“Georgia Tech has offered us so much personally, professionally, and financially. We would not be where we are today if not for Tech. Now it’s our turn to give back.” — Bill, IM 1985, and Renèe Magee Giving back is a way of life for Renèe and Bill Magee, IM 1985.
The couple welcomes the opportunity to “give back to
They have made a generous gift that supports both the Ernest
Georgia Tech students and student athletes so they will
J. Scheller Jr. College of Business and the Georgia Tech Track
prosper,” Bill explained. A former student-athlete, Bill was
& Field Program. The couple also gives generously of their time
interested in supporting both athletics and academics. “We
through volunteer work.
were fortunate to be able to split our gift between Scheller and
When Bill isn’t serving as VP of Customer Experience for Shaw Industries, you might find him “mentoring youth through
the track and field program,” he said. Although they currently live in north Georgia, the Magees
Big Brothers and Big Sisters” or serving as a “volunteer coach
have lived in California and in Melbourne, Australia, where Bill
with the local high school track and field team.” He also serves
was managing director of Shaw Australia. Renèe’s family lives
on the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees and
in central California, but Bill’s family lives in Metro Atlanta. A
is a Scheller College of Business Advisory Board Member.
younger brother and fellow Tech graduate, Doug Magee, BSIM
Renèe serves on the Whitfield Healthcare Board of Trustees and volunteers with a prison ministry and with the United Way.
1988, works for Delta. The Magees’ generous gift will help ensure that other
“She received a United Way Volunteer Award,” for her work, said
families have the opportunity to send their children to Georgia
Bill. Renèe has a bachelor’s in Speech Communication from
Tech. “We want to enable Georgia Tech to get the best and the
Cal State Fresno and has held several previous positions in
brightest students,” Bill said. “We also hope to inspire others to
administration and management.
give, and there’s no time like the present.”
Founders’ Council is the honorary society recognizing donors who have made estate or life-income gifts of $25,000 or more for the support of Georgia Tech. For more information, please contact: 404.894.4678 • founderscouncil@dev.gatech.edu • gatech.giftplans.org
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MEETINGS. CONFERENCES. TRAINING.
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Vol. 95, No. 1
Change Is Necessary for Tech to Keep Ahead of the Curve THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE. That old maxim has never been so true as it is these days around Georgia Tech. We are facing the daunting task of finding a new president of the Institute after 10 years of unrivaled progress and growth through the leadership of President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, who is retiring this summer. We have three new deans on the horizon to take the reins of the College of Computing, the College of Sciences and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. We recently hired a new head football coach for the first time in 11 years, with Geoff Collins igniting the Yellow Jacket faithful with his enthusiasm and work ethic (and love of Waffle House). And, here at the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, we will soon have new leadership after 19 years of service by our friend, Joe Irwin, IM 80, who retired this February. O n e ca n n o t h ave “ P r o g r e ss a n d Service”—our motto here at the Institute— without change, and the Tech family will adapt and prosper with all of these coming adjustments. Luckily, those leaders who are leaving us have put Tech on the right trajectory. The big challenge, of course, is for so much of it to have happened all at once, rather than spread out over months and years. The key to prospering in times of change is to have the twin pillars of 1) a grounding in mission and purpose over many years and 2) a clear vision of the future. In other words, where did we come from and where are we going? Fortunately, both the Institute and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association have strong and actionable strategic plans to guide us through periods of uncertainty. And both have empaneled search committees to identify and recruit the strongest leaders who will embrace—and
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INTERIM PRESIDENT & CEO Bill Todd, IM 71 VP MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Dawn Churi EDITOR Roger Slavens STAFF EDITOR Melissa Fralick DESIGNER Karen Matthes COPY EDITOR Barbara McIntosh Webb STUDENT ASSISTANT Andrew Elliot EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Bird Blitch, IE 97, Chair David Bottoms, Mgt 01, Past Chair Sheri Prucka, EE 82, MS EE 84, Chair-Elect/Vice Chair of Roll Call Brent Zelnak, Mgt 94, Vice Chair of Finance Shan Pesaru, CmpE 05, Member at Large Magd Riad, IE 01, Member at Large Jocelyn Stargel, IE 82, MS IE 86, Member at Large Tyler Townsend, IE 98
enhance—the strategic directions of those they will replace. The current issue of the Alumni Magazine looks at how Tech and its students, faculty and alumni are helping to building the future in a variety of ways—and, more specifically, how many of them are playing a part in the future of building. Read on to learn more about their involvement in physical feats of architecture, construction and engineering, as well as less obvious ways of building, such as reimagining the way we experience the World Wide Web through virtual realities or improving the pipeline for young women to get involved in STEM fields. Go Jackets!
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Michelle Adkins, IM 83; Clint Bailey, TE 97; Lee Baker, IE 90; Carlos Barroso, ChE 80; Amrit Bhavinani, CM 09; Trevor Boehm, ME 99, MS ME 04; Jeff Bogdan, Mgt 88, MS MOT 98; Rita Breen, Psy 90, MS IE 92; Randy Cain, IE 91; Katie Davidson, Mgt 89; Sam Gude, MBA 08; Julie Hall, Phys 99; Scott Hall, ME 96; Cathy Hill, EE 84; Tim Holman, MS EE 88, PhD EE 94; Keith Jackson, Mgt 88; Plez Joyner, EE 89; Ross Mason, IE 92; Juan Michelena, TE 85; Angela Mitchell, PTCH 04; Jerald C. Mitchell, MBA 11; Alex Muñoz, Mgt 88; Anu Parvatiyar, BME 08; Blake Patton, IE 93; Amy Phuong, IA 05, MBA 14; Bert Reeves Jr., Mgt 00; Amy Rich, MBA 12; Jean Marie Richardson, Mgt 02; David Sotto, BME 09, PhD BioE 15; James Stovall, CS 01; Kristen Thorvig, STC 98; Betty Tong, ME 93, MS ME 95; David Touwsma, IE 97; Brian Tyson, EE 10; Stephenie Whitfield, Bio 93; Bruce Wilson, EE 78, MS EE 80 ADVERTISING Dawn Churi (404) 385-2991 dawn.churi@alumni.gatech.edu GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN: 1061-9747) is published quarterly by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313. Periodical postage paid in Atlanta and additional mailing offices. © 2019 Georgia Tech Alumni Association POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313. TELEPHONE Georgia Tech Alumni Association (404) 894-2391
BILL TODD, IM 71 INTERIM PRESIDENT & CEO GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Cover Illustration by Tatiana Plakhova
TABLE OF CONTENTS D E PA RT M E N T S
FROM RAW TO READY
Students may come to Georgia Tech with the raw materials to succeed in life, but the Institute’s teachers and traditions shape them into alumni ready to tackle the world’s problems.
48
Features 48
56
66
HOW TO BUILD A YELLOW JACKET
CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN
ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS AS FINE ART
We can all agree that the alumni who “get out” of the Institute are something truly special—but why exactly?
Charlie Layton
Five Georgia Tech alumni share their expert views on the commercial building boom in Atlanta and beyond.
Clark Smith, Arch 79, provides his prestigious clientele with old-school, hand-painted watercolors that sell their vision while evoking emotions.
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D E PA RT M E N T S
CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN
Former Yellow Jackets standout catcher Joey Bart was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft and ranks as the majors’ No. 1 backstop prospect.
32
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©2019 S.F. Giants
TABLE OF CONTENTS
8 Around Campus
38 In the World
10 Elemental Excitement Tech celebrates the 150th anniversary of one of science’s greatest tools: The Periodic Table 16 Talk of Tech 22 Student News 24 Creating New Realities Professor Blair MacIntyre is helping redefine how we use the World Wide Web. 26 Tech Research
40 Bringing the Farm Indoors Mike Ross, AE 14, created a vertical farming company to shake up the industry. 44 Domestic (Terminal) Bliss 46 Jacket Copy Read an excerpt from a fascinating new book by Tech President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough.
30 On the Field
All about what’s going on at 190 North Avenue
The latest news and views from Georgia Tech
The scoop on Tech’s studentathletes and alumni 32 High Prospects in the Low Minors Former Tech baseball player Joey Bart is a top catching prospect with his eyes on the major leagues. 36 Athletics News
Ramblin’ Wrecks generating buzz beyond the Institute
74 Alumni House
76 Roll Call 101 Understanding how and why the Alumni Association raises money to support Tech’s top priorities. 78 Excursion Expertise Get top advice from Tech’s resident travel guru. 82 Ramblin’ Roll 90 In Memoriam
96 Tech History
Memories and artifacts of Tech’s storied past 96 Constructing Campus A look at the Institute’s growth over 134 years—from Tech Tower to Tech Square. 106 Back Page
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Around Campus
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A MOON SHOT LIKE NO OTHER Georgia Tech student Dalton Touchberry created this incredible composite image of a lunar eclipse over campus on Jan. 20. During this rare cosmic event known as a Super Blood Wolf Moon, the sunlight refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere and cast a red glow on the surface of the moon during the total lunar eclipse.
Dalton Touchberry
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AROUND CAMPUS
Elemental Excitement BY A. MAUREEN ROUHI AND ROGER SLAVENS
Georgia Tech—and many others— are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Periodic Table, one of science’s most important and recognizable tools. BORN 150 YEARS AGO, the Periodic Table is one of the most important and recognizable tools of science. To celebrate the table’s staying power, the United Nations proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements—and Georgia Tech quickly joined the celebration. The College of Sciences is leading the way by promoting and hosting events every month. In fact, the festivities kicked off way back on Jan.
22 at McCamish Pavilion during the Yellow Jackets men’s basketball game against Notre Dame, where fans were invited to play games with the periodic table and win prizes. Check out more activities at periodictable.gatech.edu.
PROLOGUE
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PERIODIC TABLE USING A SET OF NOTECARDS, à la the classic card game solitaire, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev sorted and resorted the cards—each representing one element. He worked diligently to find a pattern using the elements’ weights and properties and finally cracked the code after several sleepless days. For decades before Mendeleev, scientists had been searching for patterns in the elements. Many other arrangements had been proposed, including one cylindrical design. Mendeleev succeeded where others failed—his table correctly placed more elements than any other. Critically, too, Mendeleev’s table left gaps for elements yet to be discovered. His table included just over 50 elements, and it wasn’t immediately clear: Were there more elements? How many? As we now know, many more elements came to light. Thanks to
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those empty spaces, Mendeleev’s powerful theoretical tool predicted newcomers with startling success. His spot-on predictions of hypothetical elements’ basic properties—atomic mass, atomic number and reactivity—guided researchers into discovering new elements. Major changes to Mendeleev’s design occurred as more elements were discovered. For example, the discovery of the noble gases in the 1890s led to the addition of an entirely new column (also called a group). The lanthanides and actinides, those two rows (or periods) at the bottom, were placed below the existing table to retain its basic shape. The Periodic Table is constantly being updated: Elements 113, 115, 117 and 118 were added in November 2016.—LAURA MAST
MAIN EVENT
TECH’S FAVORITE ELEMENTS “WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ELEMENT?” There probably couldn’t be a question geekier than that, but you can be sure the answers are near and dear to the hearts of many Ramblin’ Wrecks. Of course, the most obvious answer is gold. We may all be Yellow Jackets, but the official color of the Institute derives straight from the Periodic Table—a perfect match. But the actual element is also vital in the scientific work of Tech alumni, faculty and students. For example, researchers are exploring the use of gold nanoparticles for the treatment of breast cancer. And others commonly use gold as a catalyst for new chemical reactions. The College of Sciences asked its faculty what their favorite elements were, and most pointed to those that play a crucial role in their work.
Charlie Layton
IRON (Fe) makes the “Red Planet” red. Forged deep inside the most massive stars, Fe now colors the surfaces of all our solid planets, including Mars. —JAMES WRAY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF EARTH & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES The emission lines from IRON (Fe) are observed close to supermassive black holes in distant galaxies. The lines reveal black-hole physics and how growing black holes feed from their surroundings. —DAVID BALLANTYNE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF PHYSICS
NICKEL (Ni) and IRON (Fe) are the dominant two elements in Earth’s core. They also happen to be present in the “core” of my name: Jen-NiFe-r. —JENNIFER GLASS, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF EARTH & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
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AROUND CAMPUS
We study the quantum physics of SODIUM (Na) and RUBIDIUM (Rb) for future devices such as accelerometers and gyroscopes that might one day be integrated into your vehicles or smartphones to help you navigate around town.—CHANDRA RAMAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF PHYSICS LITHIUM (Li), CAESIUM (C s) a n d THULIUM (Tm) c a n b e cooled to almost absolute zero using laser beams. Their behaviors at that temperature reveal new quantum states of matter. —COLIN PARKER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF PHYSICS
Despite their bad smell, molecules containing SULFUR (S) undergo unique reactions with radical species that enable creation of new, degradable plastics. —WILL GUTEKUNST, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
EINSTEINIUM (Es) celebrates Albert Einstein, who predicted gravitational waves. Their recent detection by a team that included physicists at Georgia Tech is revolutionizing the study of astrophysics. —LAURA CADONATI AND DEIRDRE SHOEMAKER, PROFESSORS, SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND CENTER FOR RELATIVISTIC ASTROPHYSICS
COPPER (Cu) is great to cook with and is an essential element in cells. In our lab, it gives us the power to connect any two molecules together, almost anytime, by a reaction known as “click chemistry.” —M.G. FINN, JAMES A. CARLOS FAMILY CHAIR, SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
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SODIUM (Na) and POTASSIUM (K) are fundamental to the function of the nervous system. When we record brain activity, we follow the movement of these elements through brain cells. —LEWIS WHEATON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
The CALCIUM (Ca) ion, Ca 2+, is a key signaling element affecting lots of downstream processes, including the glaucoma-causing mechanical forces around eye tissue.—RAQUEL LIEBERMAN, PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Charlie Layton
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AROUND CAMPUS Four PHOSPHORUS (P) atoms make P 4, which forms a tetrahedron, a shape with beautiful symmetries. Plato thought the tetrahedron represented fire, one of his four elements. —DAN MARGALIT, PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS PHOSPHORUS (P) is the central element in phosphate. My lab explores how to control hormone sensing and drug responses by varying the amount of phosphate on enzymes. —MATTHEW TORRES, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
It is unclear how water—critical to life—emerged on Earth. The ratio of HYDROGEN (H) to its isotope DEUTERIUM (D) in Earth’s ocean provides clues to the origin of water on Earth. —GONGJIE LI, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF PHYSICS, CENTER FOR RELATIVISTIC ASTROPHYSICS The abundance of HYDROGEN (H) helps us measure changes in living organisms by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This enables us to understand how brain function is related to cognition. —MARK WHEELER, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY, CENTER FOR ADVANCED BRAIN IMAGING
Abnormal regulation of certain enzymes containing ZINC (Zn) can lead to cancer. My lab is developing anticancer agents based on the activity of these enzymes. —YOMI OYELERE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
BROMINE (Br) has a large impact on the atmosphere even at very low levels. With its electronic structure and distinct mixture of isotopes, we can track it in the atmosphere using mass spectrometry. —GREG HUEY, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, SCHOOL OF EARTH & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
CARBON (C) enables the organic chemistry and biopolymers of life. We look for patterns in molecules built upon C, because they provide clues about the potential for life beyond Earth. —AMANDA STOCKTON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
COMING NEXT
THE PERIODIC TABLE FRONTIERS IN SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES THROUGHOUT 2019, the College of Sciences will bring prominent researchers from Georgia Tech and beyond to campus to expound on little-discussed aspects of chemical elements: APRIL 2 John Baez, Professor of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside—Mathematical Mysteries of the Periodic Table
APRIL 18 Sam Kean, Author—The Periodic Table: A Treasure Trove of Passion, Adventure, Betrayal, and Obsession SEPT. 12 Monica Halka, Associate Director of Tech’s Honors Program—The Elusive End of the Periodic Table: Why Chase It?
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OCT. 31 Taka Ito, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences—Turning Sour, Bloated, and Out of Breath: Ocean Chemistry Under Global Warming NOV. 12 Margaret Kosal, Associate Professor of Public Policy—The Geopolitics of Rare and Not-So-Rare Elements
Charlie Layton
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TALK OF TECH
Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson to Retire BY LANCE WALLACE
Following a decade serving as the head of the Institute, Peterson will assist with transition efforts before stepping down from his post this summer. GEORGIA TECH’S 11TH PRESIDENT, G.P. “Bud” Peterson, announced in January that he will retire sometime this summer from the position he’s served in since 2009. “The opportunity to serve as president of Georgia Tech the past 10 years has been one of the highlights of my career,” Peterson says. “Georgia Tech is a great institution and great institutions are built on great people, great faculty, great staff and great students. Since our very first visit to Georgia Tech in the fall of 2008, [my wife] Val and I have continued to be impressed with the quality of the people of Georgia Tech and the dedication and commitment to making Georgia Tech the nationally recognized institution that it is today.” Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, praised Peterson for his exemplary leadership. “President Peterson’s extraordinary contributions to Georgia Tech, a top-10 public research university, are unmatched,” Wrigley says. “Under Bud’s leadership, Georgia Tech became the first institution in a decade to receive an invitation to join the prestigious Association of American Universities. His focus on research led to an increase in total awards from $445 million to $851 million. “At the same time, he grew student enrollment, including the number of women enrolled in first-year classes, and transformed the landscape
of midtown Atlanta. Whether in academic distinction, student growth or reputation for research, Georgia Tech has flourished under Bud’s tenure. His vision and achieve ments will continue to leave their mark on the university and its graduates for years to come. “I’m grateful for his service to our students and the University System of Georgia, and wish him well as he embarks on his next chapter.” During his presidency, Peterson also helped lead: • The significant expansion of Georgia Tech’s presence in Tech Square along with individual “corporate innovation centers.” Since 2013, 30 corporations have established innovation centers in and around Tech Square, and several corporations have moved their world headquarters to Atlanta in part because of access to talent and technologies being developed at Georgia Tech. • The development of the collaborative relationship that has resulted in the construction of Coda in Tech Square. Slated to open in spring 2019,
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Coda is a $375 million, 750,000-squarefoot facility that includes Tech’s high-performance computing center, startups and corporations. • The surpassing of the $1.5 billion goal for Campaign Georgia Tech by 20 percent, raising a total of more than $1.8 billion in support of Georgia Tech. • The automatic acceptance and offering of four-year in-state tuition scholarships to all Atlanta Public School valedictorians and salutatorians, as part of Tech’s commitment to
arts@tech affordability and access for Georgia’s top students. • The initiation of several online master’s in science programs, increasing overall graduate student enrollment by 100 percent. Collaborations with AT&T resulted in the launch of the Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMS CS), which now has 7,500 students. So far, there have been more than 1,000 graduates of the program, counting for a remarkable 8 percent of the total master’s in science degrees in computer science completed in the United States during that time. Two other similar programs have also launched since: the Online MS in Data Analytics and the Online MS in Cybersecurity. • The enhancement of campus with the addition of the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, and the Roger A. and Helen B. Krone Engineered Biosystems Building. Projects under construction include the Coda high-performance computing building in Tech Square, library renovations, the Campus Safety building, the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the Dalney building project, the Georgia Tech Cobb Research Center, the Campus Center and the ACC Network Production Center. • The increase in Georgia Tech enrollment by 69 percent (24 percent for undergraduates and 159 percent for graduate students). At the same time, undergraduate enrollment applications have more than tripled over the past decade, and graduate applications have doubled. The number of women in the first-year class has increased from 32 to 40 percent. The University System of Georgia has appointed a presidential search committee and its activities are well underway.
Virtual Singer MAYA KODES March 29
Enjoy the Arts on Campus This Spring! Arts@Tech Season
Maya Kodes: The Virtual Singer March 29
DramaTech Presents
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
by William Shakespeare April 5-20
Georgia Tech Jazz Combos April 8
Georgia Tech Percussion Ensemble
April 10
Georgia Tech Concert Band and Symphonic Band April 14
Georgia Tech Glee Club
April 15
Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra April 16
details and more events at
arts.gatech.edu 404-894-2787
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TALK OF TECH
Tech Library Reopens in Refurbished Crosland Tower BY JASON WRIGHT
The completely renovated eight-story complex features inspirational spaces for studying and sophisticated technology. THE GEORGIA TECH LIBRARY opened its doors in January in the newly refurbished Crosland Tower, completing the first phase of the Institute’s ambitious Library Next project. The tower, closed for renovations since January 2016, features eight stories of archives, classroom, study and studio space for Tech’s students, faculty and staff. Included are spaces and technology for data visualization, high-performance computing, multimedia studies, collaboration and iterative design. “Tech’s dream of a library designed for inspiring future scholarship and learning is finally coming true,” says Catherine Murray-Rust, Tech’s dean of libraries. Over the past three years, crews removed the brick façade of Crosland Tower—originally built in 1968 to house the Institute’s rapidly growing collection of books. The building was designed to keep out sunlight harmful to the books, housing stacks on seven-foot-high, reinforced floors. But in its new iteration, Crosland Tower boasts loads of natural light and soaring, multi-floor atriums mirroring the midcentury modern architecture of the Price Gilbert Memorial Library, located next door and currently under renovation until 2020. When complete, both buildings will more than double seating capacity while cutting energy consumption by
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Randy McDow
Forget the libraries of the past: Crosland Tower now features some beautiful spots in which to study and even soak up some sun.
nearly 60 percent. The opening follows a complete overhaul of the library’s collections and business model. In 2016, nearly all of the million-volume physical collection was moved into preservation-quality storage at the Library Service Center, a $26-million facility built through a public-private partnership with Emory University. Students and faculty now request materials online for delivery the next day. The library has also adopted a number of concepts from outside of higher education, including supply-chain logistics
and customer-focused retail models, in its commitment to research and learning excellence. The ultimate goal of the project is to create the model research library of the 21st century—connected, responsive to sea changes in academic needs and dedicated to the stewardship of analog information in a digital age. In conjunction with reopening Crosland Tower, the Library recently launched a new informational website. For more information about the ongoing transformation, visit: library.gatech.edu.
MUSIC STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW GEORGIA TECH STUDENTS from the School of Music participated in the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show this winter by helping organize and set up a swarm of Intel drones. “This event was especially extraordinary because we got to work with computer scientists, engineers, and artists from Intel who, like us, see the immense value and potential in combining technology and the arts,” says Elianna Paljug, student president of the Georgia Tech Chamber Choir. Students were tasked with placing the drones used during the performance in formation by the stage.
“The event organizers told us that we were working with technology that had never been used on a live show before and that they needed people who were attentive and precise to do it,” says student Zion Martell. “This was a lifechanging experience that I’ll never forget.” The drones, created to resemble floating lanterns, formed the words “ONE” and “LOVE.” As Maroon 5 began the song “She Will Be Loved,” Intel’s computer directed the 150 drones to float up and over the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field.
About 150 of Georgia Tech’s music students participated in more than 40 hours of rehearsals, much of which included the featured artists Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi. —EVAN ATKINSON
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TALK OF TECH
What Students Can Learn from Hip-Hop
BY LAURA DIAMOND
Assistant Professor Joycelyn Wilson uses the music of Outkast, Kendrick Lamar and other artists to shed light on race and social issues.
JOYCELYN WILSON didn’t just grow up around music, she grew up around the lyrics. She wanted to know what artists were singing and why. “I remember sitting and writing the lyrics,” Wilson says. “They spoke to me. Music has been a learning space for me for a long time. It’s just in me.” Wilson’s research examines hiphop and what it says about the world we live in. A pioneer of hip-hop education as a practice, she uses it to address issues of civic engagement, race and politics and to inspire future leaders in science, technology, engineering and math. A graduate of Atlanta’s Mays High
School, Wilson is assistant professor of black media studies and an educational anthropologist in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. One of her most popular classes uses the music of Outkast, Kendrick Lamar and other artists as texts to explore larger issues. She is also the founder of the HipHop2020 Archive and Maker Space, located in the School of Literature, Media and Communication. HipHop2020 boasts a curriculum of artifacts and digital resources designed to facilitate postsecondary humanities and computational media instruction through the lens of hip-hop-inspired cultural
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practices and design aesthetics. “We’re using hip-hop as a tool to discuss societal issues,” Wilson says. “My goal is for students to think about them and consider how their decisions can help communities.” Older cousins and other family introduced Wilson to hip-hop. Her first piece of vinyl—“Rapper’s Delight” from The Sugarhill Gang—was a gift from her dad. The song is credited for taking hip-hop mainstream. “I remember transcribing ‘Rapper’s Delight’ and learning every bit of it,” she said. “It’s a long song but I wanted to experience it. Hip-hop became my escape.”
Allison Carter
INSTITUTE OFFERS A NEW PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY
She was known as the kid who had the mix tapes and would share them with friends. But Wilson never wanted to be a rapper and didn’t expect to make a career with hip-hop. She discovered this surprising path in her early 20s. She was teaching algebra at a Los Angeles high school in 1997, trying to find a way to manage the classroom and connect with her students. They knew she was from Atlanta, and Outkast was the biggest act around. So Wilson used her love of math and the popularity of the rap duo to create an engaging learning environment. That classroom experience opened her eyes to new pedagogical possibilities. She went back to school to earn a Ph.D. and wrote her dissertation on Southern hip-hop, looking at what the genre had to say about school—specifically, issues surrounding curriculum, teachers and desegregation. “Embedded in hip-hop is technological innovation,” Wilson says. “It takes something and completely turns it into something else. That’s innovation and technology.” Hip-hop’s history is based on sampling, remixing and turning the turntable into an instrument, she says. “Hip-hop is building something new. You see that at places like Georgia Tech, which has a strong liberal arts focus as well as technology,” she says. “We are building something here with our research and with our classes and with our students. We just have to show people how to do it.”
GEORGIA TECH is set to launch a new Master of Science in Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management (MSEEM) program this fall—the only graduate degree in Georgia fully dedicated to sustainability issues. The highly technical, sciencebased, and interdisciplinary program— approved by the Board of Regents in February—will prepare students to deliver fact-based policy expertise through robust analytical techniques and a deep understanding of energy and environmental issues and sustainability practices. “This professionally focused degree will allow Georgia Tech to educate the next generation of sustainability leaders in corporate, government and non-governmental organizations,” says Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs and K. Harrison Brown Family Chair. “Georgia Tech is proud to deliver innovative, affordable and top-quality education in high-demand areas such as sustainability to meet the needs of our evolving workforce.” When the program begins in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts’ School of Public Policy this coming August, MSEEM students will study topics such as sustainable energy and voluntary
environmental commitments, costbenefit analysis, utility regulation and policy, Earth systems, economics of environmental policy, big data and policy analytics, climate policy and environmental management. They also will learn analytical techniques used to estimate and evaluate sustainability metrics, be able to expertly assess the context of energy and environmental problems, and understand environmental ethics and its implications for sustainability practice. The program will combine professional instruction from the nationally ranked School of Public Policy with Georgia Tech’s world-ranked engineering, business and planning faculties to educate professionals who can lead organizations toward policies consistent with a sustainable future. Applications are being accepted through June 15 for the inaugural class of MSEEM students. For more information on the program, visit https://spp.gatech.edu/masters/ mseem. A ge n e ro u s p h i l a n t h ro p i c g i f t has enabled Georgia Tech to offer five fully funded MSEEM fellowships to the program each year for the first three years of the program. —MICHAEL PEARSON
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STUDENT NEWS
Seeing What Other Coders Don’t BY TESS MALONE
Student Aditi Shah may be blind, but that hasn’t stopped her from being a master debugger and cybersecurity sleuth. ADITI SHAH HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED that technology can change how people do things because it changed her life. At 11, Shah was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that left her blind by age 15. However, her visual impairment has not gotten in the way of studying computer science. In fact, as long as she has a computer with a screen reader on it, Shah believes she can code anything. “It doesn’t matter if you can see or not, what matters is that your code works well,” she says. Shah graduated with a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Nagindas Khandwala College and a master’s from the University of Mumbai, both located in India. She then worked in data security for five years before she decided to pursue her master’s in cybersecurity at Georgia Tech. Drawn to Tech for its research reputation, Shah wanted to study cybersecurity in an environment that encourages and inspires innovation. Shah says she’s finding a lot of inspiration from reading research papers for her classes. “After reading these research papers, you can come up
with a solution no one has thought of,” she says. “That mindset of innovation is missing in industry.” INNOVATION MINDSET Shah has to constantly innovate because of her disability. Cybersecurity requires her to be able to work on many different computing environments, not all of which are accessible. Many web-based environments, for example, include graphics that a screen reader cannot pick up or that require a mouse for operation. If a program isn’t deliberately designed to be accessible, Shah has to figure it out herself. “You need to get into the details of what it does internally and whether it can be made accessible or not,” she says of her process. “A sighted user will use the environment and forget it, but making things accessible gives me more insight into how things work.” This has made Shah a master debugger and a big part of why she was so attracted to cybersecurity. “Your mindset completely changes when you come into cybersecurity—you find holes everywhere you look,” she says. DEBUGGING FOR GOOD Since she joined Tech in fall 2018, Shah has been part of the Computing for Good team. Started 10 years ago, this College of Computing initiative develops and deploys
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sustainable computing solutions for poverty, health, inequality, environment and injustice. Currently, Shah is working on the Basic Laboratory Information System (C4G BLIS) project—a system to track patients, specimens and tests in hospital labs. The system is actively used in dozens of hospitals in Africa. Her efforts have already helped put the project on the cloud and patch security holes in the system. “She is able to pinpoint and fix bugs in poorly commented code,” says Professor Santosh Vempala, Shah’s advisor on the project. “Ironically, her disability appears to make her a clean, elegant and very effective designer and programmer.” Shah loves any good cybersecurity problem, and she got interested in BLIS because it let her use technology to help people in the same way it has benefited her. “When you have a disability, you have to succeed, otherwise all you get is sympathy,” Shah says. “I am able to do most things other people can do, and it’s only because of technology.”
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FACULTY FOCUS
New ‘Realities’ Coming to a Browser Near You BY JOSHUA PRESTON
Professor Blair MacIntyre is working with Mozilla to bring virtual and augmented worlds to your phones and wearable tech. WHEN MASS AUDIENCES SAW the very first motion pictures back in the 1890s, they were immediately entranced. Those early movie-goers had no way of knowing, however, that this infant medium would fundamentally shape the world’s culture for decades to come. A historical moment for technology not dissimilar to the advent of motion films or the creation of the Internet is coming, and Georgia Tech’s Blair MacIntyre is helping lead the way. But this time around, the experience won’t be limited to a simple screen. The movement centers on rapidly maturing 3-D technologies needed to create virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. “3-D technologies will soon immerse viewers in experiences of all kinds, from enterprise applications to games,” says MacIntyre, who serves as a professor in the School of Interactive Computing and directs the Institute’s Augmented Environments Lab. VR replaces the world with an entirely synthetic one, and is experienced most often using head-worn displays (or cheaper handheld viewers paired with smartphones) to enter
into steroescopic, 3-D worlds. AR, already available to many of us that have high-end smartphones, adds information to the world around people by mixing the video from the phone's camera with 3-D computer graphics, allowing them to see virtual objects and information in the world around them. Think you A 3-D painting created using Mozilla’s WebXR Viewer browser prototype. have never witnessed AR before? The NFL has long been using AR to display lines objects in the real world—MacIntyre that mark the yards needed for a first says it was apparent that the dedown on your TV screen. velopment environments for these MacIntyre has been creating AR technologies needed a more unified web experiences in Atlanta since 2010, approach. and led the development of Argon, an “This effort has been very imAR-based web browser. For the past portant to Mozilla and its mission two-and-a-half years, he’s been of keeping a free and open web,” working with Mozilla’s Emerging MacIntyre says. “As these techTechnology Group to prepare the nologies advance, they need to be technology for wide adoption. available for development to the As competing VR solutions and broader community.” hardware came to market—and AR Mozilla enlisted MacIntyre to help got a boost from the mobile game realize how AR would fit into the Pokémon Go showing users virtual vision for an open-sourced “mixed reality” web browser, one where both VR and AR were possible and web users could have brand new experiences. “Imagine walking into Bobby Dodd Stadium and seeing relevant information from many sources pop up on your device when you point your screen out at the field,” says
“3-D technologies will soon immerse viewers in experiences of all kinds, from enterprise applications to games,” MacIntyre says. 24 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 94 No. 142019 2018
MacIntyre. “Since everything you see is coming through the web browser, you could combine the information that’s important to you, just like you do with a web browser now. Whether it’s official game scores and stats from ESPN, social media status updates from friends watching the game, or Georgia Tech maps and information about the stadium and players, you will one day see all that content overlaid on your view of the game.” MacIntyre notes that AR will be most compelling when it uses seethrough, head-worn displays. “While technologies like Hololens and the Magic Leap ML1 are amazing, they aren’t suitable for consumers yet,” he says. “It’ll probably be some years before we see consumer-level displays you can wear all day. VR is closer— standalone VR displays are out now, like the Oculus GO, and much better
ones are coming out this year.” The result of Mozilla’s efforts to bring “mixed reality” to the web, in collaboration with the other members of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Immersive Web Working Group, came in the form of WebXR, a proposed standard for both VR and AR that would stimulate the creation of these types of content on the web through a unified environment for immersive
experiences. It’s now being reviewed by the consortium and could be adopted as early as this year. “It tackles many technical issues, including how to make VR and AR content for a frictionless experience that developers and consumers both need,” MacIntyre says. WebXR is designed to make it easy for web developers to create web applications that adapt to the capabilities of each platform, whether it’s a mobile phone, head-mounted device or desktop monitor, according to Mozilla. As for MacIntyre, it’s an exciting leg in a long journey he started almost a decade ago. “I believe the web is the best model for the future of these technologies,” he says. “I imagine that we’ll start to see them as a feature on websites, like photos or videos, and our world will be that much richer because of it.”
Blair MacIntyre is helping to develop standards for a brand new, 3D-enabled World Wide Web that willl be best viewed through high-tech display glasses.
Sheretta Danielleof Photography Courtesy SpaceX
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TECH RESEARCH
Mobile App Uses AI to Guide and Support Cancer Patients BY ELIZABETH THOMSON
Led by Professor Elizabeth Mynatt, Tech researchers developed MyPath to provide personalized help throughout the course of treatment.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is helping to guide and support some 50 breast cancer patients in rural Georgia through a novel mobile application that gives them personalized recommendations on everything from side effects to insurance. The app, called MyPath, adapts to each stage in a patient’s cancer journey. That means the information available on the app—which runs on a tablet computer—regularly changes based on each patient’s progress. For example, if you’re scheduled for surgery, MyPath will tell you what you need to know the day before you go in for the procedure. “Patients have told us, ‘It just seemed to magically know what I needed,’”
says Elizabeth Mynatt, principal investigator for the work and a distinguished professor in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. Mynatt, who also serves as the executive director of Tech’s Institute for People and Technology, believes that MyPath is the first healthcare app capable of personalization—via its application of AI—for holistic cancer care. In addition to incorporating a patient’s medical data, the app also addresses things such as a patient’s social and emotional needs. She presented the app at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the research has been sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Mynatt’s team began working with the Harbin Clinic in Rome, Ga., six years ago. “They have a tremendous program in holistic cancer care where they recognize that their patients, who are from a large rural area, face a variety of challenges to be able to successfully navigate the cancer journey,” Mynatt says. But the Harbin doctors and cancer navigators—people who help patients through the cancer journey—wanted a better way to stay connected to patients on a regular basis. The navigators, in particular, found that they tended to interact with patients a great deal at the time of diagnosis, but less frequently over time. And that meant that, although there are many recommendations for, say, lowering anxiety, they weren’t necessarily being communicated. “We wondered how technology
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could amplify what these great people are doing,” Mynatt says. MyPath begins with a mobile library of resources compiled from the American Cancer Society and other reputable organizations. Then, it is personalized with each patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan, including the dates for specific procedures. Patients also complete regular surveys that help inform the system—and caregivers—of their changing needs and symptoms. The result is a system that provides each patient with resources and suggestions specific to their personal situation. Because MyPath knows, for example, that you have Stage 2 breast cancer and will be undergoing a lumpectomy on a specific date, when you click on the category “Preparing for Surgery,” it will suggest relevant articles to prepare you for what’s ahead. Other apps—and the internet—aren’t personalized. That means you have to slog through loads of technical information that isn’t relevant. In contrast, “Every day MyPath puts the right resources at your fingertips to help you through your cancer journey,” she says. Some of MyPath’s most popular features have nothing to do directly with cancer. Buttons for “Emotional Support” and “Day to Day Matters” are regularly consulted by patients. “When we asked them how they used the tablet for healthcare, many patients would talk to us about playing Angry Birds, which they would download to distract them during chemo sessions,” Mynatt says.
Christopher Moore
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TECH RESEARCH
How the First Massive Black Holes Were Born BY JOHN TOON
THE WAY THE FIRST MASSIVE BLACK HOLES in the universe formed has long been a mystery. That was, until a research team led by Georgia Tech scientists provided a new and promising explanation for their creation. The researchers showed that when galaxies assembled rapidly—and sometimes violently—that could lead to the formation of very massive black holes. In these rare galaxies, normal star formation would be disrupted, allowing black hole formation to take over. Conclusions of the simulation-based study also found that massive black holes are much more common in the universe than previously thought. The key criteria for determining where massive black holes formed during the universe’s infancy relates to the rapid growth of pre-galactic gas clouds, says John Wise, an associate professor in the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics in Georgia Tech’s School of Physics. Early and rapid
FARM FERTILIZER ON DEMAND THE SOLUTION to a 75-year-old materials mystery might one day allow farmers in developing nations to produce their own clean, relatively cheap fertilizer on demand, using sunlight and nitrogen from the air. Thanks to a specialized X-ray source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Georgia Tech researchers have confirmed the existence of a long-hypothesized interaction
growth of dark matter halos prevented the formation of stars that would have competed with black holes for gaseous matter flowing into the area. “In this study, we have uncovered a totally new mechanism that sparks the formation of massive black holes, in particular dark matter halos,” Wise says. “Instead of just considering radiation, we need to look at how quickly the halos grow. We don’t need that much physics to understand it—just how the dark matter is distributed and how gravity will affect that. Forming a massive black hole requires being in a rare region with an intense convergence of matter.” These findings were first published in the journal Nature and were supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, the European Union and NASA. Researchers from Dublin City University, Michigan State University, University of California at San Diego, the San Diego Supercomputer Center and IBM were also key members of the team.
between nitrogen and titanium dioxide—a common photoactive material also known as titania—in the presence of light. The catalytic reaction is believed to use carbon atoms found as contaminants on the titania. If the nitrogen-fixing reaction can be scaled up, it might one day help power farmscale fertilizer production that could reduce dependence on capital-intensive production facilities and distribution systems that drive up costs for farmers in isolated areas of the world. Most of the world’s fertilizer is now made using ammonia produced by the
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TECH RESEARCHERS DEVELOP A MICRONEEDLE CONTRACEPTIVE PATCH A LONG-ACTING, self-administered contraceptive designed by Georgia Tech researchers may provide a new family planning option, particularly in developing nations where access to health care can be limited. The contraceptive would be delivered using microneedle skin-patch technology originally developed for the painless administration of vaccines. Long-acting contraceptives now available provide the highest level of effectiveness, but usually require a health care professional to inject a drug or implant a device. Short-acting techniques, on the other hand, require frequent compliance by users and therefore are often not as effective. “There is a lot of interest in providing more options for long-acting contraceptives,” says Mark Prausnitz, a Regents Professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “Our goal is for women to be able to self-administer longacting contraceptives with the microneedle patch that would be applied to the skin for five seconds just once a month.” If the microneedle contraceptive patch is ultimately approved for use, it could become the first self-administered, longacting contraceptive that does not involve a conventional needle injection. Like other long-acting contraceptive techniques, the microneedle contraceptive patch would disrupt the menstrual cycles of women using it. Because the tiny needles must remain in the skin for the time-release of the hormone,
researchers led by Georgia Tech postdoctoral research scholar Wei Li developed a mechanical technique that would allow the drug-containing microneedles to break free from the patch’s backing material. To accomplish that, the researchers molded tiny air bubbles into the top of the microneedles, creating a structural weakness. The resulting microneedles are strong enough to be pressed into the skin, but when the patch is then shifted to one side, the shear force breaks off the tiny structures in the skin. The patch backing can then be discarded. Experimental patches designed to deliver a sufficient amount of the hormone for humans have been developed, but not yet tested, notes Prausnitz, who holds the J. Erskine Love Jr. Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tech. Researchers are also studying whether a single patch could carry enough hormone to provide contraception for as long as six months. In animal testing, an experimental microneedle contraceptive patch provided a therapeutic level of contraceptive hormone for more than a month with a single application to the skin. When the patch is applied for several seconds, the microscopic needles break off and remain under the surface
Haber-Bosch process, which requires large amounts of natural gas. “In the United States, we have an excellent production and distribution system for fertilizer,” says Marta Hatzell, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. “However, many countries are not able to afford to build Haber-Bosch plants, and may not even have adequate transportation infrastructure to import fertilizers. For these regions, photocatalytic nitrogen fixation might be useful for on-demand fertilizer production.”
Hatzell and collaborator Andrew Medford, an assistant professor in Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, are working with scientists at the International Fertilizer Development Center to study the potential impacts of the reaction process. The research was reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The research began more than two years ago, when Hatzell and Medford began studying a materials mystery that originated with a 1941 paper published by Seshacharyulu Dhar, an Indian soil scientist who reported observing
of the skin, where biodegradable polymers slowly release a contraceptive drug over time. Originally designed for use in areas of the world with limited access to health care, the microneedle contraceptive could potentially provide a new family planning alternative to a broader population. The research was reported in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering and was supported by Family Health International (FHI 360), funded under a contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). —JOHN TOON
an increase in ammonia emitted from compost subjected to light. Dhar suggested that a photocatalytic reaction with minerals in the compost could be responsible for the ammonia.—JOHN TOON
Want to read more about Georgia Tech’s cutting-edge research? Sign up to receive the Institute’s monthly research e-newsletter or twice-yearly Research Horizons magazine at www.rh.gatech.edu/subscribe.
Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 29
On the Field
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JUMPING FOR JOY
On the final day of the NCAA Indoor Championships, Georgia Tech track and field star Bria Matthews earned All-American honors in the women’s triple jump. Matthews finished fifth in the nation in the event, leaping a personal-best mark of 13.5 meters (44 feet and 3.5 inches). Matthews had earlier been crowned as the ACC triple jump champion.
Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 31
Joey Bart started his pro baseball journey in the low minor leagues last year, but he got the chance to show off his stuff to the big club during 2019 Spring Training games in Arizona.
ON THE FIELD
High Prospects in the Low Minors
BY BILL CHASTAIN, IM 79
Former Tech standout player Joey Bart, Cls 19, may be the No. 1 catching prospect in Major League Baseball, but he’s already learned the road to the majors won’t be easy. THE YELLOW JACKETS are taking infield on a crisp January afternoon when Joey Bart lumbers into the stands at Russ Chandler Stadium. The hood of his black sweat suit hides his youthful face, save for the winter beard. A year earlier, Bart wore a Tech uniform while preparing for a stellar junior campaign that saw him earn ACC Player of the Year honors. Today, he works toward clearing the high bar that has been set for him in the professional ranks. The standout catcher banked a $7 million signing bonus after the San Francisco Giants made him the second overall pick of Major League Baseball’s 2018 June Amateur Draft. If Bart pans out as forecast, the money will continue to flow. The league’s website, MLB.com, ranks the 6-foot-3, 220-pound native of Buford, Ga., as baseball’s No. 1 catching prospect. Though well-heeled, Bart has not fallen for the trappings of the nouveau riche modern athlete. Gold chains, designer clothes and state-of-the-art electronics aren’t his style, though he’s smitten with the new truck he bought. He sheepishly explains, “My mom and dad have wanted to buy me a new car for a while, but I wanted to make it kind of a goal.” Bart, who loves to hunt and fish, notes that the Chevy Durham LX2500 can pull a trailer, adding, “it’s beautiful.” Given Bart’s demeanor, one can picture a Labrador accompanying him in the
©2019 S.F. Giants
“bonus” truck he’ll drive until rusted off the frame. Bart understands the new world he’s entered. Being known, he must act accordingly. “You have to watch what you’re doing now, for sure,” he says. “When you comment on things, or put things out there on social media, you should definitely review it. Not that it’s bad, but it might be wrong in someone else’s eyes, even if it’s not bad in yours. You have to be aware of who's out there and the attention you get.” Bart’s bonus ranks as the largest up-front bonus ever paid to a position player. Yet having the chance to chase his dream brought him his mostvalued reward. “Focusing on baseball only is nice for me,” Bart says. “I really like to play ball. I’m glad it’s worked out that I can focus only on baseball now. “At Tech, in order for me to come out here and play, I had to go to class and get my grades right first. But now, baseball is my only job. Whatever I need to do to not get fired, that’s what I have to do. I have to take it very personally and seriously, or else, there’s people from all
over the world who will come and take my spot.” In his first professional action last year, Bart hit .294 with 13 homers, three triples and 15 doubles over 51 games between the Rookie-level Arizona League and Class A Short Season Salem-Keizer (Keizer, Ore.). He also threw out 39 percent of attempted base-stealers. Despite his continued success at the next level, life in the low minor leagues turned out to be much different than what he experienced playing for a top NCAA program like Georgia Tech’s. “We didn’t have air conditioning in the locker room,” Bart says. “We wore old, gross shorts with no drawstring in them, so they looked goofy. Here at Tech, it’s beautiful. Great locker room. But that’s just part of going through the minor leagues from what I’ve experienced so far in Arizona and Oregon. “Arizona’s a lot nicer, but our spot in Oregon was one of those grinder-type places. I think it teaches you a lot, but it’s definitely a step down from Georgia Tech.” Competing against a higher grade of player can rattle any prospect joining
“Arizona’s a lot nicer, but our spot in Oregon was one of those grindertype places,” Bart says. “I think it teaches you a lot, but it’s definitely a step down from Georgia Tech.” Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 33
ON THE FIELD
Joey Bart gets some hitting pointers from the San Francisco Giants coaching staff in the Cactus League during 2019 Spring Training.
the professional ranks. Bart noticed the upgrade immediately. “There are definitely more talented players in the minors,” Bart says. “But there are many who are still a little raw. I faced pitchers in the Arizona and Oregon leagues who are a little more talented and the ball comes out of their hand a little bit better. They have high upside, who can throw really hard. On the other hand, in college, a pitcher might not have great stuff, but he’s learned how to get people out.” Bart is known for having a disciplined eye at the plate—a characteristic that’s often projectable for long-term success. This discipline forces opposing pitchers to throw strikes if they want Bart to swing.
Facing pitchers with better stuff, but many who struggled to find the strike zone, has adversely affected his plate discipline in his first stints in the minors. “Having pitchers throwing the ball all over the place makes it tough,” Bart says. “My chase rates were pretty high in the Northwest League. At Tech, I felt
think it will improve.” Catchers are regarded as the quarterbacks of the diamond. Accordingly, Bart calls his defense a priority. Tech coach Danny Hall allowed him to call his own pitches, which advanced his catching. And, he arrived to the professional ranks with sound mechanics, so he hasn’t had to make any radical changes. But he is working on how he receives the ball. “I used to be a catcher who stuck the ball— catch it, stick it, throw it back to the pitcher,” Bart says. “Now we’re learning through analytics and things of that sort, that moving the ball around a little bit in the zone after you catch it—sort of pitch framing, is becoming more important. The numbers show that to get more
“My chase rates were pretty high in the Northwest League,” Bart says. “At Tech, I felt like I had a good eye, and as soon as I got in pro ball, I felt like I lost it.” like I had a good eye, and as soon as I got in pro ball, I felt like I lost it. Maybe it was just because the competition was a little better. The ball moved a lot more. It was just a different game. I definitely have to work on my plate discipline. I
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©2019 S.F. Giants
RAMBLIN’ WRECKS IN PRO BASEBALL CHARLIE BLACKMON // OUTFIELD, COLORADO ROCKIES Blackmon first reached the major leagues in 2011 with the Rockies. In eight seasons, he has hit .302 with 140 home runs and 425 RBIs, scoring 601 runs and stealing 127 bases. The three-time National League All-Star won the NL batting title in 2017 when he hit .331. Bart ranks as one of Georgia Tech’s best-ever players.
strikes, you have to move it around. So that’s what I’m working on. I’ve just scratched the surface.” Bart cites baseball legend Will Clark’s voice among those he could relate to amid the many voices offering advice. The former major-league All-Star hailed from Mississippi State and the Giants picked him with the second overall pick of the 1980 draft—just like Bart. Clark, who works in the Giants’ front office, is also an avid outdoorsman, so he and Bart discussed deer hunting, too. “Mostly Clark talked about the kind of shoes that he was in being the second pick, and how he approached it,” Bart says. “Just how you listen to people and the things you take from what they say—things you need.” Bart has also long admired current Giants catcher Buster Posey. He enjoyed meeting the perennial all-star and hopes to get to know him better, even though eventually Bart hopes to one day take Posey’s job. “He’s been my favorite player for a long time,” says Bart, who noted he wouldn’t be talking up the Georgia Tech–Florida State baseball rivalry with Posey, who attended FSU. “You can’t talk smack to that guy. He’s done way too much.” Bart eventually hopes to return to Tech to finish his degree in business administration, and he allowed that being close to having his degree offers him security about his future. But for the present, his only goal is to “put my head down and go full steam.” “What the Giants want to do with me is out of my hands,” Bart says. “I’m just working as hard as I can. I’m going to try and climb the ladder as fast as I can.”
DEREK DIETRICH // INFIELD/OUTFIELD, MIAMI MARLINS Dietrich has spent six seasons in the major leagues, all with the Marlins, compiling a .254 batting average with 60 home runs and 204 RBIs in 608 games. The former Tech shortstop has shown versatility, having played second base, third base, first base, left field, right field and DH at the major league level.
BUCK FARMER // PITCHER, DETROIT TIGERS Farmer has spent all of his five major-league seasons with the Tigers. The right-hander has compiled an 8-15 record with a 5.87 ERA in 109 appearances (20 starts).
DANIEL PALKA // OUTFIELD, CHICAGO WHITE SOX Palka reached the major leagues for the first time in 2018, playing in 124 games for the White Sox. The rookie outfielder hit .240 with 27 home runs and 67 RBIs.
MATT WIETERS // CATCHER, FREE AGENT Wieters enters his 11th major-league season as a free agent. In 10 seasons spent with the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, Wieters has a .251 batting average with 135 home runs and 519 RBIs. He is a four-time All-Star and has won two Gold Gloves.
BLAKE WOOD // PITCHER, LOS ANGELES ANGELS Wood has spent parts of seven seasons in the major leagues with the Kansas City Royals, the Cleveland Indians, the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Angels, compiling a 16-16 record with a 4.47 ERA in 270 career appearances, all in relief.
CURRENT MINOR-LEAGUERS
LUKE BARD, PITCHER, MINNESOTA TWINS / JOEY BART, CATCHER, SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS / SAM CLAY, PITCHER, MINNESOTA TWINS / TREVOR CRAPORT, THIRD BASE, BALTIMORE ORIOLES / BRANDON CUMPTON, PITCHER, FREE AGENT (LAST WITH TORONTO BLUE JAYS ORGANIZATION) / JAKE ESCH, PITCHER, FREE AGENT (LAST WITH SAN DIEGO PADRES ORGANIZATION) / BRANDON GOLD, PITCHER, COLORADO ROCKIES / MATTHEW GORST, PITCHER, BOSTON RED SOX / MATTHEW GRIMES, PITCHER, BALTIMORE ORIOLES / DUSTY ISAACS, PITCHER, TORONTO BLUE JAYS / CONNOR JUSTUS, SHORTSTOP, LOS ANGELES ANGELS / DECK MCGUIRE, PITCHER, LOS ANGELES ANGELS / ARDEN PABST, CATCHER, PITTSBURGH PIRATES / RYAN PEURIFOY, OUTFIELDER, PITTSBURGH PIRATES / ZAC RYAN, PITCHER, LOS ANGELES ANGELS / MATT SKOLE, FIRST BASE, CHICAGO WHITE SOX / DANIEL SPINGOLA, OUTFIELDER, FREE AGENT (LAST WITH CHICAGO CUBS ORGANIZATION) / KYLE WREN, OUTFIELDER, CINCINNATI REDS
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ON THE FIELD
SHAQ MASON WINS SECOND SUPER BOWL RING FORMER YELLOW JACKET standout offensive lineman Shaq Mason truly enjoyed Super Bowl LIII—a game won in the trenches—as he earned his second NFL championship as a starter for the New England Patriots, playing every single offensive snap of the game.
YELLOW JACKETS’ 2019 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FEATURES 7 HOME GAMES 2019 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE AUG. 29 @ CLEMSON S E P T. 7 U S F S E P T. 1 4 T H E C I T A D E L S E P T. 2 8 @ T E M P L E O C T. 5 N O R T H C A R O L I N A O C T. 1 2 @ D U K E
O C T. N O V. N O V. N O V. N O V. N O V.
19 @ MIAMI (FLA.) 2 PITTSBURGH* 9 @ VIRGINIA 16 VIRGINIA TECH 2 1 N C S TAT E 30 GEORGIA
*HOMECOMING GAME
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2016, Georgia Tech’s football schedule includes seven home games. In addition to previously announced nonconference games versus the University of South Florida (Sept. 7), The Citadel (Sept. 14) and archrival Georgia (Nov. 30), the Yellow Jackets’ home slate also includes ACC games against North Carolina (Oct. 5), Pittsburgh (Nov. 2), Virginia Tech (Nov. 16) and N.C. State (Thursday, Nov. 21). Georgia Tech’s five-game road slate includes previously announced trips to national champion Clemson (Thurs., Aug. 29) and Temple (Sept. 28), as well as ACC contests at Duke (Oct. 12), Miami (Oct. 19) and Virginia (Nov. 9). The season opener at Clemson will be the first football game ever televised live on the ACC Network. The team’s Sept. 28 trip to Philadelphia to play Temple is notable not only because it is the first-ever matchup between the Jackets and Owls, but also matches Tech head coach Geoff Collins against the Temple team he helmed for the past two seasons. 36 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 No. 1 2019
STARTING IN 2020: ANNUAL HOME GAME AT MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM Georgia Tech athletics, AMB Sports & Entertainment and Peach Bowl Inc. have entered a partnership that will have the Yellow Jackets football team host an annual home game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium each year from 2020 through 2024.
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
N O V. 1 4 V S . N O T R E D A M E D AT E / O P P O N E N T T B A S E P T. 5 ( L A B O R D A Y ) V S . C L E M S O N – C H I C K - F I L - A KICKOFF GAME D AT E O P P O N E N T / T B A O C T. 1 9 V S . N O T R E D A M E
All five games will be included in Georgia Tech’s season-ticket packages, and seasonticket members will have priority access to preferred seating options (including premium seating), as well as parking. As an immediate benefit to Yellow Jackets fans, all 2019 Georgia Tech football season-ticket members will have priority to lower-level seats for the 2020 game versus Notre Dame.
Danny Karnik/Georgia Tech Athletics
In the World
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Ryan Donnell
GROWTH POTENTIAL
Indoor vertical farms like the one operated by Beanstalk Inc. in Springfield, Va., can provide the local food distribution chain with cheaper, closer-to-the-source produce than farms located farther out into the countryside. Tech alumnus Mike Ross, AE 14, created the startup upon realizing that this new, high-tech business might yield incredible opportunities.
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IN THE WORLD
Bringing the Farm Indoors
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BY BRIAN HUDGINS
Mike Ross, AE 14, and his brother, Jack, created Beanstalk Inc., a high-tech indoor, vertical farming company to provide food distributors with fresh produce at reduced costs and distances.
WILD WEATHER swings, troublesome trucking delays and a bunch of other variables routinely take a toll on outdoor farming operations. So why not take farming inside where nearly every little detail can be monitored and controlled? That’s exactly what the Ross brothers decided to do after talking with farmers, food distributors, restaurateurs and consumers in the greater Washington, D.C., area. “To discover how much energy and resources are spent taking a seed from farm to table, we spoke with key members of the food system,” says Mike Ross, co-founder and CEO of Springfield, Va.–based Beanstalk Inc. Like true engineers, Mike and his brother, Jack, had a solution in mind to reduce the time, effort and cost of growing and shipping fresh produce to wholesale customers: indoor vertical farms in close-by urban locations. And, of course, they did it with a robotic twist. Most vertical farms—the new, high-tech offspring of traditional greenhouses—are challenged by space and systems engineering limitations, as well as a need for cutting-edge automation. But the Ross brothers used their engineering know-how and a ton of research to develop a custom, robotic, automated growing system to cultivate lettuce, spinach and the ubiquitous kale for a wide range of clients. In 2017, the brothers applied for and received seed funding from Y Combinator—a well-known accelerator for startup companies—to try out a variety of technologies and methodologies. Beanstalk completed the
program in 2018, and leaped right in to apply what it learned to create its first vertical farm. “We focused on building a true production-scale prototype and increasing the level of automation,” Ross says. “By the end of the program, we had successfully proven that we can grow profitably at wholesale pricing.” Farm No. 1 took sprout in Springfield in a facility where growing towers soar 20 feet high to handle as many crops as possible in a relatively tight footprint. To be sure, it’s a far cry from the traditional homestead acreage we picture when we think of farming. Between the glossy floors and high ceilings, racks and racks of plants—of numerous types and on numerous tiers—bask under bright simulated sunlight. Environmental control machinery and optimal levels of CO2 help spur on growth, as do automated irrigation systems that fill each level with nutrientrich water—the bulk of which is captured and re-used—and balance it with just the right amount of fertilizer. If that weren’t enough, cloud computing enables Beanstalk to process, tune and implement control systems to maximize crop yields and consistency even from afar. To optimize the company’s impact, the Ross brothers sell produce to large food service providers who cater to universities, corporate cafeterias and public institutions. Beanstalk’s efficiency can cut down shipping distances and costs for those customers. “Don’t get me wrong, traditional outdoor farming is unbelievably productive,” Ross says. “What outdoor farmers are able to do with their land is astonishing. But they have to deal with
“We focused on building a true productionscale prototype and increasing the level of automation,” Ross says. “By the end of the program, we had successfully proven that we can grow profitably at wholesale pricing.”
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Ryan Donnell
Tech alumnus Mike Ross serves as the CEO of Beanstalk Inc., which is building robotic indoor farms to create a guaranteed safe supply of fresh produce.
IN THE WORLD
volatility they don’t have much control over—weather, logistics issues, transportation and labor market shifts. We are purely augmenting that production. But we also see it as the future of farming.” There is another industry-wide topic that brings competitors together in their pursuit of shared information: food safety. In recent years, it seems like there has been an uptick in scares such as listeria and e-coli contamination from produce that reaches grocery stores and restaurants. “Farming is a fairly competitive industry, so our peers might not share details about how their operations are run,” Ross says. “But they are very open at industry conferences when it comes to solving the big problems that need to be solved for the sake of our customers' health and well-being.” Indoor farming, with its controlled environments, has built-in advantages when it comes to minimizing the risks of contamination, and the lessons learned are being widely shared. “We belong to an indoor farming coalition for food safety, and we share ideas for best practices, even though different farmers have their own approaches on running their operations,” Ross says. Since indoor vertical farming is still in its infancy, Mike and his brother had little experience to draw upon when they dove into the industry from their original careers in software development. But Ross started his immersion into the industry with a lesson he learned at Tech: Start with a small experiment. “When we came up with this idea and saw the promise of it a few years ago, we started off with small prototypes,” Ross says. “We talked to restaurateurs and looked specifically for software (control) problems that we could fix on our side. But we found most of the volatility came
Mike Ross (right) and his brother, Jack, upgrade a computer vision robot.
from the production and transport side.” It’s no surprise that he drew upon the problem-solving skills he acquired at Tech while studying to be an aerospace engineer. He originally thought he might pursue a career in the Navy, but while he was working part-time at the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN), his boss Gary Spinner told him to keep an open mind about business opportunities. “Gary encouraged me to start a business,” Ross says. “That job fixing equipment and training people on how to use it made me think about a lot of the bigger challenges we face with energy and food—and how technology works into that picture,” he says.
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Beanstalk has provided him an avenue to pursue those challenges. And it’s a promising field. The indoor farming industry has historically been composed largely of greenhouse crop production, but today vertical indoor farms make up a healthy 30 percent of the total field, according to a 2017 Agrilyst survey. Today, Beanstalk has five employees but plans to expand and enter the Washington, D.C., market later this year. “I haven’t really worked this hard since I was at Tech,” Ross says. “The engineer you become while you are there, the problem-solving methods and first principles of a ground-up approach have given us our vision to build better farms for urban environments.”
Ryan Donnell
Beanstalk built a reconfigurable tower entirely for R&D where the company can work on new crops, technologies and control systems.
“I haven’t really worked this hard since I was at Tech,” Ross says. “The engineer you become while you are there, the problem-solving methods and first principles of a ground-up approach, have given us our vision to build better farms for urban environments.”
Beanstalk grows a variety of produce, including different varieties of lettuce.
IoT in action: A software engineer places a prototype sensor to collect data.
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IN THE WORLD
Domestic (Terminal) Bliss BY ANN HOEVEL, STC 98
Trailblazing Tech graduates add their touches on the massive project to modernize one of the busiest airports in the world— Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta— and inspire today’s students to follow in their footsteps.
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WHEN BILL STANLEY, Arch 72, and Ivenue Love-Stanley, Arch 77, arrived at the Hinman building on Georgia Tech’s campus, the deep concentration normally etched on architecture students and their professors’ faces melted into easy, excited smiles. The couple was there to speak with Georgia Tech’s chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (GT-NOMAS), but the students and faculty present would have listened to these celebrated Georgia Tech alumni read appliance instructions, given the chance. In celebration of Black History Month, GT-NOMAS gave special recognition to the Stanleys as the first African-American graduates of the Tech architecture program and trailblazers in the architecture community. Bill earned his architecture degree first, and then Ivenue followed just five years later. Bill and Ivenue went into business together in 1978. More than 40 years later, their firm—Stanley Love-Stanley P.C.—stands as one of the oldest African-American architectural practices in the South. They focus on the concept of total design and the integration of planning, socially conscious architecture and interiors. They’ve worked on a wide range projects that have made a great impact on Atlanta—notably the Olympic
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about halfway done with its ambitious project to cover its pick-up and drop-off areas with stunning canopies.
Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech (now the Campus Recreation Center), the renovation and expansion of Grady Memorial Hospital and the creation of a new sanctuary for the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. It’s no surprise, then, that this dynamic duo rolled up their sleeves with several fellow African-American Tech grads on one of their latest projects—the stunning new canopies that cover the curbside pick-up and drop-off areas at HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport’s domestic terminals. Stanley Love-Stanley, PC joined Chasm Architecture and HOK to take on the design phase of the canopy project. Along the way they worked with Franklin Rucker, CE 79, the former director of design and planning for the airport, Kofi Smith, IE 99, MBA 09, the president-CEO of the Airport Airlines Terminal Corporation, and Ralph “Ted” Phillips, Arch 93, the principal and cofounder of Synergy Development Partners. But that’s not all “Ma Tech” has to do with the airport. Ivenue and Bill's work continues a Georgia Tech architecture tradition: Nearly 50 years ago, Preston Stevens Jr., Arch 52, helped turn the airport into what it is today. Working with the firm Stevens & Wilkinson, founded by his father, Preston Stevens Sr., Cls 1919—whose architecture studies at Georgia Tech were interrupted by WWI, and another Tech grad, Flippen Burge, Arch 1919—Stevens took the first
©HOK
stab at modernizing the city’s transportation hub. Today, the Hartsfield-Jackson canopy project is more than halfway completed. In November 2018, construction on the North Terminal was finishing up, and 19 steel trusses were erected at the South Terminal. By 2021, the canopies will include 3,500 tons of steel and straddle eight lanes of traffic. The North and South terminal façades will be re-clad, and four sky bridges connecting to the upper levels of parking decks will cross the canopies. The canopies should provide great relief to travelers as they dodge Atlanta’s unpredictable weather and snarling terminal traffic, going to and from the airport. It’s clear that Bill and Ivenue, along with their fellow Yellow Jackets, have given the city of Atlanta and the world beyond a wide number of architectural treasures. The couple, in particular, have also been avid supporters of the College of Design and Georgia Tech. In fact, what they’ve given back to generations of Tech students along the way has been truly transformational. “When I was 12, I decided to become an architect,” says Candace Seda, student vice president of GT-NOMAS. “And then my dad said, ‘OK—first you need to meet Bill Stanley.’”And she did. “Bill knows everyone,” Seda says. “He told us: ‘Hard work overcomes talent. Stick with it, and find those people who can encourage you along the way.’” He readily introduced her around to key players in the field—ones he thought she needed to know—by sending them
“We believe in giving back,” Love-Stanley says. “We have to bring someone else up with us. That’s the only way that we can survive.” his personal voucher: “Tell them Bill sent you.” Ivenue is similarly iconic for African-American architecture students, Seda says. Contemporary studies show that less than one percent of registered architects are black women. To get such generous guidance from a pioneer and principal like Ivenue is an incredible gift, Seda says. “Ivenue paved the way for us in the South,” she says. “I think we both feel that we have a moral obligation to make it better,” Ivenue says. “We believe in giving back. We have to bring someone else up with us. That’s the only way that we can survive.” So the next time you go to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and you see those beautiful canopies in place, remember Ivenue and Bill and the fellow Tech grads who helped create them and so many other inspiring spaces. They certainly have made Atlanta and Georgia Tech better places to live.
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JACKET COPY
Things New and Strange, an Excerpt THINGS NEW AND STRANGE: A SOUTHERNER’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE SMITHSONIAN COLLECTIONS
BY G. WAYNE CLOUGH, CE 64, MS CE 65, HON PHD 15, PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF GEORGIA TECH AND SECRETARY EMERITUS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION The following is the introduction from a fascinating new book written by Georgia Tech President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough that chronicles a quixotic scavenger hunt he took after retiring from the Smithsonian Institution. As the first secretary of the Smithsonian born in the South, Clough was curious to see what its collections could tell him about South Georgia, where he grew up. Along the way Clough made many surprising discoveries—ranging from animal and plant specimens to cultural artifacts and works of art—that helped him better understand the region from which he came. ONE OF MY FIRST official duties as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution was to be blessed by Buddhist monks. The ceremony took place in a wooden replica of a Buddhist temple, built on the National Mall for the Smithsonian’s 2008 Folklife Festival, which featured the small Himalayan nation of Bhutan. Representing Bhutan at the festival’s opening ceremonies were Prince Jigme Dorji Wangchuck of the royal family and a group of Buddhist monks from a remote mountain monastery. When it was over, the monks told me through an interpreter that they had flown on an airplane for the first time on their trip to Washington, D.C. They said it felt like an out-ofbody experience, and as the brand-new Smithsonian secre- tary, I could relate. But my journey had begun many years before in a small town in South Georgia. Some may have wondered about my qualifications to be secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, which is the equivalent of being the CEO of a corporation. I could not blame them, because hardly anyone is fully prepared for the diverse responsibilities that come with this position. The Smithsonian is a multidisciplinary enterprise with activities in 140 countries; 19 museums and galleries plus the National Zoo; and nine research centers, including the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, which operates observatories around the world. The Smithsonian serves 30 million visitors a year and reaches about 150 million people through its television channel, magazines, websites and
social media. Not to be left out are the collections, which contain more than 154 million objects, specimens, and works of art. And this total does not include its archives and libraries, whose books, documents, recordings, videos and films number in the millions. You don’t apply to become the secretary of the Smithsonian; the job finds you, because someone believes you are the type of person who can preside over an institution that complex and historic. It helps if you like a challenge, feel that you owe a debt to your country, enjoy learning, and are prepared to devote evenings and weekends to the job. Someone believed I was such a person, and the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian agreed. I was the first secretary born below the Mason-Dixon Line. My home was the small town of Douglas, the seat of Coffee County in southeastern Georgia—far enough south to be closer to Jacksonville, Florida, than to Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. Asked where we were from, my family always said “South Georgia,” a place where the land is flat, often sandy, traversed by slow-moving rivers, and dotted with swamps. To us, North Georgia, although part of the same state, was a
“You don’t apply to become the secretary of the Smithsonian; the job finds you,” Clough says.
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different place— home to hills and mountains, fast-moving rivers, and the big city of Atlanta. My first trip through North Georgia did not come until I was 12, when we drove through that part of the state on our move to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I was amazed to see my first mountains and, in the winter, my first snowfall. When I was growing up in Douglas in the 1940s and 1950s, our schools were segregated; streets such as Grady Avenue, where I lived, were not paved; and most folks who lived on
nearby farms, including many of my relatives, had no electricity or indoor plumbing. History books in our schools referred to the Civil War as the War between the States, and a memorial to the Confederate soldier stood at the center of town. It was also a place where a young boy could immerse himself in nature—roaming the pine barrens, exploring the swamps, swimming in the rivers, camping under the stars and learning about flora and fauna through firsthand encounters. After we moved from Douglas to Chattanooga, I continued my love affair with nature, only now in the surrounding Appalachian Mountains. Geology fascinated me, and I took up spelunking: exploring the caves that were found in the limestone formations. Spelunking led to my studies in geological engineering, first at the Georgia Institute of Technology and eventually at the University of California, Berkeley, where I earned my PhD. I embarked on an academic career and was fortunate to serve as a faculty member and administrator at a number of prestigious universities. At the culmination of my academic career I returned to my undergraduate alma mater, Georgia Tech, as president. As I contemplated retirement after 14 years in that post, fate swooped in, and I was appointed secretary of the Smithsonian. Although some people scratched their heads over the amazing fortune of a small-town boy, it was actually the small town in the boy that served as the anchor throughout the unexpected experiences of a peripatetic life. As my tenure at the Smithsonian drew to a close, I thought about writing a memoir of my early years, but I realized that others had already done the “Southern childhood” book better than I ever could. However, as I thought about this idea, it became apparent how little I really knew about the place where I had spent my childhood. That’s when it struck me. I was the head of an institution with vast collections that covered natural history, pre-Columbian history, American history, art, culture and just about everything else. Why not explore the insights the Smithsonian collections could provide on the place where I grew up? Like many apparent strokes of inspiration, this one would prove to be a bit like Alice’s rabbit hole—once inside, there was no going back. The big historical events that shaped our nation barely grazed my hometown of Douglas. So, as I began my quest to learn about my boyhood home from the Smithsonian’s
collections, I worried that not much from Douglas or South Georgia had merited inclusion. But this concern showed how little I understood about where I grew up and how much the Smithsonian collections had to teach me. When I began to search the collections, I was pleased to discover more artifacts connected to South Georgia than I ever expected, and most of them had people tied to them. Usually, people entered the equation with the acquisition of an artifact. Sometimes they were Smithsonian staff who were focused on adding to the collections. But just as often they were unusual people who collected out of love, a desire to learn, a hope they could make money, or a little of all of these things. Collectors can be obsessive and may go to great lengths to find, buy, dig up or even occasionally steal what they want. The portraits, books, landscape paintings and photographs in the history and art collections also tell interesting stories about people. And once artifacts are in the collections, another group of people—curators—takes care of them, organizes them, writes books about them, or makes revelatory findings with them. The people tied to the collections become part of the stories taught by the collections. Along the way many asked about my project, and I realized that other people might want to undertake a similar search. After all, here was a means to learn about almost anything from a different point of view and an opportunity to experience the surprise and joy of seeing things in new ways. Of course, as the secretary of the Smithsonian I had access to any curator I wanted to ask for help. But I am convinced that the digitization of the collections, which is well underway and proceeding rapidly, offers everyone the opportunity to pursue their own quests through direct online access to objects and documents. The possibilities are unlimited. A recent concept in our digital world is the Internet of Things. With the development of the cloud and linked digital systems, everything and just about everybody can somehow be linked to everything and everybody else. I learned that the concept of interconnectedness is true when it comes to the Smithsonian collections, if you dig deeply enough. As the great naturalist John Muir said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” It was this idea that made me realize that my search through the collections was not about understanding what my home in South Georgia was, but rather about understanding how it came to be what it was and why.
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GEORGIA GEORGIA TECH TECH STUDENTS STUDENTS AND AND ALUMNI ALUMNI AREN’T AREN’T LIKE LIKE THOSE THOSE FROM FROM ANY ANY OTHER OTHER UNIVERSITY. UNIVERSITY. BUT BUT HOW HOW DO DO THEY THEY GET GET THAT THAT WAY? WAY? ISIS ITIT SOMETHING SOMETHING THEY’RE THEY’RE BORN BORN WITH? WITH? OR OR ISIS ITIT SOMETHING SOMETHING THE THE INSTITUTE INSTITUTE DRAWS DRAWS OUT OUT OF OF THEM? THEM? Here’s a close look at SIX SIX KEY KEY RAW RAW MATERIALS MATERIALS that students bring with them to Tech and how its world-renowned faculty, facilities and traditions shape them into true Yellow Jackets. The Institute’s overriding goal is to harness and hone these special qualities—ranging from the technical to the tenacious—so alumni can use them to full advantage as builders of our future. BY ERIN PETERSON ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLIE LAYTON 48 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 No. 1 2019
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GEORGIA TECH Provost Rafael L. Bras believes that one of the most powerful traits nurtured in the Yellow Jacket community is the desire not to shy away from challenges, but to charge straight toward them. “Georgia Tech’s programs push our students to be transformative in their thinking— not to just be problem-solvers, but to be problem-seekers,” he says. Programs designed to have clear and concrete benefits include Serve Learn Sustain, which supports students who want to work on sustainability initiatives, and the Global Change Program, which focuses on research and education linked to the environment. And
invention- and entrepreneurial-focused programs like the InVenture Prize competition and CREATE-X startup laboratory allow students to take their best ideas from vision to reality. The Georgia Tech motto of “Progress and Service” leads to exceptional contributions on an individual level as well. Director of Graduate Studies Marla Bruner says that she’s constantly wowed by the progress she sees students in graduate programs make toward solving real-world problems. In recent months, bioengineering PhD candidate Monica McNerney developed a simpler test to detect deadly zinc deficiencies, while another doctoral student, Jingting Yao, zeroed in on building a non-invasive technique to help detect
heart disease. Recent School of Public Policy alumna Jenna McGrath, PhD PP 18, published research showing that simple concrete barriers were more effective at protecting the U.S. grid infrastructure from physical attacks than high-tech alternatives. All their work is designed to help make the world safer—and the people in it healthier. “We’re intentional about bringing students with a service and progress mindset to campus and cultivating a space for them to utilize their talents,” Bruner says. “The goal is to create a community of scholars who can take the knowledge and experiences they have attained here and apply them in ways that have positive impacts on society as a whole.”
NUMBERS DON’T LIE: DRIVING RESULTS THERE ARE PLENT Y OF WAYS TO C ALCUL ATE IMPACT. BUT NO MATTER H O W Y O U ’ R E C O U N T I N G , G E O R G I A T E C H M E A S U R E S U P. With an average starting salary of $70,500 for newly minted undergraduate grads, Tech landed the #1 spot on Payscale’s annual ROI rankings.
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Patents? Georgia Tech easily cracks the TOP 100 universities worldwide for the number granted, landing at 32.
The Advanced Technology Development Center was named by Forbes as one of 12 incubators “changing the world.”
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DESPITE — AND SOME MIGHT SAY BECAUSE OF — Georgia Tech’s relentless academic demands, students have always found ways to use their innate, quirky sense of humor to deflect stress and blow off a little steam. You can count on Yellow Jackets to come up with more cleverly creative, often irreverent, ways to spend their down time. Early on, says Living History Program Director Marilyn Somers, Hon 08, students held parades and created clubs with perplexing names like “The Royal Order of the Bleeding Toe.” Somers says that “Nonsense has long been a part of life for Tech students.” While the traffic-snarling parades on Peachtree Street have since been curtailed, Somers says plenty of other recent tingedwith-absurdity traditions have taken hold. The first warm day in spring, the Campanile pool is quietly filled with plastic water toys and rubber ducks (and a few swimmers, too). The statue of beloved Dean George C. Griffin is often seen with a cap, scarf or flowers of the season in his pocket. A toy tricycle race, the Mini 500, is still held during Homecoming, with teams competing to finish between 10 and 15 laps around Peters Parking Deck. Since 1998, the Goldfellas, a group of Georgia Tech football super fans, have donned yellow wigs, paint, and glitter to cheer at every home game. And that’s just the start of the hijinks and the multitude of humorous traditions that have been passed down over the years. Tech students haven’t always kept their irreverence within campus boundaries: In 2014, when Tech’s football team played their archrival, a Tech student—Ryan Pickren, CmpE 17—hacked into the University of Georgia’s computer system to add “Get A** Kicked by GT” to its calendars. At the time, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that some called it “the greatest prank ever” between the institutions. Law enforcement officials were less enthusiastic. But the student sidestepped a felony charge in return for community service. In true Tech fashion, Pickren eventually put his considerable hacking abilities to good use—he helped United Airlines find weaknesses in its systems, then donated the 5 million miles he earned in the process to Georgia Tech student organizations.
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NUMBERS DON’T LIE: THE LEGEND OF G E O R G E P. B U R D E L L GEORGIA TECH’S MOST FAMOUS FICTIONAL STUDENT AND ALUMNUS HAS SPENT NEARLY A CENTURY GATHERING UP ACCOLADES WITHOUT EVEN EXISTING. AMONG HIS ACHIEVEMENTS: Flying 12 missions over Europe with the 8th Air Force in England
Logging more than 3,000 credit hours during the 1969 academic year (the first year Georgia Tech computerized its class registration)
Serving on the board of directors at Mad magazine for more than a decade
And in 2001, garnering 57 percent of the online vote for Time’s Person of the Year. (Editors discovered the scheme and removed Burdell from the running.) Even outside the bounds of reality, Georgia Tech students are exceptionally high achievers.
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IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, you can probably build it at Georgia Tech. College of Engineering dean Steve McLaughlin and Executive Vice President of Research Chaouki Abdallah, MS EE 82, PhD EE 88, teamed up to share insights about how Tech gives students the tools to breathe life into their cutting-edge ideas. MCLAUGHLIN: Something that sets Georgia Tech apart from other universities is our maker spaces, located in various campus locations and accessible to all students. These spaces help support the DIY mentality and hands-on education of Georgia Tech and we seek to empower students, staff and faculty to build, tinker and hack (1) their way to a brighter future. ABDALLAH: Our goal is to instill the research skills and the entrepreneurial confidence in our students through courses, student competitions and spaces for design. MCLAUGHLIN: Georgia Tech is also home to the nation’s largest undergraduate
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invention competition: the InVenture Prize (2). Nicknamed “American Idol for Nerds,” the InVenture Prize at Georgia Tech is an interdisciplinary innovation competition open to all undergraduate students and recent graduates of the Georgia Institute of Technology. A number of teams that have participated in the competition have spun their ideas off into successful companies. The InVenture Prize model has been so successful on campus that it spawned a competition among Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools, as well as a burgeoning participation from middle and high schools in Georgia the K-12 InVenture Challenge. ABDALLAH: In short, our students come to Tech with the raw material to succeed, and Tech helps them turn their potential into engineering marvels.
1. EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR USE INCLUDES MULTIPLE 3-D PRINTERS, LASER CUTTERS, WATER JETS, TUBE BENDERS, AND AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE WITH ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS.
2. THE WINNER TAKES HOME NEARLY $100,000 IN PRIZES, LEGAL AND PATENT ASSISTANCE, MENTORING AND SUPPORT.
NUMBERS DON’T LIE:
A CULTURE OF INN OVATION U.S. News & World Report ranks Tech the fourth-most innovative school in the country. VentureLab has been named the No. 2 university business incubator by UBI Index and No. 1 among early-phase university incubators.
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YELLOW JACKET INSIGHT:
ONE EXAMPLE OF A STUDENT’S GRIT
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“I’M A SECOND-GENERATION YELLOW JAC KET. MY
D A D , C R A I G C A L H O U N , G R A D U A T E D I N 19 9 2 A N D I
A R R I V E D I N T H E F A L L O F 2 015 . I ’ V E H A D M Y U P S A N D
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WHEN A YELLOW JACKET gets knocked down, you can be sure of one thing: They’ll get right back up again. Some call it tenacity, others call it grit, but it might just be the single most important trait among Tech students and alumni. To be sure, Georgia Tech was designed to be tough from the very beginning— only 20 percent of the institution’s earliest students made it three months into their academic program, let alone all the way to graduation. Former Institute President Isaac Hopkins famously had to create a probationary school on campus to help applicants adjust to the school’s grueling academics. More than a century later, those academic demands have only accelerated. One (not entirely airtight) formula applied by data company Niche ranks Georgia Tech among one of the top “colleges where students work the hardest,” besting acclaimed private universities such as Harvard, Duke and Dartmouth. Even today, students refer to commencement as “getting out” rather than “graduation”—a nod to the resolve it takes to make it through the Institute’s academic gauntlet. “Not everyone has the will and determination to stay,” says business student Cici Calhoun. “Tech challenges you, teaches you about yourself, and pushes you outside of your comfort zone. That pays off in the end.”
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DOWNS. MY THIRD YEAR, I OVERCAME MENTAL HEALTH I S S U E S , D E A LT W I T H FA M I LY M E M B E R S B A T T L I N G
C A N C E R , S T R U G G L E D A C A D E M I C A L LY A N D B A L A N C E D
THREE JOBS. I CONTEMPLATED WITHDRAWING, BUT I
F O U G H T T O S T A Y. I S O U G H T O U T G U I D A N C E A N D G A V E MY ALL TO PUSH THROUGH. LIFE HIT ME HARD, BUT
I HIT BACK HARDER. I AM CONFIDENT TO SAY I WILL ‘GET OUT’ OF THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF
T E C H N O L O G Y, M Y F O R E V E R D R E A M S C H O O L . ” C I C I C A L H O U N , C L A S S O F 2 019
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CURIOSITY
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WHETHER THEY’RE BUILDING a robot to navigate the real world or an app to navigate a virtual one, Yellow Jackets bring a host of technical skills to bear to any project. And they know that before getting there, they’ll have to build a prototype or two at first, or work tirelessly to craft flawless code. But students’ real secret weapon might be their sense of curiosity, says Raghupahthy Sivakumar, the director of the student startup lab CREATE-X. “We push founders to spend hundreds of hours with customers to understand their lives, jobs, pains and gains. We instill in them the habit of asking ‘why’ when they interact with them.” It’s not just in the lab that students’ inquisitiveness is essential. Scheller College of Business’s Jacqueline Garner, named one of the country’s best undergraduate business professors by Poets & Quants, uses a single word to describe her favorite
students—curious. “So many students come to me with ideas,” Garner says. “They’re very engaged in their own education, and that makes them a joy to be around.” Students’ desire to understand the world around them, says Sivakumar, is what leads to breakthroughs. When one CREATE-X company launched, he says, they were laser focused on creating a better version of Google Maps with augmented reality. But their deep research— including hundreds of miles of drive-alongs—led them to a surprising discovery: The foundation of their work might be better suited to support package deliveries. Now the company, LogiSight, is moving full speed ahead on solving this new problem. “This kind of adaptability is not possible without having the innate curiosity to find a genuinely important problem,” Sivakumar says.
NUMBERS DON’T LIE: GLOBAL THIRST
GEORGIA TECH STUDENTS BRING A SENSE OF CURIOSITY NOT JUST ON CAMPUS, BUT TO—AND FROM—THE WORLD. A FULL 53 PERCENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS COMPLETE AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO GRADUATION, WITH YELLOW JACKETS TRAVELING TO MORE THAN 70 COUNTRIES. AND GEORGIA TECH HAS A W O R L D O F S T U D E N T S O F I T S O W N O N C A M P U S . I N T H E 2 016 – 17 A C A D E M I C Y E A R , 4 , 7 51 U N D E R G R A D U A T E A N D G R A D U A T E S T U D E N T S H A I L E D F R O M 12 2 C O U N T R I E S .
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Rita Breen, Psy 90, MS IE 92, has been hired by Yellow Jackets for four different jobs. Now, she’s returning the favor. Breen serves as a member of the Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees, where she raises money for the Gold & White Honors Gala and interacts with students and alumni through the Women’s Alumnae Network and Dinner Jackets. Recently, she and her husband John Breen, CE 90, MS Mgt 99, funded a needs-based scholarship. ”It feels great to give back to Tech,” she says. Garrett Langley, EE 09, CEO and founder of Flock Safety and former Alumni Association trustee, believes the value of the Tech community becomes apparent over time. “Until you meet work colleagues from other schools, you don’t realize the immense impact GT has on your life,” Langley says. “In my last two companies, about half of our employees have been from Georgia Tech. We share a common path, understanding and desire to impact the world. Finding and connecting with more alumni serves the same motivating purpose.”
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firm developing 3-D solar panels on the International Space Station. We are on our third generation of scholarship recipients, and they are all incredible people. ANGELA: We love helping each generation of Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech is my home, as much as my hometown is, and the GT community is my family. I believe the strength of the Tech experience is the progress and service that the community provides, both internally and externally. Georgia Tech’s can-do culture creates Yellow Jackets that are out there to solve the world’s problems.
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COMMUNNITY
JIMMY: My alumni interaction [as a student] ranged from folks who had just graduated to ones in retirement. It was important for me to interact with people who were problem solvers, philanthropists and fun. ANGELA: I got my co-op job with Kimberly-Clark because I attended the info session and spoke with an alumnus of the Textile School. He got me an interview, which turned into the co-op job, which led to my full-time employment. JIMMY: Angela and I endowed a scholarship shortly after graduating. Our current scholar has an internship with the design
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From fostering the Tech network to providing scholarships for tomorrow’s students, Yellow Jacket couple JIMMY MITCHELL, CE 05, and ANGELA DOBSON MITCHELL, PTCH 04, share how the Georgia Tech community pays dividends for a lifetime.
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TIME AGAIN
CONSTRUCTION
Five Georgia Tech alumni share their expert views on the commercial building boom in Atlanta and beyond. BY ROGER SL AVENS
DRIVE INTO ATLANTA AND YOU CAN’T MISS IT—construction cranes soar over the landscape from West Midtown and Buckhead to the reaches of the Perimeter and well into the sprawling suburbs. Similar scenes of activity dominate urban skylines across the globe. The message is clear: The commercial building and real estate development business is flourishing, and it has been for
a few years now. Office buildings, apartment complexes, university facilities, civic structures and sports arenas are all going up at rapid speeds. Not only is Georgia Tech playing an important part of the construction surge here in Atlanta, but also several of the Institute’s top alumni find themselves at the heart of this fabrication frenzy working in a wide variety of roles.
Read on to meet five Ramblin’ Wrecks—a builder, an architect, an engineer, a developer (and teacher) and an Atlanta insider—who offered up their considerable industry experience and expertise to the Alumni Magazine. They’ll help explain some of what’s going on to those of us who are watching this commotion of construction and wondering what forces are driving it.
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THE ARCHITECT
NILES BOLTON, ARCH 68 ROLE: Chairman and CEO of Niles Bolton Associates, an architecture firm
CURRENT PROJECTS: D i s n e y I n t e r n s h i p & Tr a i n i n g P r o g r a m i n Orlando (housing center); Appalachian State University (student housing); Generation At-
THE SIGNS SEEM TO BE AROUND US—OFTEN LITERALLY. COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IS BOOMING. WHY NOW?
lanta (apartment complex); Centennial Lofts
TOMMY HOLDER: Atlanta’s recent recovery after the 2008 recession was a response to the pent-up demand for construction and the normal cyclical nature of the construction industry. Atlanta is experiencing growth in all sectors, public, private, health care, higher education, science and technology, housing, retail and office. Of course, the low-interest-rate environment has helped. Our company is experiencing similar growth across the country.
LSU Gateway Village in Baton Rouge (student
Atlanta (apartment complex)
PAST PROJECTS: housing); Ashley in Buckhead (apartment complex); Olmstead in Chamblee (apartment c o m p l e x ) ; Tr e l l i s H o u s e i n W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . (apartment complex)
GEORGIA TECH TIES: Emeritus member of the GT Foundation, member of the College of Design Advisory
NILES BOLTON: It always seems that Atlanta comes out of recessions slowly and then picks up speed as the economy improves. That is when all the advantages that we have here in Atlanta really stand out. By this I mean the relative affordability of land, housing and office space— all in a growing area with a good climate and educated work force when compared to other major cities. Atlanta appears to attract corporate relocations during these cycles and this just further spurs the growth. And this time, Georgia Tech has really served as a catalyst for all the activity going on in the Midtown area. EMMY MONTANYE: Indeed, Atlanta hesitantly emerged from the recession. As we gained confidence in selling land, buying land, lending money, negotiating contracts, designing, permitting and building, Atlanta increased momentum. Initially the banks were lending for multifamily apartments, but over time new jobs were created and other market areas began to flourish, including the sports venue industry, health care, hospitality, mixed-use, institutional, industrial, commercial office and more, all of which continue to contribute to the current boom. Atlanta continues to be an attractive place to work and live. 58 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 No. 1 2019
Board; past winner (2015) of the Alumni A s s o c i a t i o n ’s J o s e p h M a y o P e t t i t Distinguished Alumni Service Award
MICHAEL TOBIAS: Why is it happening in Atlanta? Just follow the leading indicator to construction. The population growth of Atlanta from 2017 to 2018 was 1.5 percent, according to the census. Compare it to America’s population growth of 0.7 percent over that time, the city is growing twice as fast—making Atlanta one of the fastest-growing cities in America. All those new people need to live somewhere, work somewhere, play somewhere. That’s a lot of building to support all this. RICK PORTER: While demand is certainly the primary driver of new development, one also has to recognize the impact of the regulatory infrastructure and financing availability. The lag time between concept and actual project construction and delivery is typically a minimum of a year, and a lag time of two to three years is not unusual to move from program to design to financing to
approval and finally construction. So, we see the result of several years of demand culminating with the current supply chain. Further, the current low-interest-rate environment has made investment in real estate more attractive. The increased availability of financing is a major contributor to the current activity.
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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES AND, CONVERSELY, CHALLENGES YOUR INDUSTRY AND YOUR BUSINESS FACE FOR 2019 AND THE NEAR FUTURE? WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, DO RISING LABOR AND MATERIAL COSTS PLAY IN THIS? PORTER: Creative, mixed-use environments continue
THE ENGINEER
MICHAEL TOBIAS, ME 04 ROLE: F o u n d i n g P r i n c i p a l o f N e w Yo r k E n g i n e e r s , a design and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering firm b a s e d i n N e w Yo r k C i t y
CURRENT PROJECTS: D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y ’s O f f i c e o f N e w Yo r k ; H u d s o n R i v e r P a r k Tr u s t P i e r 4 0 ( 1 . 5 m i l l i o n square feet of infrastructure upgrade); Anthology Film Archive; HANAC Affordable Passive House Complex (68 units); 193 Henry St. (Manhattan) Modular Building
PAST PROJECTS: N e w Yo r k Ya c h t C l u b ; A m p l e H i l l I c e C r e a m Factory; Hotel Gansevoort (renovation); Makerbot Manufacturing and Office Space (300,000 square feet)
GEORGIA TECH TIES: Speaker on entrepreneurship for the School of Mechanical Engineering; return to campus each year for Homecoming; currently
to create opportunity not only in major urban centers, but even in smaller, suburban areas where urban development is taking place. The primary challenge to this opportunity is the archaic regulatory infrastructure that has matured based upon segregated land uses, and looking forward, the difficulty in dislodging this fundamentally misaligned regulatory infrastructure. That being said, the last major real estate downturn severely reduced available labor and manufacturing facilities associated with development. The pricing pressure created by this reduction is challenging the production of affordable space. MONTANYE: We are all busy and there are challenges. There are plentiful investors willing to spend money, but as land prices continue to increase, many projects locally are financially threated by Atlanta’s lower rental rates—making it difficult to make the numbers work. Layered onto that is the increase in construction material prices and the increase in labor rates as the industry responds to the demand of a boom economy. The threat to the industry is a workforce that is diluted in talent and experience that compromises quality design and construction, combined with escalating construction costs that limit the potential for new projects. BOLTON: The opportunities are terrific for architects and engineers now. The problem is the shortage of trained professionals available to work during this economic expansion. During a downturn like the one that happened a decade ago, students see what’s happening and change their majors while in school or leave the industry quickly if they cannot find a good job. This effect usually lasts 10 years before universities are able to build enrollment back and graduate enough architects and engineers to replace those exiting the workforce, including retiring Baby Boomers. HOLDER: The biggest challenge has been finding the people to do the work. As Niles said, the last recession resulted in droves of people leaving the construction industry. Replacing the intellectual capital that left and finding skilled tradespeople has been challenging. My company is quite active in workforce development at a national scale—teaching, recruiting and raising awareness from grade school through high school levels to identify and create the construction workforce of the future. We are looking everywhere for talent, and many of our newer associates are coming from nontraditional sources. Meanwhile, labor and material costs have been rising steadily for over a decade in our industry. We have to constantly monitor the market to ensure we are giving our clients accurate information, to enable them to make appropriate choices to keep projects on budget. Schedules are also under stress as a result of labor and material shortages, forcing us to find new and creative
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THE DEVELOPER ways to manage our clients’ expectations. We cannot rely on past experience as an indicator of future success. The game has changed. TOBIAS: The construction industry is the final frontier for tech disruption. There’s still a lot of inefficiency and redundant work being performed—repetitive tasks that could be automated. There’s also a lot of customer dissatisfaction with the construction industry. People almost automatically assume projects will take longer then expected and cost more. What other industry has clients thinking that? There’s a big opportunity to heal these pains, not with advanced artificial intelligence, but merely simple automation. Streamlining the whole process is a big opportunity, aligning the dozens of companies needed to complete a project with competing motivations to all row in the same direction. Believe it or not, New York Engineers works best when construction material and labor costs increase. It makes our engineering design that much more valuable when we design our construction cost and time from the project entirely.
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ONE OF THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE LAIN DORMANT HAS BEEN THE PUSH TO FIX THE CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. DO YOU SEE A POSSIBILITY FOR A PICK UP IN ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA? BOLTON: We certainly need to speed up fixing our infrastructure to support the growth that Atlanta will experience—though my firm won’t be directly involved, our projects will need it. HOLDER: Infrastructure investment is a national priority. In certain segments, Holder Construction is already very active in building and re-building the nation’s information and transportation infrastructure in the form of data centers and airports. I don’t see that slowing. By necessity, addressing aging infrastructure will increase for reasons of safety, replacement and needed upgrades. Beyond that, we have traditionally not focused on horizontal construction or heavy civil work. MONTANYE: Locally speaking, Atlanta has an active infrastructure that dates way back to the turn of the 20th century. It’s old and crumbling. Recent special-purpose tax programs are providing funding for infrastructure improvements, but considerably more funding is needed to make comprehensive improvements and replacements to support the current and future upgrades of sanitary sewers, storm sewers, water lines, roads, bridges, sidewalks, transit, traffic signals and more. We have been “patching” for years, and it is time to solve some of the significant infrastructure challenges in the city and get out ahead of the growth. 60 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 No. 1 2019
RICK PORTER, ARCH 75 ROLE Professor of the Practice and Director of the Master of Real Estate Development p r o g r a m i n G e o r g i a Te c h ’s C o l l e g e o f D e sign; owner of Richport Properties
PAST DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS: O l d S u w a n e e , S t o n y c y p h e r, C i t y V i e w, C l a r k ’s G r o v e , D a v i s O a k s a n d o t h e r conservation communities with mixed-use environments throughout metro Atlanta.
GEORGIA TECH TIES: Te a c h s t u d e n t s a n d l e a d Te c h ’s f i r s t generation academic program in real-estate development
PORTER: The increased infrastructure activity will no doubt present itself in the form of public-private partnerships. While not all development firms will be positioned to participate, many will include public infrastructure within developments produced with contributions from public entities at all levels of government. The contributions will come in the form of regulatory relief, financing through public vehicles such as bonds. and operational expense reductions such as reduced property taxes. TOBIAS: Just traveling abroad, it’s very apparent to me that the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world with our infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements. There’s a big opportunity here: Has any city enjoyed less traffic over the past few years? As infrastructure complaints mount, politicians will hopefully devote more budget to construction. My company has completed some major infrastructure projects like providing emergency power for JFK Airport’s air traffic control tower. We have completed dozens of MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] engineering infrastructure projects for city, state and federal government agencies. Seeing how public projects work is eye-opening. I think there needs to be much more pressure on cost control of these projects. We’ve gotten to
the point where it just takes so long and costs so much to get these projects done that we’re at a major disadvantage compared to other countries. For example, a long time ago we built the Empire State Building in just one year, but One World Trade Center took nine years and cost over $1,000 a square foot. Compare that to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, which cost under $500 a square foot to build and has 64 more floors than One World Trade. Granted, much of the cost savings was due to bringing in thousands of migrant workers from other countries. Working three shifts of construction, 24/7, definitely speeds buildings along. Whether that’s good or bad for the country is a different story. But purely for infrastructure construction, we have to recognize almost all other countries are playing by different rules that allow them to build their
THE ATLANTA EXPERT
EMMY MONTANYE, CE 82 ROLE Principal and engineer (PE, LEED AP) at Kimley-Horn and Associates, a planning and design engineering firm
CURRENT PROJECTS: C O D A a t Te c h S q u a r e ( m i x e d - u s e o f f i c e s p a c e w i t h G e o r g i a Te c h a s m a j o r t e n a n t ) ; E m o r y W i n s h i p C a n c e r To w e r ; T h e Gulch; Norfolk Southern Headquarters
PAST PROJECTS: M e r c e d e s - B e n z S t a d i u m , S u n Tr u s t P a r k a n d the Battery; NCR Corporate Headquarters; Square on Fifth (luxury student housing)
GEORGIA TECH TIES:
infrastructure quicker and more affordably than us.
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SPEAKING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA, HOW DOES THE U.S. REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT MARKET COMPARE TO THE GLOBAL MARKET, FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW? WHAT’S HAPPENING ABROAD AS COMPARED TO HERE IN THE STATES AND VICE VERSA? HOLDER: There are many parallels. Global materials sourcing is certainly becoming more prevalent, particularly on the kinds of large-scale work in which we are involved. A large project or booming market overseas that is consuming steel or concrete capacity can quickly have an impact on domestic projects or markets. We rely on our supply network of trade contractors for their expertise to develop coping strategies to stay ahead of those impacts, and we have national procurement relationships which help us manage the efficient flow of resources. BOLTON: Anyone traveling abroad will see the growth and development that is happening all over the world. We worked in China for nearly 10 years, even before the recession, but when the U.S. market improved we were ready to focus back on the market we could best understand. PORTER: Real estate development in the U.S. is primarily delivered through a private-sector model. Ownership, concept, design, financing, construction and ownership are dominated by private entities. Much of the global market has a much larger contingent of public involvement, and hence, complicates the opportunity for participation by smaller, U.S. development firms.
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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ADVANCES IN CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU’VE SEEN BUSINESSES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN RECENT PROJECTS? HOW HAS THIS IMPACTED THE INDUSTRY? MONTANYE: Computer-aided design allows us to design in three dimensions and “marry” the site to the building model in real-time, 3-D space. This allows designers to identify conflicts and optimum routing and sizing of spaces, building systems, life safety, utilities and much more. The further benefit is that many of the building systems can be pre-fabricated off-site, including complex bends, and delivered on site for immediate installation, saving considerable time and labor efforts. For example, we recently pre-fabricated off-site and then installed onsite a complex piping system for the Georgia Tech Data Center at the new CODA complex on Tech Square.
Advisory board member for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Global Leadership Mentor; past Hyatt Distinguished Lecturer
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cost estimates using BIM software, so the design engineer gets immediate feedback about how much his design costs to build. Typically, this feedback takes months to get after the project was bid out to contractors. By that time, changing the design causes delays and is usually too late to do. So knowing the instant cost and quantities of material would be a huge benefit to the client. BOLTON: I used a drafting board when I started, and now production is all computerized. Constantly improving software and hardware has improved communication between design disciplines and construction teams, which now extends to manufacturing and production. This is changing the industry tremendously. On the design side, the software for improved visualization and virtual reality brings a whole new experience to clients during the design process and make decisions easier for them. HOLDER: Others have commented on the software, so I’ll share a different thought. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of being able to use handheld mobile devices on our sites so we can access synchronized, real-time data wirelessly. This is quite different from my early days in the field using out-of-date blueprints and trudging across job sites in the mud to get answers and information. Further, we also now use drones and laser scanning to “reality capture” thousands of points of data allowed us to verify as-built conditions on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s first-of-a-kind retractable roof. We couldn’t have done that without these kinds of new technologies coupled with the smart people and partners who know how to use them.
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SOME ONLOOKERS WORRY THERE’S A BUBBLE ABOUT TO BURST IN COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT WITH WHAT THEY SAY HAS BEEN A RUSH OF OVERBUILDING, ESPECIALLY IN URBAN SETTINGS LIKE ATLANTA. DO YOU THINK ONE IS LOOMING, OR IS THIS FEAR LARGELY UNFOUNDED? MONTANYE: The nature of the market is very intricate. There are foreign investors bringing money to Atlanta and corporations continuing to come to Atlanta, bringing new jobs and a need for housing. I think that for Atlanta to continue to grow, we need “all oars in and rowing,” which includes growth and advances in education, public safety, transit, infrastructure, healthcare, affordable housing and community programs. There will always be a downturn looming—it is just a matter of when. A sudden decline in the market could be caused by a crash in the global or national economy as well as a major collapse in infrastructure, jobs and resources. BOLTON: I do not think we have overbuilt at this point. Yes, the development and construction cranes are 62 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 No. 1 2019
concentrated and certainly much more visible right now, as different building types are being erected. High-rise, mid-rise and student housing have certainly captured a lot of attention, but in total new units, Atlanta is nowhere near its peak periods of the past, and absorption has remained strong. New hotels are being built after a long period of very little new product. We are not seeing much spec office building or any new malls being developed as retail shopping trends change. Activity will slow down from lack of labor and poor absorption as we continue to catch up with demands for new product. Loss of confidence by the consumer is what I do not want to see.
THE BUILDER
TOMMY HOLDER, IM 79 ROLE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of H o l d e r C o n s t r u c t i o n C o m p a n y, a g e n e r a l contracting firm
CURRENT PROJECTS: H a r t s f i e l d - J a c k s o n A i r p o r t We s t D e c k ; S a l t L a k e C i t y Te r m i n a l A i r p o r t E x p a n s i o n ; Emory Campus Learning Center; Arizona State University Hayden Library; Newton County Data Center
PAST PROJECTS: Apple Park Headquarters; Mercedes-Benz Stadium (joint venture); Home Depot Backyard and Georgia Dome deconstruction (joint venutre); City Springs Center; NCR Corporate Headquarters
GEORGIA TECH TIES: Member of the GT Foundation Board and Chair of the Real Estate Committee
HOLDER: If I knew the answer to this question, I would probably be better off working on Wall Street. We have to stay very focused on the market conditions that exist at the moment to ensure we are meeting the demands of our customers, while keeping an eye on the horizon and where the market is going. We stay in touch with the economic trends and forecasters and remain cautiously optimistic that growth will stay steady. Holder Construction has deliberately diversified our portfolio of projects by building types and by geographic regions, and by doing so we feel we are prepared to withstand market disruptions. PORTER: Real estate development is a cyclical business, and these cycles must be priced into the business model. Thankfully most down cycles are not as deep as the most recent one, but they will always be a component due to the lag time between concept and delivery, and the obvious fact that property does not move. The commodity of real estate developers is land in a particular location, and we must attract demand to the commodity. We can’t take the commodity to the demand. The competition in the industry is good news for consumers, but also creates the potential of too many developers pursuing the same market, or the market changing during that significant time period between concept and delivery. While developers and bankers can have short memories, the last cycle was so deep that it continues to bring some discipline to the supply chain that will not eliminate a slowdown, but seems to be reducing the chance of a significant bubble. TOBIAS: We’ve been riding the high cycle for an extended period now. Timing-wise, we are probably overdue for a downturn. However, the high period wasn’t as high as expected, so maybe it’s reasonable for its duration to be longer. Empty office and apartment spaces are the lagging indicator for a downturn. Once vacancy rates hit a time of sustained decreases, demand for the space falls and new building construction will decline quickly. That doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment. The leading indicator for the market health is design filings, which are still strong. Once this starts dipping down, a construction dip usually follows about a year later. In Atlanta population is increasing, jobs are increasing, for now everything is looking OK. I do predict in a year or so we’ll start to see a softening in the construction market. It starts at the high end—the luxury high-rise condo market always seems to soften first— then moves to market-rate residential and commercial spaces, while smaller renovation projects are minimally affected. When this happens, planning that new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility may get cancelled or postponed, but the office space reconfiguration,
Q
or HVAC boiler and chiller replacements, will continue through a recession. WHAT SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY THAT MOST PEOPLE LIKELY DON’T? PORTER: Real estate development is one of the most regulated activities in the U.S. while being perceived as “out of control.” Development necessarily introduces change in a community that might appear unregulated, but the vast majority of development is, to the detriment of creativity, driven by regulatory compliance. Introducing the next generation of land-use delivery will demand the next generation of regulatory infrastructure that does not yet exist.
“
BOLTON: Affordability is something that everyone talks about. The truth is changing codes, regulations and fees continue to be the largest burden on new development, not the cost of materials.
NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT LEADERSHIP AND VISION. - EMMY MONTANYE
MONTANYE: Nothing happens without leadership and vision. Jobs are the main building block, followed by land prices, financial lending, construction material costs and labor costs. Critical to our industry’s success are the people committed to creating exciting places like Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Atlanta BeltLine, the CODA building at Georgia Tech, Ponce City Market and more. TOBIAS: Construction seems like an easy, sexy thing to do, from the outside. People are in the buildings and homes we create every day of their lives and naturally start thinking, “Hey, I could build a home or space like this—it would be simple.” This can’t be further from the truth. They don’t understand that construction is one of the most risky businesses, and notoriously litigious. In addition, the stakes are very high: Almost nothing is as expensive as construction. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of husbands and wives building their dream home and by the time it’s completed, they’ve divorced. For a project to go smoothly it requires a strong, experienced leader who can lead dozens of Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 63
design professionals, real estate brokers, lawyers, general contractors and subcontractors. All these parties have underlying competing interests and you need to make everyone play nice to get the project done. Over a twoyear construction project timeline, there will be many ups and downs. A very clear budget and schedule must be set on day one, and tracked weekly. Clear communication channels must be set. Weekly meeting rhythms with the whole project team is the heartbeat that keeps the project forging ahead, blasting through obstacles. Forcing this type of c o l l a b o ra t i o n and communication among a dozen companies that just met is critical. Your success depends on how well you can manage all this and avoid i nte r n a l co n flict. When your team is in conf l ic t , t h e o n ly loser is you. My words of advice: If you want to enter this arena, you better understand what you’re getting into.
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I LOOK FORWARD T O O N E DAY THROWING A HANDFUL OF YELLOW J A C K E T - S I Z E D DRONES OUT MY OFFICE WINDOW.
HOLDER: M o s t people do not understand that construction is a professional service business. We ove rs e e skilled labor and manage safety, real-life issues, weather, trade - MICHAEL TOBIAS contractors, and budget and schedule as a matter of course. But the degree of uncertainty, risk management, design assist, and management and collaboration with our owners and design partners is largely unknown. Owners are
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busy coping with their company challenges and rely on us to perform. Design partners are ever challenged to respond to tighter schedules, lower fees and more regulations. They benefit from the help of partners like us who manage schedules and budgets. We work hard to provide that help in sensitive, respectful ways, appreciative of good design, and to dispel the old contractor stereotypes. For us, it’s all about collaboration, service and teamwork.
Q
IF YOU COULD PREDICT SOMETHING THAT WILL TAKE YOUR INDUSTRY BY STORM IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? PORTER: Building urban environments in traditional suburban locations—and it’s already taking hold. These new developments will offer all the amenities of urban areas such as walkability and mixed use with less congestion and better community infrastructure. MONTANYE: I do not know exactly what it is, but I think it will be about mobility options and better managing our peak traffic demands to tolerate further growth—potentially a combination of transit, rideshare, autonomous vehicles, small aircraft, a change in trucking and freight transport, changes in school and job schedules and other ways to optimize capacity and options. Maybe we stop building dedicated parking decks and transition to common area mobility hubs that allow people to arrive from multiple modes of transportation, park if needed and then travel a short distance by foot, scooter, bike or other non-automobile option. TOBIAS: It’s hard to predict any new technology or practice that will suddenly and unexpectedly revolutionize the industry. After all, adoption of anything new is painfully slow in the construction industry. Revit, the leader in BIM software, was released in 2000, and 19 years later, it’s still not the predominate design tool. AutoCAD was released in 1982, and it overtook paper hand drawings in about 10 years. If I had to point to one thing, modular building is likely the big item that is starting to gain popularity. But the construction cost savings are barely present now compared to site-built buildings. The company that really figures modular building out and scales it to a point where materials can be bought in bulk for multiple projects will be a game changer. I think this is 10 years out. Drone surveys are starting but only for exterior pipelines and cool marketing videos. I look forward to one day throwing a handful of yellow jacket-sized drones out my office window to autonomously survey interiors of construction sites nearby, but that’s probably 20 years away.
The Return of an Icon In 1865, Civil War veterans George and Joe O’Bryan had an idea - repurpose army tent material to make work pants. The canvas cloth, known as “duck,” served as inspiration for their company trademark. Over a century later, Duck Head was “discovered” by brand savvy college students who began wearing Duck Head chinos to class, football games, spring break, even church. By 1990, the gold mallard became a symbol of southern sensibility from Austin to Nantucket. Today’s Duck Head remains true to its humble roots. We invite you to welcome back this American icon and join the revival.
www.DuckHead.com Use code GATECH for free shipping on all orders at www.DuckHead.com.
the
FINE ART 90
o
90
o
of Architectural Rendering
Clark Smith, Arch 79, uses hand-drawn illustrations and emotion-provoking paintings—rather than digitized designs—to bring architectural projects to life for a prestigious list of clients.
story by KRISTIN BAIRD RATTINI
artwork by CLARK SMITH 66 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | Volume 95 No. 1 2019
Sectional view of luxury residential development in Moscow, Russia. Project: Moscow Noble Row, Ralph Lauren Co., Gregory Tuck Architect, Foley & Cox Interiors and Konstantin Akimov APDevelopment.
f
FOR MOST PEOPLE, “watching paint dry” is shorthand for an incredibly boring task. Not so for architectural renderer Clark Smith, Arch 79, who still finds a thrill in watching his layers of expertly applied watercolors coalesce into their final shades and forms. “It’s exhilarating to see a picture come together as I had envisioned,” Smith says. In a field dominated by photo-realistic digital renderings, Smith’s hand-rendered illustrations of high-end homes and commercial properties, including several Ralph Lauren flagship stores worldwide, attest to the timeless artistry and appeal of this oldschool, traditional technique. “Digital renderings can have a sense of finality to them,” he says. “But hand renderings, especially in watercolor, are a little looser, more abstract, to convey to the client that this is a design in progress. They’re softer, and people respond to that artistic element.” A self-taught artist, Smith started sketching as a hobby while establishing his career as a licensed architect in New York City in the 1980s. “I didn’t have a camera, so I started carrying a sketch book everywhere,” he says. “It quickly turned into a passion; I wanted to record everything I could see.” When his sketches came to the attention of the partners at his architecture firm, Hardy Holzman & Pfeiffer Associates, he was asked to create several renderings of the firm’s projects. Smith hung out his shingle as an independent renderer in 1992. While he sometimes works in graphite and colored pencil, watercolor is his preferred medium. “It’s a mosaic of a thousand marks and layers of colors,” he says. A complex, highly detailed watercolor typically takes a week to produce, and costs between $3,000 and $5,000. While he admits that some small firms blanch at the price, the large firms that have become his repeat clients appreciate a rendering’s value and keep the bright fluorescent lights burning late into the night in Smith’s home studio in Sharon, Conn. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” Smith says. “A rendering communicates to the architect that they are on the right
A S T E P - B Y- S T E P E X A M I N AT I O N O F THE HAND-RENDERING PROCESS: Project: The Ringling Museum of Art, Jeff Daley Design and Florida State University
Step 1: CAD perspective wireframe created after review of the project.
Step 2: Detail overlay sketched accurately by hand on tracing paper.
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Final Step: The hand-painted watercolor rendering is created after the architect approves the detail of the final line drawing.
path, and it showcases the project for the architect’s client. It is a very valuable part of the architectural design process.” The rendering process always begins with a CAD perspective wireframe of the structure, which Smith prefers to create himself. “It helps me become very familiar with the architecture,” he says. “I’m seeing every corner of the structure and deciding which design features I want to show in the rendering. It all helps determine which view angle will show this building to its best advantage.” Smith next adds the landscape overlay for exteriors or detail overlay for interiors. He selects the location and transparency of landscape features—plants, people, pools, etc.—that will put the building into its proper context. “I have to strike a balance between showing enough of the
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“ D I G I TA L R E N D E R I N G S C A N H AV E A S E N S E O F F I N A L I T Y
TO T H E M , ” S M I T H S AY S . “ BU T HAND RENDERINGS,
E S P E C I A L LY I N WAT E R C O L OR, ARE A LITTLE LOOSER, M O R E A B S T R A C T, TO C O N V E Y
TO T H E C L I E N T T H AT T H I S IS A DESIGN IN PROGRESS. THEY’RE SOFTER, AND PEOPLE R E S P O N D TO T H AT A RT I S T I C E L E M E N T. ” Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 69
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Site plan for a large development community in Aspen, Colo., showing both residential and commercial buildings. Project: Aspen Highlands, Robert AM Stern Architects, Dennis Wedlick Architects and Gerald Hines Co.
landscape that makes the site so beautiful,” he says, “while at the same time not obscuring the building.” Just as PBS painter Bob Ross had his “happy little trees,” Smith confesses to a fondness for foliage. “I love this step because you are finally putting the building on a specific site,” he says. “That site is often distinctive, with live oak trees or evergreens or tropical plants specific to a certain part of the U.S. or the world.” In his early days, Smith amassed thick botanical reference volumes in order to render landscapes with such specificity. But now, a click of his internet browser conjures up countless plant photos. If the project involves landscape architects, Smith contacts them for a checklist of plantings. For one particular project, though, Smith went one step further. “I was working on a new building in the Southeast, which had four ancient live oak trees covered in Spanish moss,” he says. “The
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“A P I C T U R E I S WO RT H A T H O U S A N D WO R D S , ”
S M I T H S AY S . “A R E N D E R I N G
C O M M U N I C AT E S TO T H E
A R C H I T E C T T H AT T H E Y A R E O N T H E R I G H T PAT H , A N D I T S H O WC A S E S T H E P R O J E C T FOR THE ARCHITECT’S C L I E N T. I T I S A V E RY VA L UA B L E PA RT O F T H E ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROCESS.”
View of a restaurant at the Tokyo Disney Hotel at dusk, showcasing the unique interior lighting and colorful patterns. Project: Tokyo Disney Hotel, Robert AM Stern Architects and The Walt Disney Co.
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architect really wanted me to get the moss right, so he sent me a sample. It was a color study unlike anything I have ever done.” For a project’s final line drawing, Smith painstakingly traces all of the details of the wireframe plus the landscape or detail overlay onto watercolor paper. He uses a thin adhesive sheet to dry mount the tracing onto rigid foam board. “It’s a meticulous process,” he says. “The watercolor paper is thin, and the adhesive is very sticky, so you have to be very careful. One air bubble could force me to start all over.” Once Smith begins applying watercolors, it’s a race to the finish. “It usually takes 18 to 30 hours to complete the watercoloring process, depending on the complexity of the view,” Smith explains. “You can’t make any false moves;
ABOUT THE A RT I S T Clark Smith, Arch 79, has created hundreds of these stunning, artful renderings from his studio in Sharon, Conn.
every second counts.” He reserves some details—clouds, skies, foliage—to be completed during daylight hours, when natural light pours in through his studio’s oversized north-facing windows—the same bright sunlight he relishes capturing in his renderings. “I love portraying buildings at high noon, in full sun,” he says. “All the details are given full exposure, and the shadows add depth. The painting becomes three-dimensional in appearance.” From a palette of 10 colors—two each of blue, green, red and yellow plus black and white—Smith blends myriad shades of shadow and light, bricks and mortar, earth and sky. “Coming from an architectural background, I take the details of a rendering very seriously—the patterns, the textures, the fabrics,” he says. “Those are the things
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that make a building beautiful in the end and that make a rendering sing.” Architect Allan Shope loves Smith’s tune. He has worked with Smith on multiple projects, including the Spanish moss estate. “Clark tends to draw how a building feels, rather than what he thinks it looks like,” Shope says. “He thinks of color and form and light as symphonic, while other renderers see them as independent discussions that have little relationship to one another.” As the last layer dries on a project, Smith creates a swatch sheet. On an 11x14 sheet of watercolor paper, he catalogs the project’s pigment mixes—the notes in his symphony. They will likely sing again, perhaps in an encore performance for the same client or as part of an entirely new composition of color, form and light.
(TOP) Aspen Highlands: This perspective shows the landscape and the transition from private homes to commercial buildings. (LEFT) Georgia Sustainable Estate: Dining and living room pavilion at dusk, showcasing glass walls. Allan Shope Architect. (RIGHT) Bahamas Estate Conceptual Design: Fireplace terrace against the setting of the Caribbean Sea. Allan Shope Architect.
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Alumni House
HONORING TECH’S FINEST Alumni, students, faculty and friends gathered at the annual Gold & White Honors Gala on Feb. 21. Together, they raised money for the Alumni Association’s award-winning student programs while recognizing seven Ramblin’ Wrecks with the Association’s highest awards.
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Picture This! Photography
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ALUMNI HOUSE
Answering the Call: Roll Call 101 BY ROGER SLAVENS
Today’s students benefit greatly from the unrestricted gifts of Ramblin’ Wreck alumni. Here’s how one of Tech’s greatest traditions—paying it forward—works. inspections may of Ramblin’ Wrecks who have donated spring to mind for to Roll Call annually since they’ve “gotmany of us—scenes ten out” of Tech. Believe it or not, some from wartime movhave even topped 70 years of continies where grizzled uous giving. Alumni often “buy back” drill instructors size years that they skipped so they can up a batch of new reclaim the honor. cruits. Or the distant The Tech faithful are so proud of the memories of teachers Institute and all it does, they give back checking daily class at a higher rate of participation than attendance, a la Ben alumni from nearly every other pubStein’s character dronlic university in the country. And they ing “Bueller? Bueller?” understand that their gifts increase over and over in the the value of every Tech degree—the classic John Hughes degrees already earned and the ones comedy. to come. After all, the Institute’s conB u t a t G e o r g i a tinued and sustained success reflects PHOTOS BY KAYLINN GILSTRAP, DAVID WOOLFALL AND NATHAN HIRSCH Tech, Roll Call signion all Yellow Jackets, past and present. fies something of far The Georgia Tech Alumni Associagreater importance. tion is the engine that drives Roll Call. And not just because Unlike most alumni groups, it doesn’t we capitalize it. It’s charge you yearly dues to join. As you probably first learned at graduation, the name of one of the all alumni are automatically members. Institute’s greatest What’s more, the Association provides traditions. its members with a lot of free benefits, S i n c e 1 9 47, R o l l no matter if you give to Roll Call or not. Call—Georgia Tech’s For example, you receive two issues Fund for Excellence— of this magazine annually—though has been the primary Roll Call donors receive four—and all way for alumni to give alumni are welcome at a number of back to their alma mafree events like the Ramblin’ Wreck ter every year, while Rally Homecoming Tailgate on campaying it forward to pus and Alumni Network festivities IN EVERYDAY LIFE, the term “roll call” new generations of Yellow Jacket stuworldwide. has a very straightforward meandents. It’s a source of great pride for The money alumni give to Roll Call ing—it’s a process to check to see who the Institute and for the alumni who doesn’t pay for the costs to run the is present or participating. Military regularly give. There’s a special group
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MEASURING ROLL CALL’S IMPACT ONE STUDENT AT A TIME STILL NOT SURE ABOUT HOW ROLL CALL MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO GEORGIA TECH? CURRENT STUDENTS ARE MORE THAN EXCITED—AND HONORED—TO TELL YOU HOW ALUMNI GIVING HAS MADE A HUGE IMPACT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES AND TO THANK DONORS FOR PAYING IT FORWARD. Association. All of it—every dollar— goes to Georgia Tech in the form of unrestricted funds for top priority projects and student needs. These include: • Millions of dollars in merit and need-based scholarships for students; • Groundbreaking research that can save lives and improve our world; • World-class faculty, instruction and curriculum; and • The development of innovative campus buildings such as Technology Square, the Campus Recreation Center and the Biltmore. Giving generously to Roll Call definitely has its perks. Achieve special donor levels and you’ll get exclusive invites to events like the annual black-tie President’s Dinner or the Leadership Tailgates held before every Yellow Jackets football home game (right across the street from Bobby Dodd Stadium, to boot). And to dispel a popular myth: Donating isn’t just for older, more established alumni. Just ask Weatherly Langsett, BA 17. “After getting out a few years ago, I felt compelled to give to Tech at the Leadership Circle level because of the tradition of giving started by our strong alumni community and my desire to increase the presence and voice of young alumni in defining the future of Georgia Tech,” Langsett says. “During my time at Georgia Tech the alumni I met shared a contagious passion about giving back to the Institute. Because those alumni invested in my growth and opportunities, I wanted to do the same for future students. I also believe that young alumni have a unique perspective on the direction of the Institute and giving at the Leadership Level demonstrates a desire to shape where Georgia Tech is heading.”
Kaylinn Gilstrap
NAOMI O’HALLORAN
5TH YEAR, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MAJOR, FRENCH MINOR, ATLANTA, GA., DEAN’S SCHOLAR “Looking back on my time at Georgia Tech, I’ve been so fortunate to have experienced so many exciting opportunities and I can honestly say it wouldn’t have been possible without my Georgia Tech scholarship and alumni support. Coming to Georgia Tech and receiving this scholarship has not only provided me a wonderful education, but it has helped me grow outside of the classroom in ways I couldn’t have even imagined. I give thanks to alumni for their generosity and continued support of Tech and students like me by ensuring that we grow not only as young adults in the classroom but well beyond.”
HARSHA SRIDHAR
4TH YEAR, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DOUBLE MAJOR, JOHNS CREEK, GA., IVAN ALLEN COLLEGE GOLD SCHOLAR “A scholarship offer was one of the factors that led me to choose Tech, and every conversation I’ve had with an alumnus, friendship I’ve made and course I’ve taken reminds me that I made the right decision. The generosity of Tech donors has allowed me to extend my undergraduate education an extra semester to fit a second major without financial sacrifice; they inspire me to give back after I graduate.”
ANNA ROMANOV
3RD YEAR, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR, TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT MINOR, ROSWELL, GA., STAMPS SCHOLAR “My experience as a Stamps President’s Scholar has enriched my time at Georgia Tech in more ways than I could have imagined. Besides finding my best friends and role models in the Stamps program, I also gained mentorship from incredible faculty. I would like to thank all the Roll Call donors for making this experience a reality for me and other students at Georgia Tech.”
MEGHAN POLLARD
4TH YEAR, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR, ISYE MINOR, CLIFTON, VA., STAMPS SCHOLAR “Receiving the Stamps President’s Scholarship has truly opened doors for me. I have been able to dedicate myself fully to my studies and career development thanks to alumni support. I was able to study abroad at Georgia Tech Lorraine, attend leading health conferences, work at phenomenal companies, and increase my involvement on campus beyond what I could have ever imagined. I am thankful for this scholarship and for the support of Tech’s alumni in helping me get the most out of my college experience.”
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ALUMNI TRAVEL
Excursion Expertise
BY MELISSA FRALICK
Here’s some adventure advice from Georgia Tech’s Martin Ludwig, one of the top professionals in the alumni travel industry. IS ADVENTURE CALLING YOUR NAME? If you’d like to see the world, but don’t know where to begin with the overwhelming number of options out there, consider traveling with Georgia Tech. Each year, Georgia Tech’s tour schedule is carefully curated by Senior Director of Travel Martin Ludwig, an expert in the industry with nearly 20 years of experience. Ludwig took the helm of the Georgia Tech Alumni Travel Program in 2001. At the time, there were just eight tour options and around 100 travelers. Since then, Ludwig has grown the program to include 45 journeys and more than 600 traveling alumni and friends of Tech. He’s also a respected leader in the educational travel industry. In 2009, Ludwig founded the Southeast Travel Planners Meeting, which brings together representatives from nearly 40 universities to share ideas and best practices. He’s also helped other alumni associations start travel programs of their own. So when you travel with Georgia Tech, you can rest assured that you are in good hands. The Georgia Tech Travel Program partners with top tour operators to offer a variety of journeys on every continent—Yes, there’s even a trip to Antarctica coming up in 2020! It’s no surprise that by this point, Ludwig—who has visited more than 75 countries and territories— has
amassed a wealth of information, advice and know-how about getting the most out of your vacation, whether it’s a sun-drenched Mediterranean cruise or the icy beauty of Alaska that you’re after. The Alumni Magazine sat down with Ludwig to hear his advice on what to think about as you prepare for your next adventure. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE SELECTING A TRIP? It may seem obvious, but the most important factor in selecting a trip is the destination. You have to choose a destination that you are excited about visiting. Think about landscapes, cultures or special events that truly interest you, rather than relying on recommendations from friends or travel agents.
Q
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU RECOMMEND STARTING TO PLAN A TRIP? I recommend starting to plan a trip approximately 10 to 12 months out. Certain stateroom categories on cruises tend to sell out quickly, so it’s important to book early to get the space that you want. Many tour companies also offer discounts to guests who book early.
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WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET TO THINK ABOUT WHEN RESEARCHING A TRIP? One of the most common things that people overlook is the physical
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difficulty of a tour. Some of our tours require a certain level of mobility, which most guests can handle. However, some guests with limited mobility may find that the amount of walking incorporated on some trips can be too much. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE TRIPS OR EXPERIENCES YOU’VE HAD ON YOUR JOURNEYS WITH THE GEORGIA TECH TRAVEL PROGRAM? I know this may sound cliché, but I have actually enjoyed each and every trip that I have hosted. It’s hard to pick one destination because they are all so unique and different. I really enjoy interacting with our guests and the local people who we come in contact with during a tour. Whether on a safari in Africa or an island in the Galapagos, getting to see wildlife up close is always a spectacular experience.
Q
DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES OR ANECDOTES THAT ILLUSTRATE WHY TRAVELING WITH A GROUP FROM GEORGIA TECH IS SPECIAL? I think what makes traveling with a Georgia Tech group so special is the common bond of Tech that the guests bring to the tour. One example of this I witnessed was on a trip through the Panama Canal with a group of Tech engineers. Listening to them talk about the locks system and how this marvel of engineering was built brought together a group of alumni who didn’t all necessarily attend Tech at the same time.
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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HALLMARKS OF AN ALUMNI TRIP THAT DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM OTHER TOURS? The Yellow Jacket camaraderie makes traveling with Tech a unique experience rather than just going on your own. We make an effort to bring the group together both on and off excursions. Our tours also have an educational component to them, so guests can choose to attend a lecture on the destination we’re visiting or a topic that relates to the area.
Q
Q
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR TRIPS? Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in domestic travel. Our Thanksgiving trip to New York City to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and our Great Lakes Cruise both did well in 2018. Internationally, tours to Italy are always in demand. In 2019, our trips to Normandy to honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day have been a popular choice for Tech travelers. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TYPICALLY ON A GEORGIA TECH TRAVEL TOUR? The number of GT alumni and friends on a typical Tech tour can range from four to 50 or even more. Typically, our tours will have between 15 and 25 Georgia Tech guests and we share many of our tours with alumni and friends from other universities. Once we get 15 guests on a tour, we send a Georgia Tech Alumni Association staff host. The staff host is an important part of fostering the camaraderie of the group and puts the GT stamp on the trip. The Georgia Tech host will assist the tour director in looking after the group and will organize gatherings during the tour to bring the Tech guests together.
Q
BY THE NUMBERS: TECH ALUMNI TRAVEL IN 2018
GEORGIA TECH TRAVELERS:
602
TOURS OFFERED:
48
COUNTRIES VISITED:
53
CONTINENTS TOUCHED:
6
RETURN TECH TRAVELERS:
55%
TECH TRAVELERS WHO GAVE TO ROLL CALL:
69%
TOP TRAVEL MAJORS: MANAGEMENT & INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CIVIL ENGINEERING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
TOP REQUESTED TOUR BROCHURES:
EXPLORING AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS ISLE OF ENCHANTMENT OCEANIA CRUISE THE MAJESTIC GREAT LAKES THANKSGIVING IN NEW YORK
Ready to Travel? Call Senior Director of Alumni Travel Martin Ludwig at (404) 894-0758. You can also email him at travel@gtalumni.org or check out the Georgia Tech Alumni Association website at www.gtalumni.org/travel throughout the year. The tours and dates listed online are subject to change and revision. Alternate dates may be available on some programs and additional tours may be added. If you do not see the tour of your choice on the list, please contact us.
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ALUMNI EVENTS
Save These Dates
APRIL 13
APRIL 18
JUNE 22
SEPT. 7
OCT. 31–NOV. 2
Join fellow Yellow Jackets for a morning run on campus and take part in one of Atlanta’s longest continually held 5ks. It’s a great way to get in shape and give back to Tech—a portion of each registration benefits Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence.
This massive graduation bash hosted by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association helps seniors celebrate the transition from students to alumni with an evening of food, games and fireworks on the field at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
As a thank you to Tech’s most generous donors, the President’s Dinner Celebrating Roll Call brings together highprofile alumni and friends of the Institute for an elegant evening of dinner and dancing alongside Georgia Tech’s president.
Welcome the 2019 football season at Bobby Dodd Stadium as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets take on the University of South Florida Bulls. It will mark the first home game for new Head Coach Geoff Collins.
Reconnect with old friends and make some news ones during Homecoming. Make plans to come back to Georgia Tech for a full weekend of events: campus tours, engaging speakers, milestone reunion parties and, of course, football.
47TH ANNUAL PI MILE ROAD RACE
RAMBLIN’ ON CELEBRATION
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PRESIDENT’S DINNER
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HOMECOMING AND REUNION WEEKEND
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RAMBLIN’ ROLL
Irwin Retires as President-CEO of Georgia Tech Alumni Association
FOLLOWING NEARLY TWO DECADES at the helm of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Joe Irwin, IM 80, retired as President-CEO this February. “Under Joe’s direction, Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence, has raised more than $100 million in unrestricted dollars for Georgia Tech,” says Bird Blitch, IE 97, chair of the
Alumni Association Board of Trustees. “This impact can be felt by countless students who have attended Georgia Tech on a scholarship, and it can be seen in the many state-of-theart campus facilities and world-class programs found at Tech,” Blitch says. “Joe’s impact will be felt for years to come as he leaves a Georgia Tech that has become a top-10 public research university. He will be missed, and we celebrate his countless accomplishments.” Irwin graduated in 1980 with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management and did graduate work at the University of North Texas. Prior to his role at the Alumni Association, he was president of the JERZEES Division of Russell Corporation, an apparel manufacturing and marketing company. During Irwin’s tenure, the number of Georgia Tech alumni increased from 90,000 to more than 163,000. “Joe has been driven by a passion to
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advance Georgia Tech,” says Institute President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “He has worked diligently to strengthen the Institute’s connection to its alumni and build support for its mission.” Irwin is a former president of the Council of Alumni Association Executives, a group of the nation’s leading alumni associations; a former commissioner on the Alumni Relations Commission of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE); and a member of the Self-Governed Alumni Forum (SGAF). “The opportunity to serve Georgia Tech and its alumni for the past 19 years has been the highlight of my career,” Irwin says. “We have seen amazing growth during this time, and I am proud to have represented our incredible alumni. It is my honor to have been part of the trajectory that has characterized Georgia Tech under the direction of two great presidents in Wayne Clough and Bud Peterson.” Bill Todd, IM 71, current professor of the practice in the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business, will serve as interim President and CEO of the Alumni Association while a national search is conducted. Todd is also a former chair of the Alumni Association board. The President and CEO is responsible for general supervision and oversight of all operations and personnel reporting directly to the Association’s executive committee.
BOYD PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL TINA BOYD, MBA 00, chief of staff of the 335th Signal Command (Theater) in Atlanta, was promoted to Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserve. Boyd held her promotion and pinning ceremony at Georgia Tech’s Wenn Student Center on Jan. 13. The U.S. Military Academy graduate moved to Atlanta in 1998 after leaving active duty to begin her MBA at Georgia Tech and her initial Army Reserve assignment with Third Army at Fort McPherson. “Unquestionably, my decision to attend business school at Georgia Tech was critical to my trajectory, not only in my military career but in my civilian professional career. It provided me with the resources, business acumen, and relationships that complemented my technical background and enhanced my niche capability to deliver innovation in both my military and civilian careers,” Boyd says. The ceremony was opened with remarks by Major General Peter Bosse, commanding general of the 335th Signal Command (Theater). Boyd was presented with her general officer’s flag, featuring a single white star on a background of scarlet trimmed in a gold fringe, as has been historically presented since the early 1900s. Customs and courtesies dictate that the personal flag be present at all military functions and be visibly displayed in the office of the receiving General Officer.
1970s Richard Benoit, CE 75, MS CE 77, retired from Duke Energy in June 2018 after 40 years of service.
Boyd received her commission as a signal officer from West Point in 1989. Her awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Parachutist Badge. Boyd will serve as the deputy commanding general-sustainment for the 335th Signal Command (Theater).
Joseph Evans, IM 71, was elected chairman of the Buckhead Coalition for 2019 and 2020. Douglas Trent, EE 78, MS ICS 79, has accepted a full-time position as program
manager, digital transformation, at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. He served as an intern for NASA as part of his Master of Analytics program at Georgia Tech.
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RAMBLIN’ ROLL 1980s Mike Barry, CE 82, retired from the Environmental Protection Agency in Boston after managing the emergency spill response program for 12 years, including deployment to disaster responses during hurricanes Katrina and Maria. Barry’s 33 years of federal service also includes active submarine and reserve service in the Navy.
MICHELSON PRESENTS FIRST PRIZE AT INTERNATIONAL ROBOTICS COMPETITION
Kirk Marchisen, Arch 81, M Arch 86, began his new roles as senior vice president and board director at architecture, engineering, and interior design firm Stevens & Wilkinson. In his 33 years at the firm, Marchisen has been instrumental in building relationships leading to projects from public school systems throughout the Atlanta area. Marchisen also serves on the advisory board for School Construction News, is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and is LEED accredited. Rebecca Oesterle, MgtSci 83, was elected to the National Board of Directors for the Institute of Packing Professionals. Oesterle is the senior manager of packing and graphic development for Just Born Quality Confections in Bethlehem, Pa.
1990s Rachel Adams, Arch 97, was promoted to managing principal of A4E, Architecture for Education. The Los Angeles architecture, interiors, master planning, and environmental graphics studio has designed more than 100 transformational schools throughout the western United States. Along with design principal Olivia Graf Doyle, Adams transitions the firm to a women-led organization. Adams is also a member of the American Institute of Architects and LEED accredited. Tim Campbell, EE 99, has been hired to launch the new Atlanta office for kW Mission Critical Engineering, bringing 20 years
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ROBERT MICHELSON, MS EE 74, recently traveled to Beijing, China, to award the $20,000 first prize to a team from Zhejiang University for winning the 7th Mission of the International Aerial Robotics Competition. Michelson—the principal research engineer emeritus at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and an adjunct associate professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering—started the International Aerial Robotics Competition at Georgia Tech in 1991 and has organized it in various locations around the world for more than 25 years. In addition to the Georgia Tech campus, the competition has been hosted at the Department of Energy’s Hazardous Materials and Emergency Response Facility, the Canada Olympic Village and Disney’s Epcot Center, to name a few. Past missions have involved search and rescue, covert missions penetrating buildings to retrieve objects and operations inside areas devoid of navigational aids such as GPS. A guiding principle of all
International Aerial Robotics Competition missions is that they must be “impossible” at the time they’re posed and they must be performed fully autonomously by a flying robot. Upon conquering the mission, the state of the art in aerial robotics technology is thereby advanced. Currently, the competition is conducted at two venues: Georgia Tech and Beihang University in Beijing. This year, a team from Zhejiang University won the grand prize after four years of research to develop a fully autonomous aerial robot that could herd autonomous randomly moving ground robots like a sheepdog. Michelson is responsible for coordinating both venues, devising new missions based on where aerial robotic technology needs a “push,” and writing rules that stay ahead of the university teams’ ingenuity to find loopholes. During Mission 7, 52 teams from 12 nations applied to compete at one of the two venues. Past winners have included top schools like Georgia Tech, MIT, Stanford University, and Tsinghua University.
HALLORAN TO LEAD HISTORIC REHAB AND REUSE AT COOPER CARRY KRISTIN HALLORAN, M ARCH 06, has been appointed as Cooper Carry’s Historic Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse area leader. In her new role, Halloran will identify, evaluate and maintain the physical integrity of the firm’s preservation and rehabilitation projects. “It’s a true professional accomplishment to join the Cooper Carry team and lead the expansion of its Historic Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse service area,” Halloran said. “The firm’s continued focus on creating sustainable, meaningful environments that focus on the human experience aligns perfectly with my personal beliefs and passions.” As part of its Historic Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse service area, Cooper Carry offers building condition assessment, preservation planning and reuse design services. Notable reuse and rehabilitation projects include Columbia Place in Washington, D.C., House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio, the Mill & Bottling House in Alexandria, Va., Lighthouse Point in Staten Island, N.Y., and El Paso Plaza in El Paso, Texas. “Cooper Carry has seen a growing market desire for walkable communities in established urban cores, leading to an increased interest in reuse of buildings, many of which have historical importance. Kristin’s diverse, expansive expertise coupled with her commitment to preserving historic urban environments is a great asset to the firm and our clients,” said Kevin Cantley, president and CEO of Cooper Carry. At Cooper Carry, Halloran currently acts as the project manager on the conversion of the Medical Arts Building, as well as providing rehabilitation expertise on several projects in the Mixed-Use and Urban Design & Planning studios. She most recently served as an associate architect at Lord Aeck Sargent in the historic preservation
practice area, where she served agencies such as the National Park Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Prior to joining Lord Aeck Sargent, Halloran served as an intern architect at Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein Architects, consulting on notable projects including Ponce City Market and Rhodes Hall. In addition to her master of architecture degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Halloran holds a bachelor of arts in american studies and English from Smith College. She holds several industry certifications, including the LEED Accredited Professional Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) credential and the Construction Documents Technology designation from the Construction Specifications Institute. Halloran is an active member of The Georgia Trust, as well as the Historic Oakland Foundation, serving as a visitor center volunteer and tour guide.
of expertise in strategic engineering design and management of complex electrical power systems. Campbell plans to look to Georgia Tech for mechanical and electrical engineering recruits.
2000s
and inventive products and graphic design worldwide.
Craig L. Cupid, EE 01, was promoted to partner at law firm BakerHostetler in Atlanta.
Jim Davies, MS Psy 98, PhD CS 04, recently appeared on TVOntario’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, discussing the psychology of alien design in science fiction. Davies also recently wrote in The Conversation about the science of belief and disbelief in Santa Claus.
Kurt Rampton, ID 05, led the design effort for his firm, Boltgroup, in winning two Good Design Awards—for the FuelBelt Helium Ergo, an ergonomic wearable hydration product for runners, and Yaxtrax Summit, a wearable traction device for hiking. The Good Design Awards are the world’s longest-running design awards, recognizing the most cutting-edge
Camille Sauer, AE 07, was elected as a shareholder at Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., in Washington, D.C.
2010s Tina Dorr, PhD Chem 12, has been promoted to counsel at Cantor Colburn LLP, the fourth largest U.S. patent law firm.
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RAMBLIN’ ROLL
Startup Spotlight: Pretty Tech BY TANYA ROY
Khanna Bell, MS IE 17, used Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X incubator to tap into her entrepreneurial spirit and spark more girls to pursue STEM careers. IN HER THIRD YEAR as a mechanical engineering student at the University of North Dakota, Khanna Bell had to take some time off from school to raise her twin sons. She began to co-op with engineering companies primarily to earn a steady source of income to provide for her children and pay for daycare services. But it was during this co-op experience that she came to the indisputable realization that there was a significant lack of women in the engineering field. Khanna Bell (left) and N.D. Eze provide girls with education and inspiration. A few years later, she returned to school to complete her undergraduate degree and went on to earn her profesto allow children to receive training based on their specific sional master’s in applied systems engineering through the career aspirations and then gives them the opportunities College of Engineering at Georgia Tech, where she continto interact in real-world business environments. The startued to consistently see signs of the prominent gender gap. up conducts workshops focused on taking a reverse The prevalence of the situation gave her the initiative and engineering approach that allows students to “break tech” drive to make a change in the industry, and the startup idea and learn what makes up commonplace devices, such as for Pretty Tech was born. smartphones. CREATE-X, a Georgia Tech initiative aimed toward inAdditionally, the program offers a Cooperative Educastilling confidence in students and empowering them to tion (Co-Op) Program, placing high school students in tech launch real startups, is what brought Bell into the entreprehubs across the city to work part-time for 10 to 15 hours neurial landscape. Bell and N.D. Eze, the chief development per week. Students develop a strong work ethic from a officer of Pretty Tech, have come together to cultivate young age and mold real-world connections and relationa talent pipeline for girls interested in STEM fields and ships they can utilize well beyond their schooling years. technology. The mission behind their company is not only to educate and inspire young girls to work toward successful WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS? Send your Ramblin’ Roll submissions to: Editor, Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, 190 North Ave. N.W., careers within engineering, technology and entrepreneurAtlanta, GA 30313, or editor@alumni.gatech.edu. You can also ship, but also to seek change by teaching boys to see girls submit your personal news, birth and wedding announcements (with as intellectual equals and mentors in the STEM field from photos!), out-and-about snapshots and in memoriam notices online at a young age. gtalumni.org/magazine. Pretty Tech partners with local schools and businesses
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2 OUT OF 4 AIN’T BAD
(BUT IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH TO GET ALL 4)
As a Georgia Tech alum, you receive 2 issues of the Alumni Magazine every year. But did you know you’re still missing out on half of the amazing stories and news of your fellow Ramblin’ Wrecks? For just a $10 donation to Roll Call annually, you can be sure to receive all four issues of the Alumni Magazine and never have to FOMO on all the great stories happening with alumni, students, and faculty at Georgia Tech and around the world.
www.gtalumni.org
RAMBLIN’ ROLL BIRTHS
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1. Amy Johnston, Bio 12, and Michael Johnston, ChBE 13, welcomed son Caleb James Johnston on Nov. 27, 2018. The family lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. 2. Andrew Dasso, IE 07, and wife Franciane welcomed their son Dylan on Dec. 29, 2018. The family lives in Reston, Va. 3. Elise Hipp, CE 08, and Devin Hipp, Mgt 12, welcomed daughter Amelia Christine, their fourth child, on Sept. 6, 2018. The family lives in Virginia Beach, Va. 4. Eva Brodbeck, IA 08, and husband Daniel
welcomed son Bo Brodbeck on April 17, 2018. He joins older siblings Nina and Alex. The family lives in Fayetteville, N.C. 5. Hoki Tse, CE 13, MS CE 15, and Yiyi Liu, EnvE 14, welcomed son Leonard Tse on Aug. 13, 2018. The family lives in Saint Paul, Minn. 6. Joy Vaughan Smith, Mgt 08, and Benjamin Smith, CS 04, welcomed daughter Shannon Smith on Aug. 15, 2018. The family lives in Smyrna, Ga. 7. Kimberly Weldon, Psy 09, and Bryan Weldon, CE 09, welcomed son Henry Archer
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Weldon on June 8, 2018. The family lives in Saint Paul, Minn. 8. Melissa Vander Wood Holman, IE 05, and Brian Holman, EE 06, welcomed son Carter Thomas on May 18, 2018. He joins older siblings Bennett and Sadie at the family’s home in Roswell, Ga. 9. Ryan Myers, CmpE 05, and wife Laurel welcomed son Max Boston on Jan. 23, 2018. He joins big sisters Chloe and Allison. The family lives in Marietta, Ga.
WEDDINGS
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The Wealth Manager Alumni Are Buzzing About JOHN A. HANSON, CFA 11 Industrial Engineering PH: 404-822-1370 jhanson@riverstoneadvisors.com
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5 1. Abigail Elizabeth King, PP 13, and Justin Garrett Chaddick, EAS 13, MS Bio 15, on Nov. 10, 2018, in Asheville, N.C. The couple lives in Atlanta. 2. Armina Khwaja, BA 11, and Michael Macmillan, AE 11, on Nov. 11, 2018, in Atlanta. Armina is the director of student conduct and integrity form at Seattle University, and Michael works at Amazon Web Services. The couple lives in Seattle, Wash. 3. Brian Tyson, EE 10, and Kendall Boyd, IE 11, on April 28, 2018, in Hogansville, Ga. Brian is a senior engineer at
Puget Sound Energy Co. The couple lives in Seattle, Wash. 4. Emily Hope Stephens, Bio 14, and Brian Robert Swanson, MSE 16, on June 30, 2018, in Atlanta. Brian is a materials engineer for Advanced Composites, and Emily is a general dentist. The couple lives in Nashville, Tenn. 5. Nolan Alexander, BA 14, and Laura Alexander, IE 16, on June 30, 2018. Nolan is the director of broadcast media at Bethune-Cookman University. The couple lives in Atlanta.
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Experience Excellence Encounter Creativity Embrace Peace of Mind
Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center ‌ where innovative meetings thrive 800 Spring Street, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30308 (404) 838-2060 sales@gatechhotel.com
IN MEMORIAM
Penelope Witt Stamps: Philanthropist and Friend of Tech PENELOPE WITT “PENNY” STAMPS, HON 16, OF COCONUT GROVE, FLA., ON DEC. 13, 2018. Stamps was an honorary Georgia Tech alumna who, along with her husband, E. Roe Stamps IV, IE 67, MS IE 72, Hon PhD 14, gave generously to the Institute and had a profound impact on a generation of students. A dedicated philanthropist, designer and animal lover, Penny Stamps worked tirelessly for her many beloved charitable organizations, believing strongly that her commitment and leadership could make a meaningful difference for all of them. In 1993, Penny and Roe Stamps established the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting arts and culture, animal welfare programs and education. The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation has invested in Georgia Tech’s most promising undergraduate students for nearly two decades, beginning with gifts in support of the President’s Scholarship Program in 2000.
Editor’s Note: We have changed the format for the In Memoriam section of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. We will include an abbreviated version of each obituary in print, while publishing the full obituaries on our website. To read more, please visit gtalumni.org/magazine.
The Stamps family expanded their support of Georgia Tech’s leading undergraduate students through the launch of the merit-based Stamps Leadership Scholars Program in 2006. This visionary initiative became a prototype for the program that has expanded on a national basis to include over 900 students from 40 universities nationwide. The Stamps’ philanthropy is also a major presence on campus in the form of Stamps Field, the Edward R. Stamps III Student Health Services and Stamps Student Center Commons. Penny Stamps grew up in Chicago and attended the University of Michigan, where she received a bachelor of arts degree, and more recently was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree. Now bearing her name, the Penny W Stamps School of Art and Design is the only school at Michigan named after a woman and is an enduring testimony to her work at the university. In addition to being a devoted mother and grandmother, Stamps
1940s Charles E. Brodnax Jr., ChE 48, of Atlanta, on Nov. 16, 2018. John Q. Bullard Sr., IM 43, MS IM 47, of Atlanta, on Dec. 14, 2018. Donald J. Crawley Sr., ME 47, of Acworth, Ga., on Jan. 14. Wilbur A. Dixon, ME 49, of Irwinton, Ga., on Dec. 17, 2018.
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loved tending to her garden, caring for her many pets and working with her favorite charitable organizations, including the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Ransom Everglades School, Miami Humane Society, Grayvik Animal Care Center in Key Largo, and the Universities of Miami and Michigan. Stamps is survived by her mother Carmella, husband Roe, two children and two grandchildren.
Marvel A. Elliott, EE 43, of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Jan. 3. Durand A. Holladay, AE 45, of Winter Haven, Fla., on Dec. 9, 2018. Ben H. Lee, IM 41, of Maryville, Tenn., on Dec. 21, 2018. David Multach, Cls 45, of Miami, Fla., on Jan. 10. Claybourn B. Rhinehart, TE 49, of Akron, Ohio, on Oct. 27, 2018. William Thomason, EE 43, of
Williamsburg, Va., on Jan. 5. Marcus L. Yancey Jr., CE 44, of Austin, Texas, on Nov. 16, 2018. George E. Zeigler Jr., ME 41, of Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 29, 2018.
1950s
Robert W. Adams, CE 52, of West Long Branch, N.J., on Jan. 4.
A. B. Amis, EE 51, of Melbourne, Fla., on Nov. 19, 2018. Arthur P. “Buster” Barry, Jr., IM 58, of Macon, Ga., on Dec. 12, 2018. Robert A. Barton, AE 56, of Doraville, Ga., on Dec. 6, 2018. J. Ormond Booth, CE 50, of Cary, N.C., on Dec. 8, 2018. Alexander Y. Brown, IE 50, of Thomasville, Ga., on Dec. 14, 2018. Lucius G. Bryant Jr., EE 52, of Albuquerque, N.M., on Nov. 6, 2018. William G. Bullock Sr., Arch 56, of Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 25, 2018. Joe E. Cobb, IM 51, of Atlanta, on Dec. 4, 2018. Luther P. “Pat” Cowan, ChE 52, of Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 18, 2018. C. Ronald Coward, ME 58, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Nov. 12, 2018. Eugene A. Cronic, IM 57, of Augusta, Ga., on Nov. 13, 2018. Charles S. Douglas Jr., IM 51, of Meriden, Conn., on Dec. 11, 2018. Thomas G. Ellington Jr., Text 57, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on Nov. 26, 2018. Watt D. Elrod, IM 54, of Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 8, 2018. Laurence W. “Hap” Enderson, Jr., AE 58, of Hampton, Va., on Dec. 19, 2018. Beeler C. Eskridge, IE 50, of Raleigh, N.C., on Nov. 5, 2018. William B. Farmer Jr., IM 52, of Birmingham, Ala., on Nov. 19, 2018. Gordon B. Fowler, Text 51, of Alpharetta, Ga., on Nov. 24, 2018. John R. Fowler, MS ME 56, of Hawthorne, Calif., on Oct. 7, 2018. Warren H. Fox, IM 51, of Miami, Fla., on Nov. 28, 2018. James A. Gardner, IM 50, of Savannah, Ga., on Nov. 11, 2018. William “Bill” Greene, Chem
JOE STANLEY PAYNE: BUSINESSMAN AND TECH SUPPORTER JOE STANLEY PAYNE, IM 57, OF ATLANTA AND HIGHLANDS, N.C., ON JAN. 4. Payne was a businessman and lifelong supporter of Georgia Tech. He graduated from the Institute with a degree in Industrial Management in 1957 and went on to earn an MBA from Florida State University in 1973. He was president of the Florida Space Coast Georgia Tech Alumni Club from 1970–73, and later served as an advisory board member for the Scheller College of Business. He was inducted into the Golden Givers Society, which recognizes donors with 50 or more years of giving to Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence. He was very proud to be an alumnus of the Institute and supported the annual Roll Call for 60 consecutive years. Payne loved sports, and especially the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He was a member of the AlexanderTharpe Fund, which he contributed to for 32 consecutive years. He held season tickets for football and basketball and enjoyed attending games with his wife. He spent many fine days with family and friends on the Flats in support of the Jackets. His entire career was in the area of accounting and finance. After graduating from Tech, Payne joined General Electric, which took him to Cleveland, Ohio, and St. Louis, Mo. He then joined FMC in Fredericksburg, Va. His career later took him to Melbourne, Fla., where he joined Radiation, Inc. in 1966, which became Harris Corporation. He was transferred to Atlanta in 1983, which brought him back to his beloved Georgia roots. After a successful
55, of Moncks Corner, S.C., on Jan. 15. William S. “Willie” Guffin Jr., IE 56, of Cumming, Ga., on Dec. 17, 2018. George R. Hanks, EE 50, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., on Dec. 1, 2018.
35-plus-year career, Payne retired from Lanier Worldwide/Harris Corporation as chief financial officer. He was a 25-plus-year member of Financial Executives Organization, Atlanta chapter. Even in retirement, Joe generously offered his advice and wisdom to all who asked, and served many years as a volunteer with SCORE Atlanta. Payne worked tirelessly for more than 25 years as co-chairman for the Rome High School Class of 1953, managing a database for his high school class so they could enjoy get-togethers with classmates at their reunions. He was a man with a deep faith and a love for the church. He was an active member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and a member of the Blazers Sunday School class. He believed strongly in volunteerism and being a part of the community. Payne’s excellence in the business sector was matched by his role as husband, father and grandfather.
Raymond J. “Ray” Hennick, IM 55, of Pensacola, Fla., on Dec. 21, 2018. Malcolm M. “Mack” Hudgins, IM 50, of Orange Park, Fla., on Jan. 6. James R. “Jim” Humphries, Chem 52, of Lakeland, Fla.,
on Dec. 4, 2018. Joseph W. Keyes, AE 58, of Fort Monroe, Va., on Jan. 3. Russel C. Kirk, IM 52, of Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 12, 2018. Richard A. Lane, AE 54, of Roswell, Ga., on Dec. 21, 2018.
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IN MEMORIAM Luther Lewis, EE 52, of Melbourne, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2018. Brooks S. Lide Jr., IM 56, of Atlanta, on Dec. 20, 2018. Walter F. Martens, BME 59, PhD Math 71, of Hoover, Ala., on Oct. 28, 2018. Lonnie S. McMillian Jr., EE 55, of Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 30, 2018. John C. Meadows Jr., MS IM 58, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., on Dec. 24, 2018. Charles P. Owens, IM 51, of Atlanta, on Dec. 12, 2018. Murray W. Peake, EE 58, of Wyomissing, Pa., on Jan. 7. Anthony D. Pellegrino, EE 53, of Weston, Conn., on Dec.
30, 2018. Alva L. Phillips Jr., IM 51, of Atlantic Beach, Fla., on Nov. 30, 2018. William W. “Bill” Roberts Sr., ChE 57, of Savannah, Ga., on Nov. 9, 2018. Kevin M. Russom, ChE 59, of Savannah, Ga., on Dec. 18, 2018. Cary H. Rutland, AE 56, MS IE 66, of Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 15, 2018. Robert C. Schroeder, IE 55, of Roanoke, Va., on Dec. 20, 2018. Edwin L. Scott, EE 50, MS EE 53, of Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 2.
Robert Q. “Bob” Sload, CE 54, of The Woodlands, Texas, on Nov. 17, 2018. Young H. Thompson Jr., IM 52, of Dublin, Ga., on Nov. 24, 2018.
1960s Henry O. Ball, II, Cls 66, of Ponce Inlet, Fla., on Jan. 3. Richard B. Beam, Phys 63, of Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 26, 2018. Cleveland S. Boutwell Jr., CE 63, of Newnan, Ga., on Oct. 28, 2018. Michael S. Brantley, AM 64,
MAXWELL WARREN WALKER: AIRPORT PIONEER M A X W E L L WA R R E N “ M A X” WA L KER, ARCH 50, OF ALPHARETTA, GA., ON JAN. 8. Walker was a pioneer of airport planning who left his imprint on airports around the nation, and in Atlanta in particular. During his career with Delta Airlines, Walker helped design and develop airports in Houston, Memphis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Miami and Orlando before joining the City of Atlanta—where his vision for a world-class airport came to life. The team he led as director of planning and development for the Department of Aviation from 1967 to 1984 transformed a purely domestic hub airport into a world-renowned international gateway and one of the world’s busiest airports. Walker was responsible for implementing features that many air travelers now take for granted: a series of terminals connected by a mile-long people mover, parallel runways and
close-in parking. These initiatives were the result of a collaborative process Walker cultivated between the city, the airlines and the architectural-engineering community. Sixty design proposal briefs were reviewed, ten were chosen for further analysis, and the final plan was built on time and under budget in 1980. Walker continued to serve the airport as deputy commissioner, and retired in 1993 as Atlanta’s commissioner of aviation. Walker is survived by his wife and children: Deborah Stanziano, IM 78; Pat Walker, IM 80; and Phillip Walker, ICS 82. He was proud that all three of his children graduated from Tech and share his passion for Yellow Jacket athletics.
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of Davidson, N.C., on Dec. 11, 2018. Richard L. Carte, Bio 66, of Cross Lanes, W.V., on Nov. 9, 2018. Thomas “Jere” Cater Sr., ME 68, of Warner Robins, Ga., on Jan. 10. Rhea P. Converse, IE 61, of Macon, Ga., on Dec. 14, 2018. Charles T. Dennard Sr., IE 63, of Gainesville, Ga., on Nov. 24, 2018. Richard L. “Dick” Emerson, IM 66, of Rolesville, N.C., on Dec. 20, 2018. John F. Gee, III, IM 63, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on Nov. 5, 2018. Henry M. “Mark” Hartzog, IM 63, of Franklin, Tenn., on Jan. 15. Ralph A. Hoffmann, ChE 65, MS ChE 66, of Walnut Creek, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2018. R. Terry Ivester, MS InfoSci 68, of Clemson, S.C., on Nov. 4, 2018. Louis F. Kleinman, ME 65, of Hot Springs, Ark., on Oct. 27, 2018. Daryl G. LeCroy, IE 67, of Ellijay, Ga., on Oct. 25, 2018. Donald M. “Buzz” McKay, Text 62, of Columbus, Ga., on Nov. 19, 2018. Marshall W. Nay Jr., MS CE 64, of Albuquerque, N.M., on Dec. 19, 2018. George F. Sculley Jr., ME 63, of Webster, Texas, on Nov. 16, 2018. Frank R. Skinner, II, ME 68, of Shelby, N.C., on Jan. 5. Myles G. Smith, IM 63, M CRP 81, of Atlanta, on Nov. 23, 2018. Braxton H. Taylor, IE 65, of Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 15, 2018. Robert Train Jr., Text 68, of Savannah, Ga., on Dec. 11, 2018.
William C. Tysinger, IE 66, of Waldoboro, Maine, on Dec. 7, 2018. George P. Wade, Cls 63, of Macon, Ga., on Dec. 27, 2018. Charles W. “Bill” Young, EE 63, MS EE 66, of Clinton, Md., on Nov. 12, 2018.
1970s Christopher C. Baxter, IM 71, of Dunnellon, Fla., on Nov. 1, 2018. William B. Finger, IE 69, MS CE 72, of Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 23, 2018. Meridith A. Jarrel, IM 76, of Columbus, Ga., on Dec. 17, 2018. Charles E. Lee, IM 72, of Sandersville, Ga., on Nov. 29, 2018. Timothy J. McGarry, M CRP 75, of Vero Beach, Fla., on Oct. 28, 2018. William M. “Bill” Moses, ME 76, MS ME 78, of Macon, Ga., on Nov. 23, 2018. Wesley C. Paxson Jr., EE 76, of Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2018. Betty C. Thomas, MS CS 75, of Monroe, Ga., on Nov. 14, 2018. Kendrick D. “Dirk” Tucker Sr., IM 70, of Naples, Fla., on Dec. 5, 2018. Gary A. Witte Sr., Arch 71, of Statesboro, Ga., on Dec. 2, 2018.
1980s Richard “Rick” Benton, IM 85, of Atlanta on Nov. 29, 2018. Todd B. Carpenter, IE 89, of West Warwick, R.I., on Dec. 18, 2018. John F. Di Cristina, EE 84, MS EE 84, of Acton, Mass., on Oct. 7, 2018. Brett W. Lowe, EE 87, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on Oct. 28, 2018. Clarence B. Stover, Cls 81, of Co- lumbus, Ga., on Nov. 16, 2018.
VIRGINIA VICKERY JORY: FIRST WOMAN TO EARN TECH MATH DOCTORATE VIRGINIA VICKERY JORY, AM 71, MS AM 74, PHD AM 79, OF STONE MOUNTAIN, GA., ON NOV. 4, 2018. Jory was born in Union City, Ga., and was the valediction of Bass High School. She attended Agnes Scott College and was a threetime graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics, and went on to become the first woman to earn a PhD in mathematics from the Institute. Jory worked as a statistician on the Speedy Trials Act for Federal Courts, as a research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and was later employed at Scientific Atlanta. She was proud that both of her children and all four of her grandchildren attended Georgia Tech. She dearly loved her family and friends. She was a lifelong learner, continuing to take OLLI classes throughout her retirement, and was an active book club member. She loved to experience different cultures through travel and instilled that love in her children and grandchildren. In retirement, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of visiting Cuba. She spent countless hours volunteering in her community working
with the visually impaired, chairing committees at Georgia Tech, and served as the president of the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation. She is survived by her daughter, Victoria Jory LeCroy, CE 88; son Philip Douglas Jory Jr., IE 84; grandchildren Michelle Novotni, IE 02; Andrew LeCroy, PFE 12; Katherine Jory, BA 17; and current Georgia Tech student Sarah Jory.
2000s
Friends
Todd G. Oliver, MBA 07, of Decatur, Ga., on Nov. 11, 2018. Charles “Aaron” Parker, MSE 03, of Ashland, Ky., on Dec. 20, 2018.
Sara B. “Peggy” Beard, of Decatur, Ga., on Sept. 20, 2018. Douglas S. Cash, of Tucker, Ga., on Nov. 28, 2018. Mauro A. “Alex” Franic, of Atlanta on Nov. 14, 2018 Kathleen U. “Kitty” Grogan, of North Augusta, Ga., on Dec. 9, 2018. Edna H. Hitchins, of Atlanta on Dec. 7, 2018. Hessel H. “Chip” Holland II, of Atlanta on Nov. 14, 2018. Margaret “Maggie” Holliman, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on Jan. 8.
2010s Carter M. Johns, Cls 18, of Kennesaw, Ga., on Nov. 27, 2018. John M. Lee, MS CRP 14, of Atlanta, on Dec. 15, 2018. Halston M. Mize, Cls 11, of Lawrenceville, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2018.
Lowell W. Lange, of Canton, Ga., on Nov. 19, 2018. John M. “Jack” Pinkerton, of Atlanta on Nov. 17, 2018. Frances H. Poteet, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on Oct. 27, 2018. Donald J. Royer, of Longmont, Colo., on Oct. 20, 2018. Michael E. Thomas, of Greensboro, Ga., on Nov. 23, 2018. Madelyne B. Watson, of Loganville, Ga., on Nov. 16, 2018. Ivor J. “Jim” Wynn, of Sulphur, La., on Nov. 10, 2018.
Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 93
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Volume 95 No. 1 2019 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | 95
TECH HISTORY
Constructing Campus BY MELISSA FRALICK
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Over 134 years, the Institute has grown steadily, as academic, athletic and research facilities—from Tech Tower to Tech Square— have filled a once empty landscape.
WITH JUST A COUPLE OF BUILDINGS and a few acres of land, the trade school that’s since become one of the world’s top research institutions was originally brought to life to help kick-start a new economy for the New South. In 1882, state lawmaker Nathaniel Harris began advocating to open a technological school in Georgia as a way to increase education and economic diversity. The school now known as the Georgia Institute of Technology was
envisioned as a place that would produce doers, engineers, builders and makers—problem solvers ready to tackle the pressing challenges of the Second Industrial Revolution. Much has changed at Georgia Tech since then, but the ethos remains the same. In the following pages, see how Tech’s campus has grown and adapted to respond to the needs of an ever-changing world.
This lithograph shows an aerial view of the Georgia School of Technology campus circa 1920.
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TECH HISTORY
PHASE I: 1885–1922
An Institution Is Born SINCE THE DAY IT OPENED ITS DOORS, Georgia Tech has been on the cutting edge. In the late 19th century, technological schools were still a new concept, and there were just a handful operating around the nation. The fathers of Georgia Tech modeled it after the Worcester Free Institute of Industrial Sciences, which instructed students but also sold wares created in its workshops to help offset costs. With that in mind, the Georgia School of Technology opened its doors on Oct. 5, 1888, with two buildings: the academic building—Tech Tower—and the shop building. The school began with 84 students pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, the only major available at the time. In 1892, Tech fielded its first football team— and beat the University of Georgia in their first matchup the following year. A handful of years later, in 1896, Georgia Tech opened its first dormitories, which were known as “the shacks” for their rudimentary construction. By the end of the 19th century, Tech was beginning a significant evolution. Tech’s second president, Lyman Hall, worked to improve the school by adding new buildings and expanding the curriculum. Over the next few years, business tycoons like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Aaron French donated money to fund new facilities on campus.
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These buildings, including the Swann Building, the A. French Textile Building and the Carnegie Library, were designed in the Romanesque and Neoclassical revival styles, and make up the core of Tech’s historic 9-acre campus. During this period, Tech’s academic diversity grew as well, with the addition of new programs in civil engineering, electrical engineering and chemical engineering, along with a new school of commerce in 1912. But by 1917, progress came to a halt as the United States entered World War I. The Institute was selected Below: a blueprint of the Lyman Hall Laboratory of Chemistry
The shop building (left), and the academic building, circa 1888
as a Ground Flight Training School for the Army Air Corps, and much of campus was used for military training. Many students and Tech alumni joined the military and went overseas to fight. Following the Armistice in 1918, enrollment doubled from 1,129 before WWI to 2,400 students in the 1919–20 academic year as veterans returned and sought out an education. The
Tech’s campus was used for military training during WWI.
campus was unequipped to handle the surge of new students, and a capital campaign raised money to fund eight new buildings and repair existing facilities. By 1922, the fledgling campus had grown by 13-and-a-half acres and 12 new buildings, including the Holland Plant, John Saylor Coon Building, the YMCA and the Lyman Hall Chemical Laboratory.
PHASE 2:
1922–1945
Growth Amid Depression IN 1922, MARION L. BRITTAIN became Georgia Tech’s fourth president and led the school through a tumultuous era. In spite of the Great Depression, campus continued to grow with the addition of 27 buildings, thanks to private gifts. In 1930, Georgia Tech received a $300,000 grant from the Guggenheim Foundation, which was used to create the School of Aeronautics (now Aerospace Engineeri n g ) a n d t h e Da n i e l F. Guggenheim Building to The Hinman Building is an example of early 20th century modern design. house it. In 1932, the Georgia Tech Foundation was established to help Tech withstand the ecowho formed a campus architecture firm and went on to nomic pressure, and then-staff member George C. Griffin, shape the design of many more Tech buildings over the CE 22, created the Tech Placement Center to help unemyears. ployed alumni weather the Depression. Meanwhile, at the peak of the Depression, a milestone Several prominent campus buildings, including Brittain construction project was taking place on the border of Dining Hall and Harris, Brown and Cloudman residence Tech’s campus. Techwood Homes was established as the halls, were also added during the 1920s and ’30s. These Colfirst public housing project in the nation. In 1935, President legiate Gothic–style buildings were designed by Tech Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to a large crowd at Tech’s Grant architecture professors Harold Bush-Brown and J.H. Gailey, Field as part of the dedication ceremony for the federally
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TECH HISTORY subsidized housing units. Techwood Homes also included the Techwood Dormitory for Georgia Tech student housing. In the late 1930s, Paul Heffernan joined the faculty of Tech’s College of Architecture as well as Bush-Brown & Gailey’s campus architecture firm. For his first addition to campus, Heffernan designed the Hinman Building, a departure from the more traditional buildings on campus that ushered in a new era of modern design at Tech. America entered World War II in 1941, causing another shift to life on campus. Georgia Tech responded by adopting a three-term, year-round accelerated schedule. Most students who remained at Tech were participating in the Army or Navy ROTC programs.
The HInman Building under construction
The Guggenheim Aeronautics Building
The Old Civil Engineering Building
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PHASE 3: 1946–1956 The Post-War Boom
THE END OF WORLD WAR II was another major turning point for Georgia Tech. Young men returning from the war created a wave of new students at universities across the country, thanks to the GI Bill, which provided financial aid to veterans seeking an education. Georgia Tech was no exception, and the student population nearly doubled from the pre-war high of 2,900 to more than 5,400 in the 1947–48 school year. Georgia Tech’s new president, Blake Van Leer, moved quickly to accommodate the influx of new students. Under his tenure, the size of campus ballooned from 51 to 128 acres with the addition 18 new buildings. In 1947, Smith, Towers and Glenn dormitories were added in the quadrant surrounding Brittain Dining Hall. These new
dorms were designed to match the existing Gothic–style buildings in the area. But Tech’s modern building boom continued through the 1940s and ’50s with additions such as the Architecture East building in 1952, Price Gilbert Library in 1953 and Alexander Memorial Coliseum in 1956. By this point, Tech had become a nationally recognized institution with little resemblance to its modest beginning. So in 1948, the name was officially changed from the Georgia School of Technology to the Georgia Institute of Technology to better reflect the educational powerhouse it was becoming. The 1950s marked another major milestone for Tech: In 1952, the Georgia Board of Regents voted to allow white female students to enroll at Georgia Tech.
PHASE 4: 1957–1968 A Modern Turn
CAMPUS UNDERWENT A MAJOR period of expansion during the 1960s. As enrollment continued to surge, 25 buildings were constructed to alleviate c rowd i n g a n d p rov i d e n ew facilities for campus life, including several noteworthy buildings that helped to shape the face of Tech’s campus. Bush-Brown, Gailey & Heffernan designed campus facilities until the mid-1950s, when the Georgia Board of Regents ended the practice of inhouse architects. In the years that followed, many alumni of Georgia Tech’s architecture program were selected to design buildings on campus, providing new perspectives. Facilities such as the Skiles Classroom Building and the Van Leer Building were the next evolution in the modern design arc that began at Tech in the 1940s. While these buildings had different designers, they shared some common traits and materials such as clean lines, masonry, and concrete window screens. Five new residence halls—Field,
Matheson, Perry, Hanson and Hopkins—were built in 1961 to provide additional housing on campus. And in 1963, the Frank H. Neely Research Center was completed, making Tech one of just two universities in the nation to have a nuclear research reactor. Tech’s collection of books was growi n g ra p i d ly a s w e l l — i n 19 6 8 , a nine-story tower was added to Price Gilbert Library. While this was a time of growth at Tech, it was also one of uneasy transition in the region. The Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education led to contentious desegregation efforts in schools across the South. Tech stood apart from its peers by integrating without incident. To avoid the riots that had erupted at other Southern universities, President Edwin Harrison developed a thorough strategy for peaceful desegregation and banished the press from campus the day that Tech’s first three black students arrived in 1961.
The Van Leer Building was completed in 1961.
Van Leer was built to house electrical engineering.
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TECH HISTORY An aerial view of the Fuller R. Callaway Manufacturing Research Center
PHASE 5: 1969–1993 Branching Out
Ferst Drive under construction in 1969
The Wardlaw Center, built adjacent to Grant Field
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IN THE EARLY 1970S, Georgia Tech be ga n ex pa n d i n g i ts ca m pu s boundaries to the west into a formerly residential area near the Home Park neighborhood. After Georgia Tech acquired much of the property in this area, several streets were removed to make way for new buildings, including the Wenn Student Center in 1970, and the construction of two new roads: Ferst Drive and Tech Parkway. Through the 1970s and ’80s, Georgia Tech continued to expand its academic offerings and in 1989, the Board of Regents approved the addition of three new colleges at the Institute: the College of Sciences; College of Computing; and the Ivan Allen College of Management, Poli-
cy and International Affairs. With this addition, Georgia Tech became the first university in the nation to have a stand-alone college of computing. Other notable additions to campus during this time include the Russ Chandler Baseball Stadium in 1986, the Ferst Center for the Arts in 1992, The Fuller R. Callaway Manufacturing Research Center in 1991 and the Charles A. Smithgall Jr. Student Services building, also known as the flag building for its collection of international flags representing students enrolled at Tech. In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, setting up the next phase of development for Georgia Tech.
PHASE 6: 1994–2008 Leading the Way to the 21st Century
Alexander Memorial Coliseum underwent a major renovation before the Olympic Games in 1996.
Architects William J. Stanley III, Arch 72, and Ivenue Love-Stanley, Arch 77, in the aquatic center they designed for the Olympic Games
IN THE YEARS LEADING UP to the Olympics, the Institute began an aggressive building and renovation schedule. Georgia Tech was selected to serve as the Olympic Village as well as the venue for several events during the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996. In 1994, Tech began constructing a new aquatic facility to host Olympic swimming and diving, while a $12 million renovation prepared Alexander Memorial Coliseum to serve as the venue for Olympic boxing and Paralympic volleyball. After the games, the aquatic center was incorporated into the design of the Student Athletic Complex, now known as the Campus Recreation Complex. To accommodate 15,000 Olympic athletes, the Institute built large apartment-style residence halls, which doubled Tech’s housing inventory. Existing dormitories were also renovated ahead of the games. The steel obelisk sculpture known as the Kessler Campanile as well as the fountain and surrounding plaza were donated by alumni and provided a s t r i k i n g n e w fo c a l p o i n t o n campus. In the late 1990s, President G. Wayne Clough worked with the Georgia Tech Foundation to buy up dilapidated properties across the highway with the goal of expanding campus east for the first time since the Downtown Connector was built in the 1950s. In 2001, construction began on Technology Square, a unique collaboration between the Institute and the private sector to revamp the area off the Fifth Street Bridge between the highway and West Peachtree Street. Tech Square opened in 2003, housing a new building for the College of Management, the Global Learning Center, Georgia Tech Hotel & Confere n c e C e n te r, t h e E c o n o m i c Development Center, Technology Square Research Building, Advanced Technology Development Center and other shops, restaurants and apartments.
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TECH HISTORY
A bridge from the Klaus Advanced Computing Building is decorated with binary code.
New apartment-style dorms were built for the Olympic Village in 1996.
PHASE 7: 2009–2019 Creating the Next
The Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons was designed to maximize natural light.
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BY THE MID-2000S, the Institute was committed to sustainable building. In 2011, the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons—named for former Tech President Wayne Clough—opened with five stories of classrooms, labs and open study space. The facility was built with a host of sustainable features, including a 1.4-million-gallon cistern to collect rainwater for landscaping and toilet flushing, solar panels, and a rooftop garden to reduce heat and filter storm water. Currently under construction, the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design aims to become the first facility of its kind in the Southeast to be Living Building Challenge 3.1 certified—a rigorous certification process that requires buildings not only to reduce waste and energy consumption, but to actually have a net positive effect on the environment. The Institute has also continued to grow to meet the demand for emerging technologies with state-of- the-art facilities, including the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, which opened in 2009; the Roger and Helen Krone Engineered Biosystems Building, which was dedicated in 2017; and a complete overhaul of the campus library facilities, with a focus on digital collections. Since opening in 2003, Tech Square has become a hub for innovation and served as a catalyst for development in Midtown Atlanta. Thirty corporations have established innovation centers around Tech Square, and others have relocated their headquarters to Atlanta for better proximity to the Institute’s talent and technologies. Welcoming tenants this month, CODA marks the next phase of Tech Square development. The towering complex on the corner of West Peachtree and Fourth streets features collaborative office space, as well as a high-performance computing center and facilities for Georgia Tech. And still on the horizon is Tech Square III, which is slated to bring two glass towers, street-level retail and an underground parking lot. Next time you’re on campus, keep an eye out for the many cranes, bulldozers and traffic cones signaling exciting things to come.
The CODA building is set to open in Tech Square in March 2019.
Tech Square has become a hub for innovation and has served as a catalyst for development in Midtown Atlanta.
A rendering of Tech Square III showcases a lot of gleaming metal and glass windows.
Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, opened in 2011, is a campus hallmark in sustainable design.
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BACK PAGE
When a Tree Falls at Georgia Tech
BY KRISTEN BAILEY
When the long-lived willow oak affectionately known as “Big Al” unexpectedly split and had to be cut down, Institute students stepped in to make sure its spirit would live on. AFTER THE LARGE WILLOW TREE near the Student Center split and fell last fall, the campus community mourned its loss, placing mementos and candles on its stump before it was fully removed. “Big Al,” as it was lovingly known, had stood some 81 feet high and had been part of the campus landscape for more than a century. A group of Tech students took the tribute a step further. They were part of a co u rs e ca l l e d E nv i ro n m e nta l i s m a n d Ecocriticism that spent a semester studying the connection between trees and people. When they came to class on Tuesday, Sept. 18—the day the tree fell—it seemed only natural to make Big Al part of their work. They put together an exhibit called Fall of a Champion, which featured works by the students made from wood collected from the tree, including benches, pens and even the exhibit sign itself. The exhibit also featured informational signage about trees on campus, forest management, the history of Big Al and photos of their woodworking process. Finally, the class assembled a book—Our Forest—that showcased writings by each student about the tree they spent the semester getting to know. “It was a hallmark on campus,” says biomedical engineering student Elizabeth Kapple. “Most of us didn’t recognize its significance until it was gone.” Since then, a neighboring tree was also removed to prevent a potential hazard, and 13 new trees—a variety of oaks—have now been planted in the triangular green space. Someday, they’ll fill in the hole in the canopy left by Big Al.
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Tech students turned “Big Al” into works of art.
Leadership Circle is the cornerstone of Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence. It provides Tech with unrestricted opportunities for exceptional students, world-renowned faculty, first-class facilities, and cutting-edge programs. It creates Tech graduates who are limitless in their ability to achieve, forge new innovative paths and open doors of possibilities for the next generation.
With your generous support to the 72nd Roll Call at the Leadership Circle level, you can continue the legacy of excellence for years to come. Give to Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence today, at gtalumni.org/giving
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