, Germany.

Evening

Return to campus for a public astronomy night

See sustainability in action at The Kendeda Building

At the top of the walkway, visit the greenest classroom on campus, the net-positive Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. The regenerative building produces more energy than it consumes. Check out the composting toilets that use soap foam rather than water for flushing and EcoMake, a bio-inspired makerspace where materials are made from recycled products.

Slide down the EcoCommons slides

Next to The Kendeda Building is the EcoCommons greenspace. Slide down one of three slides in the middle of the greenspace and then head to the Unity Plaza at the northwest corner to reflect on the history of the site. Continue the whimsy up the street at Sublime Doughnuts, where you can order a chicken and waffles doughnut off their “secret” menu.

If you’re visiting in the fall or winter months, check the Georgia Tech Astronomy Club’s website to see if they’re hosting one of their popular Thursday public astronomy nights outside the Howey courtyard. Stargazers of all experience levels are welcome to view celestial bodies through the club’s telescopes.

Buzz

Morning

You’ve been to Homecoming every year since you graduated, don’t own anything red, and know every lyric to the fight song by heart.

You’re the ultimate Yellow Jackets fan.

Run (or walk) the Tyler Brown Pi Mile course

Jump start your morning with pi for breakfast (the 3.14 kind) with a stroll along this cherished campus running route dedicated in honor of the late Lt. Tyler Hall Brown, Mgt 01, HTS 01. In 2023, the course was redesigned so that it starts and finishes outside the Campus Recreation Center, and new signage was installed for better visibility

Spread Tech spirit at Stamps Fields

Cool down from your run at the CRC, where you can cheer on one of Tech’s 20 intramural sports leagues at the Roe Stamps Turf Fields. Pop inside to see the McAuley Aquatic Center, named in honor of Coach Herb McAuley, EE 47, a champion swimmer and a beloved Tech swim coach. The aquatic center, which was designed by

alumni couple Bill Stanley, Arch 72, and Ivenue Love-Stanley, Arch 77, was front-and-center during the 1996 Centennial Olympics.

See the Wreck in its new home

From the CRC, cross Ferst Drive to the pedestrian walkway that begins near Exhibition Hall, one of Tech’s newest meeting spaces. Head east toward the John Lewis Student Center, looking to your left to see the Georgia Tech Community Garden. As you pass the Smithgall Building, take a selfie sitting next to the statue of legendary Dean of Students George C. Griffin.

Near the southeast corner of the student center, visit the Ramblin’ Wreck’s newest home—the Reck Garage. After decades of parking in cramped trailers, the Wreck now has a stateof-the-art garage to call home. The mechanical mascot still leads the Georgia Tech football team onto the field during home games—a tradition that started back in 1961.

Afternoon & Evening

Pregame at The Varsity

Refuel from a busy afternoon with a chili cheese dog at The Varsity, a staple of every Yellow Jacket fan’s game-day prep.

Get excited at Helluva Block Party

For home games, North Avenue transforms into a pedestrian-friendly block party, featuring live music, food trucks, and fun games. Join the pre-game tailgate between Techwood Drive and Tech Parkway.

Shout “Go Jackets!” as the players march through Yellow Jacket Alley

At Helluva Block Party, you’re in the best spot to

experience one of Tech’s best game-day traditions, now located on the south side of the stadium. Cheer on the players as they walk down Yellow Jacket Alley

Before heading into the stadium, visit the statues of two Tech legends: Homer Rice and John Heisman. Their statues are now located outside Gate 1, near North Avenue.

See Tech Icons at the College Football Hall of Fame

Bobby Dodd, Calvin Johnson, Maxie Baughan— all of these legendary Yellow Jackets are in the College Football Hall of Fame. The footballshaped hall of fame, located near Centennial Park, is a can’t-miss for sports fans.

Brittain

You kept a calendar in your dorm room of the best happy hours around Atlanta. When your family visited, you knew all the trendy spots to take your younger siblings. Your social media account is a resource for the hottest spots around. You’re cultured and a foodie.

Morning

Order the All-Star Special at the Tech Waffle House

Start your day with coffee and eggs at Waffle House #1885 on Fifth Street in Tech Square. It stands out from your typical WaHo: The walls are packed with Tech memorabilia.

Jump

on

the Stinger Bus to Brittain Dining Hall

Stop into the dining hall to see the light streaming through the intricate stained-glass windows designed by Julian Hoke Harris, Arch 1928, while he was a student.

Walk

up

Freshman Hill to Crosland Chroma

Once you’ve caught your breath, enter Crosland Tower to see two of the Library’s recent installations: Watermark, by artist Deanna Sirlin, in the main entryway, and Crosland Chroma, by artist Tristan Al-Haddad, Arch 01, MS Arch 06, on the rooftop terrace. Snap a selfie in the soft light reflected by the installation.

Visit WREK radio and pick up the Technique

Head to the renovated student center, which includes new quick-service eateries, a bowling alley, billiards tables, and student organization offices. Inside is where you can see the new studio for WREK radio and grab a copy of the latest Technique, Tech’s student paper.

Eat at Coda’s trendy food hall

Afternoon

Let out your inner creative at Paper and Clay

Just past the Ferst Center for the Arts are “The Pavilions,” a series of campus buildings that include spaces for students and guests to refuel and relax. In Pavilion West, find Paper and Clay, an on-campus craft center with pottery wheels, large-format printing, and arts and crafts supplies.

Shop

for a vintage Tech sweater at

Barnes & Noble

Head to Tech Square in Midtown to buy a book at Tech’s bookstore and replenish your stock of gold-and-white apparel before heading to lunch at Coda

Before continuing the afternoon with a tour of Midtown Atlanta, order a late lunch from a wide selection of meal and craft cocktail options at The Collective Food Hall in Coda in midtown. Opened in 2019, Coda is the Institute’s flagship building in Tech Square and is the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat.

Evening

Support student arts at a DramaTech performance

See a full-length production, an improv comedy show, or a tap troupe in Tech’s student-run theatre. DramaTech, which started in 1947, moved into the black box theatre in the back of the Ferst Center for the Arts in 1992. Don’t miss the toaster—every performance incorporates the appliance.

Sideways

Morning

Start strong with good luck from Sideways

In the 1940s, “Sideways,” a white terrier adopted by the student body, was a popular figure on campus. Start your day next to Tech Tower by placing a penny (or more) on her marker for good luck. While there, wind through Harrison Square and feel the rich history of the space where Tech Tower’s twin, the Shop Building, used to stand. Although the Shop Building burned down three times and then was demolished in 1968, the square still includes a steam engine as a symbol of Tech’s industrial roots.

Sit in the empty seat next to the bronze statue, Continuing the Conversation, which features Rosa Parks at age 42 and age 92. Then wander to the northwest corner to pause next to the

You know the date of Tech’s founding, every historic play on the Flats, and every scientific breakthrough on campus by heart. You’re a history buff.

Trailblazers statue, a life-sized depiction of Tech’s first three Black students: Ford C. Greene, Ralph A. Long Jr., and Lawrence M. Williams.

If you time this right, you’ll have a chance to hear Tech’s iconic whistle blow from the top of the Holland Plant adjacent to Harrison Square.

Venture through Crosland Tower and Price Gilbert Memorial Library

Start at the entrance to Crosland Tower—take a moment to point out Freshman Hill to family members—and then head into the Georgia Tech Library, which underwent a renovation and reopened in 2019.

Stroll through Crosland Tower into the Price Gilbert Memorial Library and be sure to stop at the Grove level to see a piece of the moon on display. The lunar sample was collected by astronaut and alumnus John Young, AE 52, during the Apollo 16 mission.

Move to the first floor to explore the Library’s exhibit space, which features rotating galleries highlighting its rich collections.

Noon

Satisfy your appetite for food and history at the redesigned student center

Walk to the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons—named for Georgia Tech’s first alumnus president, G. Wayne Clough. Take the elevator to the fifth floor to the rooftop garden, where you can notice how much the landscape below has changed since you were a student at Tech.

Deanna Sirlin, Watermark, 2022, C-Print Transparency on Glass, 212 x 506 inches, Crosland Tower, Georgia Tech Library, Atlanta, Georgia

Now head to the iconic Kessler Campanile, located on the other side of Tech Green. Built in 1996 for the Olympics, the 80-foottall obelisk once played music.

You’ve worked up an appetite walking through Georgia Tech’s history, so head inside the newly renovated John Lewis Student Center and Stamps Commons. The student center, which reopened in 2022, has been completely redesigned as a place for students to reset, restore, and refuel.

Grab lunch at one of the quick-service eateries and then tour the building to see pieces of Tech’s past preserved throughout.

First, stop by the post office’s vintage mailbox wall and try to remember the combination to your old student mailbox. Head to the bottom floor to watch (or play) a game of billiards next to the bowling alley. The stained-glass lights above the billiard table were preserved from the former student center.

Afternoon

Say hello to Dean George C. Griffin outside the Smithgall Building

inside the lobby of the Smithgall Building, better known as the “flag building,” to see flags signifying current students from those particular countries.

Reflect on Tech’s military heroes at the Veterans Resource Center

George C. Griffin left an indelible mark on Tech’s history and continues to be celebrated each year on Dean George Griffin Day. Say hello to his statue in front of the Smithgall Building, which houses the office of the Dean of Students. Peek

Head to the north side of campus to the BioQuad courtyard and the newly opened Veterans Walk of Honor outside the Veterans Resource Center (VRC). Look down at the granite markers underneath your feet that represent each service branch—from the U.S. Army, established in 1775, to the Space Force, established in 2019.

Take a moment to reflect on Georgia Tech’s longstanding connection to the military, dating back to 1917 with the founding of Tech’s first ROTC. Along the Walk of Honor, be sure to read about Tech’s service members and Medal of Honor recipients.

ALUMNI HOUSE

PI MILE

On April 20, Yellow Jackets ran through campus at the annual Dean George C. Griffin Pi Mile 5K Road Race. Pushed by Tech spirit and determination to cross the finish line, runners were cheered on by Buzz, the Ramblin’ Wreck, and the Tech community.

MEET THE NEW MEMBERS OF YOUR ALUMNI BOARD

JOIN US IN WELCOMING THE NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND NEW TRUSTEES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.

A TOTAL OF 12 new trustees will join the 45-member Georgia Tech Alumni Association governing board, which includes alumni who span all six colleges and represent various geographical communities, industries, and graduation eras. Learn about the new members and the new Executive Committee, which takes charge on July 1.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CHAIR

Tommy Herrington, IM 82, is a project executive at Gay Construction Company. He has played a role in several landmark construction projects in and around Atlanta, including the revitalization of Ponce City Market and the Zelnak Basketball Center at Georgia Tech. While in school, Herrington was a trainer for Georgia Tech Athletics. In 1996, he was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. He also serves on the Student Impact Committee for the School of Building Construction Advisory Board. He lives in Roswell, Ga.

CHAIR-ELECT, VICE CHAIR OF ROLL CALL

Rita Breen, Psy 90, MS IE 92, is executive director of charitable giving for Georgia Power Company, where she’s responsible for foundation and corporate giving. A double Jacket, Breen serves on the advisory board for the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She also offers guidance to current Yellow Jackets through the Alumni Association’s Expert Jackets program. Breen lives in Marietta, Ga.

VICE CHAIR OF ENGAGEMENT

Jimmy Mitchell, CE 05, will become chair in fiscal year 2027. He is a sustainability manager at Skanska, where he’s played an integral role in several ground-breaking sustainability projects around Georgia. He was a project team leader on The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design on Georgia Tech’s campus. In 2021, he was named one of the Alumni Association’s “40 Under 40.” He lives in Atlanta.

PAST CHAIR, VICE CHAIR OF FINANCE

Betsy Bulat, IAML 04, will become past chair and vice chair of finance. Bulat is a partner at Martenson, Hasbrouck & Simon LLP, where she practices labor and employment litigation. In 2017, she received the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumni designation at the Gold & White Honors Gala. She also recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. An avid runner, Bulat ran cross country and track-and-field while a student at Tech.

CURRENT AT-LARGE MEMBERS

Jim Sanders, IE 88, is a retired former vice president at The CocaCola Company and lives on St. Simons Island, Ga.

Anu Parvatiyar, BME 08, is co-founder and CEO of Ananya Health. She lives in San Francisco, Calif.

Sanders and Parvatiyar will serve the second year of their two-year terms through fiscal year 2025.

Matt Bishop, CmpE 06, is a software startup advisor and investor. He lives in Jacksonville, Fla.

Kimberly (Kilpatrick) Civins, Mgt 92, is a partner at Harrison LLP and lives in Norcross, Ga.

Siddharth Gore, ME 17, MS ME 20, is a senior systems engineer for Undersea Systems at Lockheed Martin and lives in Arlington, Va.

Craig Hyde, CmpE 05, is chief strategic advisor at Splunk and lives in Atlanta.

INCOMING AT-LARGE MEMBERS

Amy Phuong, IA 05, MBA 14, is vice president for Government Relations at the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena. She lives in Atlanta.

Sam Westbrook, IE 99, is senior vice president at Holder Construction Company. He lives in Woodstock, Ga.

Westbrook and Phuong will join the committee for a two-year term as At-Large Members.

NEW ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES

Brandon Kearse, ME 09, MS CE 10, is managing director and partner at Jonathan Rose Companies and lives in Atlanta.

Susan (Sutherland) Piña, IE 93, is executive director at NCR Voyix and lives in Atlanta.

Kamau “Kofi” Smith, IE 99, MBA 09, is CEO at Keystone Management, LLC and lives in Lithonia, Ga.

Peter Stewart, CE 97, is EVP for Global Alliances & Strategy at Cyviz and lives in Alpharetta, Ga.

Casey Swails, Mgt 07, is deputy associate administrator at NASA and lives in Houston, Texas.

Paul Trotti, ME 00, is officer and vice president of International Operations at Chick-fil-A and lives in Marietta, Ga.

D’Andre Waller, ME 17, is a senior strategy and transformation consultant at Guidehouse and lives in Atlanta.

Kourtney Wright, CS 15, MS CS 23, is a director of engineering at Equifax and lives in Smyrna, Ga.

LET US WRECKSPLAIN

“Can we confirm that Ramblin’ Wreck was the first song ever played in space?” JT

GENTER,

Got a campus-related question you’re dying to ask? Submit it at gtalumni.org/ Wrecksplain and we’ll find the answer.

MGT 07

Best place to park on campus:

HOMECOMING 2024:

CELEBRATE THE BEST OF TECH

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR THE “BEST OF TECH” LIST AND JOIN US HOMECOMING WEEKEND NOVEMBER 7–9.

THE TOP SPOTS to study. The most sought-after post-exam comfort meal. The perfect places to watch the sunrise after pulling an all-nighter. Rediscover Tech, the best of the best, at Homecoming 2024 as Yellow Jackets celebrate traditions and uncover new ways that Tech remains on top.

To place your nominations for the “Best of Tech” list, visit gtalumni.org/bestofvote. Follow us on Facebook to see the “Best of” list revealed before Homecoming.

Best place to live on or off campus:

Best place to make friends or meet people:

Best place to get food within walking distance:

Best Homecoming tradition:

Best campus bathroom:

Best place to feel your feelings:

Best view on campus:

Best shortcut:

Best building:

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2024

SPRING COMMENCEMENT SAW MORE THAN 6,400 GRADUATES JOIN THE ALUMNI FAMILY. MEET A FEW BELOW.

Jared Abrahamian graduated with a degree in architecture. His standout memory was watching the Jackets beat UNC during the Homecoming 2023 football game and getting to high-five President Cabrera in the end zone during halftime.

Aubrey DeAugustinis graduated with a degree in business administration. Some of her best memories were made during swing-dancing nights held at the beginning of each school year on Peters Parking Deck. She looks forward to embarking on her professional journey as a commercial strategy analyst at Delta.

Ngefor Ndifor graduated with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. An experience she felt passionate about was attending the National Society of Black Engineers annual convention with her Aerospace Systems Design Lab because she got to encourage prospective graduate students to continue their education and become more confident and resilient engineers.

Deanna Yancey

Emily Piper graduated with a bachelor’s in literature, media, and communication. She has had some incredible opportunities during her time as a student. She’s interviewed celebrities such as John Cena, Zac Efron, and Jesse McCartney for the Technique, worked for Warner Bros. as a student ambassador, and interned with NASA HQ. This summer she will be moving to New York City to work full-time at Bloomberg.

Almost 60 years after Ronald Yancey, EE 65, became the first Black student to graduate from Georgia Tech, Deanna Yancey, his granddaughter, received her master’s from Tech in electrical and computer engineering. He presented his granddaughter with her diploma onstage at McCamish Pavilion. Deanna wants to pursue a career in management to help the next generation of young engineers.

CELEBRATE TECH NEAR AND FAR

NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, THE GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IS WITH YOU FOR A LIFETIME.

BY MATT SOWELL

RAMBLIN’ ON: WELCOME, 2024 GRADS, TO THE YELLOW JACKET FAMILY!

The Class of 2024 took to the Flats on April 18 for Ramblin’ On, the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s premier party for new grads. They enjoyed games, giveaways, and photo ops before packing the stands of Bobby Dodd Stadium for a message from Alumni Association Board of Trustees Chair Betsy Bulat, IAML 04, and a fireworks show over the Atlanta skyline.

RAMBLE THE NIGHT: ALUMNI GATHER AROUND THE GLOBE

On April 25, Yellow Jackets worldwide came together with their local alumni communities for Ramble the Night, a one-night-a-year event that celebrates the bonds that Yellow Jackets share. With over 60 gatherings around the world, including in France, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece, the night is a reminder of Georgia Tech’s global impact.

What does Roll Call mean to you?

Thousands of alumni make a gi to Roll Call every year – each for a reason that is important to them:

help students achieve their fullest potential as engineers and leaders.

Students like Maria Rain Jennings, MS ChBE 21, PhD ChBE 24, who has not only benefited from a Roll Call funded Georgia Tech President’s Fellowship, but also learned so much about mentorship and professional networking as an active member and mentor in the Roll Call supported Georgia Tech Women in Engineering (WIE) program.

Some give to help make the best-in-class student experience possible for the next generation of leaders and problem solvers.

For leaders like Jason Sodikin, the Roll Call supported Tech Promise program broke down the walls of financial insecurity and made the Tech experience a reality. Now the President of Tour Guides at Georgia Tech, Jason exemplifies the Tech spirit by sharing his insights with new Tech students.

And others give to help ensure the future excellence of Georgia Tech.

Being the best means providing unmatched experiences for students, like the internship in the United States Senate that Kyle J. Smith, PP 22, experienced through Tech’s Roll Call supported Federal Jackets Fellowship.

No ma er the reason, when you support Roll Call, you are supporting superlative students just like Maria, Jason, and Kyle. Whether it helps fund the next generation of engineers, provides unmatched opportunities, or helps bring the very best to Tech, a gi to Roll Call preserves and enhances Georgia Tech’s legacy of excellence.

Scan to see a special video message about what Roll Call means to Georgia Tech

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

CLASS NOTES & ALUMNI UPDATES

TWO WHEELS & TWO CONTINENTS

MARSHAL MAYHEW, ME 12, completed a 1,001-day bicycle trip from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. He started his journey on June 4, 2021, and finished this year on February 29, traveling a total of 20,523 miles through 15 countries.

CLASS NOTES

Rodney L. Arroyo, M CRP 82, partner emeritus with Giffels Webster, was selected as an American Institute of Certified Planners Fellow for his outstanding achievements in urban planning. He is one of 33 inductees into this year’s college of fellows.

Jacky Cheng, IE 17, was recognized as one of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Atlanta’s 2023 “30 Under 30 Nonprofit Leaders.” Cheng is also the recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumnus distinction from the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.

Mohammad Gharipour, PhD Arch 09, the director of the architecture program at the University of Maryland, was recognized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) as a Distinguished Professor, the highest honor in the field awarded by the ACSA. He was recognized for his significant contributions to architectural education, scholarship, and practice.

Justin Honaman, IE 96, Amazon Web Services’ head of worldwide retail and consumer goods go-tomarket, was named Mass Market Retailers’ Innovator of the Year for 2023. Honaman was recognized for his work helping retailers and consumer packaged goods companies innovate and harness the power of technology.

HODGES NAMED CONSUL GENERAL IN CHENNAI, INDIA

CHRISTOPHER W. HODGES, IA 97, assumed the post of consul general at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, India, on July 31, 2023.

Hodges, who is originally from Marietta, Ga., oversees the advancement of U.S.–India relations in the consular jurisdiction covering three states and three union territories in the south of India. He joined the foreign service in 2000 and has served as a public affairs officer in Jerusalem; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Accra, Ghana.

Hodges also served as deputy director for Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein in

the Office of Central European Affairs. Other tours of duty included Suva, Fiji, and Frankfurt, Germany.

FOUR YELLOW JACKETS SELECTED FOR 2024 NAE CLASS

TWO GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI and two faculty members were named to the 2024 class of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering. Membership in the academy honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education.” Read about each honoree below:

THEODORE COLBERT, III, IE 96, is president and chief executive officer of Boeing’s Defense, Space, and Security in Arlington, Va. He was selected for his engineering leadership in advanced commercial and military air and space platforms.

PATRICIA MOKHTARIAN is Regents’ Professor and Clifford and William Greene Jr. Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. She was selected for having improved transportation systems planning and practice through quantifying human behavior.

LARRY F. PELLETT, EE 80, MS EE 81, is the vice president of Special Programs for Lockheed Martin Corp., in Palmdale, Calif. He was selected for engineering development, transition, and operation of airborne system technologies for national security.

DAVID SHOLL is a professor and Cecile L. and David I.J. Wang Faculty Fellow in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He was recognized for addressing large-scale chemical separation challenges, including carbon dioxide capture, using quantitative materials modeling.

IVAN ALLEN COLLEGE RECOGNIZES DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

EACH YEAR, the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts honors exceptional alumni from the college’s six academic schools and three ROTC units with the Distinguished Alumni Awards. Alumni are chosen for their significant contributions to the college, the Institute, and public welfare. Congratulations to the 2024 recipients:

BETSY BULAT, IAML 04, is senior equity partner at Martenson, Hasbrouck, and Simon, LLP. Bulat is past chair of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees.

C. MICHAEL CASSIDY, MS TSP 87, is executive director of Emory Innovations, Inc.

STEPHEN C. HALL, IM 67, is a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force and an adjunct distinguished Professor of the Practice in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech.

KELLY KLOSTER HON, ME 11, MS ME 12, is senior manager for Product Development Engineering at Becton Dickinson.

GREG D. LOUDEN, ME 88, is principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

SARAH W. MALLORY, STC 03, is Annette and Oscar de la Renta Assistant Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.

CLASS NOTES

Daniel Huynh, IE 06, was appointed to the Commission on Equal Opportunity by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Huynh is a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, specializing in intellectual property and technology litigation.

Robert Jackson, ME 98, MS ME 00, PhD ME 04, a professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University, was selected as the editor-in-chief of the ASME Journal of Tribology.

Benjamin Raines Jordan, PhD PP 12, senior director of Environmental Policy at The Coca-Cola Company, was appointed to the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Governing Board by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Wab Kadaba, ME 92, was announced as the new chair-elect by Kilpatrick Townsend. Kadaba has been praised for his leadership skills and deep understanding of the firm and is the former head of the Intellectual Property Department.

WENDY HORTON McLEOD, IA 94, MS ECON 96, is the director of Sales Strategy & Enablement at Cox Automotive Inc.

DAVID PHAM, MGT 10, is a Marine Corps officer and operations specialist at the United States Digital Service under the White House, and he’s the founder of Phamily Fund, Inc.

J. DANIELLE SHARPE, HTS 14, is an epidemic intelligence service officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cambre Kelly, BME 15, will join the Aspen Institute’s 2024 Henry Crown Fellowship Program. Kelly is the co-founder and CTO of restor3d.

Bill Killough, IE 74, of the law firm Kim, Lahey & Killough, has been named to the list of “Stand-out Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters. Killough practices law in the areas of intellectual property and business law, including commercial transactions.

John Kincheloe, IE 13, has established a new architecture and design

(L-R) Back row: Hall, Louden, Gordon Kingsley (Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Award recipient), Dean Kaye Husbands Fealing, Pham, Cassidy, Mallory; Front row: Sharpe, Bulat, Kristin Hsu (Legacy Award), McLeod, Emma J. Menardi, HTS 23, PP 23 (Legacy Award), Kloster Hon

company. Located in Charlotte, N.C., Kincheloe Design Group will specialize in providing architectural and interior design services for commercial projects spanning the Carolinas and beyond.

Kristyn Long, BA 12, was reap-

Ronald Morrow, IE 75, CPCU, ARM, founder and CEO of Alpharetta, Ga.–based DTGroup, is now retired. The company was acquired by The Remi Group of Charlotte, N.C.

Col. Robert “Bobby” O’Keefe, IA

University’s 179th Commencement on May 13.

Darrell Keith Rochester, CE 83, a Professional Engineer and CEO of Rochester and Associates, was appointed to the Metropolitan North Georgia

“At Georgia Tech, I developed new skills, explored fresh opportunities, and made lifelong friends. At Lenbrook, I’m able to continue those pursuits with fellow alumni and live a wonderful life.”

—John W.

ALUMNUS CARRIES

OLYMPIC

TORCH THROUGH PARIS

LOUIS CHEN, MS ECE 14 , an alumnus of Georgia Tech-Europe, had the honor of carrying the Olympic flame during the torch relay leading up to this summer’s Paris Olympics. Chen was a torchbearer in the seventh leg of the relay on May 12 in Istres, France.

“It was a very moving experience,” Chen says.

“It was a great honor, it was a lot of fun, and it was beyond everything I could imagine. I felt like a tiny spark in a fire much greater than me, and I felt blessed, empowered, and connected.”

Chen’s connection to the Olympics runs deep. His father was the flag bearer for the Chinese team during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

There are less than six degrees of separation between Georgia TechEurope and the Olympics. Sam Shelton, now a professor emeritus in Georgia Tech’s Woodruff School of

Mechanical Engineering and director emeritus of the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute, was tapped to design and engineer the Olympic torch for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His groundbreaking design prompted the Olympic committee to invite him back to engineer the torch for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the Paris Olympics, Georgia Tech-Europe’s corporate partner, ArcelorMittal, rolled the steel for the relay torches and Olympic cauldrons in its plant in Florange, France, near Metz, home of Georgia Tech-Europe.

—ANDREA GAPPELL

PAREKH SELECTED AS INAUGURAL ENTREPRENEUR-IN-RESIDENCE FOR UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA

SANJAY PAREKH, EE 96, was appointed to lead a new facet of the United Way of Greater Atlanta (UWGA) as the organization’s first Entrepreneur-inResidence. Parekh will lead the UWGA Labs, an initiative that is

designed to identify and nurture consumer-centric social ventures aligned with the organization’s mission and that can lead to greater community investment. Parekh has a background as a startup founder and senior executive.

Lisa Schott, ME 90, and her husband, George, launched the S.P.A.C.E. Scholarship to empower and inspire future STEM leaders. The endowment stands for Scholar Programs for Achievement, Confidence, and Engagement, and provides an annual scholarship to encourage students to pursue science. Schott is the vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

Art Schroeder, ChE 74, MS ChE 76, was named an American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow.

Paul Shailendra, CE 01, has been appointed as representative on the Georgia Board of Natural Resources by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Steven A. Smith, AE 92, was promoted to the senior executive service by the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army. Smith was appointed as the Army’s director of Special Programs (Aviation) and the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Program Executive Officer, Rotary Wing.

Scott Steinberg, Mgt 99, launched a new board game series What’s the Future of...? for leaders in every industry. The game is designed to be played by modern professionals and to teach workers of all backgrounds and skill levels to think like futurists.

WRECKS AT WORK

UP IN THE SKY

ATITTAN SRITHARAN, AE 17, (pictured far right) started pilot training with the Yellow Jacket Flying Club and earned his pilot certificates during his free time. While a student, he interned at Honeywell Aerospace as a human factors engineer for Integrated Avionics Systems before becoming a flight instructor. Today, he’s a first officer based out of Newark, New Jersey, flying the Boeing 757 and 767 for United Airlines. He snapped this selfie from inside the cockpit on a recent flight to London. He was thrilled to learn that his captain on the flight was fellow alumnus George McKinnon, AE 86 (pictured left). “What a cool experience to have a couple of Yellow Jackets flying airliners around the world together as pilots for United Airlines! Amazing what Yellow Jackets can accomplish!” Sritharan wrote.

WRECKS AT WORK

The Alumni Association is celebrating the amazing work of our alumni. Send us your on-the-job selfies featuring cool views at gtalumni.org/wrecksatwork.

OUT & ABOUT

MAURICE FURCHGOTT, AE 45, MS IE 51, celebrated his 100th birthday on April 11. Furchgott received a football scholarship and played under legendary Georgia Tech coaches William Alexander and Bobby Dodd. He played in the Orange and Sugar Bowls and was an All-SEC lineman. Furchgott served in the U.S. Navy and then moved to Baltimore, Md., where he’s lived ever since. Happy Birthday!

1. JON KAYE, IE 05, and his wife, Kortni Potter Kaye, welcomed their twin daughters Rania Jade (top) and Asrar Sky (bottom) into the world on Aug. 10, 2023. The family lives in Decatur, Ga.

WEDDINGS BIRTHS

1. VEENA KRISHNAN, CHBE 16, and Pann Pichetsurnthorn were married on Feb. 25, 2023, in Malibu, Calif.

2. LAURA KLAGSTAD, PTFE 13, MS AP 15, and SPENCER KLAGSTAD, AE 12, welcomed their second child, Avery Christine Klagstad, on July 30, 2023. Proud big brother Remy is excited to have another little Yellow Jacket to play with!

3. GAURAV RAJASEKAR, MS ECE 12, welcomed his son Ishir in December 2023. After his son spent over a month in the NICU, the family thought the best way to celebrate was to get three Yellow Jackets in one picture, including his car, “YLWJCKT,” a yellow-and-black corvette.

2. TAYLOR SPARACELLO, ME 21, and TIM FELBINGER, EE 21, were married on January 6 in Atlanta. They met in Tech’s Invention Studio. Taylor was printing a 3D part when Tim bumped her part to the front of the queue. Tim proposed to Taylor in front of Tech Tower.

3. LUCY TUCKER, BME 14, and IVAN SANTILLAN, CHBE 14, met during their time at Georgia Tech and were married on March 23, in Atlanta, surrounded by fellow Yellow Jackets.

IN MEMORIAM

WE REMEMBER & HONOR THE FOLLOWING

1940 s

Tom A. Barrow Jr., ME 48, of Atlanta, on Jan. 6.

Harold F. Brinkley, TE 48, of Danville, Va., on March 15.

James B. Downs Jr., Chem 48, of Titusville, Fla., on Feb. 10.

Donald G. “Don” Kennedy, EE 46, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Feb. 4.

Monroe E. Stark, Cls 49, of Pawleys Island, S.C. on Dec. 23, 2023.

1950 s

John L. Akerman Jr., ME 52, of Marietta, Ga., on Feb. 3.

Harold G. “Glenn” Blocker, ME 50, MS ME 54, of Buford, Ga., on March 7.

Walter M. “Walt” Boomershine Jr., IM 51, of Gainesville, Ga., on Jan. 3.

Marcus P. Borom, CerE 56, of Tucson, Ariz., on July 21, 2021.

Joseph L. Brennan, CerE 59, of Mission Viejo, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2023.

John A. Carter, CerE 59, of Arlington, Texas, on Aug. 25, 2023.

Irvin L. Cauthen, IM 55, EE 56, of Greenville, S.C., on Jan. 14.

Robert W. Cook Jr., Text 50, of Atlanta, on Jan. 4.

RICHARD TRULY : ASTRONAUT, NASA ADMINISTRATOR, & GTRI DIRECTOR

RICHARD TRULY, AE 59, HON PHD 09, OF GOLDEN, COLO., ON FEBRUARY 27. An astronaut who would go on to transform NASA after the Challenger disaster, and a former director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute—Truly’s life and career embodied the Georgia Tech motto of Progress and Service.

Truly was in the Navy ROTC at Tech and graduated in 1959. Following graduation, he became a naval aviator and then a student and instructor at the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at the Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1965, he became one of the first military astronauts selected to the U.S. Air Force’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory. Still a student in test pilot school at the time, he was surprised to be one of only two Navy pilots selected. In 1969, he transferred to NASA just a month after the Apollo moon landing. In 1981, he took his first space flight on his birthday, Nov. 12. “Looking out the window, which was up at the stars or down to Earth, was incredible,” Truly told the Alumni Magazine in 2021. “I still remember sights that I saw:

Italy, Greece, the colors of the earth and the sea. It was just amazing.” Truly brought two Georgia Tech jerseys on board his first space flight and later presented one of the jerseys to Georgia Tech President Joseph Mayo Pettit. His second space flight was in 1983. That same year he became the first commander of the Navy Space Command.

Three weeks after the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, Truly returned to NASA to lead the investigation of the tragedy and return the Space Shuttle program to space. He became administrator of NASA in 1989, serving until 1992, when he became director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Under Truly’s leadership, GTRI managed to diversify and grow its client base, despite an economic recession happening at the time. By the time he left Tech in 1997, GTRI’s research awards had topped the $100-million mark for the first time. After Tech, Truly became director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory until retiring in 2005. Even through retirement, he continued to volunteer his time with the National Academy of Engineering, supporting fellow engineers.

In 2021, Truly received the Joseph Mayo Pettit Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor conferred by the Alumni Association. Among his many awards and recognitions, Truly was awarded the Presidential Citizen’s Medal by President Reagan, two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, and an honorary doctorate from Georgia Tech.

William L. “Bill” Corley Sr., IE 55, AE 61, MS AE 61, of Boca Raton, Fla., on Jan. 6.

James F. “Frank” Crawford, IE 55, of Gurley, Ala., on Dec. 1, 2023.

Raymond J. “Ray” Cross Jr., ME 58, of Seminole, Fla., on Dec. 10, 2023.

Wiley F. Davis Jr., EE 50, of Huntsville, Ala., on Feb. 10.

Robert H. Doyle, M CRP 59, of San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 29.

Charles A. Fletcher, ME 59, of West Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 11.

William B. Freeman, ChE 58, of Homestead, Pa., on Feb. 9.

Felix J. Gervais, Cls 53, of Cartersville, Ga., on March 21.

James I. Giddings III, IE 56, of Delray Beach, Fla., on Oct. 6, 2022.

Philip H. Gresham, CE 58, of Winder, Ga., on March 1.

David D. Harvey, IM 58, of Rome, Ga., on Feb. 3.

Thomas H. “Tom” Haskins Jr., IE 57, of Warner Robins, Ga., on Feb. 15.

Louis A. Hiett, ChE 50, of Oro Valley, Ariz., on Jan. 30.

Duane L. Hoover, IE 59, of Atlanta, on Jan. 5.

DON CHAPMAN: A YELLOW JACKET “THROUGH AND THROUGH”

DON CHAPMAN, IM 61, OF SUWANEE, GA., ON MARCH 14. A Sylvan High School graduate, Chapman went on after high school to his beloved Georgia Tech. Always an entrepreneur at heart, he found many creative ways to work his way through school. Throughout his life, he cherished family and friends, including his high school sweetheart and wife of 63 years, Beverly; his brother, Tom, and his wife Karen; three children and their spouses: Donna and Steve Gates, Amy and Ben Reeves, and Cliff and Tiffany Chapman; and finally, the treasures of his life, seven grandchildren: Kirstie Reeves, Amanda Bell, Quint Foster, Nate Foster, Wood Reeves, Izzy Chapman, and Lewie Chapman. Each one enriched his life.

Chapman’s other great love was Georgia Tech. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and spent many afternoons on the handball courts that were once across the street from the fraternity house. After graduation, he mentored, hired, and was often asked to speak to Tech students

and graduates. He was president of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association from 1982 to 1983 and helped lead many high school seniors to his beloved alma mater. He never left a football or basketball game early, no matter how far ahead or behind his Jackets were. He traveled with the basketball team to Hawaii in 1985 for the Rainbow Tournament with his family and attended many bowl games. He was a Jacket through and through and credited Georgia Tech with his many successes. He was a faithful member of Church of the Apostles and loved to share his faith.

Chapman was a storyteller who loved a good joke. He could often be found telling stories about growing up in Alabama, about his children, or about his most recent trip with “Don’s Dames” (a group of lifelong friends). He asked his family to end his remembrance with two things: First, a joke…A very sick man smelled his favorite cookies wafting from the kitchen. Summoning his remaining strength, he crawled down the stairs and into the kitchen. Finally, with his last ounce of energy, he reached for the platter of cookies. Suddenly his wife appeared, slapped his hand, and said, “Oh no you don’t, those are for the funeral.” And second, and probably most important… To Hell With Georgia!

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to The Don Chapman Endowment, Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc., 760 Spring St., NW, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30308. Or Leading the Way Navigator Program, 1570 Northside Dr., NW, Bldg. 100, Atlanta, GA 30318.

Karl G. Johnson Jr., IE 59, of Vestavia Hills, Ala., on Jan. 14.

Robert A. “Bob” Johnston, IE 56, of Fall Branch, Tenn., on Dec. 14, 2023.

Robert M. Keith Jr., CE 56, of Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 19.

Roderic B. Lee Jr., IM 55, of Alpharetta, Ga., on Feb. 21.

Louis Lopez Jr., ChE 51, of Marietta, Ga., on March 14.

James W. “Jimmy” McCook III, IM 58, of Macon, Ga., on Feb. 6.

John E. McDonald, ME 53, of Owens Cross Roads, Ala., on Dec. 13, 2023.

Robert B. McTyier Jr., ChE 53, of Little River, S.C., on Jan. 1.

James D. Moore, IM 58, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on Jan. 4.

Harvey E. Morse, ME 57, of Albuquerque, N.M., on Dec. 11, 2023.

Albert N. Pascola, EE 54, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., on Jan. 2.

William E. Perrine, ChE 54, of Lexington, Ky., on Feb. 6.

David L. Perry, EE 53, of Seven Bays, Wash., on March 8.

William A. “Bill” Schaffer, IM 56, of Atlanta, on March 6.

Eugene D. Scott, TE 57, of Atlanta, on Jan. 13.

JAMES D. “JIM” ROBINSON III: EXECUTIVE AT AMERICAN EXPRESS & PHILANTHROPIST

JAMES D. “JIM” ROBINSON III, IM 57, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., ON MARCH

18. Robinson was a proud native of Atlanta and a devoted New Yorker who served 16 years as chairman and chief executive officer of American Express. He became a prominent technology venture capitalist and led numerous civic and philanthropic causes. Robinson graduated from Georgia Tech in 1957 and married Bettye Bradley. Their marriage ended in 1981, but a shared love for their children James and Emily endured. After graduating from Tech, Robinson served as a Navy officer from 1957 to 1959. Following his service, he returned to school, earning an MBA from Harvard in 1961. He moved to New York, where his impressive performance at two venerable Wall Street firms—first, Morgan Guaranty and then White Weld & Company— propelled him to American Express. He was a pioneer in the development of the global financial-services industry. At American Express, he spurred fast growth and diversification with acquisitions and sought to transform

the industry. At the same time, he embraced and advanced the philanthropic concept of “cause-related marketing.” Under Robinson, the company played a major role in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and in other significant civic causes. Robinson married Linda Gosden in 1984. After his departure from American Express in 1993, Robinson became a venture capitalist, investing in the development and application of a wide range of technologies. In 1994, he co-founded RRE Ventures with his son Jim (James D. Robinson IV) and Stuart Ellman.

Robert J. Shaw, Cls 51, of Atlanta, on Feb. 27.

Kenneth “Ken” Slobody, IM 59, of Alachua, Fla., on March 6.

James L. “Jim” Splawn, IE 57, of Owens Cross Roads, Ala., on March 5.

Benjamin I. Stegall Jr., IE 54, of

Santa Monica, Calif., on March 1, 2023.

Frederick R. Suchke, Arch 53, of Covington, La., on Jan. 16.

Herschel F. Tomlin, Cls 59, of Kennesaw, Ga., on Jan. 8.

William D. Volkmer, ME 58, of Clermont, Fla., on March 5.

Jarrette A. White, CE 53, of Cartersville, Ga., on Dec. 17, 2023.

Raymond W. “Ray” Willoch, IM 55, of Stone Mountain, Ga., on Feb. 2.

John T. Wills, IM 53, of Exton, Pa., on April 25, 2022.

Paul W. Wright, EE 53, of Springville, Ala., on Jan. 16.

1960 s

King V. “Van” Aiken, IM 63, of Carrollton, Ga., on Feb. 11.

Franklin C. Bacon, IE 65, MS IE 70, of Macon, Ga., on Dec. 19, 2023.

Roland G. “R. Gary” Bailey, ME 60, of Daphne, Ala., on Jan. 27.

James T. Baker, IM 60, of Richmond, Ky., on March 6.

Wilson J. Barrs, IE 65, of Columbus, Ga., on Jan. 2.

William K. “Ken” Beckworth, EE 64, of Marietta, Ga., on Jan. 3.

Broadus K. “Keith” Blackwell, CE 69, of Dacula, Ga., on Feb. 19.

Allan R. Bly, M CRP 62, of Tucker, Ga., on Feb. 19.

Osmond R. “Rudy” Boutwell Jr., IE 65, of Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 6.

David E. Bower, EE 62, of Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 24.

Frederick B. “Ted” Bywater, IE 61, of Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 15, 2023.

Robert L. Calvert III, ChE 62, of West Point, Miss., on Feb. 15.

Ronald E. Carroll Jr., IE 69, of Winter Springs, Fla., on Dec. 12, 2023.

JAMES “JIM” SNYDER:

JAMES R. “JIM” SNYDER, IM 60, OF NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA., ON FEBRUARY 19. Snyder was born and raised in Baltimore, Md. He graduated high school from Baltimore City College in 1956 and went on to earn his degree from Georgia Tech in 1960. He would further his education with an MBA in marketing from Drexel University in 1966. During his time at Georgia Tech, Snyder was involved in the Georgia Tech radio station, the Society of American Military Engineers, and Army ROTC. His leadership qualities shone brightly as he served as president of his Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity in his senior year. He maintained a close lifelong bond with many of his fraternity brothers.

In the summer of 1959, before his senior year at Georgia Tech, he married his childhood sweetheart, Ann. Upon graduation he was commissioned into the Army. He then began his professional career at SmithKline

CO-FOUNDER OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

Pharmaceuticals in the summer of 1960, where he remained until retirement. There he eventually became the associate director of International Administration and Finance. He served active duty with the Army 178 Engineer Company in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 1961 to 1963. As a young man, he had also served in the Ground Observer Corps while still in Baltimore, as the world recovered from WWII. He shared fond memories of climbing the tower at Baltimore City College with his radio club friends.

co-founded the first project management symposium at Georgia Tech with Gordon Davis and several friends, which led to the creation of the Project Management Institute. PMI became his lifelong passion, and he remained actively involved with this now-international organization and contributed to its growth, even throughout his health challenges of recent years.

After his service in Germany, he and Ann settled in the Philadelphia area. In addition to his work at SmithKline, Snyder became an integral part of the community, and their home was truly a hub of activity. In 1969, he

Snyder was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Ann (Norris), who died in 2008. He is survived by his daughter Lynda Stokes (Jay) of Medford, N.J., along with their children Brianna, Amanda, and Jay R.; and his son Doug Snyder (Kim) of McDonough, N.Y., along with their children Zack, Malaki, and Abigail.

MICHAEL F. SERMERSHEIM: TECH SPORTS HALL-OF-FAMER

MICHAEL F. “MICKEY” SERMERSHEIM, IM 51, OF LOUISVILLE, KY., ON FEBRUARY

6. Sermersheim graduated in 1947 from Jasper High School, where he excelled in basketball and was named to the Indiana All-Star Team. His talent on the court earned him a scholarship to Georgia Tech, where he graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972. He continued to support Georgia Tech in later years, attending football and basketball games with family and friends.

Sermersheim served in the U.S. Marines for two years before beginning his career with Southern Bell. While

working in Paducah, Ky., he met and married Pat Hannan. They moved to Louisville, where they raised their four children. Members of the Louisville Boat Club for over 50 years, they loved playing tennis and sharing good times with all their friends. Sermersheim played in and helped run the annual Bobby Piatt Seniors Tennis Tournament at the club. Committed to community and civic service, Sermersheim was president of the Louisville Kiwanis Club and vice chairman of the Farmers

Bank in Hardinsburg, Ky., and he and Pat were on the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

He was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Pat, his son Michael Sermersheim Jr. (Trish), and siblings Denny Sermersheim, Virginia Reese, and Gloria Buecher. He is survived by his daughters Patsy (Bud) and Emily (Danny), and son David (Minda); his grandchildren, Taylor, Meagan, Ian, Patrick, Davey, and Hannah; and great-granddaughter Kennedy.

William C. Cates, EE 65, of Georgetown, Texas, on Nov. 27, 2023.

George M. Cauthen Jr., Psy 66, of Duluth, Ga., on Feb. 29.

Robert W. “Bob” Clark, ChE 63, of North Augusta, S.C., on Jan. 27.

Charles A. “Andy” Collings Jr., ME 60, of La Crosse, Wash., on Jan. 20.

Michael A. Collins, CE 65, MS CE 69, of West Columbia, Texas, on Dec. 16, 2023.

Wendall H. Cross, PhD Chem 67, of Blairsville, Ga., on Feb. 18.

Walter E. “Walt” Dahlgren, IE 63, of Greenville, S.C., on March 5.

Ronald E. “Ronnie” Daniel, Arch 63, of Thompson, Ga., on Jan. 28.

David F. “Dave” deWolfe, EE 61, of Florence, Ala., on Dec. 20, 2023.

Allen N. Dryden Jr., Arch 60, Arch 61, of Kingsport, Tenn., on Jan. 1.

Herbert H. Elder, ChE 69, MS ChE 72, of Aiken, S.C., on Jan. 25.

Irving M. “Irv” Everton, ME 62, of Greensboro, N.C., on March 4.

John W. “William” Geise, CE 65, of Falmouth, Mass., on Nov. 30, 2023.

Larry Eugene Glenn, IM 68, of Snellville, Ga., on Jan. 5, 2023.

EDITOR’S NOTE

William M. “Bill” Graves, Math 60, of Atlanta, on Jan. 15.

Jesse S. “Scott” Gray, ME 60, of South Vienna, Ohio, on Feb. 25.

William B. “Bill” Hare Jr., IM 65, of Atlanta, on Jan. 18.

Olin D. Haynes, MS EE 63, of Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 11.

John F. Howard Jr., IE 63, of Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 17, 2023.

George L. Hunnicutt, CE 62, of Alpharetta, Ga., on Jan. 14.

For the In Memoriam section of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, we will include an abbreviated version of each obituary in print. Full obituaries can be found at gtalumni.org/InMemoriam. To report a death, please email bioupdate@gtalumni.org

Ellis L. Johnson, Math 60, of Madison, Ga., on Feb. 20.

Frederick W. “William” Johnson Jr., IM 63, of Ridgeland, Miss., on Jan. 16.

Stanley S. Kidwell Jr., M CRP 61, of Richmond, Va., on Feb. 3.

Wilbur R. “Russ” Knight, ChE 61, of Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 25.

Philip F. Lee III, Math 64, MS Math 67, PhD Math 70, of Silver Spring, Md., on Jan. 5.

Sergio I. Leguizamon, CE 67, MS CE 70, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on Jan. 26.

William B. Lobrano, IE 64, of Ocean Springs, Miss., on Jan. 24.

Joseph Luciani, CE 60, of McHenry, Ill., on Dec. 2, 2023.

Terry A. Lyle, Cls 62, of Hinesville, Ga., on Dec. 23, 2023.

Herman A. “Armin” Maier III, IM 60, of Rome, Ga., on Feb. 5.

Robert L. Mann, AE 65, of Canton, Ga., on March 19.

David J. Matteson, ME 63, of Tarpon Springs, Fla., on Jan. 17.

Richard P. Maynard, BC 69, of Zebulon, N.C., on Jan. 30.

Warren A. McDow, IE 68, of Warner Robins, Ga., on Jan. 27.

Donald M. “Don” Meadows, EE 60, MS EE 62, of Marietta, Ga., on Jan. 6.

Ray L. Nunn Sr., EE 63, of Decatur, Ga., on Jan. 16.

Robert N. Pointer Sr., IM 63, of Athens, Tenn., on Dec. 7, 2023.

Stephen P. Poulsen, Cls 69, of Nederland, Colo., on Feb. 3.

William J. “Kip” Powers III, PhD Chem 68, of Rogers, Ark., on Jan. 10.

Joseph R. Primm, IE 67, of Pelham, Ala., on March 14.

William J. Richter, EE 60, MS EE 60, of Charleston, S.C., on Jan. 2.

George V. Rouse, IE 68, of Indialantic, Fla., on March 10.

Edward H. Selby Jr., CE 63, of Augusta, Ga., on Feb. 24.

Richard E. “Dick” Simmons Jr., ChE 61, MS ChE 65, of Kingwood, Texas, on Dec. 25, 2023.

Walter Z. “Zollie” Sircy Jr., TE 65, of Hendersonville, Tenn., on Dec. 10, 2023.

Jimmy R. Smith, IE 66, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., on Feb. 29.

Dorothy M. “Dot” (Vidosic) Smith, CerE 61, of Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sept. 29, 2018.

Samuel J. “Sam” Steger, MS CE 67, of Buford, Ga., on Jan. 6.

Charles D. Stewart, TextChem 61, of McDonough, Ga., on Feb. 17.

Ronald A. Swain, EE 66, of Newport News, Va., on Feb. 10.

Patrick Sweeney, IE 64, of Montgomery, Ala., on Dec. 28, 2023.

Phil A. “Phil” Talton, AE 65, of Harveys Lake, Pa., on March 12.

George P. Tyree, IM 66, of Ripley, Tenn., on March 16.

Ronald V. Wolff, IM 64, of Panama City, Fla., on Dec. 4, 2023.

Howell V. Wright, EE 63, of Merritt Island, Fla., on Nov. 26, 2023.

Richard H. “Rick” Wynn Jr., ID 68, MS IM 70, of Tulsa, Okla., on Nov. 22, 2023.

John R. “Bob” Ritter, TE 62, of Clinton, S.C., on Jan. 15.

1970 s

Andrew L. Blackshaw, ME 71, MS ME 73, of Bluffton, S.C., on Feb. 20.

Edward C. Bleichner, EE 78, of Marietta, Ga., on Feb. 26.

Ralph L. Blumer, MS ICS 71, of O’Fallon, Mo., on Dec. 6, 2023.

Bruce A. Boomer, Bio 75, of Prairie Village, Kan., on Jan. 4.

Richard B. Cole, MS OR 72, of Emerald Isle, N.C., on March 10.

FRANCIS M. LOTT: PROUD YELLOW JACKET & DOUGLAS-COFFEE

FRANCIS LOTT, ARCH 59, OF FERNANDINA BEACH, FLA., ON FEB. 10. Lott’s profound impact on the DouglasCoffee County community will endure for generations to come. After graduating in 1959, he served five years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, eventually reaching the captain’s rank. He returned to Douglas and became an integral part of his family’s business, Lott Builders Supply Company, before founding Lott Properties Inc., where he ventured into real estate development. In the late 1970s, he spearheaded initiatives that brought industry and prosperity to Douglas.

Beyond his career accomplishments,

Lott was known for his generosity and philanthropy. He established the local Economic Development Fund and revitalized downtown Douglas with projects like The Atrium, which he donated to the Chamber of Commerce in 2014. Together with his wife, Diane, he endowed the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholarship, prioritizing Coffee County applicants, to ensure access to education for deserving students.

Lott’s contributions were recognized with numerous awards, including the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s Dean Griffin Community Service Award, GEDA’s Volunteer of the Year, Lion of the Year, and Life

COUNTY LEADER

Membership designation by the Int’l Association of Lion’s Club, and the Garland Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award and Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. He was a founding member of the locally owned and operated Douglas National Bank. He also served on various committees and regulatory bodies, including as president of Southeast Georgia Economic Development Council, Douglas Chamber of Commerce, and as a board member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Lott is survived by his wife, Diane, children Jeffrey Lott (Joanne), Kirby Lott, Mary Jane Brady (Mike), and Allyson Reeves-Land (Ronnie), four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, sister-in law Lynda Leach, and many nieces and nephews.

Steven J. Connor, Phys 73, MS Phys 74, of Aiken, S.C., on Feb. 7.

Donald H. “Don” Conrad, MS IM 72, of Salinas, Calif., on Jan. 9.

Todd D. Corbet, Arch 72, of Virginia Beach, Va., on Dec. 29, 2021.

Mary E. Deaton, IE 79, ME 90, of Athens, Ga., on Feb. 10.

Joe D. DeLay, PhD Chem 72, of Henderson, Tenn., on March 10.

Michael E. Eckert, ME 70, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Nov. 28, 2023.

Todd W. Ettlinger, CE 70, of Staten Island, N.Y., on Feb. 20.

Catherine (Broussard) Gregg, IM 73, of San Diego, Calif., on Dec. 27, 2023.

Bobby L. Hinson, MS AE 71, of Woodstock, Ga., on March 3.

Alvin E. Holmes, MS AE 70, of North Charleston, S.C., on Jan. 3.

Daniel E. Honeycutt, EE 72, MS EE 73, of Marietta, Ga., on Jan. 15.

Kris Kathiresan, PhD ESM 76, of Marietta, Ga., on Jan. 13.

Glenn A. Keller, MS NE 77, of Knoxville, Tenn., on Feb. 7.

Guy E. Lowe Jr., ME 75, of Toccoa, Ga., on Jan. 5.

John S. Mancino, MS ICS 71, of Rockwood, Tenn., on Feb. 6.

William A. Martin, CE 75, of Savannah, Ga., on Dec. 28, 2023.

George S. Miles III, IM 70, of Austell, Ga., on Dec. 31, 2023.

Daryl G. Moore, EE 72, of Chattanooga, Tenn., on Dec. 18, 2023.

Leland H. Moss Jr., Cls 76, of Vidalia, Ga., on Feb. 12.

Clinton E. Moye, Mgt 72, of Stockbridge, Ga., on March 5.

David T. Ragland, ME 78, of Atlanta, on Jan. 29.

Catherine M. Ribbing, IM 73, of Decatur, Ga., on Feb. 5.

Sue R. Robertson, MS ChE 76, of Wetumpka, Ala., on Jan. 15.

Charles B. Robinson, IM 71, of Thomaston, Ga., on Jan. 3.

Sarangan Sampath, PhD AE 77, of Alpharetta, Ga., on March 5.

Dennis C. Schnepfe, Psy 71, of Rehoboth Beach, Md., on Dec. 15, 2023.

Joe B. Sills Jr., Chem 72, MS NE 85, of Augusta, Ga., on Feb. 28.

Steven D. Sorrells, IM 72, of Arcadia, Fla., on Feb. 16.

Edward L. Underwood, IE 71, of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., on Dec. 19, 2023.

Lenord D. “Doug” Vaughn, IM 70, of Decatur, Ga., on Jan. 21.

Wilbur A. Wenger Jr., CE 76, of Houston, Texas, on Jan. 3.

Thomas E. White, TE 72, of Inman, S.C., on Feb. 24.

George F. Willard, PhD Chem 78, of Knoxville, Tenn., on May 20, 2023.

Jack H. Wilson, MS IM 79, of Canton, Ga., on Feb. 5.

Robert P. “Bob” Zimmer Sr., MS IM 70, of Atlanta, on Jan. 29.

1980 s

David C. Bynum, MS ME 83, of Warner Robins, Ga., on Dec. 27, 2023.

Peter G. Christopher, Cls 89, of Marietta, Ga., on Dec. 1, 2023.

John F. Conway, ChE 85, of Rolesville, N.C., on March 22.

Craig R. Cox, EE 86, of Northborough, Mass., on Dec. 15, 2023.

Raymond S. “Scott” Davis III, IE 83, of Sharpsburg, Ga., on Dec. 1, 2023.

Sheila A. “Anne” Gernatt, IM 82, of Marietta, Ga., on Feb. 23.

Alan H. Hairston, EE 84, of Smyrna, Ga., on March 1.

Robert J. Hannon, M CRP 81, of Farmington, Conn., on Dec. 15, 2023.

Felix J. Joe, ME 82, of Oviedo, Fla., on March 23, 2023.

Michael E. Krieger, MS Phys 87, of Fairfax Station, Va., on Feb. 1.

Martin C. Matragrano, M CRP 80, of Baton Rouge, La., on April 16, 2022.

Michael E. “Mike” Moomaw, MS Psy 84, PhD Psy 90, of Atlanta, on Dec. 9, 2023.

Phillip M. Ramsey, EE 88, of Kathleen, Ga., on Jan. 12.

Thomas M. Scherz, EE 80, of Greenville, S.C., on March 2.

RALPH PUCKETT JR.: MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT

RALPH PUCKETT JR., CLS 47, OF COLUMBUS, GA., ON APRIL 8. Retired Col. Puckett was bestowed the Medal of Honor later in life for his heroic actions while serving as commander of the Eighth Army Ranger Company during the Korean Conflict in 1950. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military recognition for valor. Puckett received his at the White House in May 2021, more than 70 years after his heroic efforts on Hill 205 in what is now North Korea. He received the award from President Joe Biden, with President Moon of the Republic of Korea in attendance. Selected as the company’s commander, 1st. Lt. Puckett had about a month to train his Rangers before being committed to combat operations. On Nov. 25, 1950, Puckett and his Rangers attacked and secured Hill 205 near Unsan, Korea. Though outnumbered 10 to 1, Puckett and his Rangers defeated five successive counterattacks over four hours that night and into the early morning hours. On the sixth assault, Puckett’s company was overrun in hand-tohand combat. He was wounded multiple times and unable to move. Disobeying his orders to leave him, fellow Rangers fought their way to his

side and evacuated him to safety. For his actions, Puckett was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was upgraded in 2021 to the Medal of Honor.

Puckett retired from active duty in 1971, after 22 years in uniform and multiple combat tours in Korea and Vietnam. His list of military accomplishments is lengthy. His ribbon rack reflected among others: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars with V device for valor, five Purple Hearts, 10 Air Medals, and the World War II Victory Medal. In addition, he had the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with star for Korea and Vietnam, the Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Glider Badge, and the Colombian Lancero Ranger Badge from the most respected Ranger course in Latin America, which he helped establish.

Martrice M. “Matt” Scott, ICS 89, of Powder Springs, Ga., on Feb. 26, 2021.

Jonathan F. “Jon” Van Avery, EE 88, of Sugar Hill, Ga., on March 7.

Benjamin T. Wardlow, EE 85, of Decatur, Ga., on Jan. 7.

Army fighting force headquartered at the post, and served an unprecedented 12 years in that role.

A native of Tifton, Ga., Puckett traveled the world in his service to the nation. He and his wife of 71 years, Jeannie Martin, were residents of Columbus since 1990.

He returned to Georgia Tech in November of 2022, to attend a ceremony at the Veterans Resource Center recognizing his military service.

Puckett was preceded in death by his parents, Clara Steadman Puckett and Ralph Atticus Puckett; his sister Clara Puckett Winston; his brother Thomas Steadman Puckett; and his daughter Jean Puckett Raney.

In his post-military life, Puckett became a fixture at Fort Benning, now Fort Moore. He was honorary colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite

He is survived by his wife, Jeannie Martin Puckett; daughter Martha Lane Puckett Wilcoxson (Tony Wilcoxson); son Thomas Martin Puckett (Chip Whitman); grandchildren, Sarah Burnett and her husband David Alan Burnett, and John Robertson Kinnett IV; and four greatgrandchildren.

1990 s

Allison (Hayes) Crossen, IE 97, MS HS 98, of Dalton, Ga., on March 9.

Michael C. Johnson, TE 92, of Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 2.

John C. “Willy” McGaughy, IE 98, of Denver, Colo., on Dec. 20, 2023.

Mark W. Morris, IE 92, of Chicago, Ill., on Feb. 25.

Siu-Wing “Daniel” Or, MS CS 94, of Brookhaven, Ga., on Dec. 12, 2023.

Richard A. Padula, EE 90, MS EE 91, of Duluth, Ga., on March 6.

Wyatt F. Thompson, EE 93, of Bedford, N.H., on Dec. 20, 2023.

Laura A. (Waggestad) Waldrep, Mgt 91, of Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 4.

2000 s

Warren B. Currie, Econ 06, of Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2023.

Zachary A. Keebaugh, STC 05, of Carrollton, Ga., on Jan. 24.

Aaron E. McHan, CE 04, of Simpsonville, S.C., on Jan. 25.

Franklin Moon II, PhD CE 04, of Niskayuna, N.Y., on May 27, 2023.

Thomas D. Perrie Jr., CS 05, of Cumming, Ga., on March 17.

Matthew A. Powell, Math 05, of Columbus, Ga., on Feb. 13.

Charles L. Wang, CmpE 08, of Ellicott City, Md., on Jan. 30.

2010 s

Robert B. Austin, PhD BC 16, of New York, N.Y., on Feb. 25.

Christian D. De La Pena, MS ECE 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., on April 9.

Miya Gardiner, CmpE 10, of Jonesboro, Ga., on Jan. 26.

Zachary T. “Zach” Halaby, CS 18, MS CS 22, of Atlanta, on Aug. 17, 2023.

Megan M. Hays, CE 14, MS CE 15, of Montgomery Village, Md., on Feb. 6.

2020 s

Derek J. Calzadillas, MS CS 21, of Whitmore Lake, Mich., on Jan. 2.

Mitchell L. “Mitch” McIntire, BA 20, of Gainesville, Ga., on Jan. 16.

FRIENDS

Paul M. Baker, of Atlanta, on Dec. 20, 2023.

Edward S. Chian, of Atlanta, on March 15.

Suzanne G. “Suzy” Eskin, of Atlanta, on March 27.

Barbara Fowler, of Peachtree City, Ga., on April 1.

Marie Mann, of Atlanta, on Dec. 27, 2023.

Richard T. Mize Jr., of Natchez, Miss., on Jan. 13.

William N. Pace Jr., of Henrico, Va., on Feb. 2.

Frank M. Pickens, of Atlanta, on April 1.

Arthur K. Rice, of Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 4.

Charles B. Seymour, of Marietta, Ga., on Jan. 6.

Ronald Tomajko, of Decatur, Ga., on Nov. 14, 2023.

Robert K. “Bob” Thompson, of Chelan, Wash., on May 12, 2023.

Martha A. Stegar, of Atlanta, on April 1.

A PEEKING INTO GEORGIA TECH’S SECRET SOCIETY

FOUNDED IN 1908, ANAK IS TECH’S OLDEST KNOWN HIDDEN HONOR SOCIETY.

BY DANIEL P. SMITH

AS A GEORGIA TECH UNDERGRADUATE , Anna Pinder, ME 03, heard rumblings about the ANAK Society and swirling rumors about its role on campus. The mystery intrigued her, especially as she read the names of departing ANAK members in the Technique—a public unmasking that remains one of the society’s longest-held traditions. “Still, I honestly had no idea what was really involved,” Pinder recalls.

That all changed in 2001 when Pinder, a President’s Scholar who was deeply involved with FASET, Georgia Tech’s new student orientation, as well as the Georgia Tech Student Foundation, was “tapped” to join ANAK.

Pulled behind the curtain, Pinder began to understand ANAK’s mission. She also felt an immediate surge of responsibility to deliver on the group’s lofty aims—and long legacy—to create a better Georgia Tech.

“I didn’t want to waste the opportunity,” Pinder says.

A CENTURY-OLD HISTORY

Founded on New Year’s Day 1908, ANAK bills itself, 116 years later, as the “oldest known secret society and honor society” at Georgia Tech.

The group’s rituals are governed by silence and its activities, particularly over the last seven decades, do not arrive with public signatures. According to its sparse black-and-white website, ANAK “strives to advance the Institute in its mission of progress and service.” The sentiment is as bold as it is ambiguous.

But ANAK wasn’t always a secret society shrouded in mystery.

In fact, ANAK—a name connected to a race of giants and warriors found in the Old Testament—was a public force throughout its first five decades and played a key role in establishing campus institutions such as the Technique , The Blueprint yearbook, the Student Government Association, and the Ramblin’ Reck Club. The organization is also credited with playing a prominent role in forming the Judicial Council, tasked to evaluate instances of student academic infractions, as well as crafting the first Student Honor Code.

“Over the years, ANAK has been a legitimate mechanism to solve problems and give an important perspective in how student functions are carried out on campus,” says Dr. Richard Barke, Phys 72, an associate professor in the School of Public Policy, and ANAK’s current faculty advisor alongside Dr. Kim Harrington, Tech’s interim associate vice president for Arts, Belonging, and Community.

Around 1960, however, the group turned to secrecy as the campus prepared for the arrival of its first Black students. ANAK members worked behind the scenes to make sure racial integration on campus went smoothly, including meeting with the school’s earliest Black students and their families before enrollment. The secrecy was designed to limit pushback and

conflict, Barke says, and succeeded in driving a more peaceful integration in 1961 than at other universities.

And the secrecy has remained passionately practiced by current members who attend private meetings and rally support for ANAKsupported plans without waving the ANAK flag in front of Tech Tower.

A COMMUNITY OF ‘DOERS’

ANAK’s alumni ranks feature prominent Yellow Jackets, including corporate, civic, and institutional leaders. Current Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, ChE 98, was a member of the society as was one of his predecessors, two-term Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., Com 1933. Georgia State University President Brian Blake, EE 94, was inducted in 1994, and former

“OVER THE YEARS, ANAK HAS BEEN A LEGITIMATE MECHANISM TO SOLVE PROBLEMS,” SAYS BARKE.

Members of the ANAK Society, as published in the 1909 Blueprint. Up until the 1960s, membership in the society was public.

Georgia Tech College of Engineering Dean Gary May, EE 85, now chancellor of the University of California-Davis, served on ANAK during his undergraduate years, as did revered Georgia Tech Dean of Students George Griffin, CE 22, who is memorialized on campus with a statue outside the Smithgall Building.

But no one saunters into ANAK focused solely on gaining prestige—and that’s because no one saunters into ANAK on their own accord.

The group has no formal application process. Rather, current ANAK members select new candidates—juniors or seniors only—based on their character, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to Georgia Tech. Most are students holding leadership positions across campus—in student organizations, clubs, Greek life, school programs, and the like. Assembling a diverse group of doers is important to impacting Georgia Tech in a positive way, one current member says.

can make change in a more impactful way than we could on our own,” the current member says.

There is an annual initiation ceremony for new members featuring current ANAK members and alumni, an initiation script that has evolved with the times, and a special pin that new members receive.

“We’re all in our own bubbles and don’t see every problem. Together, we

“There’s no fog or burning incense, no secret handshake,” a person familiar with ANAK initiation says.

Student membership typically

“WITH ANONYMITY COMES THE

hovers around 15 to 20, according to Barke. Once upon a time, the group was exclusively male. Recently, Barke says, women have comprised 50 to 60 percent of the members. In addition, the group taps one or two faculty or staff members each year as honorary members. Barke himself received the honor in 2001, when he was serving as associate dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

“I guess they thought I was useful,” jokes Barke, who says honorary members are typically chosen for a combination of their affinity for Georgia Tech and their ability to help ANAK accomplish its objectives.

Members then choose projects they want to address and work collaboratively—and rather covertly—and often working with the Tech administration to execute plans, particularly those transcending the reach or ability of any single organization.

“It’s the classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts,” Barke says. “And if you’re a member, you’re expected to contribute. No one coasts.”

PURSUING A BETTER

GEORGIA TECH

ANAK’s insistence on secrecy has, at times, sparked criticism from some corners of the campus community. Some have questioned the purpose of a “secret society” and even characterized ANAK as a self-serving, elitist group designed to retain power and

An ANAK Society banquet meeting.

peddle outsized influence at a school with more than 45,000 students.

Both current and former ANAK members, however, reject talk of anything nefarious, saying the organization’s secrecy is intended to boost Tech, to elevate and enhance the institution, not propel personal agendas. The secrecy ensures the focus sits on the greater good, not any individual’s ego or pursuit of public glory.

“With anonymity comes the ability to be an influence for good without taking personal credit,” says Pinder, who served as ANAK’s president during the 2002–2003 academic year.

As one current ANAK member puts it, the group seeks to “facilitate progress and service while holding the Georgia Tech community’s universal well-being as the highest priority.”

During Pinder’s two-year run with ANAK, for instance, she recalls building allyship to ensure Coming Out Week at Tech, founded in 2002 by Jonathan Duke, IE 02, and

Sid Kossowsky, ChE 03, would be a successful event. She remembers ANAK members agreeing internally to be a supportive presence and encourage those in their own networks to show support as well.

ANAK also offers scholarships and recognitions to members of the Tech community. The George Wingfield Semmes Scholarship provides a total of $20,000 to three high-achieving College of Engineering undergrads while the ANAK Award recognizes faculty and staff with outstanding service to Tech. A grant program for campus organizations, meanwhile, provides new and struggling non-duescollecting organizations up to $500 to bolster operations.

“One thing ANAK is able to do well is take the overall temperature on campus and rally different student leaders to draw support without having anything be slanted to one organization or another,” Pinder says. “It’s why I’m proud to be a part of the group’s history. ANAK gets student leaders together, pulls resources, and pushes impact to improve Tech.”

George C. Griffin (pictured seated second from left) at an ANAK meeting.

President Ángel Cabrera with the graduating members of ANAK: (Top row, L-R) Jalen Borne, Mahogany Labor, Cabrera, Elias Winterscheidt, and Camille Trotman; (bottom row L-R)

Aimée Marie Ogando Melo, Derin Aladesanmi, Amogh Gadekar, and Megan Kemp.

FIFTY YEARS AGO, GEORGIA TECH HOSTED 11 LIVE MUSIC SHOWS BY NATIONAL ACTS, INCLUDING EIGHT EVENTUAL ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES.

BY DOUG A. GOODWIN

Gene Simmons of

recounted in the band’s autobiography this scene from the November 1974 show at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum, where he blew fire and accidentally set the stage curtain ablaze.

KISS

PHOTOGRAPH

1974

1974 was not the first year Georgia Tech held concerts on campus, and certainly not the last, but it’s arguably the most historic. A remarkable nine-month stretch 50 years ago included Chicago; the Doobie Brothers; Earth, Wind & Fire; Kool & The Gang; Lynyrd Skynyrd; Traffic; Yes; and arena rockers KISS, who stole the show as an opening act.

That ‘70s Show

The tin dome, open floor, and 8,600-person capacity made the Alexander Memorial Coliseum (since renovated and renamed the McCamish Pavilion) one of Atlanta’s largest indoor venues before The Omni opened downtown in 1972.

As with many mid-20th-century arenas, Tech’s Coliseum had no air conditioning, and all tickets were general admission “festival seating.” When the gates opened, attendees rushed for the best standing spaces or seats and often stayed put through the encore.

The Walrus, an alternative newspaper out of the University of Illinois, dubbed the Coliseum the “world’s largest echo chamber” in 1974. “It was loud, but no one there was worried about sound quality—we were there to have a good time,” recalls David Dean, who traveled with his brother from South Georgia to the Tech campus in November 1974 to see Black Oak Arkansas.

and British rockers Traffic.

Tech students paid $5.50 (about $34.50 in 2024 dollars) to see progressive rock band Yes, the first act in the 1974 run of shows. Sponsored by the Georgia Tech Concert Committee (a precursor to today’s Student Center Programs Council), the Yes concert was advertised in the Technique, and to the broader community in alternative papers.

In March and April, headliners at the Coliseum included the self-described “rock and roll band with horns” Chicago, Motown-rock blenders Rare Earth (with Kool & The Gang),

Philip Auslander, professor of popular music history and performance studies in Tech’s School of Literature, Media, and Communication, shared his perspective on this run. “The programming during this year was very coherent, and covered a lot of the era’s musical ground,” he says.

The last month of the spring semester included several performances promoted by the “unofficial mayor of Atlanta music” Alex Cooley, at what local ads called the “Ga. Tech Coliseum.” Hard rockers Blue Öyster Cult, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, and Georgia-based Southern-rock band Hydra played May 4. Kool & The Gang returned on May 5 as a top-billed act, delivering an R&B showcase with Eddie Kendricks and the Bar-Kays. The Doobie Brothers performed top-40 hits like “China Grove” and “Listen to the Music” on May 11, at the peak of their popularity. Earth, Wind & Fire rounded out the May shows, along with comedian Richard Pryor and psychedelic soul group the Chambers Brothers.

Professor Philip Auslander

Augusta, Georgia, native Ken Smith, IM 78, attended Georgia Tech on an athletics scholarship and experienced the Yes, Chicago, and Doobie Brothers shows during this time. “The Doobies show was on the day of, or after, the spring football game. I remember a lot of pyrotechnics and a great show,” he says.

Sweet Home Atlanta

Shortly after the fall semester started, fans packed the Coliseum for Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, and Hydra. Touring on the strength of their massive sophomore album, Second Helping, Lynyrd Skynyrd moved from opening for the Allman Brothers Band in June 1974 to being the lead act in just a few months.

Ned Barbre of Woodstock, Georgia, recalls waiting outside the gates with fellow fans ahead of the Lynyrd Skynyrd show. “There was a long line to get into the Coliseum, and all the people waiting in line rushed in at the same time. I remember everybody just having a really good time, in anticipation of the bands coming out to play. It was over the top,” Barbre says.

The Georgia Tech show was cited in a story of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s rise to fame in the October 24, 1974, issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Author Tom Dupree described the crowd’s response to the song “Sweet Home Alabama”—“The electricity almost became visible and the entire Coliseum exploded in a triumphant roar,” he wrote.

Folk/pop duo Seals & Crofts brought their “Summer Breeze” through campus on Nov. 16. The following week, Black Oak Arkansas were billed as headliners for the final show at Alexander Memorial Coliseum—but coverage by the Atlanta Journal and Creative Loafing led with the opening act, KISS.

Teenagers David and Bill Dean (along with much of the crowd) were

shocked and thrilled by openers KISS, who returned to Atlanta after releasing their second LP of 1974, Hotter Than Hell. “These Kabuki-ed, demon gargoyles assaulted our senses,” says David Dean, who became a lifelong fan on the spot.

KISS bassist Gene Simmons recalled in the band’s autobiography, “Black Oak had this theatrical curtain behind them. I spit fire, but that night—it was 10 feet high and it accidentally caught their curtain on fire.” A series of rare images by photographer Tom Hill captured the early-era energy of the New York rockers on stage.

Professor Auslander, author of Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music (2006), notes, “It’s interesting that KISS was lumped in as a glam act. They certainly had a different take on glam than what was happening in the U.K. They’ve had an enormous legacy—any big-ticket concert like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé is now an intensely theatrical event—well beyond what one might consider a

The band Chicago headlined at Georgia Tech in the spring of 1974.

The Coliseum before it was renovated and renamed McCamish Pavilion.

News clip from The Atlanta Journal in 1974.

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concert to be. I think KISS, along with David Bowie and others, deserves some of the credit for the move toward theatricality and self-awareness of persona in the performance of popular music across multiple genres.”

Live Music Legacy

Throughout the 1970s, Tech would continue to host many of the decade’s most prominent bands and artists, including Atlanta Rhythm Section, Bob Seger, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Heart, The Cars, and Aerosmith.

The Georgia Tech Athletics Association has continued to open its facilities for music promoters in years since, and Tech has hosted Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Ludacris, Big Boi, and the Rolling Stones (twice!). Most recently, Athletics welcomed thousands of Yellow Jackets supporters and music fans for the Helluva Block Party series of pregame concerts on North Avenue.

Five decades on, many of the bands whose sounds reverberated within the metal rafters of Alexander Memorial Coliseum are revered by millions. Auslander explains why he thinks the popular music of the 1970s persists. “Today, there are more shared musical tastes and experiences across generations than in the past. Youth in the 1970s mostly rejected the music and culture of their parents—now, we see parents and their children listening to the same music and going to concerts together,” he says.

Although his football experience was cut short due to injury, Ken Smith graduated and ran a successful HVAC company in the Augusta area. Over the past 50 years, he’s seen the Doobie Brothers live more than 30 times, as well as Chicago and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Having experienced more than 40 KISS concerts from 1974 through the band’s farewell tour, David Dean says, “I will always remember that first show at Georgia Tech.”

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