Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Vol. 98 No. 1, Spring 2022

THE

INSIDE

ATLANTA’S

SCOOP

61

MAYOR

ST

WILD

ON

TECH

58

TECH’S 42

OUTDOOR

GROWING

GORILLA

SPACES

24

HAPPINESS

POWER

46

98

SPRING 2022 VOL.98 NO.1

INSPIRED BY

NATURE

RESEARCHERS SHARE THEIR WILDEST INNOVATIONS.

“We hope the students who benefit from these endowments will not only learn chemistry and get good jobs, but will also give back in the future.”

— Allison B. Moore, CHEM 1992, Ph.D. CHEM 1997, and Jeffrey L. Moore, M.S. CHEM 1996

Despite building demanding careers in the sciences, Allison B. Moore, CHEM 1992, Ph.D. CHEM 1997, and Jeffrey L. Moore, M.S. CHEM 1996, have always made time to volunteer. Allison is a Girl Scout troop leader, and both Allison and Jeffrey are active in Alpha Chi Sigma — particularly through a program called Adventures in Chemistry.

“We do science demonstrations in elementary schools, at libraries, for Girl and Boy Scout groups, and once at the National Institute for the Blind,” Jeffrey said. The demonstrations, which the Moores refer to as “magic shows,” teach lay audiences about principles of chemistry. “We’ve learned how to explain what we do to any audience,” he said.

Now Allison, a research scientist with Ashland

Specialty Ingredients, and Jeffrey, a senior staff engineer with Siemens Healthineers, have turned their attention to establishing a long-term legacy at Georgia Tech through two endowments to support chemistry students.

The Allison B. and Jeffrey L. Moore President’s Scholarship Endowment in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry supports undergraduate students who qualify for the Stamps President’s Scholars Program. The Allison B. and Jeffrey L. Moore Fellowship Endowment supports graduate students enrolled in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

“At Tech, you learn how to learn and how to do it independently,” Allison said. Later, “when you’re given a new challenge at work or in life, you have the skills to figure it out.”

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: 404.385.6716 • giftplanning@dev.gatech.edu • plannedgiving.gatech.edu

Innovative.

Sustainable.

Transformative.

Now more than ever, we need business-driven solutions to sustainability challenges.

We invite you to engage with the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, where we are committed to empowering leaders to create sustainable businesses and communities.

• • • •

Learn new business models to solve sustainability challenges in your organization Gain access to cutting-edge sustainability research Hire students with the skills to drive sustainable business strategies Join the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact – an innovative climate action initiative

acsb.scheller.gatech.edu drawdownga-businesscompact.org

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

VENTURE OUT

I

I OFTEN JOKE with my wife, Carrie, that we have two incompatible ideas of our favorite places. She would love to be in a city surrounded by activity while I would like nothing more than to be outdoors surrounded by nature. When I’m not spending the weekend cheering on our Yellow Jackets, I enjoy powering down my phone, grabbing my Tech hat, and venturing out.

As the weather warms up, I encourage you to take a break from your daily distractions and head outside. You might be surprised by the inspiration you find there. For so many in the Georgia Tech community, particularly our researchers, nature is where they discover innovative solutions to problems.

Dene Sheheane and his rescue dog, MaeBob, enjoying the great outdoors.

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91

I am inspired by the research happening at Georgia Tech. As a student here, I was in awe of the impressive technical and scientific breakthroughs coming out of this institution. I gained a new perspective on Tech’s esteemed reputation for research while working as vice president in the Office of Government and Community Relations. Then, and even more so today, our community has contributed to real changes at the local, state, and regional levels.

Today, Georgia Tech’s role as a research powerhouse is even greater. This year, the Institute became one of the top 20 universities for higher education research expenditures. Our community truly is contributing to a better world for all—from urban cityscapes to wild landscapes and everything in between.

Nature has always been an abundant source of inspiration for Yellow Jackets.

As you celebrate Earth Day this spring, enjoy these stories of how flora and fauna inspire us, and get motivated yourself!

Learn how to never stop growing from alumna Kate Dart, who started her own flower truck company (pg. 46), seek out solutions from nature like the researchers developing “Wild Tech” (pg. 58), and flock to your interests like ornithologist Dr. Megan Ross, the first scientist and first woman to lead Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo (pg. 50).

Go Jackets!

DENE SHEHEANE, MG T 91 PRESIDENT GEORGIA TEC H ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

4 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE VOL. 98 | NO. 1 VP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Lindsay Vaughn

EDITOR Jennifer Herseim

ART DIRECTOR Karen Matthes

COPY EDITOR Barbara McIntosh Webb

STUDENT ASSISTANTS Jessica Barber & Riddhi Bhattacharya

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair Shan Pesaru, CmpE 05 Past Chair/Finance Jocelyn Stargel, IE 82, MS IE 86 Chair Elect, Chair of Gold & White, Vice Chair/Roll Call Magd Riad, IE 01 Vice Chair/Engagement Elizabeth “Betsy” Bulat Turner, IAML 04 Member at Large Annie I. Antón, ICS 90, MS ICS 92, PhD CS 97 Member at Large Cathy Hill, EE 84 Member at Large James Stovall, CS 01 Member at Large Brian Tyson, EE 10

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jennifer Abrams, PP 17; Archel Bernard, STC 11; Jason Byars, ME 96; Alina Capanyola, IE 10; Duane Carver, CmpE 10; Aurelien Cottet, MS AE 03; Andre Dickens, ChE 98; Lizzie Donnelly, IA 08; Matt Dubnik, Mgt 03; Robyn Gatens, ChE 85; John Gattuso, ME 15; Meghan Green, Mgt 13; James Hamilton, Mgt 93; John Hanson, IE 11; Joy Jordan, ChE 92; Jeanne Kerney, CE 84; Mary Beth Lake, ID 04; Antonio Llanos, CS 95; Matt Mason, IE 01; Anu Parvatiyar, BME 08; Antai Peng, PhD EE 96; Anna Pinder, ME 03; Debra Porter, ME 86; George Ray, Mgt 09, PP 09; Jim Sanders, IE 88; Stacey Sapp, IM 80; Paul Shailendra, CE 01; Rene Simon, MBA 18; Chad Sims, BA 15; Mary Lynn Smith, EE 88; Kenji Takeuchi, ME 94; Kate Tyler, MS CE 09; Jef Wallace, Mgt 94, Kristin Watkins, Mgt 13, Sam Westbrook, IE 99, Sheetal Wrzesien, CS 94

ADVERTISING Justin Estes (404) 683-9599 justin.estes@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. © 2022 Georgia Tech Alumni Association

POSTMASTER Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313 bioupdate@gtalumni.org. (404) 894-2391

VOLUME 98 ISSUE 1

FEATURES

MAKING WAVES This red seaweed has a secret weapon. Georgia Tech researchers are studying how this seemingly defenseless seaweed fights off predators. The answer could lead to cures for

COVER ILLUSTRATION

LINDA RICHARDS

human diseases.

50

58

THE EFFECTS OF EXTRAORDINARY CARE ON ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

WILD TECH

Dr. Megan Ross, MS Psy 99, PhD Psy 01, is the first woman and first scientist to lead Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo in the zoo’s

Georgia Tech researchers venture outside of the lab to find clues to everything from how to better communicate with robots to curing disease. Here are the stories behind some of Tech’s wildest innovations.

154-year history.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

5

VOLUME 98

DEPARTMENTS

ISSUE 1

OWL BE WATCHING YOU A barred owl in a tree outside the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.

PHOTOGRAPH

YUMIKO SAKURAI

CONTENTS

10

AROUND CAMPUS Wildlife at Home on Campus 12 Q&A: A Sustainable Future 22 The Inside Scoop on Tech’s Outdoor Spaces 24 Planting Seeds of Sustainable Design Across Campus 28

32

ON THE FIELD The Gift of Running Outside 34 Sports Shorts 36

40

IN THE WORLD Atlanta’s 61st Mayor 42 Growing Happiness 46

68

ALUMNI HOUSE Experience East Lake with the Association 70 Alumni Staff Spotlight 72 Ramblin’ Roll 74 In Memoriam 80

90

TECH HISTORY Celebrating Black History 90 From the Archives 96 Gorilla Power 98

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

7

FEEDBACK

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR R A M B L I N ’ R E S TA U R A T E U R S T H E F O O D A N D B E V E R A G E G U I D E in the last issue generated lots of buzz for alumni-owned restaurants and breweries. Since it was first published, the Ramblin’ Food and Beverage Online Guide keeps growing. See the full list and find out what Burdell would order at each spot at gtalumni.org/food.

Here are a few of the entrepreneurs you’ll find there:

SOUTHERN PEACH PASTRIES C A N YO U F I N D B U R D E L L’ S M E S S A G E IN THIS ISSUE? O N A P R I L 1 , Yellow Jac kets ev erywhere celebrated Tech’s most infamous student, George P. Burdell.

This prankster may have even left a

ATLANTA, GA // PASTRY CHEF AND OWNER BETH MEYER, MGT 04 BURDELL’S ORDER: As a smart world-traveler, George P. Burdell orders the house special at the chef’s suggestion and samples the assortment of seasonal macarons, pavlovas, and mini lemon meringue tarts. Topped off with a custom decorated Buzz cookie.

birthday message in this issue! Tag us @gtalumni on social and use #BurdellWasHere if you find it!

FROM CRUD TO COLONEL T H E W I N T E R I S S U E included t he story of U.S. Air Force Colonels Neil Aurelio, MS IE 98, and Mike Cundiff, AE 98—two friends who met at Tech and went on to lead elite units on the same Air Force base. George Nichols, CE 00, wrote of the colonels, “True leaders and warriors and foundational to Det 165 Ramblin Wreck!”

TRUE RESPITE BREWING COMPANY

ROCKVILLE, MD // CO-FOUNDERS BAILEY O’LEARY, ENVE 11, AND BRENDAN O’LEARY, CHBE 11 BURDELL’S ORDER: Burdell orders the Scrum & Hooker English Nut Brown, enjoying a good rugby reference after the Yellow Jacket’s days spent playing rugby in the Burger Bowl.

B SWEET BAKERY

NEWNAN, GA // OWNED BY LEAD BAKER MELANIE BAPTIST, HTS 02 BURDELL’S ORDER: Custom GT decorated sugar cookies!

HOME STATE BREWING CO.

WINTER GARDEN, FLA // CEO AND CFO COLIN VANATTA, AE 14, AND CO-OWNER AJ ALIX, EE 13, MS CS 21 BURDELL’S ORDER: Bebop: a dry-hopped rice lager.

We apologize for the misspelling of Billee Pendleton-Parker’s first name in the story “Tender Memories” in the last issue (Winter 2022, Vol. 97, No. 4).

8 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

“LOVE THIS FUN MAGAZINE WITH THE BOLD GRAPHICS AND PICTURES!” –LINDA SORROW, IE 84, OF PEACHTREE CITY, GA.

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VOLUME 98

AROUND CAMPUS

ISSUE 1

SPRINGTIME SPLENDORS Campus isn’t just full of Yellow Jackets. With visits from farm friends and new blooms, Tech students reconnect with nature as spring arrives. The Grad SGA hosted an event on Tech Green to help students relieve some stress ahead of finals.

PHOTOGRAPHS

XIOASHU LIU AND BRICE ZIMMERMAN

12

WILDLIFE AT HOME ON CAMPUS

22

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

24

THE INSIDE SCOOP ON TECH’S OUTDOOR SPACES

28

PLANTING SEEDS OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

11

AROUND CAMPUS

Campus is teeming with animal life, from native and rare birds to possums and even a fox or two.

Next time you visit, keep your eyes and ears open to spot one of these feathered or furry friends.

WILDLIFE AT HOME ON CAMPUS

monitoring the foxes.

“We had some suspicions that foxes were in the glade,” Seleb says. “It’s a very secluded area with dense vegetation, so it’s a great spot for campus wildlife to hide during the day and then come out at night.”

To confirm their suspicions, they set up cameras inside the glade and left them for a couple of weeks. When they reviewed the images, they had captured two foxes on camera at the same time.

“There are a number of other animals on campus, and the glade is where many of them live. We have

YUMIKO SAKURAI

12 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

anything other than they were born in this area. They don’t know they’re in the middle of a city.”

Included in the biodiversity surveys of the area are squirrels, possums, raccoons, rats, and birds. At least two foxes live in the glade, a densely forested area behind the president’s residence on the north side of campus.

Ben Seleb, ME 20, a PhD student in quantitative biosciences, is developing an open-source camera for studying the foxes and other wildlife. He and his colleagues at Tech4Wildife, a course and campus organization devoted to the conservation of wildlife, have been

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHS

AT L A N TA I S O F T E N C A L L E D the “city in a forest” because of its lush canopy of trees, uncommon for a major city.

In the heart of that forest sits Georgia Tech’s 400-acre campus. And within campus lies a variety of wildlife that has made Georgia Tech its home.

“I don’t think most people are aware of wildlife on campus,” says Emily Weigel, Bio 10, senior academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences. “They might see a feral cat, but they don’t really think about all the other animals that live on campus.

Georgia Tech is the animals’ home base, and they probably don’t know

BY VICTOR ROGERS

seen raccoons, possums, and a couple of feral cats that travel in and out of the glade,” Seleb says.

The glade connects to Tech’s new EcoCommons, a lush 8-acre woodland area near the center of campus, providing a pathway for wildlife to travel into campus at night, while still giving them the cover of vegetation.

BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS The lush vegetation on campus provides birds with a source of nutrition as well as a good place to build nests.

Horticulturalist Steve Place, who can usually be found working near The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, helps to create a native habitat to support the birds.

“We’re reintroducing native plants

to recreate the habitat for the native birds,” Place says. “When you move away from the native landscape, it encourages ‘generalist’ birds that are more tolerant of what they can eat. We want to encourage the reemergence of the rarer species of birds that are dependent on particular grasses and berries.”

The campus landscape team is removing ivy and other invasive, non-native plants near The Kendeda Building. They’re building a sustainable and regenerative ecosystem that can support itself and the endemic species in the area. Place says that people who visit the area regularly will begin to notice the variety of birds.

The Kendeda Building and the adjacent EcoCommons are part of a

wildlife sanctuary certified by the Georgia Audubon Society, making Tech the first university in the state to receive the designation.

GEARING US UP FOR THE FUTURE. NATE O. Infrastructure Ops Georgia Tech Alum Motorcycle Man

As a leader in information technology at Cox Enterprises, Nate has won recognition for working across teams and functions. As a restorer of classic motorcycles, he breathes new life into old rides. Thanks to multifaceted employees like Nate, who understand the engine under the hood, we continue to expand on our 123-year record of innovation.

You’ve got a lot to offer.

(We do, too.) Apply yourself.

CoxCareersATL.com

TALK OF TECH

TECH EARNS TOP 20 SPOT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH SPENDING

BY TESS MALONE

G E O R G I A T E C H has broken into the top 20 in higher education research and development spending for the first time in a decade. The ranking, based on an annual survey conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF), reflects a year of innovations in healthcare, computing, and sustainability research—even amidst a global pandemic.

While overall higher education research spending slowed to 3.3% growth in fiscal year 2020, the Georgia Tech research enterprise, which includes the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), rose to 9.3%—which translates to approximately $1,049 14 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

million in expenditures.

Georgia Tech placed among top research-intensive universities, such as Johns Hopkins University, which ranked No. 1 (with $3,110 million in expenditures), and Harvard University, which rounded out the top 10 (with $1,240 million in expenditures).

Georgia Tech was the only technological university to place in the top 20 and had the second highest yearto-year growth, behind Texas A&M University. A top 20 ranking is particularly significant, as Tech achieved it without a medical school. Nationally, medical schools account for a quarter of all research expenditures.

“Georgia Tech is proud of our continued growth and to be listed among the nation’s top institutions in research and development spending,” says Chaouki T. Abdallah, MS EE 82, PhD EE 88, executive vice president for Research.

Tech’s research spending benefits more than just groundbreaking discoveries made in the lab; it also helps the state of Georgia. In the same year, Georgia Tech secured $4 billion in economic impact, according to data released by the University System of Georgia. Research spending at Tech contributes to everything from agricultural innovations, like using robots for peach orchards and poultry houses, to sensors that monitor coastal sea level rise in Savannah, Ga. During fiscal year 2021, Tech saw historic growth with nearly $1.2 billion in new grants and contracts and nearly $1.1 billion in research expenditures, assuring that Tech and GTRI will continue solving the most complex problems locally, nationally, and across industries.

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FACULT Y ACCOL ADES

THREE FACULTY HONORED AS LIFETIME AAAS FELLOWS

BY JOSHUA STEWART AND JESS HUNT-RALSTON

T H E A M E R I C A N AS S O C I AT I O N F O R T H E A D V A N C E M E N T O F S C IENCE (AAAS) has elected three faculty from Georgia Tech

and Emory University to the newest class of AAAS Fellows, one of the highest distinctions in the scientific community:

K I M M . C O B B , Georgia Power Chair,

HANJOONG JO, Wallace H. Coulter Dis-

C A R L O S A . R . S A D E M E L O , professor in

director of the Global Change Pro-

tinguished Faculty Chair in Biomedical

Georgia Tech’s School of Physics,

gram, and ADVANCE professor in the

Engineering and the Coulter Depart-

College of Sciences.

School of Earth and Atmospheric Sci-

ment of Biomedical Engineering’s

ences, College of Sciences.

associate chair for Emory University.

YELLOW JACKETS NAMED TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING T H R E E FA C U LT Y A N D T W O A D D I T I O N A L A L U M N I A M O N G N E W E S T M E M B E R S .

THREE GEORGIA TECH faculty members

Magnus, PhD MSE 96, and Nick Sa-

awarded to an engineer. They are

and two additional alumni are among

hinidis as well as alumni Nick Lappos,

among this year’s 133 new members

the newest members of the Nation-

AE 73, and Nathan Meehan, Phys 75,

(including international selections).

al Academy of Engineering (NAE).

have been elected to the NAE, one of

Georgia Tech now has 45 NAE mem-

Faculty Christopher Jones, Sandra

the highest professional distinctions

bers.—JASON MADERER

S I X FA C U LT Y N A M E D I E E E F E L L O W S SIX FACULTY MEMBERS were named 2022 IEEE Fellows (clockwise from top left):

SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

GEORGE W. WOODRUFF SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

• • • •

• Levent Degertekin

Ghassan AlRegib Bonnie Ferri, PhD EE 88 Arijit Raychowdhury Maryam Saeedifard

WALL ACE H. COULTER DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING • May Dongmei Wang, MS EE 91, MS AM 93, MS CS 95, PhD ECE 00

16 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

DEVELOPMENT VICE PRESIDENT BARRETT CARSON RETIRES B A R R E T T H . C A R S O N has spent a

Presbyterian College in North Caroli-

quarter of a century at the helm

na. He held subsequent development

of Georgia Tech’s Office of Devel-

positions at the College of William &

opment. During that time, Carson

Mary, Virginia Tech, and the Univer-

managed two highly successful multi-

sity of Alabama at Huntsville prior to

year capital campaigns—three, if

joining Georgia Tech in 1997.

you count Initiative 2020, a two-year

It was at Virginia Tech that Carson

fundraising venture that will function

met President Emeritus G. Wayne

as the quiet phase of the next cam-

Clough, who later hired him to head

“I was at the table when this pro-

paign. He served three presidents;

Tech’s Office of Development and to

gram was envisioned, and we knew

raised three children—two of whom

direct a much-needed capital cam-

that it was going to be transforma-

graduated from the Institute—with his

paign. Carson took over leadership

tive,” Carson says. Since its launch in

wife, Carolyn; and, along with his

of the Campaign for Georgia Tech,

2007, more than 950 students have

staff, transformed Georgia Tech’s ap-

which had launched in 1996. By De-

received a Tech Promise scholarship.

proach to fundraising.

cember 2000, Tech had raised $712

Georgia Tech’s second nation-

“Barrett has been instrumental in

million—more than double the initial

al campaign, which ran from 2009

the stellar growth of the Institute over

$300 million goal. This philanthropy

to 2015, was even more successful.

the last quarter of a century,” Presi-

resulted in 54 new endowed chairs,

When the books were closed in De-

dent Ángel Cabrera says. “Today we

233 endowed undergraduate schol-

cember 2015, the campaign had

serve more students, conduct more re-

arships and graduate fellowships, and

funded 104 endowed chairs and pro-

search, provide more scholarships,

significant investment in the construc-

fessorships, raised $354 million for

and contribute more to the economic

tion of 11 new buildings.

undergraduate and graduate student

vibrancy of our state than ever be-

Although not part of the campaign,

support and $276 million for intercol-

fore, and that simply would not have

the G. Wayne Clough Tech Prom-

legiate athletics, and generated $958

been possible without the philanthrop-

ise Scholarship Endowment, which is

million for the Institute’s Colleges and

ic support secured by Barrett and the

available to in-state students who have

Schools—with every college meeting

exceptional team of development pro-

profound financial need, is another re-

its fundraising goals.

fessionals he built.”

sult of successful private philanthropy

Carson retired on Dec. 31, 2021,

—and a program of which Carson is

but has stayed on as an advisor to the

particularly proud.

president.—JENNIFER CARLILE

Carson began his career in development in 1977 at St. Andrews

MAGNUS NAMED TO U.S. ASTRONAUT HALL O F FA M E

(MSE), and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.

Magnus was selected as an astronaut in 1996, the same year she

GEORGIA TECH graduate and Profes-

received her doctoral degree in MSE.

sor of the Practice Sandra “Sandy”

Her first launch was in 2002 aboard

Magnus has been elected to the U.S.

Space Shuttle Atlantis. In 2008, she

Astronaut Hall of Fame. Magnus, who

flew to the International Space Station

flew to space three times, will be in-

Magnus returned to her alma ma-

and lived onboard for four and a half

ducted in June at the Kennedy Space

ter in 2021 with joint appointments

months. Magnus’ final flight, STS-135

Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Only

in the Daniel Guggenheim School of

in 2011, was the final space shuttle

101 astronauts have received the

Aerospace Engineering, the School

launch (again on Atlantis.)—JASON

honor.

of Materials Science and Engineering

MADERER

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

17

TALK OF TECH G E O R G I A T E C H PA R T N E R S T O L A U N C H M A R TA R E A C H P I L O T P R O G R A M A C R O S S A T L A N TA

N E W O N - D E M A N D P R O G R A M W I L L C O N N E C T R I D E R S T O S TA T I O N S . he developed a system to make MAR-

some people may face challenges

TA more efficient and able to better

getting to the MARTA station.”

serve communities that have a vital

On March 1, MARTA and Geor-

need for reliable transit. That’s how

gia Tech began pilot–testing this

MARTA Reach was born.

program in three strategic neighbor-

“We were contacted by Pascal in

hoods: West Atlanta, Belvedere Park,

late 2020 about the possibility of an

and Fort Gillem. Van Hentenryck

on-demand network,” says MARTA

says there’s never been a piloted on-

Interim General Manager and CEO

demand public transit system like this

Collie Greenwood.

in a major U.S. metropolitan area like

Van Hentenryck describes MARTA

Atlanta.

G R E AT S O L U T I O N S often start with a

Reach as an on-demand multimodal

During the pilot test, folks in these

simple idea. For Georgia Tech indus-

transportation solution—smartphones

areas can use the MARTA Reach app

trial engineering professor Pascal Van

and shuttles outfitted with tablets con-

to call for a shuttle to pick them up and

Hentenryck, it started four years ago:

nected to an app that helps riders find

take them to the nearest MARTA trans-

an idea to tackle one of the biggest

a quick route to their nearest MARTA

portation hub. When users call for

challenges for America’s eighth larg-

station. Think ridesharing platforms

a pickup, their requests will be rout-

est rapid transit system.

like Lyft or Uber—except this ride is a

ed through a server at Georgia Tech

flat, low-cost fee.

that connects to the drivers on MAR-

“One of the big issues is connecting

“Public transit is the most cost-

TA’s new fleet of Reach vehicles. The

effective way to move people,” says

pilot has been funded by a grant from

So, during the pandemic, Van Hen-

Van Hentenryck, A. Russell Chandler

the National Science Foundation, and

tenryck decided to contact MARTA

III Chair and Professor in the H. Mil-

from March until August, the service

officials directly, and, with his team of

ton Stewart School of Industrial and

will be available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

student researchers at Georgia Tech,

Systems Engineering. “But in Atlanta,

every weekday.—STEVEN NORRIS

to and from the system. First and last mile,” says Van Hentenryck.

A I R B N B A N N O U N C E S N E W A T L A N TA T E C H H U B

F R O M I T S W E S T M I D T O W N O F F I C E S PA C E N E A R G E O R G I A T E C H , T H E A T L A N TA T E C H H U B WILL CREATE NEW, HIGH-SKILLED TECHNICAL AND NON-TECHNICAL ROLES, BUILDING ON A I R B N B ’ S C O M M I T M E N T A N D I N V E S T M E N T I N T H E C I T Y. AIRBNB ANNOUNCED it selected the In-

for new technical and non-technical

shareholders,” says Dave Stephen-

terlock at 14th Street and Howell Mill

roles over time, and the first step in a

son, chief financial officer at Airbnb.

Road in Atlanta’s West Midtown as

broader commitment to a long-term

the new home for its planned techni-

presence in metro Atlanta.

The leased space is managed

by Georgia Advanced Technology

cal hub. The tech hub is slated to open

“With the opening of our Atlan-

Ventures (GATV), a Georgia Tech af-

later this year—subject to pandemic

ta Tech Hub, we hope to create

filiate. GATV acquires and develops

conditions. It follows Airbnb’s 2020

many new high-skilled jobs over time

properties near campus that address

announcement of its plans to open a

and further expand our commit-

both Tech’s academic needs and

technical hub in Atlanta to serve as

ment to serving all stakeholders in

that of tech companies interested in

the home for one of its product de-

Airbnb’s diverse community: hosts,

tapping into its research innovations

velopment teams, the regional base

guests, communities, employees, and

and student talent.—PÉRALTE C. PAUL

18 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

UP TO 85%

OF THE JOBS EXIST IN 2030 THAT WILL

HAVEN’T BEEN INVENTED YET.*

Whether the goal is reskilling, preparing for advancement, or transitioning to a new industry, we have a pathway that will support your career needs.

Online Master’s Degrees Bootcamps Professional and Graduate Certificates Professional Development and Online Courses

For more information scan or visit pe.gatech.edu/pathways. * Institute for the Future, The Next Era of Human/Machine Partnerships: Emerging Technologies’ Impact on Society and Work in 2030

RESEARCH

LIFESAVING DEVICE PROVIDING BREATH OF HOPE

BY JERRY GRILLO

ALLISON CARTER

20 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Hospital and a 3D-printed tracheal replacement splint developed by researchers in the lab of Scott Hollister at Georgia Tech.

“We know that children with this condition have not survived past the age of 8 or 10,” says Hollister, professor and the Patsy and Alan Dorris Chair in Pediatric Technology in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. “Our fingers are crossed that this case will be different,” he says.

This case is indeed different. It is the first time such a device has been used to treat tracheal agenesis, and Hollister is part of the team of researchers who recently authored a clinical case study published in the

PHOTOGRAPH

RAMIAH MARTIN isn’t like other little girls, and that’s perfectly fine with her mother.

“She is nothing short of a miracle,” Leanne Martin says of her daughter, who was facing long odds before her birth in December 2017, after being diagnosed with heart problems during a prenatal ultrasound. And the odds only got worse when Ramiah was born with an extremely rare developmental abnormality called tracheal agenesis—she didn’t have a trachea, or windpipe. About one in 50,000 babies worldwide are born with the condition, which is almost always fatal.

In December of 2021 Ramiah and her family celebrated her 4th birthday thanks to the work of her physicians at Penn State Health Children’s

journal JTCVS Techniques.

The splint, known as the Airway Support Device, already had a strong track record, having been used in the successful treatment of other pediatric patients with a condition called tracheabronchomalacia—collapse of the windpipe, which causes severe, life-threatening airway obstruction.

While a professor at the University of Michigan, Hollister collaborated with colleague Glenn Green to develop the first version of a 3D-printed, patient-specific airway splint that is bioresorbable—it is biodegradable and can be naturally and safely absorbed by the body. The small device is a lifesaving scaffold that opens a child’s windpipe, allowing them to breathe.

But Ramiah’s case presented a new, daunting challenge. She didn’t really have a windpipe to work with. Her esophagus was her windpipe.

Hollister’s team re-engineered the Airway Support Device, adding some curvature to accommodate the stoma in Ramiah’s neck. The device was ready and installed during airway reconstruction surgery when Ramiah was 20 weeks old. Ramiah may need another 3D device as she gets older to stabilize her reconstructed airway, Leanne says. But right now, her goal is to see Ramiah, who is developmentally delayed, walk; Leanne has no doubt that her little girl will eventually be navigating the busy household on her own two feet.

“That is the kind of outcome we all hope for,” says Hollister, whose Georgia Tech collaborators Sarah Jo Crotts and Harsha Ramaraju were major contributors to the work. “We’re excited, because we think this is the beginning of a new paradigm for children with this rare condition.”

STUDENT NEWS

OCEAN SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING CELEBRATES FIRST GRADUATE

BY CONNOR WHITE

M I N D A M O N T E A G U D O is a one-of-akind student, literally. She is the first student to graduate with a PhD in ocean sciences and engineering from Georgia Tech. The program was established in 2014 as an interdisciplinary study integrating biology, civil engineering, and earth and atmospheric sciences.

Monteagudo was approached due to her interest in climate change and how it affects the ocean. “[The program] is a home that brings together people who work on ocean science,” says Monteagudo. She’s excited to see what future cohorts will accomplish.

Next year will be the first full group

of students graduating, and many are already writing their dissertations.

Monteagudo recently finished hers on fossil shells in ocean sediment. She used chemistry to reconstruct ocean temperatures from the geological past.

These findings can be used to bolster current models of future temperature changes by seeing if they match past records. During Monteagudo’s time at Tech, she was a teaching assistant for EAS 2600, which enabled her to use her love of teaching while interacting with undergraduate students.

“Students saw connections from earth and atmospheric sciences to their own majors, so I was able to learn many things from their personal experiences,” Monteagudo says. She was

also asked to join a task force for racial equality with 12 other students. Over her short few years at Tech, Monteagudo has blazed many trails and helped shape a better future for all students.

GOING UP: RECORD-SETTING APPLICATION NUMBERS Georgia Tech received a record number of applications this year.

50,600

applications received this year in all three rounds (Early Action 1, Early Action 2, and Regular Decision)

10,000

more applications this year than two years ago

550

more students enrolled in this year’s first-year class than three years ago

12%

overall admit rate for Early Action 2

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

21

Q&A WITH THE PRESIDENT

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE A L W A Y S W E A R P R O P E R footwear when meeting with Georgia Tech’s president, Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95. Walking shoes, that is.

Although the president’s walking meetings started as a pandemic-era safety measure, they have become his preferred way to meet with staff.

Conversations are more energized, are focused on

Q: WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR APPRECIATION FOR NATURE? I was raised in Madrid, Spain, and grew up hiking in the mountains around the city and around the country. I’ve always been interested in nature, how important it is, and what each of us can do to protect it. Georgia Tech’s mission is to advance technology and improve the human condition.

That requires that we ask ourselves how we can drive progress in a way that’s compatible with a healthy planet.

That’s one of the most essential questions that we face as a species.

Q : HOW IS GEORGIA TECH HELPING ANSWER THAT QUESTION? We’re already a leader in many disciplines that are essential to building a sustainable future. From clean energy generation and the smart distribution, storage, and use of energy to efficient supply chains, transportation, and new materials, we are helping find new solutions. We’re also studying how rising sea levels will affect communities far and near, including those on our own Georgia coast, and what we can 22 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

campus, and are frequently punctuated by run-ins with students and faculty, he says. The views don’t hurt, either.

“Our campus is gorgeous. It’s almost a waste not to get outside and enjoy it,” says Cabrera.

On a beautiful February day on campus, President Cabrera talked with the Alumni Magazine about the wonders of the natural world, its inspiration for Yellow Jackets, and how the Institute is helping create progress that’s compatible with a healthy planet. Below are his responses, edited for length and clarity.

do to deal with these effects. Very importantly, we’re developing leaders in business and public policy that will help find solutions we cannot imagine yet. Now our focus with the Sustainability Next initiative is figuring out how those pieces come together so we can be more coordinated and have an even bigger impact.

Q: WHAT DOES A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE LOOK LIKE TO YOU? Humans are living longer and healthier lives than at any other time in history. Science and technology have been key drivers. But the very technologies that have brought so much prosperity to a population that will soon reach 10 billion are also testing the capabilities of our planet. Our challenge is not to stop progress, but to continue to drive progress for everyone in a way that keeps our planet healthy and plentiful for generations to come. This idea is reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have been endorsed by the entire world. The SDGs include environmental objectives but

go well beyond. They are also about how to provide health, education, food, clean water, security, and opportunity to everyone. The ultimate goal isn’t to regress but to find ways to increase human well-being while ensuring the health of our planet.

At Tech, we are uniquely equipped to make a major difference in achieving these goals. I get excited about how all these bright people can create solutions to these challenges.

Q:

YOU HELPED FOUND AND NOW CHAIR THE UNIVERSITY GLOBAL COALITION, A G L O B A L P A R T N E R S H I P O F H I G H E R E D U C ATION INSTITUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE SDGs. HOW DID THE IDEA FOR THIS START? When I was in business school, I realized businesses should be a huge part of the solution to these challenges, but that business schools weren’t doing a great job of conveying that idea to future business leaders. At the time, I was an advisor to the United Nations Global Compact, and I led the creation of the Principles for Responsible Management Education. It’s a framework that has been

Researchers in the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems are focused on improving environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Prof. Seung Woo Lee (left) and PhD student Micheal J. Lee (right), hold a rubber material that could be an alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries.

adopted by more than 800 business schools around the world and commits them to educating future business leaders who understand their responsibilities. When I became a university president, I had seen firsthand how academic institutions can lead, and how we are particularly well-suited to be conveners of other actors, such as businesses and government. I then partnered with other universities around the world to create a coalition of institutions that shared that idea and that were willing to collaborate to have a much greater impact.

Q: WHAT CAN ALUMNI DO? The number one thing that they can do is incorporate responsible management into their business practices.

Our alumni lead companies, and they lead departments within companies, that use energy, manufacture products, and use natural resources. They can use their platforms and influence to incorporate responsible business practices. Of course, they can also help their alma mater do what we do, which means engaging with us as we create new programs and engaging philanthropically to help fund those programs.

Q : YOU’VE SEEN TECH ALUMNI AND FACULTY NAMED “EXPLORERS” BY THE N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C S O C I E T Y , W H E R E YOU SERVE ON THE BOARD. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT NAT GEO? National Geographic is an iconic organization. We’ve all grown up reading

the magazine, but Nat Geo does a lot more than that. It finds leaders around the world and invests in them so they can make a bigger impact. One thing we’ve done since I’ve been part of the board is to create a new mission that is focused not only on powerful story-telling, but also on protecting our treasures—to illuminate and

protect the wonder of our world.

It’s exciting to see Georgia Tech faculty and alumni recognized as Explorers for that work, and my hope is that we’ll see even more—both faculty who are doing revolutionary things in developing technology and students who themselves will be leaders of change.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

23

AROUND CAMPUS

THE INSIDE SCOOP ON TECH’S OUTDOOR SPACES

SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, OR WINTER, THESE ARE THE CAMPUS SPOTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS ON YOUR NEXT VISIT.

THE INSIDER

JASON GREGORY Senior Planner and Landscape Architect in Tech’s Capital Planning & Space Management Office PHOTOGRAPHS

White flowers on serviceberry trees,

ATLANTIC DRIVE IN ANY SEASON

which grow along Skiles Walkway,

By mid-spring, the pink, yellow, and white azaleas on Atlantic Drive are in full

are a joy to view in the spring, but

bloom, sending their delightful fragrance from the Mason Building down to

by June and July, these trees are cov-

Tech Green. White and pink oakleaf hydrangeas will also bloom in the spring.

ered in delicious edible berries that

By fall, the muhly grass steals the spotlight with its fuzzy pinkish-red hues.

taste similar to blueberries. “I occa-

Along Atlantic in late winter and early spring, a native deciduous holly tree is

sionally gather them for my oatmeal

covered in vibrant red berries. “Because it’s the main pedestrian spine through

in the mornings,” Gregory says. In

campus, we really wanted to get a lot of native but interesting, seasonal spe-

the fall, these trees turn a spectacu-

cies in this area,” says Jason Gregory.

lar orange and golden yellow.

24 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

JASON GREGORY, ALLISON CARTER, ROB FELT, AND JENNIFER TYNER

SKILES’ SWEET SERVICEBERRIES

THE OLD OAK AT ECOCOMMONS The newly opened EcoCommons next to The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design features some of the most unusual tree species on campus.

Landscape staff believe this space also includes one of Tech’s oldest living trees, an oak at the top of the EcoCommons ridge. Using maps of the area from the 1800s, staff found that the topographic signature of the ridge has remained almost unchanged, suggesting the tree may be well over 100 years old.

STROLL DOWN CHERRY STREET Cherry Street’s papery pink and white blossoms deserve your attention in the spring. Take a video rather than a picture, Gregory says, to capture the trees’ petals blowing in the wind and softly falling to the ground. Time your video right, and you might also capture the sounds of the Whistle across Harrison Square.

Keep strolling to Lyman Hall and the Carnegie Building to spot several Ginkgo trees that turn a distinct golden during the fall. Be quick to snap a photo because they drop their leaves all at once, leaving behind a bright yellow carpet on the ground.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

25

AROUND CAMPUS

SHORTCUTS CAUSE RUTS Like other college campuses, the turf on Tech Green takes a beating. Today, the green space is a bustling hub of pedestrian activity, even playing host to a miniature petting zoo during a recent Grad SGA event (see photos on page 10). While cutting through the grass can still lead to ruts, this green space is designed to help minimize the damage.

Just below the northern end of Tech Green is a 1.4-milliongallon cistern. The cistern manages stormwater, provides irrigation, and supplies nearby buildings with an alternate source of water for flushing

RIVER PLANTS IN THE SEVEN BRIDGES PLAZA Tech campus can’t be beautiful simply for beauty’s sake. Of course, it’s cleverly designed, too. Take the plaza between the Howey Physics and the Mason buildings, which features a rendition of the famous mathematical problem by Leonhard Euler that laid the foundations of graph theory. The design replicates the City of Königsberg. Four river banks are connected by seven bridges. The problem states: Can one walk from any one bank and back to it, crossing each bridge once and once only? While you’re crossing bridges, appreciate the space’s intentional landscaping design. In addition to blue pavers that represent the river and gray slate chips that represent the shorelines, all the plants in this space were chosen because they typically are found in aquatic environments.

toilets. Keeping the grass green above the cistern without turning the field into

TREE-RIFIC TECH TRIVIA

a swamp requires crafty landscaping. Around 2014,

Are you a Helluva Sapling or a R.A.T. (Recruit at

Tech Green’s soil profile was

Trees)? Put your knowledge to the test. Find the

redesigned to be similar to

answer to this question and take the full quiz at

athletic fields with a sand-

gtalumni.org/tree.. gtalumni.org/tree

based course underneath the sod. This improved drainage and solved irrigation issues, leading to the Tech Green that exists today, which can withstand thousands of trodding feet—and in some cases, hooves, too.

26 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Q:

THE KENDEDA BUILDING IS KNOWN FOR UPCYCLING MATERIALS. THE BUILDING’S STAIRS ARE COMPOSED OF WHAT MATERIAL? A) Wood from a Tech Tower staircase B) Wood chips from Tech Green C) Wooden bleachers from Grant Field

CAMPUS IN THE TREES THE GEORGIA TECH ARBORETUM SHOWCASES TECH’S IMPRESSIVE U R B A N F O R E S T.

THERE ARE 14,015 TREES on Georgia Tech’s campus. How do we know?

Countless hours go into tagging, measuring, and inspecting each one.

The Georgia Tech Arboretum, certified in 2016 and recertified in 2021, showcases one of Tech’s most prized treasures: its urban canopy.

“The arboretum studies the performance of trees, how they work in the landscape, and what they do for us,” says Gregory.

Of the 19 other Georgia arboreta, only the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville, Ga., rank higher than Georgia Tech.

Ideas for an arboretum came about

In addition to being a Level II arboretum, Georgia Tech is certified by Tree Campus USA.

in 2016 as part of the campus Land-

call to fell an iconic 1800s-era white

erosion and landscape depletion.

scape Master Plan, which included

oak that stood outside Tech Tower.

the goal to develop a landscape that

“We assess the health of each

prevented 248,846 cubic feet of

enhances Tech’s living, working, and

significant tree, and we have

annual runoff. That amount would

learning environment. The arboretum

poor-health trees reassessed in

fill almost one-third of Georgia

provides a framework for teaching

detail for a second opinion. The

about the performance of trees.

[oak] at Tech Tower, that one we had

tank. These trees help prevent erosion

Georgia Tech’s campus trees have

Aquarium’s 6.3-million-gallon

Since officially unveiling the ar-

assessed numerous times, because

by soaking up stormwater, Gregory

boretum, staff have conducted two

none of us wanted to take it down. We

says. “This means less water goes to

complete inventories of campus trees.

started seeing significant rot in loca-

the combined sanitary sewer system,

These inventories allow staff to mon-

tions that made it a real risk, and we

which ultimately is the goal.” When

itor tree health and avoid potential

had to make a call,” explains Greg-

sewer systems are overwhelmed, run-

catastrophes.

ory. “There’s never a good way to

off can pollute nearby waterways like

know where it would’ve fallen.”

the Chattahoochee River.

For example, this January, the Tree Campus Committee made the tough For interactive maps, updates, tree profiles, and more, visit arboretum.gatech.edu arboretum.gatech.edu.

With the addition of the 8-acre

“All of these things tie together to

EcoCommons green space in 2021,

protect the river downstream. It all

nearly 700 more trees have joined

starts with the trees and the soil,”

the Tech tree family. Adding trees to

Gregory says. —JESSICA BARBER,

campus helps improve soil porosity

CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR EN-

and capture runoff that would lead to

GINEERING STUDENT

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

27

AROUND CAMPUS Compiled by Cathy Brim

At Georgia Tech, Innovation spreads like wild...flowers and The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design is no exception. Take a look at how the stateof-the-art facility is planting ideas across campus and beyond.

Super Energy Saver

The Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory uses The Kendeda Building as a living, learning lab to research demand response techniques that shift energy use throughout the day. This energy flexibility can relieve the burden on electrical grids during times of high activity. The team is also analyzing the building’s heat pumps and how they could be used in other buildings to potentially decarbonize campus energy use.

Ramped-up recycling The Kendeda Building serves as the location for pilot programs of hard-to-recycle materials. A plastic film/bag recycling pilot was so successful that there is now an additional drop-off location at the post office inside Exhibition Hall.

28 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Beyond Books

Compost Role Model

Through The Kende-

A program for collecting yard trimmings and leaves around The

da Building, college students throughout Georgia can

Kendeda Building for composting

A Teaching Moment

and converting into mulch is ongoing

Serve-Learn-Sustain, in partnership with the

and may expand to other areas of

Office of Campus Sustainability and the Glob-

campus.

al Change Program, piloted The Kendeda

now earn Georgia Urban Naturalist Certification. The course explores the associations between nature, the built environment, and our role as humans

Building Teaching Fellows Program. Fellows have developed a community of practice on

within both.

how to integrate the Living Building Challenge categories and the building into teaching.

Remote Control Kendeda was the first building on campus to use an AV over IP signal. One AV equipment rack controls the entire building, reducing energy consumption. All of the building’s AV devices can be remotely managed, saving time and transportation costs. These AV solutions have also led to new standards on campus.

Teaming Up Students engage with The Kendeda Building each semester through Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) teams. The Building for Equity and Sustainability team focuses on how to push the envelope on equity as a core component of the sustainable built environment. The Living Building Science team studies the building’s systems and how they can be improved.

Energy Forward With the success of The Kendeda Building’s energy systems, engineers on campus are analyzing how to scale these systems and incorporate them holistically into the next campus master plan.

illustrations by charlie layton GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

29

AROUND CAMPUS

seeing change take root salvaging materials, and avoiding ma-

initiatives to bolster equity in sustain-

terials that emit harmful chemicals,

able design—one of seven “Petals,”

are now codified in Georgia Tech’s

or performance categories, within

“Yellow Book,” which includes design

t he Living Building

standards for campus buildings.

Challenge.

I T ’ S N OT E V E R Y D AY that you get to

One challenge with building Kende-

“Equity is probably

build the greenest building in the

da was finding alternatives to products

the category where

Southeast—and only the 28th in the

that include materials that emit harm-

there’s the most room

world to earn Living Building Chal-

ful chemicals, known as “Red List”

f or im provement,”

lenge certification. That’s enough to

materials. The research that the

equity enforcer Mitchell says. “Jenny

make any civil engineer proud. For

team conducted is now available for

Hirsc h and Georgia Tec h have

Jimmy Mitchell, CE 05, it was even

other builders, Mitch-

used Kendeda as a case-study

better because it happened in the

ell says. “There are

for the Living Building Challenge

place where he first learned about

also instances where

and for what can be done with the

sustainability.

manufacturers were

equity petal.”

Mitchell, a sustainability engineer

able to remove these

Their work has already led to changes in local hiring and workforce

Georgia Tech’s Kendeda Building for

Red chemicals from prodcrime ucts for The Kendeda stopper Building, which creat-

Innovative Sustainable Design.

ed new product offerings that didn’t

Building team was looking to hire la-

exist before,” he says.

bor to deconstruct salvaged wood

with Swedish firm Skanska, was a project leader for the construction of

“Having an opportunity to do

development practices, Mitchell says.

In one instance, when The Kendeda

a Living Building Challenge in the

Lessons from The Kendeda Building

to create timber panels, they worked

Southeast validated what I learned

are taking root off campus, too. One

with Tech’s Director of Community

at Georgia Tech. Then, to be able to

example is the global headquarters

Relations Chris Burke and the Part-

do that for my alma mater, was super

for the HVAC-professional organiza-

nership for Southern Equity to hire

cool,” Mitchell says.

tion ASHRAE in Atlanta. “They’ve

and train workers from nearby neigh-

The Kendeda Building is living proof

installed solar panels and now oper-

borhoods with high unemployment

of the possibilities of sustainable de-

ate at net-zero-energy performance,

rates. Working with the nonprof-

sign, but it’s also a springboard for

which was a direct result of leaders

it Georgia Works!, Skanska hired

the next generation of Living Building

touring The Kendeda Building,” says

local workers to construct 489 nail-

Challenge projects, Mitchell says.

Mitchell.

laminated timber panels for the build-

“This building proves the research

Still, Mitchell is the first to point

ing. Conversations are underway on

and makes it easier for the next Living

out that The Kendeda Building isn’t

how an emerging industry around de-

Building Challenge in Atlanta because

perfect. The project’s most signifi-

constructing and salvaging materials

we’ve done much

cant impact may be its ongoing role

can support workforce development,

of t he wor k f or

as a living laboratory where Yellow

Mitchell adds.

them,” he says.

Jackets can continue to advance sus-

“It’s interesting now to use The

Many of the les-

tainable design. Mitchell is an advisor

Kendeda Building as an example of

sons learned from

to a Vertically Integrated Project team

what can be done, but it’s almost just

this project, such raising standards as looking at sys-

created by Jennifer Hirsch, director

as interesting to use it as an example

of the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain.

of how to do things differently,” says

Hirsch and her team are leading

Mitchell.—JENNIFER HERSEIM

tems holistically,

30 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

PEOPLE WILL HOLD

AN AVERAGE OF

12 JOBS

OVER THEIR *

We offer programs, both online and on-site, in high-demand subject areas to help working professionals keep pace with ever-changing market forces and business demands.

Computing and Cybersecurity Data Science & Analytics Defense Engineering FinTech Language, Culture & Communications Management and Leadership Occupational, Safety, & Health Personal Development Supply Chain Logistics For more information scan or visit pe.gatech.edu/skills. *National Longitudinal Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics

VOLUME 98

ON THE FIELD

ISSUE 1

HOME SAFE Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, MS OR 98, returned from space after completing his third mission—and 199 days aboard the International Space Station. On March 4, Kimbrough met students and faculty and ended the day by throwing out the first baseball pitch before Georgia Tech beat the University of Georgia 11- 7.

PHOTOGRAPH

32 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

34

THE GIFT OF RUNNING OUTSIDE

36

SPORTS SHORTS

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

33

ON THE FIELD

THE GIFT OF RUNNING OUTSIDE A S T O L D T O D A N I E L P. S M I T H

urban avenues and paths like the Atlanta BeltLine. Urban running has allowed me to explore people, clothing, architecture, local history, and a few furry friends while intensifying my innate curiosity and offering a diversion from the grind of training.

On the BeltLine, I pass skateboarders, musicians, dog walkers, fellow runners, and one rollerblader who pairs a speaker blaring early R&B music with an effervescent smile and exuberant wave. I swear this man lives on the BeltLine, and I always hope our paths cross, even if for a fleeting moment. His smile warms my heart and makes me wonder about the rest of his life and his source of positivity.

Touring the neighborhoods around Tech, I’m captivated by the city’s architecture, an interest cultivated by my

SCOTT DINERMAN, STC 03

34 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

F O R M E , running outside means exploration.

When I began running in junior high—coaxed into the sport by friends after years of trying other sports like softball and cheerleading—I explored local parks around my home in Douglasville, Ga., about 25 miles west of downtown Atlanta.

These adventures amid the trees and streams became touchpoints with nature and an escape from suburban life.

In high school, my solo runs became a chance to reflect on teen issues and contemplate my life’s next steps.

This self-exploration led me to Georgia Tech and sparked an enduring love for the sport.

When I arrived at Tech in August 2017, my running turned from treelined trails and suburban streets to

PHOTOGRAPHS

Nicole Fegans will leave Georgia Tech this spring as the most accomplished distance runner in Ramblin’ Wreck history. The business administration major heads into her final track season a four-time All-American, a three-time ACC champion, and the owner of multiple school records ranging from the mile to the 10K race.

Fegans reflects on how running outdoors has propelled her life.

C RO S S C O U N T RY PUSHING FOR S U S TA I N E D S U C C E S S

For Fegans, running outside is a time for introspection and a small escape from daily life.

For a while now, head cross country coach Alan Drosky has been pondering LAF—Life after Fegans, that is.

An All-ACC performer and All-American harrier, senior Nicole Fegans led Tech’s women’s program to its greatest heights: a runner-up finish at the ACC Championships in 2020, followed by a top 20 finish at the pandemic-delayed NCAA Championships in March 2021. Fegans’ departure leaves a gaping hole atop Drosky’s roster.

“When you lose someone of Nicole’s caliber, that’s a tough one,” says Drosky, IM 87, MS Mgt 89, a former Tech standout who has guided the JackFegans has set school records for the women’s indoor 5K (15:42.73) and women’s indoor mile (4:36.55).

ets’ cross country programs since 1992.

Depth powered by the likes of Claire Moritz, Liz Galarza, Mary Kathryn Knott, and Sarah Copeland will be vital

father, a former builder. From modern styles of steel and glass to stately brick mansions and understated bungalows, Atlanta’s neighborhoods deliver insights on where the city was and where it’s going. Passing these homes on foot also provides a more intimate look at the architecture and sometimes the lives inside. I’ll notice comforting tastes of life—a yellow door, a porch

swing, a little girl being twirled by her father.

A chronic people-watcher, I see others and consider the different lives we all lead—our interests, ambitions, challenges, and triumphs. I hunger for the full story. Like my BeltLine rollerblader, I want to know why that girl is wearing a poofy pink dress with massive white heels. Where is she going? What is she doing? I want to stop and ask questions, but runners favor movement.

Over the years, running outside has afforded me a daily escape, but even more it has empowered me to explore places and my own sense of self. At times, my runs have inspired appreciation or wonder and, at others, they have brought clarity or confidence.

Those gifts make it easier to lace up my shoes, head out the door, and go.

to sustaining the momentum the Tech women generated over recent years.

“The goal for our women’s program is to get back to the national meet and be a team that’s competing for a spot at nationals year after year,” Drosky says.

“We have the athletes to do that and continue the trend we’ve been on.”

On the men’s side, Drosky aims to build his young squad into a consistent contender capable of ascending the ACC standings and earning the program’s first team appearance at the NCAA Championships.

“The pieces are there to be the kind of program we want to be,” Drosky says, pointing to returning performers James Cragin, Myles Collins, Henrik Anderson, and John Higinbotham. And Drosky is particularly optimistic about cross country given the personal bests he’s witnessed during the current track season.

“This progress sets the groundwork for the fall,” Drosky says.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

35

SPORTS SHORTS

HISTORIC WIN FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL G E O R G I A T E C H women’s basketball opened the fourth quarter on Dec. 9, 2021, with one of the biggest wins in program histor y, a 57-44 win over the University of Connecticut. A crowd of 4,578, the second-largest for a women’s basketball game in McCamish Pavilion history, saw Tech outscore UConn,

Huskies’ 240-game winning streak

Yellow Jackets’ win was their first in

18-5, in the fourth quarter to snap the

against unranked opponents. The

three all-time meetings with UConn.

FOUR JACKETS NAMED ACC POSTGRADUATE SCHOL ARS S T U D E N T - A T H L E T E S Kyle Barone

Thacker Award and nine student-

intend to pursue a graduate degree

(swimming and diving), Mikaila

athletes, including Fegans, who plan

following completion of their under-

Dowd (volleyball), Lotta-Maj La-

to pursue professional careers in their

graduate requirements. Barone,

htinen (women’s basketball)

chosen sports and were named hon-

Dowd, and Lahtinen will each re-

and Nicole Fegans (women’s cross

orary recipients. To be considered, a

ceive $6,000 toward their graduate

country/track and field) are among

student-athlete must have a minimum

educations.

the Atlantic Coast Conference’s

3.0 cumulative grade point average

54 honorees of the 2022 Weav-

as an undergraduate.

er-James-Corrigan-Swof ford Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.

Those honored have performed with distinction in both the

The Weaver-James-Corrigan-

classroom and t heir respective

Swofford and Jim and Pat Thacker

sport, while demonstrating exem-

This year’s list includes three student-

postgraduate scholarships are award-

plar y conduct in the community.

athletes who will also receive the

ed to selected student-athletes who

—GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

JACKETS SHUT OUT UGA FOR THE FIRST TIME since 1997, 10thranked Georgia Tech baseball shut out No. 5 UGA, 7-0, at Foley Field Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate on March 5. Despite taking the first two games in the series, Georgia Tech was unable March 6 at Coolray Field.

36 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

DANNY KARNIK

to sweep the series, falling 12-3 on

PHOTOGRAPH

to clinch the second-straight series in

SPORTS SHORTS 2022 YELLOW JACKETS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED HOME GAMES against Clemson, Ole

edition of the Tech-Clemson rivalry

Miss, Virginia, and Miami (Fla.), and

will be not only the second edition of

(.641), Georgia Tech appears to have

several contests against teams that

Tech’s six-game “Mayhem at Mer-

one of college football’s most chal-

were invited to bowls in 2021 (in-

cedes-Benz Stadium” series, but will

lenging slates again in 2022.

cluding three New Year’s Six game

also be a part of the renowned Chick-

participants), highlight Georgia Tech

fil-A Kickoff Game series, marking

football’s 2022 schedule.

the first-ever conference match-up in

Kickoff times and TV arrangements

the annual slate of premier opening-

for the first three games of the season

weekend college football games.

will be announced in the spring, with

The 12-game slate begins with Georgia Tech’s 2022 “Mayhem at

Season tickets went on sale in February.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium” game on

After finishing the nation’s most

times and TV for the remaining nine

Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5, ver-

difficult schedule in 2021, with a com-

games announced no earlier than 12

sus longtime rival Clemson. The 87th

bined opponents’ record of 100-56

days before each contest in the fall.

2 0 2 2 F O O T B A L L S C H E D U L E ( H O M E GA M E S I N B O L D ) SEPT. 5: Clemson (Mayhem at Mercedes-Benz Stadium/Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game)

SEPT. 10: Western Carolina (Bobby Dodd Stadium) SEPT. 17: Ole Miss (Bobby Dodd Stadium) SEPT. 24: @ UCF (Orlando, Fla.) OCT. 1: @ Pitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

OCT. 20: Virginia (Bobby Dodd Stadium) OCT. 29: @ Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.) NOV. 5: @ Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.) NOV. 12: Miami (Fla.) (Bobby Dodd Stadium) NOV. 19: @ North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

NOV. 26: 26 @ Georgia (Athens, Ga.) OCT. 8: Duke (Bobby Dodd Stadium) *Save the date! Homecoming

A T H L E T I C S I N V E S T S I N C R E A T E - X S TA R T U P

THE INITIAL VENTURE INVESTMENT IS IN LZRD TECH, F O U N D E D BY G E O R G I A T E C H G R A D S A N D P R O D U C E R O F T H E L Z R D S L E E V E .

G E O R G I A T E C H A T H L E T I C S ’ initial

participate in CREATE-X’s Startup

from carpet burn on synthetic play-

Launch accelerator program in the

ing surfaces (like AstroTurf), but found

summer of 2020. LZRD Tech’s signa-

that typical compression sleeves were

ture product is the LZRD Sleeve, an

slick, making holding onto the ball

arm compression sleeve that protects

problematic.

the wearer’s arm from elements such

Georgia Tech Athletics plans to

as carpet burn and sunburn, while

expand its investments in CREATE-X

also providing maximum grip for ob-

startups geared toward sports. To that

jects that the wearer is holding.

end, it has launched the GTAA Ven-

venture investment is in LZRD Tech,

The idea for LZRD Sleeve sprung

tures Investment Fund to give donors

founded by Georgia Tech graduates

from Pullen’s experience as a high

the opportunity to support the depart-

Mike Pullen, BME 21, and Mat Quon,

school football wide receiver, when

ment’s investments in startups founded

BME 19. The alumni were chosen to

he was looking to protect his arms

by Georgia Tech students.

38 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Georgia Tech softball welcomed coach Tasha Butts to Mewborn Field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Softball hosted Mercer for its pink game February 15.

support their initiative to bring awareness to all cancers impacting women.

The Kay Yow Cancer Fund has not only had a tremendous impact on the women’s basketball world, but has [also] played a big role in help-

W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L PA R T N E R S W I T H K A Y YO W C A N C E R F U N D

ing underserved populations fighting against cancer. This partnership has

T H E PA R T N E R S H I P C O M E S I N T H E W A K E O F A S S O C I A T E H E A D C OA C H TA S H A B U T T S ’ B R E A S T C A N C E R D I A G N O S I S I N N O V E M B E R 2 0 21.

a deep meaning as we continue to support associate head coach Tasha Butts as she is currently fighting this

G E O R G I A T E C H women’s basketball

head coach Nell Fortner comment-

disease. We can all work together to

has announced a partnership with the

ed, “Our partnership with the Kay

help everyone impacted by cancer.”

Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The fund’s mis-

Yow Fund gives us the opportunity to

—GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

sion is to serve underserved women facing cancer.

Last November, women’s basketball associate head coach Tasha

WE SELL LAND

Butts was diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer. In response to the partnership, which will result in a $150,000 grant to Northside Hospital in the Atlanta metro area, Butts said, “I am extremely grateful for Georgia Tech Athletics and the support I have received as I battle breast cancer. Our team partnering with the Kay Yow Fund means the world to me and it absolutely warms my heart that we will be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Partnering with the Kay Yow Fund will allow us to help women in underserved communities and help provide them with a fighting chance. It takes a lot of courage, hope, and sup-

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Georgia Tech women’s basketball

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3.4x4.838_Alumni Paper_Dale Burley_1-22.indd 1

1/17/22 11:38 AM

VOLUME 98

IN THE WORLD

ISSUE 1

HISTORIC INAUGURATION Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, ChE 98, speaks to a crowd gathered at Bobby Dodd Stadium during his Jan. 3 swearing-in ceremony.

PHOTOGRAPH

40 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

ALLISON CARTER

42

ATLANTA’S 61ST MAYOR

46

GROWING HAPPINESS

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

41

IN THE WORLD

ATLANTA’S 61 ST MAYOR

MEET ANDRE DICKENS, CHE 98, ONLY THE SECOND TECH GRAD AND THE FIRST BLACK ALUMNUS TO SERVE AS MAYOR OF ATLANTA.

A

AS A 16-YEAR-OLD growing up in Atlanta’s Adamsville community, Mayor Andre Dickens couldn’t even tell you where the Georgia Tech campus was located. That’s not what he wants for today’s local youth.

Dickens, the first in his family to attend college, is the first Black alumnus to be elected mayor— and only the second Tech alumnus to hold the position, following in the footsteps of the late Ivan Allen Jr., who graduated in 1933.

In an interview this February, he shared that running for mayor was always in the cards. If you ask his mom, the dream began at the ripe age of 12. But it wasn’t until he stepped onto Tech’s campus that he really began to understand and apply what it meant to lead, to manage conflict, and to build community.

A member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees, Dickens holds a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Tech and a Master of Public Administration in Economic Development from Georgia State University.

Dickens, an engineer, City Council member, former businessperson, and nonprofit executive, won a general runoff election on Nov. 30, 2021.

BY FIZA PIRANI

During his time as a student at Tech, he joined the Student Government Association and served as president of the African American Student Union and of his fraternity, eventually expanding his leadership to neighborhood associations and planning units.

He joined Georgia Tech as a staff member from 2010 to 2016 and served as assistant director of outreach initiatives for OMED (Office of Minority Educational Development).

In that role, he led programs like the African American Male Initiative dedicated to providing academic resources, mentorship, and leadership training to support the enrollment, retention, graduation, and career placement of Black men

IT WASN’T UNTIL HE STEPPED ONTO TECH’S CAMPUS THAT HE REALLY BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND AND APPLY WHAT IT MEANT TO LEAD, TO MANAGE CONFLICT, AND TO BUILD COMMUNITY.

ALLISON CARTER

42 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS

at Georgia Tech. In 2018, he cofounded a career program through the nonprofit TechBridge to teach people the skills they need to land information technology jobs.

After Dickens ran for and served on the city council, he looked onward to what he felt was his inevitable role as

Dickens, an alumnus and former Tech staff member, also serves on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees.

IN THE WORLD Dickens takes the oath of office from Fulton County State Court Judge Patsy Porter during his inauguration at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

During his inauguration, Dickens thanked his alma mater and referred to the spirit of his predecessors, including fellow Tech alumnus Ivan Allen Jr., Atlanta’s 52nd mayor.

ALLISON CARTER

44 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS

leader of the city he’s always called home. On a chilly Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, Dickens was sworn in as 61st mayor of Atlanta before a crowd of hundreds at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

It came about four years earlier than he expected, Dickens says. “But here we are.” In May of 2021, Atlanta’s 60th Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, chose not to run for re-election.

Being mayor means working day and night—and it’s tough work. Dickens added it reminds him of what it was like just trying to get through Georgia Tech—not only because the new role requires tremendous energy and discipline, but because it feels like a community effort.

But it was easy to accept Georgia Tech President and fellow alumnus Ángel Cabrera’s invitation to host his inauguration on the Tech campus—especially because of what coming full circle back to his alma mater means to Dickens.

“I WANT GEORGIA TECH TO RAISE ITS HAND EARLY AND OFTEN FOR US AND FOR THE COMMUNITY—TO MAKE SURE THEY SAY, ‘HEY, WE FIT IN WITH YOU. SO COME ON IN AND JOIN,’” SAYS DICKENS. As a Georgia Tech student, he looked to his support structure of tutors, coaches, advisors, professors, and fellow students for guidance. As a staffer, the work he did to help minority students thrive at Georgia Tech laid the groundwork for what he hopes to do in government. Now that he is mayor, Dickens knows how many are counting on him to do better by the city and its residents.

When he envisions the future for a more progressive Atlanta, Dickens is optimistic that Georgia Tech and the city’s other institutions of higher learning will continue to open doors for Atlanta’s youth, including the kids within the city’s marginalized communities, in ways he didn’t have the privilege of experiencing firsthand.

“It wasn’t a campus that was necessarily embracing outsiders,” he says of the Institute’s reputation when he was growing up. “I still know the first three Black students at Georgia Tech,” he adds. “To be able to know the first three means we still have a short history.”

In fact, September 2021 marked 60 years since those students—Ford C. Greene, Ralph A. Long Jr., and Lawrence Williams—became the first Black students to enroll at Georgia Tech. The school was the first public university in the Deep South to integrate peacefully without a court order.

Last year, Dickens joined with Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the African American Student Union at the opening of a civil rights memorial in Tech’s EcoCommons, a green-space built on the site of a former symbol of racial oppression in Atlanta.

“I want Georgia Tech to raise its hand early and often for us and for the community—to make sure they say, ‘Hey, we fit in with you. So come on in and join.’”

To Dickens, that means opening up campus doors to the public, allowing the campus to become available for educational learning, for sports, and for conferences.

This February, Dickens celebrated the opening of Unity Place, an apartment complex for Atlanta Police recruits.

For Atlanta Public Schools students, he hopes for more after-school programs, weekend programs, and summer camps. And as he continues in his role as mayor, Dickens is optimistic that he’ll build upon the great relationship he already has with the Institute.

“I believe that Tech can do it,” Dickens says. “It started with the inauguration at Bobby Dodd, and it’s going to continue.”

When he visited his alma mater in February, Dickens was surprised to see a banner of himself displayed in front of the building where he spent six years as a student and another six as an employee. He hopes the Black students visiting campus will see a piece of themselves in him and believe that whatever they dream up can be made true—whether that’s running for mayor of Atlanta or president of the United States, climbing the ladder to CEO of a company, or bettering their community as a thoughtful engineer.

“You have a mayor now who’s walked those same halls,” Dickens says. “I invite all of you—the Tech alumni, all of the faculty and staff—to continue to join forces with the city of Atlanta in the excellent work we’re doing.”

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

45

IN THE WORLD

GROWING HAPPINESS

HOW A CHILDHOOD IN COSTA RICA, A FINICKY VINTAGE VOLKSWAGEN, AND BUNDLES OF FLOWERS HELPED KATE DART, IA 09, FIND PURPOSE AND SPREAD CHEER.

B Y D A N I E L P. S M I T H

46 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

VINTAGE VW DELIVERS BEAUTIFUL BOUQUETS A 62-year-old Volkswagen called “Indy” draws as much attention as the flowers that Kate Dart, IA 09, sells on St. Simons Island, Ga., and beyond.

D

D U R I N G H E R C H I L D H O O D in Costa Rica, a Central American country known for its natural beauty, Kate Dart, IA 09, found inspiration in nature and the seeds of a business idea.

When traveling to the beach with her family, Dart would see men along the roadside peddling white lilies, roses, snapdragons, and sunflowers plucked from local gardens. While the flowers created a stunning visual, the street vendors’ entrepreneurial hustle also drew Dart’s attention.

“That always made an impression on me,” says Dart, who was born in Atlanta but moved to Costa Rica at age 5 when her mother remarried.

Two decades later, Dart has taken her own entrepreneurial turn with the Merci Bouquet Flower Truck based on St. Simons Island, Ga. As her two children settled into elementary school and her husband, Beau Dart, Mgt 09, ran his frozen foods sales company, Dart devised plans to start her own flower truck in 2019. A mobile business, she reasoned, would allow her the flexibility to balance work and home responsibilities while also enabling her to fill a marketplace gap between the island’s grocery store flowers and its celebrated floral designers.

“We had the two ends of the spectrum covered, but nothing in the middle,” says Dart, who previously worked in the nonprofit field.

That November, Dart discovered a light blue 1960 Volkswagen single-cab truck for sale in Michigan. She purchased it and had it shipped to St. Simons Island.

Folding down the truck’s three exterior sides and making use of the installed canopy, Dart began operating roadside pop-ups across the island.

Customers could purchase one of Dart’s curated bouquets or construct their own arrangements using Dart’s seasonal assortment of about a dozen different floral species, including daisies, chrysanthemums, and peonies. For those building their own bouquets, Dart, who pairs a creative energy with some battle-tested botanical knowledge, shares tips and tricks for assembling floral arrangements and extending their life.

“Flowers can’t help but bring people happiness,” Dart says.

The Volkswagen is a Brazilian-built former Coca-Cola delivery truck that Dart affectionately calls Miss Indigo, or “Indy” for short. It’s another leading character in the business—and Dart’s own Ramblin’ Wreck. An unending, albeit darling, source of problems, Indy lacks air conditioning, power steering, and a working gas gauge.

“I know she’s out of gas when she won’t start,” Dart jokes.

Dart has seen smoke billowing from the truck’s steering wheel and once cajoled four men to push the yet-againstalled vehicle down the island’s main thoroughfare. Going downhill on a windy day, Indy “probably” cracks 30 miles GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

47

IN THE WORLD

Dart transformed a former Coca-Cola delivery truck into a one-of-a-kind marketing showcase and her own Ramblin’ Wreck for her Merci Bouquet Flower Truck business, filling a marketplace gap between high-end floral designs and grocery store flowers.

per hour, she adds.

“That’s the price of admission with a vintage truck,” Dart says. “She’s always requiring TLC.” Dart and many St. Simons locals know the truck’s a “hot mess,” but its appeal is undeniable. At a holiday pop-up event in December 2021, one Merci Bouquet fan stopped and handed Dart a homemade Christmas tree ornament in the shape of Indy.

“She’s as much the attraction as the flowers,” Dart says of the 62-year-old vehicle.

To transport Indy and the Merci Bouquet experience 48 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

beyond St. Simons Island, Dart recently purchased an enclosed trailer. Already, she’s packed Indy in the trailer and traveled up to two hours away to enliven private parties, corporate events, and weddings, a swelling part of Dart’s upstart business.

“With the trailer, there’s no limit on travel,” says Dart, who looks to extend Merci Bouquet’s geographic reach this year. “What I love is being creative, and flowers are an awesome way to be creative and impact people for the better. As it turns out, flowers and a vintage Volkswagen inspire a lot of happiness.”

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50 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

DR. DR

Megan Ross wasn’t a doctor at all when she landed her dream job at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo in the winter of 2000.

Just months before at GEORGIA TECH, she had defended her master’s thesis on Chilean flamingos, their “pre-copulatory dances” still fresh in her mind, so many “wing salutes” and “twist preens” and all that pairing data gleaned from the

“

IT WAS THE GREATEST JOB I’D EVER SEEN,” ROSS SAYS.

flock at Zoo Atlanta. Now here she was, CURATOR OF BIRDS at one of the most prestigious zoos in the world, a job so perfectly tailored to her own peculiar interests she still didn’t quite believe it. “It was the greatest job I’d ever seen,” Ross says.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

51

A “ At just 26 years old, her PhD was still waiting behind a mountain of dissertation work, and despite what initially felt like winning the lottery, Ross soon developed a creeping bout of imposter syndrome.

She questioned whether the passion she brought for science and research was especially relevant to her staff at Lincoln Park, many of whom had been working at the zoo or in the field since she was a kid and whose workaday grind with the animals seemed, at times, to preclude the lofty goals of her data-driven approach.

Her doubts continued to peck at her confidence until she found her team one morning in a heated debate: Do the penguins show more aggression when river rocks are added to their exhibit? Suddenly her worries lifted, and she arrived at a revelation that would steer her career for decades to come: This is why I’m here.

“We could start using science to answer questions like these and then change our management based on the answers we get,” she says.

Over the past 22 years, Ross has risen from curator of birds to zoo director and so many critical positions in between. And in January 2022, she became the first female president and CEO in the zoo’s 154-year history. It’s an exciting statistic, if long overdue, and one that’s landed her in nearly every major publication in Chicago.

Given that so few women hold leadership positions in zoos and aquariums around the world, “I think it’s important for me to stand up and talk about that,” she says.

But she’s also the first scientist and

52 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

I WAS ALWAYS DIGGING IN THE DIRT, LOOKING AT THE BUGS, AND PICKING UP THE WORMS—THAT WAS MY THING,” ROSS SAYS. PhD to hold the position, and for Dr. Ross, the science always comes first.

Born December 14, 1973, Ross grew up in northwest Atlanta on a dead-end street with a tiny pond and an empty lot just wild enough to call “the woods.” Her father was a Lutheran minister. Her mother was a preschool director. Neither were especially “science-minded folks,” she says, but the woods were always calling. It was there, with her sister and the other neighborhood kids, that she slowly fell in love with the natural world.

“I was always digging in the dirt, looking at the bugs, and picking up the worms—that was my thing,” she says.

Still, she never considered that it might one day provide a career. Instead, always an athlete, she enrolled at

James Madison University in Virginia with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. But that all changed after attending a lunch featuring Suzanne Baker, a professor in the psychology department who specialized in something called “animal behavior.”

“That’s when I first got introduced to the idea that watching animals and seeing what they do is a career, and I was blown away,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘Wait a minute. Are you telling me the things that I do in my free time—that’s somebody’s job?’”

She quickly declared a second major in psychology and began streamlining her coursework toward animal behavior, especially birds, “the taxa I liked the most.” (She liked them so much, in fact, that when she was a kid, she had three imaginary friends: Sasha, Blueberry, and Helen. They were all

birds.) She took a number of ornithology courses and engaged in fieldwork with Dr. Charles Ziegenfus, who remembers Ross today, after a 42-year teaching career, “as the most caring of all of my students.”

Despite her newfound passion, however, she graduated JMU without a roadmap. She returned to Atlanta, where she was hired as an executive assistant at IntelliVoice, a small company that created voiceactivated software for cell phones. She spent just over a year there, but her passion for animals never faded.

Eventually a friend suggested she meet with Dr. Terry L. Maple, who had been charged with the monumental task of reforming Zoo Atlanta. Though Ross didn’t know it at the time, Maple was also a professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology.

“It opened the door for all my students to get a very unique opportunity,” says Maple, now professor emeritus. “We had a tabula rasa, and so for 18 years, and even after that, my students and I just really changed that zoo, and we studied that change.”

Before she left his office, Ross was

“single-mindedly” deterZOO ATLANTA mined to enter the program, but it was hardly what she originally intended. She knew almost nothing about zoos and didn’t understand the R AY M O N D K I N G critical role they play in funding conIn June 2010, following a 22servation work or that many species year career at SunTrust Banks, would no longer exist without their Inc, Raymond King, Mgt 87, intervention. And Dr. Maple, after was named president and CEO all, was known for research on priof Zoo Atlanta. He has since mates, a taxon for which Ross held increased annual attendance by nearly 50% and raised over little interest. $125 million to modernize one “I don’t know if you’ve walked of Atlanta’s oldest and largest around a zoo recently,” she remembers cultural institutions. The Atlanhim saying, “but there’s more than just ta Business Chronicle thrice primates.” named him the “Most Admired Just a few years later, Ross was neckNonprofit CEO.” “In all honesty, while I liked deep in research on the zoo’s Chilean the zoo and knew it fairly well, I flamingo population. Each winter, had never considered working at during the non-breeding season, the a zoo prior to being approached zoo divided the flock and moved them about the position. However, I to warmer housing, but flamingos natrecognized that the zoo’s needs urally exhibit long-term pair bonding. and my strengths were a good fit,” King says. “Coincidentally, For her master’s thesis, Ross studied I was also finishing up a battle the effects of that separation on mate with cancer, and so I was parfidelity, a question that arose by anaticularly sensitive to life being lyzing the situation from the animal’s short and thus the need to take perspective—or trying her best—a advantage of unique opportunipractice that has since defined her caties when they arise.” reer. “That’s what really came out of this,” she says. “How can we take that information and improve care for mind’ paradigm behind pair bond forthose species?” mation and maintenance in Chilean Ross ultimately found that captive flamingos,” she wrote for her thesis. flamingo couples separated during the Before she could even consider winter displayed just 52% fidelity bepublishing her findings in a scientific tween consecutive breeding seasons, journal, she was packing her bags for compared to 82% of those that were Chicago, chasing a job at the Lincoln housed together. Flamingo couPark Zoo that seemed far too good to ples often preen and eat together and be true. Regardless, she says, by the generally engage in social bonding time she left Zoo Atlanta, conversaactivities. In the absence of that relations were underway regarding how to tionship, many individuals eventually keep the flamingos together as much sought it elsewhere. as possible. It was perhaps her first “These data clearly demonstrated tangible win for animal welfare, but it that there was an ‘out of sight, out of would hardly be her last.

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Ross finally had begun to find her footing in Chicago, buoyed by her aha moment with the penguin debate, when she began work on her doctoral dissertation. Researchers had known since the 1970s that birds can see ultraviolet light, and in more recent years they had discovered that many bird species that seem sexually indiscernible or “monomorphic” to humans are in fact very discernible to their own species due to how that UV light interacts with their plumage. Ross began to wonder how this affected birds in captivity, many of whom are housed behind glass that doesn’t allow UV light to penetrate in the same way as the visual spectrum.

“And so that’s what my dissertation data was really looking at. How does that affect birds, and how does it affect different birds based on their biology?” she says. “Are you a forest dweller, where you might have patchy availability to UV light? Or are you a savanna dweller, where you’re out in the sun all the time?”

She ran experiments, including adding supplemental UV to the exhibits of various habitat groups. She

CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO

also studied how and where the birds spent their time. It quickly became apparent, she says, that most of the birds were spending more time in the areas with supplemental UV. Many species showed behavioral changes, too: more social grooming, more preening, more courtship displays. “That by itself is important to know because they’re showing you their preference. And so as a result of it, we’ve added supplemental UV light and UV penetrable skylights to all of the bird habitats here that are indoors,” she says.

Her work didn’t just influence Lincoln Park Zoo. She soon began receiving calls from other facilities, and access to UV lighting is now considered standard care for birds within the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. It’s the sort of change that Sasha, Blueberry, and Helen would have heartily appreciated.

“It makes me feel great,” she says.

“I love the idea that I have answered at least one very small question about how we can improve the lives of animals.” And soon she would help the

DR. CHRISTOPHER KUHAR Long before he was named executive director in 2013, Christopher Kuhar, PhD Psy 04, joined the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo as a research intern in 1997. “I was enthralled by the complex interactions of the chimpanzee group that I was observing, but the real hook came from the interactions I had with the animal care team,” he says. “Learning about the complexities of animal management, research, and conservation work...that made me want to work in a zoo and eventually led me to Georgia Tech.” While still a PhD candidate, Kuhar worked as a research manager for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where he stayed for roughly five years before returning to Cleveland in 2008 as the curator of animals. “The complexity of nature and the way plants, animals, soil, and atmosphere interact is truly amazing,” he says. “Humans haven’t come close to really matching it, mostly because we’re still discovering how complex these systems are, particularly in the soil. We’re discovering that nature truly has the power to heal, and intact ecosystems do it best.”

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“

I LOVE THE IDEA THAT I HAVE ANSWERED AT LEAST ONE VERY SMALL QUESTION ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE LIVES OF ANIMALS,” SAYS ROSS. rest of the zoo and aquarium world do the same.

Given her initial indifference to primates, “it’s kind of funny,” she says, that she married Dr. Stephen Ross, the zoo’s head of primate research. But marry him she did, and as the years passed, she began to realize that despite the scientific rigor she and her husband and so many others brought to the Lincoln Park Zoo, they were too often hindered by an antiquated system that still relied on pen and paper or clunky computerized tools. Questions like that of the river rock in the penguin exhibit—or where and how animals spend their time—could easily be answered with a tool that lightened the load of manual input and automatically tallied that information.

“Once we have that information, we can understand things like: Do they prefer this part of the habitat or

that part of the habitat? Are CLEVELAND they avoiding part of a habiMETROPARKS ZOO tat? How can we give them less of what they’re avoiding and more of DR. KRISTEN LUKAS what they like?”

When Kristen Lukas, MS Psy In 2016, thanks to her pioneering ef95, PhD Psy 99, was a psycholforts, the Lincoln Park Zoo launched ogy major at Bowling Green ZooMonitor, a mobile app for collectState University, she watched ing data on animal behavior. Today, a special on Dian Fossey’s zoo staff can upload habitat maps work with gorillas in Rwanda and never looked back. and easily record animal locations.

“My life’s trajectory changed The resulting heat maps, says product that day and I knew I would dedmanager Dr. Jason Wark, “potentially icate my career to caring for provide a more relatable view of beindividual gorillas in zoos and havior, as you can identify areas and conserving populations of gorilquickly interpret the graphs.” las in nature,” she says.

After completing her PhD unThough originally designed for inder Dr. Terry L. Maple, whose house management, ZooMonitor is book Gorilla Behavior had been a now free and available for use by any seminal influence on her underaccredited zoo or aquarium. It has standing of the animal, she was since been downloaded in 52 counhired as the first curator of pritries and is used by more than 700 mates at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Today, she works with Tech grad institutions across the globe, from the Christopher Kuhar at Cleveland Monterey Bay Aquarium to LouisiMetroparks Zoo as the director ana’s Chimp Haven, the world’s largest of conservation and science. chimpanzee sanctuary.

“My favorite place to expe“ZooMonitor has made a substanrience nature is in the forest. tial impact on our profession,” says It has a way of making me feel small and sheltered when all Dr. Kristen Lukas, director of conthe details of daily life feel overservation and science at Cleveland whelming,” she says. “I trust the Metroparks Zoo. A fellow Tech alumforest and know that if we just na, Lukas was hired by the Lincoln do our part to simply protect its Park Zoo in 1998 as its first curator of boundaries, it will continue to ofprimates—and recommended Ross fer the shelter, the oxygen, and biodiversity that we need for our apply as well. “I am using it today to planet to thrive.” conduct observations on our newborn infant gorilla. ZooMonitor allows us to turn a report around to the gorilla care team almost instantly so we can use Built in 1912, the stunning Praithe data to inform our management rie-style building—complete with decisions.” terracotta ornamentation and intricate brickwork—recently reopened following a $41 million renovation.

On a cool morning in January, Ross “It’s definitely had a lot of lives, but is outside the Pepper Family Wildthis is the newest iteration,” she says, a life Center at the Lincoln Park Zoo. blast of warm arm air lifting her long blond GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

55

mane as she opens the front door.

Figuring out how to create an ideal lion habitat while somehow maintaining the building’s architectural and historic integrity was “a huge, daunting task.”

Inside, a dozen red-cheeked visitors mill about a massive hall with vaulted Guastavino-tile ceilings. A sleek glass wall runs the length of the building, behind which spreads a rugged landscape of naked tree branches and boulders (some of them heated) and grass. Though it’s not all visible to the visitors, the state-of-the-art exhibit

SANTA BARBARA ZOO

offers the pride a variety of climates and microclimates, sunshine and shade, pockets of privacy, and elevated ledges from which to peer down on the unsuspecting tourist, engaging their predator instincts. Here, Ross highlights the latest real-world results of ZooMonitor. Data collected from the app before the redesign revealed that the lions spent half their time in the shaded areas of their exhibit, and half the time in the sun. When the zoo finally approached architects for the job, they mandated an exhibit with at least 50% shade. “We’re providing them

what we think they would choose if they were given that choice,” Ross says.

Behind the glass, the pride lazes about the rocks: one busily grooming its tail, the rest contentedly observing the human passersby. Heads pressed to the glass, a small group of older women, regular volunteers, approach Ross.

“Oh, wonderful! Wonderful,” one of them says.

“Look at that,” says another. “This habitat is fantastic.”

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying it,” Ross says. “And the cats like it, too.”

DR. ESTELLE SANDHAUS Estelle Sandhaus, MS Psy 04, PhD Psy 13, began her career with the Santa Barbara Zoo as a conservation and research coordinator in 2006. She had always wanted to work with animals, but as a kid, she says, “I think the only animal-related career that I was really aware of was veterinarian.” It wasn’t until later that she began to understand the “wider range of possibilities.” After completing her doctorate at Tech, she was promoted to director of conservation and research, and in 2018, to director of conservation and science. “When I think about how nature inspires me, what first comes to mind is some of my favorite wild places—the rugged mountains in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Southern California, the curious silhouettes of saguaro cactus in the Arizona-Sonora Desert, the spectacular, colored lakes of Jiuzhaigou in China’s Sichuan province,” she says. “Each of these places is unique in some way and inspires a sense of awe with its sweeping landscapes and unique plant and animal residents.”

56 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

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WILD WILD WILD

TECH BY

TONY REHAGEN

ILLUSTRATIONS BY

58 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

LINDA RICHARDS

w w w w

We often think of nature as an obvious source of inspiration, especially when it

comes to art. Countless paintings, photographs, symphonies, books, and films have either directly or indirectly taken cues from the wild world around us. But artists aren’t the only ones who see Mother Nature as a muse. Increasingly, scientists and engineers are looking to flora, fauna, and even our own biological building blocks to find answers to humanity’s biggest mysteries.

Georgia Tech researchers are at the forefront of this vast frontier of discovery. They’ve ventured outside of the lab and gone on safari, danced into the woods, dived beneath the ocean waves, and even turned the microscope inward on our own bodies to find clues on how to do everything from help us better communicate with robots to cure disease. Here are the stories behind some of Tech’s wildest innovations.

JULIA KUBANEK STUDIES SEAWEED THAT GROWS ON CORAL REEFS OFF THE COAST OF FIJI.

DIVING DEEP

#1

TO

CURE DISEASE

60 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

OF ALL OF EARTH’S ECOSYSTEMS, the biggest might be the one about which we know the least. Our oceans cover more than two-thirds of the planet’s surface, and yet more than 80% of that is uncharted. Scientists estimate that 91% of ocean life has yet to be classified. But what little we do know might be the key to solving some of land-dwellers’ most vexing problems.

Julia Kubanek is vice president for Interdisciplinary Research and a professor in the School of Biological

Sciences and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She and her team study how ocean organisms, such as crabs and mollusks, use chemicals to feel out their environment and communicate with each other. This work has not only produced insight on how humans use chemical cues but also led to discovery of chemicals that can be used to create drugs that treat human disease.

“Some of these molecules that function as cues in animals and algae can be useful to us too,” says Kubanek.

“For instance, usually toxins are considered bad, but you can use them to explore human cells,” she says. “You can also use paralytic toxins for neuroscience. We’ve even discovered molecules that function as natural antibiotics in the water and co-opted those functions that are applicable in medicine.”

Kubanek and her team have examined certain types of seaweed found on coral reefs, which are usually sites of intense competition.

Yet the seemingly defenseless seaweed there grows a healthy, vibrant red without any sign of attack from predators or microorganisms. Upon further study, Kubanek and company discovered dozens of molecules that protect the plant from fungal attacks—some of which also have been found to kill the parasite that causes malaria. Additional study of molecules from other sponges and seaweed has revealed molecules with antiviral properties, including one currently under review that appears to be able to kill the virus that causes Covid-19.

“These compounds can be models for new drugs,” says Kubanek. “Chemists can mimic the natural products KUBANEK (RIGHT) AND HER TEAM HAVE DISCOVERED SEAWEED MOLECULES WITH ANTIVIRAL PROPERTIES.

and create derivatives that are better for human application and drug discovery.” Kubanek’s study of chemical cues is also leading to discoveries of how organisms use chemicals to protect themselves from predators and competition, as well as disease. The possible applications for humanity, beyond just conservation, are as limitless as the sea.

“

CHEMISTS CAN MIMIC T H E N AT U R A L PRODUCTS A N D C R E AT E D E R I VAT I V E S T H AT A R E BETTER FOR HUMAN A P P L I C AT I O N AND DRUG D I S C O V E RY. ”

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THIS MICROCHIP CAN GROW DNA STRANDS THAT COULD STORE HUNDREDS OF TERABYTES OF DATA IN A SINGLE DOT OF DNA.

#2 USING

THE

BUILDING BLOCKS L I F E TO S T O R E DATA OF

T H E R E I S N O S H O R T A G E of global catastrophes to worry about these days.

The pandemic, food insecurity, the war in Ukraine, and climate change might top the list. But one impending crisis that doesn’t get as much attention is the crunch in data storage space. Simply put, the technology in recording and storing information— warehouses full of hard drives and magnetic tape—isn’t keeping pace with the massive volume of stuff we’re trying to keep. And we’re not talking about just work emails and vacation 62 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

videos, but also vital records from all sectors, including healthcare, banking, investing, and government, not to mention historical archives.

To help solve this problem, researchers at Georgia Tech are looking to emulate one of nature’s most ingenious methods of compact and durable record-keeping: DNA. We’ve long known that DNA has evolved to contain our encoded biological information in a microscopic double-stranded package. But now scientists

have discovered a way to grow 3D DNA strands on a microchip, using the four bases that make up biological DNA, that will eventually be able to hold exabytes (one billion gigabytes) of data. “You grow the DNA, and then you can wash it off into a droplet that contains volumes of information,” says Nicholas Guise, a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

“Then you can dry it out into a spot of dehydrated DNA

“

HARD DRIVES DEGRADE; Y O U H AV E T O R E P L AC E T H E M E V E RY FIVE TO 10 YEARS. DNA CAN LAST TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.”

that can contain all of your data. That compression is what makes it so appealing. You could replace an entire data farm with a couple of racks of DNA spots.”

Guise is the director of the Scalable Molecular Archival Software and Hardware (SMASH) project, an effort spearheaded by GTRI to develop scalable, DNA-based storage

methods. He says that, in addition to the sheer volume of information that DNA can store, another appeal is its longevity. “It’s more robust than our current form of storage,” he says.

“Hard drives degrade; you have to replace them every five to 10 years.

DNA can last tens of thousands of years. We’ve sequenced woolly mammoth DNA from the tundra. As long

GTRI SENIOR RESEARCH ENGINEER CHRIS SHAPPERT TESTS A MICROCHIP THAT WILL BE USED TO GROW DNA FOR ARCHIVAL STORAGE.

as it’s kept relatively cold and away from UV light, it exists for an incredibly long time. So while there is a high cost initially, the lifetime cost can be competitive.”

In addition to a prohibitive sticker shock, the other hurdle DNA storage faces is the speed, or lack thereof, with which DNA data can be retrieved.

“DNA didn’t necessarily evolve to live in the microprocessor stage where we expect everything in a fraction of a second,” says Guise. “It can take a full day to write a strand of a couple of hundred bases—and that’s only a handful of bytes.”

As a result of the price and speed, DNA data storage is currently mostly used for archival purposes. But Guise can see a not-so-distant future in which the building blocks of life also support our need to store and access information.

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ELEPHANT TRUNKS CONTAIN NO HARD JOINTS OR PARTS, MAKING THEM IDEAL MODELS FOR SOFT ROBOTICS.

#3 MODELING

ROBOTICS ELEPHANTS AND

AS A SPECIES, humans tend to be a little jealous of our animal cousins’ natural abilities.

But rather than sit and grumble about how our bodies can’t fly or breathe underwater, we find ways to compensate through technology. And when designing these life hacks, we often look to the source. “Humans are really bad at a lot of different things,” says Andrew Schulz, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.

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C O N S E R VAT I O N O N

“Really everything we do in terms of how we move over water and air is bioinspired engineering. We see a bird; we think we need wings to fly.”

So, when Schulz was trying to figure out a way to create robots that are strong, flexible, and fluid in movement, he remembered the elephants from a South African safari he went on with his family as a teen. “An elephant’s trunk doesn’t have confined joints,” he says. “It’s a purely muscular multi-tool,

and it’s so versatile. It can suck up fluid, pick up a weight of 60,000 grams, and grip a tortilla chip. In fact, what can an elephant not do?” Schulz is now working on several different projects investigating the mechanics and materials of the elephant trunk and how they can be applied in soft robotics that, like the trunks, have no hard joints or parts.

At the same time, Schulz’s nostalgia for the pachyderms of his youth

“

I O N C E S AW A BILLBOARD T H AT R E A D ‘WILL OUR GRANDCHILDREN EVER SEE A LIVE ELEPHANT?’ I WA S BOTHERED

BY T H AT. ”

POWERFUL YET NIMBLE, ELEPHANTS CAN USE THEIR TRUNKS TO LIFT A HEAVY WEIGHT OR GRIP A TORTILLA CHIP. SCHULZ IS FOUNDER OF TECH4WILDLIFE, A STUDENT ORGANIZATION THAT USES TECHNOLOGY FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.

brought something else to his attention: the fact that, due to human callousness and carelessness, the majestic beasts were endangered and gradually disappearing. That’s why Schulz has taken up the cause of promoting Conservation Technology to prevent all these creatures—and potential sources of inspiration for future innovation—from going extinct. He currently teaches two undergraduate/ graduate classes focusing on things like using machine learning to vaccinate foxes against rabies or affordable equipment that can deter predators from entering communities where animals might be in danger.

“I once saw a billboard that read ‘Will our grandchildren ever see a live elephant?’ I was bothered by that,” says Schulz. “Without birds, how long would it have taken us to gain flight? If we don’t have access to these species, then bioinspiration doesn’t exist.”

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T R U S T W I T H M AC H I N E S

BUILDING

#4

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY DANCERS PERFORMED WITH GEORGIA TECH’S ROBOTS. WATCH THE PERFORMANCE AT GTCMT.GATECH.EDU/FOREST.

THROUGH

SOUND AND

DA N C E

THE ROBOT REVOLUTION IS NOT COMING—it’s already here. Whether it’s in the hospital room, on the factory floor, or in the cabin of a self-driving car, humans live and work alongside robots every day. While this technology is here to help us, the actual interaction between human and machine can be awkward at best, and at worst…well…a bit frightening.

Gil Weinberg believes the answer to bridging that gap is to build trust between us and our mechanical helpers.

66 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

As a professor and the director of Tech’s Center for Music Technology, Weinberg thinks the best way to do that is for us to ask our robot overlords to dance.

“I’m a big believer in sound and gesture as a connecting medium,” he says. “We want to bring the notion that robots can be expressive and not scary. If humans feel the machine is more lifelike, they will trust it more.”

The manifestation of this idea is FOREST, a performance of both sound and dance that sprung from a National Science Foundation–funded project. As the name suggests, the idea was to consider a forest teeming with a vast diversity of life that must interact

and coexist. Likewise, Weinberg brought in not only engineers, but also dancers, choreographers, and musicians to train a deep learning network to express emotion through sounds and accompanying robotic gestures, including human-inspired movement for custom robotic “trees” that could twist, bend, and gyrate. The result is an artistic representation of people and machines living in harmony as well as a practical means for the two parties to learn from each other and inspire new methods of collaboration.

First, Weinberg and his team looked at sound, specifically prosody, which refers to the elements of speech beyond words, such as pitch, intonation, stress, and rhythm. The scientists

ALLISON CARTER AND GIOCONDA BARRAL-SECCHI AND IGNI PRODUCTIONS PHOTOGRAPHS

brought in singers and guitarists to project clips that conveyed different emotions and compiled those into a machine-learning generator.

They then did the same with dancers from all genres—hip-hop, reggae, classical, Middle Eastern—putting them in motion-capture suits and recording movements that corresponded with a range of feelings. Using Music Information Retrieval, the robots could respond to the music, extracting tempo, beat, and even genre, and computer vision could identify emotion through posture and gesture via an A.I. field.

Through the performance, Weinberg and company were not only able to study and develop new music, dances, and methods of human-robot interaction, but they also gained insight on emotional contagion—how emotions spontaneously spread between humans—and how machines can affect this process through sound and gesture. “Yes, there are things we should worry about with A.I., but the machines are not going to take over

anytime soon,” says Weinberg. “And there are benefits, especially when you see how robots can be creative, artistic, and inspiring. We’re trying to spread this message.”

“

AND THERE ARE BENEFITS, E S P E C I A L LY WHEN YOU SEE HOW ROBOTS CAN BE C R E AT I V E , ARTISTIC, AND INSPIRING.”

THE TECH RESEARCH TEAM COMPILED DANCE AND MUSIC FROM DIFFERENT GENRES SO THAT THE ROBOTS COULD RESPOND TO THE MUSIC, IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT EMOTIONS USING A.I. GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

67

VOLUME 98

ALUMNI HOUSE

ISSUE 1

GREATNESS WITHIN Under the theme “Greatness Within,” this year’s Gold & White Gala raised more than $325,000 for student programs.

(L-R) Alumni Association chair Shan Pesaru, CmPE 05, and student host Akash Prasad, present Mike Messner, CE 76, with the Joseph Mayo Pettit Distinguished Service Award.

70

EXPERIENCE EAST LAKE WITH THE ASSOCIATION

72

ALUMNI STAFF SPOTLIGHT

74

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

80

IN MEMORIAM

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

69

ALUMNI EVENTS

EXPERIENCE EAST L AKE WITH THE ASSOCIATION

Tee off with Buzz and fellow Yellow Jackets at the 2nd annual Georgia Tech Alumni Association Golf Tournament this June.

I F Y O U L O V E G O L F and have always wanted to play on a legendary course, here’s your chance. The 2nd annual Georgia Tech Alumni Association Golf Tournament is Monday, June 6, 2022, at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The tournament honors Tech’s rich history at East Lake, which is the home course of Tech alumnus and golf legend Bobby Jones (ME 1922).

Jones was a golf prodigy when he arrived at Tech in 1918, and went on to win the Grand Slam of golf before retiring as a golfer in 1930. He continued to influence the game through club and course designs, including Augusta National, which is home to the legendary Masters Tournament.

Among his many golfing accolades is 70 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

the U.S. Golf Association’s Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor, which is awarded to individuals who demonstrate the same spirit, personal character, and respect for the game as Jones himself.

A loyal alumnus who remained involved with Tech, Jones served on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees and was president in 1933. He also served on the Athletic Board and is in the Tech athletic and engineering halls of fame.

Each year, the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Golf Tournament brings Tech alumni and other golf fans back to Jones’ home course, East Lake, to raise funds for his beloved Alumni Association.

The tournament is open to alumni and friends of Tech and provides a memorable day of golf while making new connections with others who love the game—and Tech—as much as you do!

Featuring a player gift bag, breakfast, prizes for closest to the pin and longest drive, a post-round reception, and more, the golf tournament is a unique opportunity to play the course that is home to the TOUR Championship while also supporting the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.

LIMITED SLOTS ARE AVAIL ABLE, SO PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SPOT A T www.gtalumni.org/golf.

ALUMNI HOUSE

HAPPY GOLDEN JUBILEE, PI MILE! THIS YEAR’S PI MILE 5K ROAD RACE, which took place March 12, was extra golden as runners celebrated the 50th annual event. The race is one of the longest continually running races in Atlanta. Runners, dogs, and strollers made their way across the finish line

after weaving through Georgia Tech campus along part of the Tyler Brown Pi-Mile Trail.

The first race took place in 1973 and was only three miles long but was expanded to 3.14 miles after 1975. Since 2002, the Pi Mile has been slightly less

than pi, measuring 5 kilometers. This year, runners in Atlanta were joined by virtual runners and Alumni Networks across the country who hosted satellite races.

SOMERS RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

T H E G E O R G I A H I S T O R I C A L R E C O R D S A DV I S O RY C O U N C I L R E C O G N I Z E D M A R I LY N S O M E R S F O R H E R D E D I C A T I O N T O T H E G E O R G I A T E C H L I V I N G H I S T O RY P R O G R A M .

OVER THE COURSE OF 26 YEARS with the

interesting people, and saving the sto-

Georgia Tech Living History Program,

ries told by Tech alumni. Somers and

Marilyn Somers interviewed 1,192

the Living History team would give

alumni, including astronauts, captains

each interviewee’s family a transcript

of industry, and former President Jim-

and a link to the video of the inter-

my Carter. Somers was honored in

view. “What I didn’t realize at the

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TRUSTEE

November 2021 by the Georgia His-

very beginning is that to be able to

Aurélien Cottet, MS AE 03, organized

torical Records Advisory Council with

say, ‘Here is your loved one’s story,’

a get-together for alumni and friends

the 2021 Award for Excellence in Life-

is a great gift to give to the families,”

of Georgia Tech in Dubai in February.

time Achievement for her unwavering

she says.

Attendees included (from left to right)

dedication to preserving the history of the Institute.

JACKETS CONVENE IN DUBAI

The Living History Program was

Pooja Varyani, BA 18, Megha Garg,

established in 1994. To commemo-

Neel Garg, MS IE 06, Ali Olabi, IE

“I’m very grateful to be recog-

rate Somers’ work and honor her

95, Shashwat Pandey, CE 16, ex-

nized when I thought my career was

dedication, the Marilyn Somers Liv-

change student Mema Abi Farah, and

in the rearview mirror,” says Somers,

ing Histor y Program Collection

Amit Bisht, MBA 14. Cottet, president

who retired in December 2020. For

(1994–2020) has been unveiled at

of the Georgia Tech Club de France,

her, the best parts of the job includ-

the Georgia Tech Archives and Spe-

organized the event to connect inter-

ed working with students, meeting

cial Collections.—VICTOR ROGERS

national alumni with one another.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

71

ALUMNI HOUSE

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

72 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

LIZ DINERMAN

BEHIND THE CAMERA WITH SCOTT DINERMAN, STC 03, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND BURDELL’S MAIN VIDEOGRAPHER.

PHOTOGRAPHS

ALUMNI STAFF SPOTLIGHT

THE SLIP OF PAPER, folded twice and fraying at the edges, stayed tucked inside Scott Dinerman’s wallet for years following his graduation. The words “Young Yen” and “Gromaladolla” were inscribed on one side and the profiles of two Georgia Tech professors, Paul Young and Diane Gromala, were illustrated on the other. The note was a class currency of sorts, with no real monetary value, that the professors gave to students in their film course who showed out-of-the-box thinking.

Yo u n g a n d G r o m a l a t au g ht Dinerman to consider new perspectives—something that stuck with him long after the note in his wallet eventually fell apart. “When I take on new projects, I still think back to what they taught me about not looking at things in a traditional way,” he says.

As creative director, Dinerman brings this mindset to his work at the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.

Over nearly 17 years, he’s become a goto source for innovative technology and the creative mind behind videos that make Georgia Tech alumni proud to call themselves Yellow Jackets.

“That’s one of the fun things about making videos,” he says. “I get to make videos that make people excited about being a Georgia Tech alum.”

Dinerman graduated with honors from Georgia Tech in 2003, earning his bachelor’s in Science, Technology, and Culture. After working with a startup for a little over a year, he reached out to the Alumni Association’s career services to look for his next professional step. Instead, he was offered a position as the videographer for the Living History Program. He admits to not being much of a Tech history buff at the time. “Honestly, I was just focused on graduating and

keeping my head above water as a student. I didn’t know anything about Tech’s history,” Dinerman says.

Through his work, he grew to appreciate the Institute’s rich history and unique culture. He recorded hundreds of interviews conducted by the program’s former director, Marilyn Somers, with alumni and friends of Tech. He also produced historical documentaries and videos for convocations and class reunions. The reunion videos have become their own time capsules, portraying life on campus throughout the decades. “You could watch them in order and see the history of Tech play out,” he says.

Dinerman’s title and role have changed over the years. In addition to video production, he now helps craft the creative strategy behind marketing and communication campaigns.

He’s always on the look-out for new technology to advance the Association’s mission.

For instance, in 2021, he became certified by the FAA to fly drones so that he could use drone videography

and photography in new projects. He’s already captured breathtaking views of Tech campus for alumni events and features. At this year’s Ramblin’ On party, he plans to use the drone to give new graduates a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their photos taken between the Tech letters of Tech Tower. The graduates will look out from a window at the top of the tower.

“That’s a cool experience for them and a way for us to engage more students as they’re graduating,” Dinerman says.

Over the years, Dinerman has filmed Georgia Tech presidents, Buzz, and even George P. Burdell. (Burdell is “notoriously evasive on camera,” Dinerman says, so unfortunately, he couldn’t get a good look at the famous student.) To help his pal, Burdell, celebrate a birthday this year, Dinerman worked with computer science student Marvin Crumbs on a social media filter that uses augmented reality to overlay graffiti with the words “Burdell Was Here” on pictures. He even helped Burdell sneak a message into this issue.

(See details on page 8.)

DIRECTOR’S CUT

Creative Director Scott Dinerman shares some of his favorite video projects:

GO BIG AND

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

GEORGIA TECH

COME HOME

“This video was incred-

CAMPUS FLYOVER

“I loved the idea of this

ibly fun to plan. It is full

“I’m so proud of this

video incorporating

of every Tech tradition

new skill and it was

drone footage to excite

we could squeeze into

awesome to record

people to return to

it, and Buzz is always a

some amazing footage

campus and having Wes

blast to have on

of campus. Slowing the

Durham narrate was a

any shoot.”

footage down makes it

special treat.”

https://bit.ly/GT2021_

dreamlike to watch.”

https://bit.ly/GT2021_

Holiday

Homecoming

https://bit.ly/ GTCampusFlyover

These images were taken through the viewfinder of a Rolleiflex camera that belonged to Dinerman’s grandfather, who was a reconnaissance photographer in WWII and who worked for Pentax most of his career.

Outside of work, Dinerman and his wife, Liz, own a photography business. Although they both prefer to be behind the camera, their 7-year-old daughter, Lucy, is more than happy to claim the spotlight. “She’s the star,” Dinerman says.

Every Girl Scout cookie season, Dinerman enjoys putting his production skills to use helping Lucy create elaborate videos to promote her cookie sales. And like his work at the Alumni Association, he sets the bar higher with each new production.

Lucy’s most recent video features her apparently piloting an airplane and riding a train. Because why not do something new and exciting? That’s the type of thinking that continues to pay off for Dinerman—and not only in “Young Yens” and “Gromaladollas.”

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

73

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

CL ASS NOTES & ALUMNI UPDATES (L-R) Candace Brakewood, PhD CE 14, Richard Brakewood, MBA 21, and Amy Lazarus, IE 90.

“Originally, I was going to pick up a course or two and gain additional skills in accounting and marketing,” Brakewood says. “I wanted to keep my mind sharp and fill some gaps in my skills. I went into [the Scheller College of Business] office to find out more, and they said, ‘Why not apply for the whole MBA program and get the whole degree?’ ” He started taking one course a semester while working and thought, “Well,

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

THE OLDEST GRADUATE OF SCHELLER’S MBA PROGRAM IS USING HIS NEW SKILLS T O T R A N S I T I O N I N T O A R E T I R E M E N T C A R E E R .

at one course a semester, I’ll probably graduate when I’m about 80.”

Then Covid-19 hit, causing lockdowns across the country and pushing cours-

I T U S E D T O B E T H AT 6 5 was the age

After earning a civil and environmen-

when we celebrated retirements, not

tal engineering degree in 1977 from

“If there was a silver lining to all this,

graduations. Yet many older adults now

Cornell University, Brakewood accept-

the pandemic suddenly allowed me to

see retirement as a new chapter in their

ed a job with BP in construction and

take more courses and graduate much

careers—one that offers greater flexibility

project management. He worked on

sooner than I had planned,” he says.

and fulfillment.

refineries before managing the construc-

For Brakewood, approaching the pro-

es online.

That next chapter is just beginning

tion of gas stations, and then starting his

gram as a semi-retired student made the

for Richard Brakewood, who at age 65

own design firm. He and his partner led

lessons more practical and immediately

graduated this past December from the

the company for almost 15 years. About

applicable.

Scheller College of Business MBA pro-

10 years ago, Brakewood moved to

Brakewood is in the process of deter-

gram. He became the oldest person in

Atlanta and became vice president for

mining what his ideal retirement career

the program’s history to graduate with

real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle.

might look like, but he knows an MBA

As he approached retirement, Brake-

degree from Georgia Tech will open

an MBA, beating out the next-oldest person by three months.

wood wanted to prepare for a smooth

new doors for him.

Between his daughter, Candace

transition into a retirement career. He

“You can’t lose with education and

Brakewood, PhD CE 14, and his fian-

looked at his skills and identified some

investing in yourself,” Brakewood

cée, Amy Lazarus, IE 90, Brakewood’s

areas to improve.

says.—JENNIFER HERSEIM

family now has all degree levels covered with a bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD from Tech. Amy wasn’t at all surprised when Brakewood decided to enroll in college again. “He’s a young 65” and a lifelong learner, she says.

74 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

CAREER CLARITY Richard Brakewood and a panel of alumni experts shared career tips during the Alumni Association’s Career Clarity Month in March. View recordings at www.gtalumni.org/career.

CLASS NOTES

GOLDEN WORDS GRETCHEN GOLDMAN, MS E N V E 0 8 , P H D E N V E 1 1 , was recognized in Inc’s list of “365 Inspirational Quotes” for 2022. After being interviewed virtually on national news, Goldman posted a “behind the scenes” photo of her relatable living room, and the post went viral on social media.

The East Point City Council named SHAWN BUC HANAN , MBA 14, as the city’s new police chief.

Previously, Buchanan served as the department’s top commander. He has been with the East Point Police Department for 23 years and is proud to call Atlanta home.

ARNAB C HAKRABORT Y, BME 13, was named a “40 Under 40” honoree by The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia. Chakraborty is the CTO of Flow MedTech and co-inventor of all Flow MedTech products.

On working from home during the pandemic, Goldman shares, “I felt like I wanted to be

at the White House Office of Science

honest about the situation. Parents, es-

and Technology Policy as the assistant

pecially moms, are struggling right

director for Environmental Science, Engi-

now. It’s really hard.” Goldman works

neering, Policy, and Justice.

of 2021’s “Women in Rail,” a program N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 1

W W W. R A I LWAYA G E .C O M

AILWAY GE

honoring leaders who have made a difference in the railroad industry and in

S E R V I N G T H E R A I LWAY I N D U S T R Y S I N C E 1 8 5 6

their communities.

As the first Black female engineer

Monique Stewart FRA

hired at the Federal Railroad Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Stewart paved the way

BRAXTON DAVIS, EE 06, was named partner at Amin, Turocy, and Watson before taking his talents to Meta (formerly known as Facebook) as the new associate general counsel for patents.

as a role model for underrepresented

LEADERS, RECOGNIZED

groups in STEM careers.

Women in Rail 2021

Stewart was also instrumental in awarding over 120 scholarships for

SHORT LINE OF THE YEAR

RJ Corman Memphis Line

student participation in Joint Rail Confer-

REGIONAL OF THE YEAR Lake State Railway railwayage.com

GREGORY DUPERON , EE 07, MS EE 09, was recognized as a 2022 BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leader. The award recognizes professionals who help shape the future of STEM in their careers and communities.

August 2017 // Railway Age 1

ences as the scholarship chairperson for

ALUMNA NAMED O N E O F 2 0 21 ’ S “ W O M E N I N R A I L”

the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Her desire to promote an inclusive work environment reflects her expe-

MONIQUE STEWART, ME 93, was recog-

rience of often feeling isolated as the

nized by Railway Age magazine as one

only Black female engineer in her workspace.

“I was that little girl who liked math

WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS?

and science, but barely saw anybody

You can submit your personal news, birth and wedding announcements (with photos!),

that looked like me in STEM-related

and out-and-about snapshots online at gtalumni.org/life.

jobs,” she says.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

75

RAMBLIN� ROLL

CLASS NOTES

R O B O T I C E XO S K E L E T O N C O U L D H E L P PA T I E N T S WALK AGAIN

BARRY FLINK, BM 73, was named chief operating officer of Alumni Direct, LLC of Boca Raton, Fla. The company offers connectivity solutions for nonprofits, company associations, and university alumni groups. Flink is CEO of Lagrange Hospitality, LLC and executive vice president and cofounder of Flex HR, Inc.

I G N A C I O M O N T O YA , M B I D 1 8 , was featured in the Los Angeles Times for his research on new therapies for patients with paralysis. In his work, Montoya uses a robotic exoskeleton to measure the power needed for each leg to walk in a gait cycle. With neurophysiologist Dr. Reggie Edgerton, Montoya focuses on providing patients with a dig-

transcutaneous electrical stimulation ap-

nified and acceptable quality of life free

plied to the lumbar spine with electrodes

from secondary health complications. “I

that are connected to a stimulator. “One

am happy to be not only a participant

of the most fascinating conclusions that

of the protocols, but also an engineer

I’ve made is that having hope is the key

helping optimize the protocols,” says

to our success. When a participant of

Montoya, who is pursuing his second

our clinical experiments has hope, then

master’s degree in Kinesiology at Cal

they have the will to give their best ef-

State, Los Angeles. The exoskeleton uses

fort,” he says.

H E L L U VA D I S R U P T O R T H E N E W S W E E K 2 0 2 2 L I S T of “America’s Greatest Disruptors” names 50

cofounder of Diligent Robotics, developed a robot to perform simple hospital tasks and save valuable time.

nominees chosen for their work in

Also recognized was Nashlie Sephus,

changing the face of medicine, technol-

MS ECE 10, PhD ECE 14, the founder of

ogy, arts, and more. Two Georgia Tech

The Bean Path, a nonprofit that plans to

alumni were included in the “Medical

cultivate 14 acres for a $150 million tech

Marvels” and “Enterprising Idealists”

hub to create local jobs and economic

categories. Vivian Chu, PhD Rob 18,

growth in Jackson, Miss.

EIGHT JACKETS IN FORBES’ 30 UNDER 30 EACH YEAR, Forbes recognizes 30 out-

Manav Sevak, BCh 17, CEO of Memora

standing people under 30 in categories

Health, are named. Under social impact,

ranging from arts to manufacturing and

Kyle Woumn, CS 16, founding member

technology. This year, seven Tech alum-

and VP of product and engineering at

ni and one professor received the honor.

Overflow, is among honorees. In the ed-

The science category includes Yanni

ucation category, Amrutha Vasan, IE

Barghouty, Cls 19, cofounder of Cosmic

18, and Aditya Vishwanath, CS 18, both

Shielding, and Srijan Kumar, assistant

cofounders at Inspirit, are included. In

professor at Georgia Tech. In health-

finance, Albert Abedi, Cls 18, cofound-

care, Kunaal Naik, CS 17, cofounder

er and head of product at FarmRaise,

and CTO of Memora Health, and

made the list.

76 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

AL AN GILBERT, MS PHYS 93, was recently named board chairman of The Foundry, Inc., a private nonprofit project-based learning high school in Fayetteville, Ga. ELIZABETH “BETH” MYNATT, MS ICS 89, PHD CS 95, was appointed the Dean of the Khoury College of Computer Science at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., and assumed the role in January 2022. For the past 20 years, Mynatt worked at Georgia Tech, first as a professor in the College of Computing and later as executive director of the Institute for People and Technology.

MARK SAMUELIAN , IE 85, was re-elected in 2021 to the Miami Beach City Commission, a position he’s held since November 2017. He serves on the Finance Committee and is chairman of the Land Use and Sustainability Committee.

MARIA SOTO-GIRON , PHD BI 18, is the lead author of the first research paper published by Solarea Bio, a biotech company based in Cambridge, Mass. The paper focuses on describing the diversity of the edible plant microbiome and its potential impact on human health.

ESTEBAN URIARTE, EE 89, is the new chief manufacturing operations officer for Quotient Limited, a commercial-stage diagnostics company.

OUT & ABOUT ELITE EIGHT ON GEORGIA TREND’S “ T O P 10 0 M O S T INFLUENTIAL GEORGIANS” LIST EIGHT GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI made their way onto the 2022 Georgia Trend “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” list.

These alumni in higher education, business, and public service were recognized for their contributions to the state:

Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95

Hardie Davis Jr.,

WAIT WAIT…LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP LINDSAY RESNICK, HTS 13, was a listener contestant on NPR’s Wait Wait…

Don’t Tell Me! Resnick competed on the Jan. 8, 2022, show and won a voicemail recording from announcer Bill Kurtis. On the show, contestants are presented with a variety of possible current events and must decide which are true and which are imaginary. Resnick works as an archivist at the Breman Museum in Atlanta. She also won $11,001 on Jeopardy! in 2018.

EE 92

Andre Dickens, ChE 98

Geoff Duncan, Cls 97

Jimmy Etheredge, IE 85

Thomas Fanning, IM 79, MS IM 80, HON 13

Jerald Mitchell, MBA 11

PASSING THE USG BATON SACHIN SHAILENDRA, CE 00, served two one-year terms as the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents chair. Shailendra (left) served his first

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, Chem 83

term from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. With higher education facing unprecedented challenges from the pandemic, Shailendra was elected to another one-year term through 2021. In January 2022, he handed the reigns to fellow Tech grad HAROLD REYNOLDS, IE 82 (right), who began his service as USG Board of Regents chair.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

77

RAMBLIN� ROLL

BIRTHS 1.

ALLIE (DUBLINSKI) CLARKE, ARCH 06, and BEN CLARKE, EE 07, MS ECE 09, welcomed son Landon Samuel on Oct. 28, 2021. He joins older brothers Rowan and Julian.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2.

DANA PAULITA (FRANCISCO) HARMOND, CHBE 19, and WILSON HARMOND, IE 18, welcomed daughter Russell Jane Francisco Harmond on Oct. 4, 2021. The family lives in Smyrna, Ga.

3.

DAVIS McKNIGHT HEIGLE, IE 12, and NATHAN HEIGLE, ME 08, welcomed son Robert James Heigle on Nov. 9, 2021. Robert is the couple’s first child.

4.

JORDAN JONES, MGT 10, and SARAH (JEFFCOAT) JONES, MGT 11, welcomed daughter Joy Lydia Jones on Nov. 11, 2021. Joy joins older brothers Henry, 4, and Evan, 2.

5.

MIN “JANE” KIM, BCH 13, and CHRIS HOSFORD, BCH 13, welcomed daughter Lily Grace Hosford on Oct. 29, 2021. Lily is the couple’s first child.

6.

LYNN REPLOGLE, BME 07, and husband, Timothy Richards, welcomed their first son, Robert Ulysses, on June 3, 2021. The family currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

7.

ADAM WADE, EE 94, and Misty Wade celebrated the birth of grandson, Brady James Mock, on Jan. 7, 2022.

Brady is the son of Tyler and Alex Mock of Athens, Ala.

8.

EMILY (CHAMBERS) WELCH, IAML 10, and WILL WELCH, IE 07, IAML 07, ECON 15, welcomed daughter Juliette Rae Welch on July 9, 2021.

Juliette is the daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, cousin, niece, and great-niece of Yellow Jackets.

78 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

WEDDINGS 1.

CHELSEA ANNE ASHWORTH, IA 19, married Michael Bekemeier on Oct. 30, 2021, in Cleveland, Ga. Chelsea is pursuing a second bachelor’s in Earth & Atmospheric Science.

2. FRANK GIBASE IV, ARCH 15, and SARA SHOJAEE, CE 15, were married on July 31, 2021, in Savannah, Ga. 3.

MORGAN (HICKY) JESTER, BA

17, and GREGORY JESTER, IE 16, met during the Oxford Study Abroad Program in Summer 2014 and were married on Oct. 16, 2021, in Madison, Ga. During the reception, they played the Georgia Tech fight song and the Budweiser song (with dance included) while Greg waved the Tech flag.

They had over 30 Georgia Tech grads cheering at the wedding.

1

2

4.

KATIE (HAWKINS) ROBERDS, BA 14, and KYLE ROBERDS, MSE 14, were married on Nov. 5, 2021, and Buzz made a special appearance at their wedding.

5.

JACQUELINE (WEILAND) SHEPHERD, IE 18, married NICK SHEPHERD, IE 18, on July 23, 2021.

They met at the Georgia Tech Catholic Center and became close while taking CS 2316.

4

3

5

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

79

IN MEMORIAM 80 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

WE REMEMBER & HONOR THE FOLLOWING

1940s

HILARIO F. CANDELA, ARCH 57,

PETER JACOBSON, IE 55, of Rich-

RAYMOND L. “RAY” ANDERSON,

ARCH 58, of Coral Gables, Fla., on

mond, Texas, on Oct. 23, 2021.

IE 49, of Greensboro, N.C, on Nov. 8,

Jan. 18.

EDWARD C. “ED” KOCHER, ME

2021.

KENNETH S. “KEN” COLLINGE, ROSS G. BAKER, CLS 47, of Hous-

IE 55, of Trumbull, Conn., on Oct. 27,

ton, Texas, on Nov. 24, 2021.

2021.

56, of Erie, Pa., on Dec. 14, 2021.

ALVIN “AL” LOWI JR., ME 51, MS ME 56, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.,

JAMES L. “JIMMY” ELROD, IE 49,

JOSEPH J. “JOE” CORDOVA, EE

of San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 19,

50, of Valdosta, Ga., on Jan. 24.

RUDOLF E. “RUDY” MANTEL, IM

2021.

SAMUEL S. “SAM” SINGER, CLS

on Dec. 17, 2021.

BOBBY E. COX, CE 58, MS CE 61, of

58, of Plantation, Fla., on Nov. 14,

Lindale, Texas, on Sept. 17, 2021.

2021.

49, of Lumpkin, Ga., on Jan. 15.

WILLIAM D. “BILL” DANIELSON,

LAWSON J. “JACK” McCONNELL

JAMES D. “JIM” WILLIS, EE 49, IM

ARCH 50, of Norcross, Ga., on Nov.

SR., IM 59, of Elberton, Ga., on

50, of Madison, Ala., on Nov. 6, 2021.

12, 2021.

Jan. 15.

1950s

WYNNE L. DAUGHTERS, AE 57, of

DONALD R. “DON” MEADERS,

DWIGHT L. ALLEN, IM 59, of

Peachtree Corners, Ga., on Nov. 13,

IM 56, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on Dec.

Winston, Ga., on Jan. 23.

2021.

22, 2021.

BOBBY G. “BOB” BEELAND, TEXT

PORTER F. DOBBINS JR., MS IM

JAMES N. “JIMMY” MOORE III,

57, of Greensboro, Ga., on Dec. 1,

56, of Oakton, Va., on Dec. 20, 2021.

ME 50, of Atlanta, on Dec. 11, 2021.

THOMAS R. GARDNER, CHE 50, of

CHARLES A. “ALLEN” MURRAH,

Salisbury, Md., on Oct. 26, 2021.

IM 57, of Carrollton, Ga., on Dec. 25,

2021.

ORVILLE H. BELL, ME 50, of Vermil-

2021.

ion, Ohio, on Sept. 23, 2021.

FLOYD E. HARDY, CE 58, MS CE MAXWELL D. “DAN” BERMAN,

74, of Oxford, Ga., on Nov. 8, 2021.

52, of Minneapolis, Minn., on Nov. 20,

CE 57, of Marietta, Ga., on Dec. 7, 2021.

EUGENE B. “GENE” NORRIS, CHE

DONALD R. “DON” HARRELL, AE

2021.

58, of Chipley, Fla., on Oct. 27, 2021.

ELMER L. “E.L.” PERRY JR., ARCH

HARVEY E. “GENE” BISHOP JR., CHE 51, of Elgin, S.C., on Jan. 22.

JOHN W. “JACK” HEISEL, IM 56,

50, of Augusta, Ga., on Jan. 11.

of Atlanta, on Nov. 27, 2021.

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 online under Alumni Updates at gtalumni.org/magazine.

To report a death, please email bioupdate@gtalumni.org.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

81

IN MEMORIAM MICHAEL “RICH” CLIFFORD: FORMER ASTRONAUT

GEORGE J. RABSTEJNEK JR., IE 54, of Cohasset, Mass., on Oct. 13,

MICHAEL “RICH” CLIFFORD, MS AE 82, OF NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., ON DEC. 28, 2021.

missions. Before his third mission, he was diagnosed with early Parkinson’s

WILLIAM A. “BILL” REED, IE 57,

2021.

Clifford was commissioned as a Sec-

disease. However, he flew the mission,

MS IE 63, of Marietta, Ga., on

ond Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and

which docked with the Russian space

Jan. 5.

served a tour with the 10th Cavalry in

station MIR, and performed a six-hour

Fort Carson, Colo. He entered the U.S.

spacewalk. His story is captured in the

FRED R. SCHOENFELD, ARCH 58,

Army Aviation School, graduating top in

documentary The Astronaut’s Secret.

of Oxford, Ga., on Nov. 28, 2021.

his flight class and being designated an

Clifford received numerous awards,

Army Aviator. He served a tour in Ger-

including the Defense Superior Service

MARSHALL C. STONE JR., TEXT

many with the 2nd ACR.

Medal and NASA Space Flight Medal.

51, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Nov. 25, 2021.

Clifford was assigned to West Point’s

He was inducted into the Georgia Tech

Department of Mechanics as an instruc-

Engineering Hall of Fame. He is survived

tor and assistant professor. In 1986, he

by his wife, Nancy Brunson Clifford; son

JAMES L. SUMMER, IM 56, of

graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot

Richard Clifford, daughter-in-law Joan-

Charlotte, N.C, on Nov. 14, 2021.

School as an Experimental Test Pilot. In

na Clifford, and, son Brandon Clifford

1990, he was selected as a NASA astro-

and daughter-in-law Johanna Lobdell of

RICHARD J. “JOE” TAYLOR, IM

naut and completed three space shuttle

Boston, Mass., and grandchildren.

56, of Brookhaven, Ga., on Jan. 19.

from a designer of the Lunar Module

MICHAEL E. “MIKE” ARTHUR,

that ferried and protected the 12 Ameri-

CERE 66, MS CERE 69, of Pearl River,

cans as they descended from lunar orbit

La., on Dec. 9, 2021.

1960s

to the surface of the moon. The designer simply shook Williams' hand and

DONEL C. “DON” AUTIN, IE 66, of

said, “We designed the very unique

Shreveport, La., on Dec. 29, 2021.

LM Landing Radar, but you Ops guys made it work. I want to tip my hat to

DONALD E. “DON” BROWN, BC

you.” Williams received the NASA Ex-

61, of Fayetteville, Ga., on Dec. 15,

ceptional Service Medal in 1978. He

2021.

held numerous positions at NASA and

WILEY E. WILLIAMS: LUNAR MODULE OPERATIONS ENGINEER

with Grumman Aerospace, including as

WILLIAM N. “NICK” BROWN, IE

director of Spacecraft Operations and

60, of Canton, Ga., on Nov. 14, 2021.

president of Grumman Technical Service, Inc. for four years, beginning in

JOHN C. “CHARLES” BUSSEY, IE

July 1987. In 1991, he accepted a job as

69, of Atlanta, on Oct. 11, 2021.

WILEY E. WILLIAMS, EE 52, OF LAKE CHARLES, LA., ON NOV. 17, 2021.

vice president of Bionetics Corporation

Williams, a space operations pio-

He was preceded in death by his wife,

neer, received many medals, awards,

Sara Coppage Williams. He is survived

and other honors during his work ca-

by sister Carolyn Kelly and daughter

DOUGLAS H. CURRY, EE 66, of

reer. One he always remembered was

Teresa W. Brammer (Pete).

New Orleans, La., on Oct. 26, 2021.

82 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

in Hampton, Va.

FRANK K. BYNUM, ARCH 62, of Mountain Brook, Ala., on Jan. 14.

B U D DY F O W L K E S : TECH TRACK AND F I E L D C OA C H GEORGE S. EDGE, CE 60, of Ashtabula, Ohio, on Jan. 10.

DOUGL AS “BUDDY” FOWLKES, IM 52, OF ATLANTA, ON NOV. 30, 2021.

One of the most accomplished coach-

WILLIAM V. “BILL” EDWARDS JR.,

es in Georgia Tech history, Fowlkes

IE 65, of West Point, Ga., on Jan. 2.

coached track and field from 1965 to

gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games

1993. During his time on The Flats, he

and the 1988 Seoul Games in the

JOSEPH J. EMBRO JR., CLS 60, of

coached one three-time Olympic medal-

4x400m relay and took bronze at the

Canton, Ga., on Nov. 15, 2021.

ist, two world record holders, 12 NCAA

1984 Los Angeles Games in the 400m.

National Champions, 61 All-Americans,

“We all lost a great Georgia Tech

JOHN A. FERGUSON JR., IE 62,

88 ACC Champions, and 136 All-ACC

man and an outstanding Georgia Tech

MS IE 65, of Gainesville, Ga., on

Honorees. Fowlkes, long recognized

coach,” said Grover Hinsdale, current

Jan. 23.

as one of the greatest track and field

Georgia Tech men’s track and field

coaches, is part of the USTFCCCA Hall

head coach. Fowlkes was a member

FRED W. HOLT, BIO 64, of Raleigh,

of Fame Class of 2005 and the Georgia

of the Atlanta City Council for 32 years

N.C, on Oct. 6, 2021.

Sports Hall of Fame Class of 1988. He

and was a member of the city’s first

was named the ACC Coach of the Year

Board of Aldermen. He is survived by

JAMES E. “JIM” HUNTLEY JR., IM

twice, NCAA Indoor Southeast Coach

his wife of 40 years, Vicki Fowlkes, and

69, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., on Oct.

of the Year in 1985, and Outdoor South-

his three sons from a previous marriage,

19, 2021.

east Coach of the Year in 1987.

Craig, Kelly, and Clay Fowlkes, and

Among the many great athletes he

grandchildren Brandi Freels and Colton

coached was Antonio McKay, who won

Fowlkes. —GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

GEORGE E. KENEFICK, MS

EDWARD E. “GENE” MEYER, ME

FINNIS L. “LARRY” SALMON,

INFOSCI 69, of Gig Harbor, Wash.,

63, of Rock Hill, S.C, on Oct. 31, 2021.

CLS 60, of Armuchee, Ga., on Nov.

JACK R. KELLY JR., CLS 60, of Johns Creek, Ga., on Jan. 9.

on Oct. 10, 2021.

6, 2021.

CECIL G. “GAINES” MONTGOM-

WILLIAM K. “BILL” LAKENAN JR.,

ERY, ME 65, MS ME 66, of Cumming,

FRANK M. SEAY, ME 67, of Oviedo,

IE 63, of Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 23,

Ga., on Oct. 15, 2021.

Fla., on Oct. 26, 2021.

2021.

WILLIAM N. “BILL” MORAN, IM

LELAND L. “LEE” STANFORD, IE

DAVID B. LANEY, MATH 67, MS

63, of Rotonda West, Fla., on Nov. 21,

68, of Montgomery, Ala., on Jan. 26.

INFOSCI 69, of Birmingham, Ala., on

2021.

THOMAS G. VAVRA, MS INFOSCI

Nov. 25, 2021.

ALAN W. NASS, IE 63, MS IE 65, of WARREN J. LOCKE JR., CHE 61, of

ROBERT N. VEALE, ARCH 65, of

Baton Rouge, La., on Jan. 6.

GENE NEWTON, IM 60, of Atlanta, SAMUEL C. “SAM” MATTHEWS,

Atlanta, on Oct. 27, 2021.

on Jan. 3.

AE 67, MS AE 69, of Round Rock, Texas, on Nov. 12, 2021.

69, of Ely, Iowa, on Oct. 12, 2021.

Huntingburg, Ind., on Dec. 20, 2021.

LEESUI WU, MS EE 60, of Voorhees, JOHN C. PATTERSON, IM 61, of

N.J., on Nov. 8, 2021.

Mooresville, N.C., on Nov. 9, 2021.

WILLIAM A. “BILL” McINNIS, M

HARRY F. YARBROUGH, IM 61, of

CRP 64, of Columbia, S.C., on Dec.

STEPHEN K. “KEN” PITALO, PHYS

18, 2021.

67, of Huntsville, Ala., on Oct. 24, 2021.

Ninety Six, S.C., on Dec. 24, 2021.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

83

IN MEMORIAM

1970s WILLIAM R. “RANDY” AVERA, AE 77, of Madison, Ga., on Oct. 21, 2021.

RIGNAL W. “RIG” DUNCAN JR., ME 70, of Dayton, Ohio, on Nov. 18, 2021.

GARY D. FAULKNER, PHD MATH 77, of Oxford, N.C, on Nov. 14, 2021.

KEVIN J. GOEKE, AE 74, of Leesburg, Va., on April 13, 2021.

JERRY W. HANS, MS IE 71, of Minneapolis, Minn., on May 1, 2021.

DANIEL J. HARRINGTON, IM 72, of Decatur, Ga., on Nov. 24, 2021.

MARGARET (STEPHENS) MARTIN: AMONG FIRST TECH CO-EDS MARGARET (STEPHENS) MARTIN, PSY 67, MS PSY 69, OF TRAVELERS REST, S.C., ON NOV. 18, 2021.

psychology at Lander University, and

Martin was born in Valdosta, Ga.,

Carolina. She retired in 2006 but contin-

an instructor at Greenville Technical College and the Medical University of South

ROBERT L. “BOB” HARRIS JR., MS

on June 28, 1941, and raised in Atlan-

CHEM 74, of Greensboro, N.C., on

ta. She broke ground as one of the first

Martin was a lifelong fan of Tech foot-

Nov. 28, 2021.

women to attend Georgia Tech, enter-

ball and basketball and was proud that

ing in 1959. She was the first woman to

she led the way for other women to at-

STEVEN K. HUTTON, ARCH 77,

be admitted to the School of Psycholo-

tend the Institute. She loved traveling

M ARCH 79, of Gray, Tenn., on

gy and the first to earn a bachelor’s and

with her family, especially to Central

Jan. 17.

master’s degree in psychology from the

and South America, and enjoyed knit-

Institute. The enthusiastic football and

ting, Zumba, gardening, and gathering

WILLIAM C. “CHRIS” JILES, IM 71,

basketball fan was one of the first two

with her large extended family.

of Columbus, Ga., on Dec. 14, 2021.

women to join Tech’s all-male cheerleading squad.

BOBBY L. JOYNER, MS CHEM 71,

ued teaching fitness classes until 2017.

She is survived by her children: Lisa Burk and husband David of Baton

At Georgia Tech, Martin received

Rouge, La.; Jason Martin of Green-

the Richard P. Moll award for outstand-

ville, S.C.; Stephanie Neal and husband

ing scholarship in psychology and the

David of Raleigh, N.C.; and Nicholas

ELLEN H. LEWIT, AE 71, of Canton,

Sigma Xi award for the outstanding mas-

Martin of Greenville, S.C.

Ga., on Dec. 1, 2021.

ter’s thesis in science. She earned a PhD

A proud grandmother of eight grand-

of Dothan, Ala., on Oct. 26, 2021.

in experimental psychology from Em-

children, she also is survived by her

JAMES K. “JIM” LUCK III, IM 70,

ory University in Atlanta and received

sister Vicki McCourt of Encinitas, Calif.;

of Loganville, Ga., on Nov. 23, 2021.

a postdoctoral research fellowship in

her brother Richard Stephens and wife

pharmacology from Harvard Medical

Elaine of Travelers Rest; her sister An-

School in Boston, Mass., in 1970.

drea Mallory of Lawrenceville, Ga.; her

RICHARD J. ROGERS, EE 76, of Auburn, Ala., on Dec. 23, 2021.

During her career, Martin was a

sister Lee Layton and husband Bruce of

psychology instructor and head of the

Cape Coral, Fla.; and her brother Per-

BRUCE A. ROTH, IM 70, of Atlanta,

Human Services Department at Pied-

ry Stephens, Jr. and wife Carol of Cape

on Dec. 20, 2021.

mont Technical College, a professor of

Coral.

84 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

ELIZABETH B. “BETTE” TURLING-

GAIL L. MINOR, CHE 84, of Port

TON, MS MGT 77, of Decatur, Ga.,

Saint Lucie, Fla., on Nov. 13, 2021.

2000s CATHERINE M. “CATTIE” OWENS, CE 01, of Atlanta, on Nov. 16, 2021.

on Dec. 23, 2021.

FRANK R. SAWYER, EE 86, of LilALLEN B. “SKIP” WILSON JR., IM 70, of Galveston, Texas, on Dec. 2, 2021.

1980s

burn, Ga., on Jan. 1.

1990s BRIDGETTE L. GOMILLION,

PAMELA J. SKAGGS, MS IL 08, of Franklin, Tenn., on Dec. 26, 2021.

FRIENDS

TEXTCHEM 90, of Zanesville, Ohio,

GERALD J. CAREY JR., of Atlantic

on Jan. 10.

Beach, Fla., on Jan. 9.

PATRICK F. JONES, PSY 90, MS

ANGELA R. “ANGIE” (RUSHING)

CALVIN S. “CAL” KEAHEY, EE 83,

PSY 96, of Woodstock, Ga., on

HOYT, of Atlanta, on Jan. 21.

of Alpharetta, Ga., on Jan. 7, 2022.

Dec. 1, 2021.

JOHN T. “TIM” MERCIER, CHE 84,

JON F. KINCAID, TEXT 90, of

ME 89, of Freehome, Ga., on Dec. 7,

Duluth, Ga., on Jan. 4, 2022.

LEIGH ANNE FREESTON, HS 81, of Charlotte, N.C, on Nov. 18, 2021.

2021.

IN MEMORIAM born on Dec. 25, 1987. He was known

He played 10 seasons in the NFL and

at Georgia Tech and in the NFL for his

owns 16 Broncos franchise records.

work in the community, particularly with

He twice earned second-team All-

youth initiatives. He remained close with

Pro honors and was a four-time Pro Bowl

Georgia Tech football, last spending

selection.

time with the Yellow Jackets during preseason camp in August 2021.

Thomas was one of the most prolific postseason performers in Broncos his-

After redshirting in 2006 as a fresh-

tory. In his first Super Bowl, Thomas set

man, Thomas, played three seasons at

a then–Super Bowl record with 13 re-

Tech and achieved multiple records,

ceptions in Denver’s loss to the Seattle

including his 25.1 yards per recep-

Seahawks. Two seasons later, he and

tion, which remains the second-highest

the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in a 24-

single-season receiving average in

10 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Tech history. After helping lead Tech

Thomas played with the Houston Texans

to consecutive Atlantic Coast Confer-

(2018) and New York Jets (2019) be-

DEMARYIUS THOMAS, CLS 10, OF ROSWELL, GA., ON DEC. 9, 2021.

ence Coastal Division championships in

fore officially retiring in 2021.

2008 and 2009 and earning All-Amer-

Thomas is survived by his parents,

D E M A RY I U S T H O M A S : JACKET & NFL RECORD SETTER

Two-time NFL All-Pro, Thomas, whose

ica (third team) and all- ACC (first

Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas, and

2,135 receiving yards in three collegiate

team) recognition in 2009, Thomas

his siblings, grandmother, Minnie Pearl

seasons rank sixth in Tech football histo-

declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Thomas, godmother, April Adside Smith,

ry, died at the age of 33 from a medical issue.

Nicknamed “Bay Bay,” Thomas was

Thomas became only the 12th first-

and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and

round draft pick in Georgia Tech history

other relatives and friends.—GEORGIA

when the Denver Broncos selected him.

TECH ATHLETICS

FRANK ROPER: REGISTRAR EMERITUS FRANK E. ROPER, JR., IE 61, MS IE 63, OF SMYRNA, GA., ON DEC. 17, 2021.

Engineering, vice president of public relations, and executive vice president for

Earning both a bachelor’s and mas-

the Atlanta chapter. He was a member

ter’s in industrial engineering from

of the Georgia Society of Profession-

Georgia Tech, Roper was an instructor

al Engineers, serving on the Committee

in Tech’s School of ISYE while working

for Professional Engineers in Education.

as assistant to the director to coordi-

He was a member of the American So-

nate undergraduate affairs. In 1968, he

ciety for Engineering Education and the

Association and assisted student-athletes

was appointed registrar. As registrar,

American Association of Collegiate Reg-

in completing their degrees after their

he served as secretary of the General

istrars and Admissions Officers, earning

playing eligibility ended.

Faculty, the Academic Senate, and the

recognition in Who’s Who of Higher Ed-

He recognized that the culture and

Curriculum and Executive Committees.

ucation and The Yearbook of Higher

tradition of academics and athlet-

He also certified the academic eligibility

Education. He was a member of the At-

ics were important to Yellow Jackets,

of students for participation in intercolle-

lanta Chapter of The National Society

and the pride of being a Tech alumnus

giate athletics to the Faculty Chairman

of Professional Engineers, The Ameri-

prompted him to seek a balance be-

of Athletics.

can Institute of Industrial Engineers, and

tween them.

A member of the American Institute

the Golden Key National Honor Society.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, son

of Industrial Engineers, Roper was as-

After retiring from Tech in 2000, Rop-

Frank “Trey” Roper III and wife Lynn,

sistant editor of the Journal of Industrial

er worked briefly at the Tech Athletic

86 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

and several cousins.

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89

TECH HISTORY

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY

MEET THREE HISTORY-MAKERS WHO EXPANDED ACCESS ACROSS ACADEMICS, INSTRUCTION, AND CULTURE AT GEORGIA TECH.

BY RIDDHI BHATTACHARYA , CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING STUDENT 90 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

T H E 2 0 2 1 – 2 0 2 2 school year marks the 60th anniversary of the first Black students to matriculate at Georgia Tech.

A lt hou g h 1 9 6 1 re pre s e nt s a

beginning, it was hardly the end of Black history-makers.

Since then, Black students, faculty, and staff have continued to expand access in academics, instruction, and

culture at Georgia Tech.

On the following pages, meet three pioneers who helped expand access at Georgia Tech and pave the way for future Yellow Jackets.

ACADEMICS

FIRST MASTER’S GRADUATE: M I LT O N W O O D W A R D , M S E E 7 0 After originally being denied for undergraduate studies, Woodward would go on to become Tech’s first Black master’s graduate.

MILTON WOODWARD graduated from historic H.M. Turner High School in Atlanta. He aspired to attend Georgia Tech for undergraduate studies, but he was denied acceptance. After receiving his bachelor’s from Howard University in 1967, he enrolled at Tech as an electrical engineering master’s student. In 1970, he became the first Black student to earn a master’s at Georgia Tech. He didn’t realize at the time that he would be the first until one of his professors mentioned it at the end of the semester before graduation. He later received his MBA from the University of Denver.

Q: WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PURSUE A MASTER’S IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING? My stepfather repaired televisions. I would watch him probe through the miles of wires between vacuum tubes and other electronic components.

I told him that I wanted to someday fix televisions. He replied that I should aim to become an electrical engineer. He further stated that I should want to design electronics rather than fix them. I was about 15 years old when we had that conversation, and from that point on, I knew I wanted to be an electrical engineer.

Q: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST HURDLE YOU OVERCAME TO ATTEND TECH? Growing up in Atlanta, a degree from Tech was one of my life objectives. I was disappointed when I was turned down for undergraduate. In any event, I was determined to attend Tech. I was worried that my undergraduate rejection would affect my application to graduate school. As it turned out, I was accepted for grad school and graduated with a high GPA.

Q: WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO YOUR TIME AS A STUDENT, WHAT STORY DO YOU STILL THINK ABOUT? During the ’60s, Black students didn’t have much of a social life at Tech. I was fortunate to have been selected for a job at the Lockheed Research Lab. Most of the employees had advanced degrees. I can still see the looks on my coworkers’ faces when I told them that I was entering Tech to work on my master’s. At that time, only one Black student had graduated from Tech, and he was an undergraduate. When I obtained my MS EE with honors, the expression of almost disbelief on their faces was worth all the hard work.

Q: WHERE DID YOU STUDY ON CAMPUS? I really didn’t study on campus. By this time, I was married and had a 1-year-old son pulling at my leg while I studied at the kitchen table.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

91

TECH HISTORY

May was the first Black dean of engineering, and he was also the first Black school chair in ECE at Georgia Tech.

rankings and every metric that dictated quality.

Q: AS AN ENGINEER, HOW DO YOU

INSTRUCTION

FIRST DEAN OF ENGINEERING: G A RY S . M A Y, E E 8 5 A PIONEER in academia and research as well as a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, Gary May expanded access at Georgia Tech and made history as Tech’s first Black dean of engineering.

At Tech, May was in the co-op program, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the ANAK society. After earning his bachelor’s, he received his master’s and PhD in electrical engineering from the University of California-Berkeley. He was the Steve W. Chaddick Chair of Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering before becoming dean of the College of Engineering in 2011. In 2017, May became chancellor of UC-Davis.

Q: IN 2011, YOU BECAME DEAN OF ENGINEERING AT TECH. AT THE TIME, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF BEING THE FIRST BLACK PERSON IN THIS POSITION? It was an honor, but also a lot of 92 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

responsibility. I was also the first Black school chair in ECE, so I understood some of the responsibility. However, being dean of engineering at Georgia Tech is different from being dean elsewhere, and many of my predecessors have constantly reiterated how this is the best job in academia. Hence, it was important for me to not only do well for the university, faculty, and students in engineering, but also to be a good model for people who might come behind me. Georgia Tech allowed me to be the first, but I did not want to be the last. Luckily, Dean [Raheem] Beyah has taken up the mantle after me, making me not the last!

Q: WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE IN YOUR FIRST FEW YEARS AS DEAN? There were the run-of-the-mill things with respect to the position. But one thing that was particularly challenging that was associated with me being an African American dean was during my first week a memo was circulating, complaining about Tech doing too much in the area of diversity rather than improving the quality of the education. This was interesting because during those six years, we not only improved diversity, but also improved

THINK GREATER DIVERSITY CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THE FIELD? It requires recognizing that diversity helps improve not only innovation but also the quality of a program. For instance, the first airbags disproportionately killed women passengers because those were tested on male anatomies. Second, there was a device that would tell you if you correctly spelled a word out loud. However, the device didn’t recognize women’s voices, so the first model wasn’t very successful. And even now, online proctoring systems that use facial recognition for identification often don’t give accurate recognition for people with darker skin tones.

Diversity in engineering is good not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes your outcomes and quality of work turn out better. And it’s not just the case in engineering.

Q: AS CHANCELLOR OF UC-DAVIS, WHAT EFFORTS ARE YOU LEADING TO EXPAND ACCESS AND EQUALITY? We started an Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. All 10-year strategic plans have diversity as one of our five key objectives. We have faculty positions that are designed to address opportunity gaps. We are currently on the verge of being federally designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution, which means 25% of our undergraduate enrollment is Hispanic. Diversity ensures that everybody’s included—and not just students who are marginalized historically.

CULTURE

CECILIA HOUSTON-TORRENCE, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF TECH’S FIRST BL ACK PERFORMING ARTS GROUP IT WAS DURING A HIGH SCHOOL TRIP organized through the Minority Introduction to Engineering Program that Cecilia Houston-Torrence fell in love with Georgia Tech. “Born and raised in rural Alabama, coming to the big city, Atlanta, was so exciting,” she remembers. She enrolled at Georgia Tech in 1977 in industrial engineering, and, a year later, helped form Tech’s first Black performance group, the Ebony Guild.

Houston-Torrence started her career in operations at First Union Bank in North Carolina. In 1986, she returned to Atlanta, where she spent almost three decades at the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Q: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW THE EBONY GUILD WAS FOUNDED? In 1978, I was a sophomore and Evangeline (Brown) Colbert, EE 79, Patrise Perkins-Hooker, IM 80, and Cassandra (Ambush) Hargrove, Text 81, and I got together to find an outlet for our creativity. Together, we formed Ebony Guild, which consisted of a gospel choir that also sang secular music, a musical theater where we performed plays, and dancing. At the Student Center, we would perform at different times during the year. Our big performance was the Black Awareness program in February.

together spiritually and created a balance between academics and creativity. It was a great bonding activity for us outside of the classroom. Most of us also grew up singing or performing in our church choirs, so we just felt like it was needed.

Q: HOW WERE YOU INVOLVED IN MUSIC BEFORE YOU CAME TO TECH? I started playing the organ in church when I was 10, and I was the sole organist at the Shrine of the Holy Cross in Daphne, Ala. I used to play the organ for several masses during the week and on the weekend. We lived directly next door to a church, so we spent a lot of time there. I started with my first choir when I was 12, so I have been part of both children’s and adult choirs.

academics that they neglect the creative aspects of their brains. The guild helped us consider that creative aspect and made us more balanced. It was a fellowship that helped us bond as students.

Q: FORMER MEMBERS FROM THE EBONY GUILD WILL BE PERFORMING AT GTBAO’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN APRIL. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO FROM THAT REUNION? I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. Right now, we’re rehearsing and it’s exciting because we’re doing the numbers that we did during my tenure there at Tech. We’re doing songs that are very special to us. So, we’re just looking forward to performing and being together again.

Q: HOW DID YOUR WORK HELP EMPOWER MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR TO PURSUE THEIR ARTISTIC TALENTS AT TECH? At Tech, most people are so focused on

Q:

WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND OTHER BLACK STUDENTS TO START THIS ORGANIZATION? It was important because it tied us

Pictured in the 1978 Blueprint, members of the Georgia Tech Afro-American Association (GTAAA) sponsored the Ebony Guild, Tech’s first Black performing arts group.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

93

TECH HISTORY TECH “TRAILBLAZERS” T O R E C E I V E I VA N ALLEN JR. PRIZE FORD GREENE, RALPH LONG JR., AND L AW R E N C E W I L L I A M S , Georgia Tech’s first Black students, and Ronald Yancey, Tech’s first Black graduate, will receive the 2022 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage.

The likenesses of the four men are permanently enshrined in campus sculptures, but now, decades after breaking the color barrier at Georgia Tech, they will join the ranks of past awardees that include Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, John Lewis, Sam Nunn, Andrew Young, and other pathbreaking leaders.

“The Ivan Allen Jr. Prize recognizes exemplary, courageous leaders—those who, like Mayor Allen, take on personal risks in an effort to improve the lives of others,” says Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “With great determination, Ford

Clockwise (from top left): Ford C. Greene, Ralph A. Long Jr., Ronald L. Yancey, and Lawrence M. Williams.

Greene, Ralph Long Jr., Lawrence Williams, and Ronald Yancey with-

acutely aware that many around them

the first Black systems engineer for

stood hazards and adversity of every

assumed they wouldn’t be able to suc-

the Large Systems Group in the south-

kind to prove to the world that Black

ceed here. As Ronald Yancey, who

eastern U.S. at IBM Atlanta. Williams

students had the right to study at

entered Tech a year later, recalled,

served honorably in the Air Force

Georgia Tech, paving the way for

“It was a lonely and difficult time.

during the Vietnam War, earning sev-

the thousands of Black Yellow Jack-

‘Glares and stares’ is the best way I

eral distinctions and honors. A week

ets who have earned their degrees

can put it.”

after graduating, Yancey began a

here since.”

But they persevered. Greene stud-

successful career with the U.S. Depart-

Greene, Long, and Williams,

ied chemical engineering at Georgia

dubbed the “three pioneers” in the

Tech. He completed his bachelor’s

The Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social

Harrison Square sculp-

degree in mathematics and comput-

Courage was established in 2010 to

ture that depicts them on

er science at Morgan State University

honor Tech alumnus and former At-

their first day at Tech,

and worked in telecommunications

lanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. Funded in

began classes in the fall

and information technology systems.

perpetuity by a grant from the Wilbur

of 1961. And, although

He died in 2020 at the age of 76. Af-

and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation,

their arrival didn’t elicit violence as

ter attending Tech, Long completed

the prize includes a $100,000 sti-

it had at other Southern universities,

his bachelor’s degree at Clark Col-

pend for recipients. The inaugural

it was not easy. They often felt isolat-

lege (now Clark Atlanta University)

prize was awarded in March 2011.

ed and unwelcome, and they were

in mathematics and physics, and was

—STACY BRAUKMAN

94 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

ment of Defense.

COMMEMORATING T H E 6 0 TH To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Black students matriculating at Tech, the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization (GTBAO) hosted a yearlong series of events honoring early Black alumni, faculty, and staff, and their profound impact on campus.

“THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY IS ABOUT CELEBRATING OUR PAST, OUR PRESENT, AND OUR FUTURE. THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS WERE COURAGEOUS TRAILBLAZERS AND WE SALUTE THEM! TODAY, GEORGIA TECH GRADUATES THE MOST NUMBER OF MINORITY AND WOMEN ENGINEERS. WE CELEBRATE THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN ALUMNI AND LOOK TO BUILD AN EVEN BRIGHTER FUTURE,” says Joy Jordan, ChE 92, GTBAO president.

In September 2021, GTBAO hosted a Trail-

to recruit students,” Jordan says. In February,

blazers' Recognition and kicked off the 60th

GTBAO hosted a Black Arts Festival Week-

commemoration, entitled “Celebrating Our

end and “60 for 60" event, which recognized

Past, Continuing Our Legacy.” The organiza-

former student-athletes and their accomplish-

tion launched a podcast to capture history in

ments. The celebration continued through April

the words of Tech’s Black community. With

for Alumni Family Weekend, held April 1–3,

the Georgia Tech Library and the Alumni As-

where alumni and friends returned to Tech to

sociation, GTBAO presented an exhibit titled

renew their commitment to the community, cele-

“Capturing Our History,” which highlighted

brate accomplishments, and support Black stu-

60 years of Black excellence on campus. With

dents. The Leaders & Legends Gala took place

future generations in mind, GTBAO launched

the same weekend and featured a message

a campaign to significantly increase a scholar-

from Dr. Christine Darden, a pioneering mathe-

ship endowment, and in March, hosted “600

matician and an aerospace engineer who was

Points of Light,” a virtual program aimed at

one of NASA’s “Hidden Figures.”

reaching hundreds of high school students in STEM who might be interested in attending the Institute. “We graduate the most minorities in engineering, but that total number of students is still small, so we’re providing programming

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

95

FROM THE ARCHIVES

ALAN BUCHSBAUM’S PAPERS

PAPERS FROM THE ARCHITECT’S SEMINAL PROJECTS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE GEORGIA TECH LIBRARY ARCHIVES.

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

“I DON’T WANT TO BE CATEGORIZED; IT’S MORE FUN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY IN ALL THE POOLS.” –ALAN BUCHSBAUM

YOU CAN’T DEFINE Alan Buchsbaum’s style, and that’s exactly how the architect would have liked it.

In a book written about Buchsbaum’s life and career, Frederic Schwartz wrote, “He does not easily fit into any one place. There is no one style. He is all style(s).”

Although Buchsbaum, Arch 58, may have resisted definition, his impact over a relatively short career, spanning the early 1960s to the mid-1980s, is well-defined. He was a pioneer of “High-Tech” and post-modernism, and he challenged orthodox principles, creating spaces that in his words “were a little off.” His creations ranged from rugs and wallpapers to a disco hall and a pinball arcade.

Like his work, Buchsbaum was a “complex juxtaposition,” wrote Schwartz. He was JewishAmerican, born in 1935 in Savannah, Georgia. He earned his bachelor’s in architecture from Georgia Tech in 1958, and a second architectural degree from M.I.T. in 1961. After working with firms in New York, he traveled through Europe and Asia 96 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Buchsbaum’s Loft 2 designs (top) in 1982 and The Paper Poppy (right) designed by Buchsbaum in 1968.

before returning to the city to start his own firm, the Design Coalition. On April 10, 1987, Buchsbaum died from complications of AIDS. Through a collection of his papers and visual materials available through the Georgia Tech Archives, the architect’s work continues to inspire students of his alma mater. Shortly after his sister, Gloria Buchsbaum Smiley, donated her brother’s papers to the Institute, archivists used the collection to create a Library exhibit about his life and career.

“It’s an example of how these artifacts contain not only the history of Georgia Tech, but also the personal and professional mementos of a person’s life,” says Jody Thompson, Georgia Tech Library’s head of archives. “It’s through those objects that

we can really share a person’s story.”

Last fall, the Archive announced an effort to expand Tech’s collection to include more artifacts from underrepresented groups, including those in the LGBTQ community, like Buchsbaum, and from women and minorities.

“We’ve identified gaps in our history, and we want to fill them to make sure we’re telling a complete story,” Thompson says.

DO YOU OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY? The Georgia Tech Archives collects and preserves unique historical materials to inspire new creations, advance knowledge, and encourage innovation in service toward the public interest.

DONATING TO THE ARCHIVES

CONTACT THE HEAD OF ARCHIVES Donating starts with a phone call or online inquiry. Visit library. gatech.edu/con tact-archives or call 404-894-9626.

ARRANGE FOR DELIVERY OR SHIPMENT Archives staff will walk you through a donation form and discuss convenient shipment or delivery options.

INCLUDE YOUR STORY The most important part is telling your story behind the artifact.

GEORGIA TECH ARCHIVES STATS ON THE STACKS

ONE

Archives Reading Room located on the first floor of Crosland Tower

35,000

Square feet of storage room in the off-site facility

Pair of Converse “Chuck Taylor” sneakers worn

by Susan Davis, ABio 91, the first woman to play the part of Buzz

1

THREE

Yellow Jacket model airplanes flown during half-time at football games in the 1940s

FEEL GOOD KNOWING YOU MADE HISTORY Your donation is now part of the Institute’s story!

50

°F

Temperature in the rare artifacts vault

2

Oscars given to Y. Frank Freeman (EE 1910), studio head at Paramount Pictures, for his humanitarian work

6

Special collections: Tech History, Sci Fi, Architectural Design, Textile Industry Records, Rare Books, and retroTech

TECH’S ANTIQUE ROADSHOW Do you own a piece of Tech history? Share a photo of the object and tell us your story.

Tag us @gtalumni on Facebook or Instagram.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

97

BACK PAGE

GORILL A POWER

TARA STOINSKI, CEO OF THE DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND

T

TARA STOINSKI, PhD Psy 00, always thought she was going to be a veterinarian. But a trip to Africa during her master’s program changed her mind. While there, she studied jackals, following the beeps of their radio collars through fields at night.

These excursions were dark and cold, but she loved them.

So, Stoinski changed paths. With a goal of working with more social animals that she could see during the day, she studied psychology at Georgia Tech (President Ángel Cabrera was her statistics teaching assistant!) and eventually spent 14 years with Zoo Atlanta. For 12 of those years, she also worked for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which has its international headquarters at Zoo Atlanta and is the world’s largest and longest running organization dedicated entirely to gorilla conservation and research. In 2014, she moved into the CEO role. Today, Stoinski oversees a staff of about 300 based in Africa and the group’s headquarters in Atlanta.

The Fossey Fund works with two of the four gorilla sub-species: mountain gorillas in Rwanda, of which there are only about 1,000 because of human pressures on their habitat, and Grauer’s gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose population is steeply declining due to 98 SPRING 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

BY KELLEY FREUND

poaching. In an effort to reverse these numbers, Fossey Fund staff spend their days in the forest, following gorillas, removing snares, and looking for illegal activity. They also collect information on aspects of gorilla life and ranging patterns. (Tech’s Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization has partnered with the Fossey Fund to map gorilla habitat.) Sometimes their research doesn’t just focus on gorillas.

“Gorillas are not the best indicators of the health of their habitat,” Stoinski says. “They’re intelligent, flexible, and have a broad diet—enabling them to adapt to changing environmental conditions, as long as they aren’t too severe. So we need to be monitoring the whole ecosystem, including indicator species like birds and amphibians, to understand how healthy that ecosystem is and what that means for the gorillas.”

For conservation efforts to be successful, Stoinski says it’s critical to have the engagement of the human community. The Fossey Fund works to address critical community needs such as food and water security and livelihood development and provide conservation education. In February, the Fossey Fund opened its first purpose-built home in Rwanda—the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, which includes classroom and lab spaces that will allow the organization to better teach the next generation of conservationists in Africa. Their work will be important, as what’s good for gorillas is actually good for humans, as well.

“These primates live in the equatorial forests of Africa, the second largest standing tropical rainforest,” Stoinski says. “By protecting the gorillas and their homes, we’re protecting more than gorillas—it’s ultimately important for the survival of our own.”

What does Roll Call mean to you?

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

Some give to help fund the next generation of problem solvers.

Like Emily Woods, ME 10, who, during a Roll Call–supported Capstone Design course, confronted the very real problem of sanitation in the developing world. She joined forces with a fellow Tech alum to develop a method to treat waste safely and cost-effectively in environmentally friendly plants and transform the byproduct into biomass fuels.

Others give to help ensure the future excellence of Georgia Tech.

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

And some give to help fund scholarships that bring the best and brightest to Georgia Tech.

Exemplary students like Stockton De Laria, BA 21, who are part of the Roll Call–supported Atlanta Public School (APS) Scholars Program, which brings APS valedictorians and salutatorians to Tech.

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

gtalumni.org/givetoday

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