Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Vol. 99, No. 4, Fall 2023

Meet the Yellow Jackets obsessed with planes, trains, automobiles, and rockets.

Raised primarily in Panama by Methodist missionary parents, Paul Reitz, IMGT 1978, first encountered Georgia Tech as a teenager when his family lived in Atlanta for a year. When it came time for college, Tech was his top choice, and he was thrilled when he received his acceptance letter.

After nine challenging years of balancing classes and work, Reitz finally received his hard-earned diploma with gratitude, enthusiasm, and humility. “Getting married, getting sober, and going to Georgia Tech have been the three most important things to happen in my adult life,” he said.

Following his graduation, Reitz worked in HVAC sales before moving to New York City to serve as a project manager with a consulting engineering firm. Over the years, he has been heartened by the respect his Tech degree garners and said, “Working in New York City, people rarely reference their alma maters, but I would always refer to being a Georgia Tech graduate! This would immediately

bring positive comments from those around me.”

Reitz and his wife, Trudy, are longtime supporters of the New York Public Library and the American Museum of Natural History. When they retired in 2016, the couple decided to expand their philanthropy and support Georgia Tech. They were especially interested in establishing scholarships that provide discretionary funds to students, as this was something Reitz needed when he was a student. He added, “I was working and could pay my tuition, but it would have been nice to be able to see a movie on a Friday night.”

The Reitzes have given generously to Tech through vehicles including an endowment, a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRUT), and a planned gift. As a result, they are able to receive monthly income from the CRUT, witness first-hand the impact of their support on students, and know their philanthropy will provide resources to Tech in the future.

Founders’ Council is the honorary society recognizing donors who have made estate or life-income gifts of $25,000 or more for the support of Georgia Tech. For more information, please contact: 404.894.4678

— Paul Reitz, IMGT 1978

“I wanted to share some of my life savings with Georgia Tech because of the dramatic impact it has made on my career and life.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

OOVER THE SUMMER , the Alumni Association put a Georgia Tech twist on a summer tradition: the road trip. With the help of local Alumni Networks, our Alumni Wreck traveled a great distance, ramblin’ from Georgia to the West Coast, the farthest it’s ever gone. Seeing pictures of our car in iconic locations like NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston (page 66) as it made its journey across the country, and being able to join alumni from San Diego to Seattle, was an excellent reminder that our network is stronger than ever.

treasures along the way. From the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone to many Major League Baseball parks, we did it all. In true Georgia Tech fashion, I kept a log of how much I paid for gas, food, and housing. I recorded every stop we made and every sight we saw. I still have it to this day. We Jackets have a knack for learning, growing, and seeing things we’ve never seen before. The desire to explore is what led me to take that trip, and it changed the way I saw the world. While the world is a vast place, the bonds we share make it feel a little more connected.

During our Wreck on the Road stop in Portland, Ore., I noticed a young man named Chaitanya Sharma, MS CS 21, who arrived wearing his graduation cap and gown. Curious, I asked why. He told me that this event was his graduation ceremony. He was an online student in 2020 and was unable to travel to campus to walk across the stage due to Covid restrictions. Then and there, the Alumni Association staff and I held an impromptu ceremony, including a ride in our Alumni Wreck. Georgia Tech is more than a place. It’s a rich community of brilliant minds who help support each other.

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE

VOL. 99 | NO. 3

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91

VP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Lindsay Vaughn

EDITOR

Jennifer Herseim

ART DIRECTOR

Steve Hedberg

COPYWRITER

Matt Sowell

COPY EDITOR

Barbara McIntosh Webb

STUDENT ASSISTANTS

Riddhi Bhattacharya, Sadie Mothershed, and Levi Waterhouse

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair Betsy Bulat, IAML 04

Past Chair/Vice Chair of Finance

Magd Riad, IE 01

Chair Elect, Vice Chair/Roll Call

Tommy Herrington, IM 82

Vice Chair

Rita Breen, Psy 90, MS IE 92

Member at Large

Jason Byars, ME 96

Member at Large

Amy Rich, MBA 12

Member at Large

James “Jim” Sanders, IE 88

Member at Large

Anu Parvatiyar, BME 08

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

As I traveled out west with the Wreck on the Road tour and across Georgia during our other summer road trip, the President’s Summer Tour, I remembered my post-graduation road trip back in 1991. A buddy and I journeyed 9,000 miles in a little over a month. We took his Volkswagen Jetta and explored national

This issue also highlights the 2023 class of 40 Under 40. These are individuals who showcase the way Georgia Tech connects the world. I’m so proud and excited to share their stories with you.

Go Jackets!

DENE SHEHEANE, MGT 91 PRESIDENT GEORGIA

Jennifer Abrams, PP 17; Latanza Adjei, IE 98; Thomas Antonino, BA 15, MSA 22; Sybrina Atwaters, EE 94, MS HSTS 09, PhD HSTS 14; Donald Beamer, Econ 05; Michael Bogachek, IE 00; Alexia Borden, IE 01; Jasmine Burton, ID 14; Jacky Cheng, IE 17; Catherine Cooper, IE 90; Aurélien Cottet, MS AE 03; Cynthia Culbreath, IE 93, MS IE 95; Elizabeth Serafine Donnelly, IA 08; Matthew Dubnik, Mgt 03; Adam Fuller, Mgt 93; Robyn Gatens, ChE 85; John Gattuso, ME 15; Joy Jordan, ChE 92; Olivia Langevine, IAML 13; Meghan Green LaRue, Mgt 13; Antonio Llanos, CS 95; Matthew Mason, IE 01; Randolph McDow, IE 95, MS PP 03; Meredith Moot, Mgt 08; Kyle Porter, Mgt 04; Jacquelyn Renée Schneider, BC 06, MBA 18; Rene Simon, MBA 18; Chad Sims, BA 15; Greg Sitkiewicz, IE 00; Courtney Robinson Smith, Mgt 00; Mary Lynn Smith, EE 88; Miya Smith, IE 03; Russell Smith, Cls 98; John R. Spriggle, ME 02; Kenji Takeuchi, ME 94; Maurice Trebuchon, IE 86

ADVERTISING

Justin Estes (404) 683-9599

justin.estes@alumni.gatech.edu

GEORGIA

TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91, and Chaitanya Sharma, MS CS 21, in Portland, Ore.

NEED FOR SPEED

There’s no better place than Georgia Tech for gearheads with a passion for planes, trains, automobiles, and rockets.

CELEBRATING TECH’S GEARHEADS

Whether it has wheels or wings, chances are there’s a Yellow Jacket who’s passionate about it.

FEATURES

STUDENT DRIVER ON BOARD

Yellow Jackets’ ingenuity was on full display at the Savoy Automobile Museum.

BEHIND THE COVER

DRIVING INNOVATION

This year’s 40 Under 40 class includes alumni leading change across multiple sectors, in transportation and beyond.

Starting from a 3D model of a 1930 Ford Model A, artist Adam Ewing brought our disassembled Ramblin’ Wreck to life by incorporating custom details and fabricating parts to transform the graphic into Tech’s beloved mascot. He then meticulously deconstructed each 3D-modeled piece. We extend a “helluva” thank you to Wreck expert, Jim Cannon, NE 79, and Wreck Driver, Omar Khan, for their guidance. Read more about the “Gearheads” cover in our next issue.

DEPARTMENTS

PEDALING TO GLORY

A fast and furious moment from Georgia Tech’s beloved Mini 500. The tradition started back in 1969. To win the competition, Yellow Jackets need perseverance, grit, and above all else, a quirky sense of humor.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SECONDING DR. SCHUTZ’S KINDNESS

Mercy & Mento rs hip

LET ME ADD a hearty AMEN to Dr. Schutz’s kindness [Summer 2023, Vol. 99, No. 2, “Mercy & Mentorship”]. In 1962 from a seismic crew trailer based out of Edmonton, Alberta, I sent in a handwritten application for grad school 3½ years after receiving my bachelor’s in civil engineering from Mississippi State University. In January 1963, I rolled into town to attend Tech, and was offered a job by Dr. Schutz, in the soils lab— where I worked until June 13, 1964, when I received an MS CE. After working in the pre-engineered metal building business for several years, I authored a technical article that was published in the Second Specialty Cold Formed Steel Structures, Oct. 23, 1973, in St. Louis, that resulted in the AISI code being revised to require that the steel furnished be at least 95% of the thickness used in design. I was delighted to send Dr. Schutz a copy of this paper as thanks for his taking a chance on me, and giving me a chance to advance the engineering profession. I felt like I was paying my dues with the only paper I ever wrote.

—CECIL KEITH BRASHER, MS CE 64, OF OCALA, FLA.

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A MILE WIDE AND DEEP

THANK YOU so much for the gift of the summer issue of the Alumni Magazine. It was extraordinary. When we were dating, my wife, an Agnes Scott graduate, would describe Tech students as being an inch wide and a mile deep. The summer issue, “Acts of Kindness,” declares that Tech students and grads are a mile wide and a mile deep. Above all, my Tech education taught me to ask, “Why?” That question applies to social systems as well as physics problems. Asking “Why?” helps us get to the root causes of human need.

JIM “JOE” WATKINS, IM 65

CONNECTED BY TECH

TO ALL at the Alumni Association who assist in putting together the Alumni Magazine, thank you. I read it and continue to be able to celebrate familiar faces, wonderful memories, and new discoveries even though I am some distance away now in Dallas, Texas. I greatly appreciate the creativity and sense of emotion you continue to cultivate in this publication. Thank you so much.

—ELENA TREBITS

BERRY, IE 00, OF DALLAS, TEXAS

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Registration is now open for the Green Belt program starting on October 17 and Black Belt program starting on November 7.

AROUND CAMPUS

WELCOME, NEW RATS!

More than 4,900 new students received their RAT caps this fall during convocation. The new class brings a record number of Georgians and more women than ever to the Institute’s undergraduate population.

MONEY cites Georgia Tech’s quality, affordability, and outcomes in awarding the Institute a 5-star rating. This year, Money revamped its college ranking system into a star-tier list, naming Georgia Tech one of 34 institutions nationwide to its new 5-star category. Instead of ranking institutions from highest performing to lowest, Money gave colleges and universities a rating between 2½ and 5 stars.

The personal finance brand praised the Institute, saying, “Georgia Tech gets results: The school has a graduation rate of 89% and students go on to earn median salaries of around $96,000 a decade after enrolling, according to the federal College Scorecard.”

—VICTOR ROGERS

TECH POWERS STATE ECONOMY WITH $4.5 BILLION IMPACT

GEORGIA TECH’S ECONOMIC IMPACT SURGED IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, LEADING THE WAY AMONG UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA MEMBER INSTITUTIONS.

WITH TECH LEADING THE WAY , a new USG study finds that the system contributed a total of $20.1 billion to Georgia’s economy, up nearly $800 million from FY 2021.

“Georgia Tech is proud to be a public institution of the state of Georgia and to contribute to its prosperous economy,” says Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95. “Collectively, this report underscores the value of our state’s higher education system. We will continue to do our part to produce the talent, innovation, and economic development that drives our state forward.”

In the past fiscal year, USG accounted for 159,034 full- and part-time jobs—the same employment impact statewide as Georgia’s top five employers combined. Tech directly supported 9,617 on-campus jobs in FY 2022 and an additional 20,666 jobs that exist due to institution-related spending.

The study, conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth, finds that each job created by USG generates two additional jobs in local communities.

In FY 2022, Tech received $375 million in state appropriations, providing a twelvefold return on investment to the state.

The USG study finds that graduates in the past fiscal year, including the 9,952 Tech graduates, will earn on average over $1 million more in their lifetime than they would have without their college degrees. —STEVEN

GAGLIANO

GEORGIA TECH’S KEY ROLE IN THE EV REVOLUTION

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

INVESTMENTS IN ELECTRIC MOBILITY are booming across Georgia, and the Institute is a key player, producing research and talent to shift the electric vehicle revolution into high gear.

Rivian and Hyundai Motor Group are two of the latest companies to announce plans for manufacturing plants in Georgia dedicated to

Q: HOW IS TECH CONTRIBUTING TO THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY?

Electric cars are going to require batteries that are lighter, denser, and longer-lasting. We have deep expertise in batteries that will be key to the future. One of the best examples is professor Gleb Yushin’s research ( see next page ) that led to the spinoff, Sila Nanotechnologies, which has developed a nanocomposite silicon anode that significantly improves battery performance. Sila now has a contract with MercedesBenz for their new electric G-Class SUV and is building two factories. From industrial engineering to business to our work in sustainability and energy, we have a lot to offer. We have a chance to create a full ecosystem in Georgia that powers electric mobility in the U.S. and around the world.

Q: WHAT CHALLENGES ARE RESEARCHERS AND ALUMNI HELPING TO SOLVE?

There are tons of complex questions that will shape the future of this industry. Questions about the materials and

EV-related projects. Georgia Tech’s new partnership with Hyundai (see page 24) is expected to further enhance the Institute’s contributions to the growing EV industry. We sat down with Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95, to discuss how Yellow Jackets are helping solve challenges facing the growing industry.

Q: TECH INTRODUCED A HYBRID STINGER BUS THIS YEAR. HOW IS TECH TRANSITIONING TO ELECTRIC MOBILITY?

minerals in the batteries and where they come from, about the sources of the energy that goes into producing an electric vehicle, about the life-cycle of batteries, and much more. These are issues that need to be solved through innovation and new technology, but also through smart policy and new business models. And that’s where we come in, too. From alumni who are shaping energy policy, production, and distribution in our state to entrepreneurs like Aaron, IAML 08, and Stephanie Luque, IAML 08, who are building new businesses like EnviroSpark to increase the availability of EV charging infrastructure.

Our goal is to electrify our whole fleet. We’re working with the Center for Transportation and the Environment, founded and run by alumni, to work through how to make that a reality. It’s not just an issue of technology. It also means looking at routes and the charging infrastructure, which requires a lot of systems engineering and creative financing.

Q: SPEAKING OF GETTING AROUND ON CAMPUS, WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?

For my first year, I tried to make it without a car. Then it became clear it was going to be hard to survive in Atlanta at that time without a car, so I bought a used Mazda 626 from a graduating student. It was an absolute piece of junk! I would take Beth [Dr. Beth Cabrera] on a date, and it wouldn’t make it all the way to the restaurant. We’d have to walk! Now I drive a plugin hybrid, but most of the time I ride an electric bike, which has turned out to be more fun than driving!

IIDLING at a crossroads no longer, the automotive industry is embracing electrification like never before. With more electric vehicles purchased in 2022 than in any year prior, consumers are beginning to follow their lead. While opportunity abounds, new challenges will require an innovative approach to ensure a sustainable and accessible electric future for all.

With historic investments from major players in the EV space, including Rivian, Kia, and Hyundai, the state of Georgia is uniquely positioned to serve as a leader in this effort. As the state’s leading research institute, Georgia Tech is on the cutting edge of the movement.

Through research and development, policy, and collaboration, Tech experts are working toward finding solutions that will serve as catalysts during this transitionary period for the environment and the way Americans drive.

DRIVING CHANGE

GEORGIA TECH EXPERTS LEAD IN ELECTRIFICATION OF AMERICA’S ROADS.

BY STEVEN GAGLIANO

ACTUAL EMISSIONS: HOW GREEN IS THE TECHNOLOGY?

Unlike their gas-powered counterparts, EVs have zero tailpipe emissions, but as Valerie Thomas points out, that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Production of EVs emits greenhouse gases, and “people should not mistake getting an electric vehicle for somehow having no emissions,” says Thomas, the Anderson-Interface Chair of Natural Systems and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

While proving to be more efficient over its life cycle, according to The Guardian, the production of an EV generates up to 60% more carbon than a gas-powered

vehicle, due in large part to the mining of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite for batteries.

Among those working to reduce the pollutants of the production process and alleviate the reliance on inhumane labor practices is Gleb Yushin, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. A primary focus of Yushin’s research is the development of high-performance battery chemistries that rely on low-cost, broadly available materials.

“As the electric mobility capital of America continues to grow in Atlanta, I’m excited about the opportunities for battery manufacturers to partner with Georgia Tech researchers to develop the next generation of battery materials and processes.

“The time to act is now,” Yushin says.

Valerie Thomas looks at how “managed charging” could bring a new level of efficiency to the grid.

Gleb Yushin’s work has created a battery that has higher energy density and achieves a higher efficiency level with 20% fewer cells.

PHOTOGRAPH

ALLISON CARTER

COST OF DOING BUSINESS: CAN INNOVATION DRIVE DOWN THE COST?

Among the factors preventing a largescale adoption of EVs is cost, and the battery is the most expensive component. Yushin’s work has created a battery with higher energy density and that achieves a higher efficiency level with 20% fewer cells, thereby reducing CO 2 consumption during production. His battery startup, Sila, created a nanocomposite silicon as an anode replacement for graphite.

A handful of companies are also in the process of expanding their battery recycling capabilities; but those processes often require heating elements to high temperatures, creating additional environmental hazards, and they are incapable of extracting the leftover lithium from battery cells.

Hailong Chen, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, believes the current capability of the recycling industry is insufficient and needs further expansion. His lab is developing a recycling method that uses an inexpensive organic solution to extract lithium and

a higher concentration of reusable materials without harmful environmental impacts.

Chen believes legislation similar to the 1990 ban on lead-acid batteries in landfills will be necessary to ensure that lithium and other materials are not being taken out of the supply chain prematurely. He also stressed that while not all the materials recovered can be used for EV batteries, they can be used elsewhere to maximize their value.

POLICY DRIVERS: CAN POLICY BE AN INFRASTRUCTURE CATALYST?

Although EV range has improved, the practicality continues to play into consumer hesitancy in the absence of a fully realized charging infrastructure. With just under 51,000 public charging stations nationwide, sizeable gaps remain between metro and rural areas—an issue being addressed in Georgia with the assistance of the Electric Mobility Innovation Alliance.

Formed by Gov. Brian Kemp, the task force aided the Georgia Department of Transportation in its preparation of a plan to allocate $135 million over five years. The funding, created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), aims to ensure that a charging station is located along every 50 miles of the Alternative

Fuel Corridor, less than 1 mile off each exit. Georgia has nearly 1,700 charging stations and 42,500 registered electric vehicles as of September 2022—a 174% increase from 2014.

Each station has a limited number of ports; however, Maryam Saeedifard, professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is working on a solution. Saeedifard and co-author Pengcheng Zhang received a 2021 IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics First Place Prize Paper Award for their research on integrating wireless power transfers for electric vehicles.

Rich Simmons, principal research engineer and director of Research and Studies at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute, took a leading role in the launch of the Southeast Electric Transportation Regional Initiative (SETRI). This coalition of automakers, businesses, nonprofits, state agencies, and other entities promotes EV development in the region.

“We’re bringing together those stakeholders to hear from each other. There’s a lot of federal money flowing that is intended to accelerate the uptake of EVs,” Simmons says, alluding to the IIJA and the Inflation Reduction

Gleb Yushin, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, at a campus charging station.

PRIYA

DEVARAJAN

ALLISON CARTER

Rich Simmons in the Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory.

Act. “SETRI’s role has been to help users digest how to get money and how to partner with other organizations to access research like we’re doing, to better inform their decisions and ensure that when they spend money, they get a return on investment.”

DEMANDS ON THE GRID: CAN THE POWER GRID KEEP PACE?

Leading Drawdown Georgia, Marilyn Brown, Regents’ Professor and the Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy, along with her team, tracks greenhouse gas emissions by source across the state to identify solutions to reach carbon neutrality.

Transportation remains just one piece of the puzzle in terms of emissions, but the group estimates that replacing 250,000 gas-powered vehicles by 2030 could reduce emissions by 1 million metric tons. The average person is responsible for approximately 15 tons of CO2 per year.

If EV sales continue to increase, will the electric grid be able to handle the stress? Brown, a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group III Assessment Report on Mitigation of Climate Change and a former regulator on the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, believes it can. She explained that Georgia and the Southeast have an excess capacity of 18% above peak performance at any given moment.

Valerie Thomas cautioned that steps must be taken to ensure the grid does not become overburdened. Thomas, who was chairing a committee of the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on methods for

calculating greenhouse gas emissions from low-emission transportation fuels, looked specifically at how “managed charging” could unlock a new level of grid efficiency.

“Charging electric vehicles at lowdemand times can reduce electricity costs for all customers by making better use of the electricity generation we already have,” she says. “And we showed that greenhouse gas emissions also decrease.”

Of course, charging stations are only as green as the grid they draw from. Brown’s research, which contributed to her election to the National Academy of Engineering, highlights the benefits of investing in renewable energy that will help close the energy-efficiency gap. She also advocates that individuals interested in buying an EV explore powering their home with solar panels and using heat pumps in addition to getting an EV.

The use of solar to mitigate stress on the grid and improve efficiency is currently the subject of a pilot program run by Simmons at the Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Lab on campus.

Two parking spaces will be allocated for the program, with solar panels fixed on the roof of the lab and the parking structure itself powering the pair of charging stations.

MEANWHILE, ON CAMPUS: HOW IS TECH MOVING TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY?

Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) has seen an uptick in charging station usage over the past decade. There are currently 42 level-two charging stations on campus, with plans to expand. The Dalney Deck, completed in 2019, has at least one EV charging-ready space for every five traditional vehicle spaces.

With an Institute-wide goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, the department launched its first of nine hybrid Stinger buses. All told, more than 1,000 Tech faculty members and students are working on energy R&D. As a system integrator, the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) provides them with the tools to investigate the pressing needs in this sector and develop solutions for the next generation.

“The scale and breadth of what Georgia Tech is doing in electrification is amazing. We’re starting companies, working with companies, and doing foundational R&D, but we’re also testing applications that are being deployed in the field today. It’s an exciting portfolio,” says SEI Executive Director Tim Lieuwen, MS ME 97, PhD ME 99.

Speaking at commencement in 2022, Marilyn Brown stated that society “can’t manage what it can’t measure, and metrics motivate action.” She tracks greenhouse gas emissions by source.

ANUJ MEHROTRA NAMED DEAN OF SCHELLER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

FOLLOWING A NATIONAL SEARCH , Anuj Mehrotra, PhD IE 92, has been selected to be the Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Dean’s Chair of the Scheller College of Business, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Mehrotra is currently the dean of The George Washington University School of Business and has held that position since 2018. He is also a professor of Decision Sciences in the school.

“Anuj Mehrotra’s vision of entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary and experiential education aligns seamlessly with Georgia Tech’s goal of expanding access and our

commitment to our Progress and Service motto,” says Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

Previously, Mehrotra served as senior vice dean and vice dean of Faculty Development and Research at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. He also served as that school’s interim dean, as vice dean of Graduate Business Programs and Executive Education, as vice dean for Faculty Affairs, and as chairperson of the Department

of Management Science. Overall, Mehrotra has 30 years of teaching, administrative, and research experience.

“As an alum, I am looking forward to this homecoming,” says Mehrotra. “And to working with Scheller’s world-class faculty and its diverse stakeholders at a top public research university to further promote inclusive innovation and excellence in research and business education that best prepare our students for the shifting market demands.”

—MICHELLE AZRIEL

FIVE GEORGIA TECH STUDENTS NAMED 2023 GOLDWATER SCHOLARS

THE SCHOLARSHIPS SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THE SCIENCES, MATH, & ENGINEERING.

ALL FIVE of the Georgia Tech students nominated for the Goldwater Scholars were selected as recipients from a pool of 1,267 outstanding undergraduates, bringing the number of scholars that the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation will support to 483 scholars this year.

Among the recipients are five outstanding undergraduate students from Tech: Jim James, Maeve Janecka, Velin “Venny” Kojouharov, Dawei Liu, and Nadia Qutob. These students were selected based on their exceptional achievements and potential for

future success in STEM fields.

Jim James, a computer science major, is focusing his research on a combination of applications of deep learning in materials science and inverse reinforcement learning.

Maeve Janecka, a chemical and biomolecular engineering major, focused her research on her undergraduate thesis project, which studies the drug deliveries of a novel orthopedic implant material.

Velin “Venny” Kojouharov is a mechanical engineering major whose research is inspired by animals and

the way they move.

Dawei Liu, a biomedical engineering major, centered his research around the use of immune cells to target and eliminate tumors.

Nadia Qutob is a physics major whose research focuses on gravitational wave data analysis with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

The Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Sen. Barry Goldwater. —CORY HOPKINS

AMOUNT

THIS JULY , Georgia Tech’s Bridge Club won first place at the national 2023 Summer North American Bridge Championships, held in Chicago. Tech’s Gold team outplayed Carnegie Mellon University for the championship title and a prize of $10,000 in scholarship money. The Gold team consists of four players: Weilong Shen, Alan Yu, Bo Han “Bruce” Zhu, and Vincent Zhu. This is the second time the club has won the North American team championship in a face-to-face tournament. In 2017, they placed first in Toronto. Tech also placed first in 2021 when the competition was played online.

Students Bo Han “Bruce” Zhu and Vincent Zhu (no relation) placed first overall in the Pairs Championship, winning $3,000 in scholarship money. Two other students representing Georgia Tech placed second

overall and first in the 99er pairs: Weilong Shen and Alan Yu. Tech was among one of eight teams and 12 pairs to win a travel package, which covered expenses during the tournament. —JENNIFER HERSEIM

SUCCESSFUL SHOWING, GEORGIA TECH BRIDGE PLACED FIRST IN THE TEAM AND PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

(L-R) Mitch Dunitz, Giorgio Casinovi, advisor and coach of the GT Bridge Club, Weilong Shen, Bo Han “Bruce” Zhu, Vincent Zhu, president of the GT Bridge Club, Alan Yu, and Robert Todd.

ON THE FIELD

PARDON ME WHILE I STEP ONTO SOMETHING LESS COMFORTABLE

ALUMNUS AND TENNIS PLAYER CHRIS EUBANKS

BY SHELLEY WUNDER-SMITH

CHRIS EUBANKS unquestionably dazzled the world during his Wimbledon debut.

Going into the AllEngland Championships, Eubanks, Cls 18, was ranked 77th and had won only one ATP Tour title—Mallorca, right before. He had never progressed beyond the second round of a major tournament. And he despised playing on grass.

It made the former star Georgia Tech tennis player—the first Yellow Jacket ever to twice earn ACC Player of the Year and a three-time All-ACC

honoree—profoundly uncomfortable.

In fact, at the beginning of the fiveweek grass season which culminates with Wimbledon, Eubanks texted friend and Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters griping about “the stupidest surface to play tennis on.”

“Look, no one likes to play on grass. It’s a challenging surface, and your footwork, your movement, has to change. I think Chris worried about that, particularly because of his height [Eubanks is 6'7"]. That said, he has a powerful game, and he should be dangerous on grass,” says Byers Men’s Tennis Head Coach Kenny Thorne, IE 89.

“For instance, Chris’ forehand is fast

and heavy,” Thorne continues. “If he hits a solid forehand into a corner, and his opponent gets over there, on a hard court they could plant their foot, hit and get back in the game, but on grass they can’t recover quite as well because the footing’s slippery. Grass takes you longer to recover.”

Grass is the fastest surface in tennis. It’s particularly tricky because balls have a lower bounce; additionally, if the grass is damp, balls will spin off it even more quickly. It’s a surface that rewards forceful styles of play.

Given his performance at Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass, Eubanks clearly approached his game, and the surface,

Eubanks made it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

differently. (Afterward Eubanks admitted he didn’t let himself think too far ahead, only extending his hotel stay as he’d won another match.)

He pulled off win after win: Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro; Britain’s 2022 semifinalist and No. 132-ranked Cameron Norrie; Australia’s Chris

O’Connell; and then finally, in five sets, No. 5-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, to gain the quarterfinals.

While Eubanks lost his Wimbledon quarterfinal, he had pushed No. 3-ranked Daniil Medvedev to five sets. As he walked off the court, the crowd gave him an extended standing ovation.

He played next in his hometown at the Atlanta Open, where he received a hero’s welcome. In the first round, he beat Andres Martin, a fellow Yellow Jacket and current student, but ultimately lost again in the quarterfinals. As of press time, Eubanks entered the U.S. Open as the 28th seed, ranked 30th in the world, his highest-ever standing.

When asked about discomfort as a factor in his game psychology and strategy, Eubanks says, “That’s a huge part of it—understanding, especially on the first few weeks of grass season, that no one feels comfortable on it and you just have to work through it. The movements are so different, and it takes a bit of time to really find your footing. And then realizing, hey—if

THE LAST EIGHT

Eubanks

no one feels comfortable on grass, are there ways I can disrupt my opponent’s rhythm a little more than my own?”

“When I started to experience more success on grass, I started to feel much more comfortable on it. My mindset began to shift, and I could see elements in my game that could be beneficial on grass,” Eubanks says.

He has clearly arrived at a new level of play—and consequently, success. After Wimbledon, Eubanks even called grass his “best friend,” which would once have been unthinkable.

“That says a lot about who he is—a person being comfortable in uncomfortable positions,” says Thorne. “And that’s Georgia Tech. That’s exactly what our students get out of being a student here, which they may not even realize: When you leave the Institute, you’re probably the most comfortable person in the room with being uncomfortable.”

That’s a real feat, and not just an athletic one.

“LOOK, NO ONE LIKES TO PLAY ON GRASS. IT’S A CHALLENGING SURFACE, AND YOUR FOOTWORK, YOUR MOVEMENT, HAS TO CHANGE.”

—COACH KENNY THORNE

became just the third Black male tennis player to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, joining Arthur Ashe (three times) and MaliVai Washington (1996),

Eubanks won his first ATP Tour title at the 2023 Mallorca Championships, held June 24–July 1.

GEORGIA TECH AND HYUNDAI ANNOUNCE MULTI-DECADE PARTNERSHI P

BY INSTITUTE COMMUNICATIONS

GGEORGIA TECH AND HYUNDAI

Motor Company announced a multi-decade partnership as part of Hyundai’s investments in the state of Georgia. The vision for the partnership includes research and applications to support the future of sustainable mobility, hydrogen economy, workforce development, and smart cities, among many other areas of cooperation.

The partnership also includes field-naming recognition at Bobby Dodd Stadium, which will now be known as Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, and sponsorship elements that feature enhancements to boost the gameday experience.

“Like Georgia Tech, Hyundai is a global brand that is synonymous with quality, innovation, and a commitment to advancing technology to make a positive difference in the world. The more we have gotten to know each other, the more obvious the alignment of our values has become,” says Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95. “I am grateful for the transformative investments Hyundai is making in our state, and I am proud that the Hyundai brand will feature

prominently on our campus.”

“Georgia Tech is known around the world for having some of the best and brightest graduates as well as a storied athletics program,” says José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company, and president and CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America. “Proximity to institutions like Georgia Tech was one of the many reasons Hyundai selected Georgia for our new EV manufacturing facility. We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Georgia Tech, which will include opportunities for student professional development and cooperative work programs in addition to athletic engagements.”

Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field is the oldest on-campus stadium in NCAA Division I’s Football Bowl Subdivision and one of the nation’s

most unique and historic settings for college football. It opened in 1913 as Grant Field, then was renamed, in honor of legendary Coach and Athletics Director Bobby Dodd, in 1988. The historic Grant Field name will continue to be memorialized with a display at the stadium.

“Georgia Tech Athletics is proud to partner with Hyundai as it invests in Georgia Tech and the state of Georgia. This partnership will be truly transformative for Georgia Tech Athletics, both now and for years to come,” says J Batt, director of Athletics. “I want to express our sincere appreciation to José Muñoz and his team for their genuine interest in aligning with Georgia Tech. We are thrilled to join forces with Hyundai and look forward to a long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnership.”

“PROXIMITY TO INSTITUTIONS LIKE GEORGIA TECH WAS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS HYUNDAI SELECTED GEORGIA FOR OUR NEW EV MANUFACTURING FACILITY.” –JOSÉ MUÑOZ

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund

Your support as alumni is essential to providing Georgia Tech student-athletes with opportunities for lifelong success and resources needed to compete at the highest level both in the classroom and in competition. Gifts to the Athletic Scholarship Fund (ASF) directly support scholarships and have a life-changing impact on student-athletes.

IN THE WORLD

A BIG LEGACY

A few years after graduation, Hubert Puckett, Arch 57, designed the Big Chicken in Marietta, Ga. Although he didn’t know it at the time, the 56-foot-tall steel chicken would become a beloved landmark that the community continues to embrace, even 60 years later.

WHO’S BEHIND THE WHEEL?

RAGHAV KOHLI NAVIGATES COMPLEX TECH AND LEGAL ISSUES IN THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE LANDSCAPE AS WAYMO’S SENIOR DIRECTOR OF AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPS AND ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL.

BY CHRIS QUIRK

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER , as Francis Bacon said, and having expertise in two fields has put Raghav Kohli, EE 07, in a vital role at a company that is one of the major players in a burgeoning field.

Kohli is the senior director of automotive partnerships and assistant general counsel at Waymo (formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project), the autonomous driving technology company under Alphabet (Google’s parent company). His expertise in electrical engineering, honed at Georgia Tech, combined with his proficiency in the law, makes him the ideal translator between the nuts-and-bolts creators at Waymo and those tasked with securing the company’s long-term interests

and satisfying the complex regulatory demands of an innovative industry.

Waymo runs a fully autonomous ride-hailing service, currently active in San Francisco and Phoenix, and soon to expand to Los Angeles and Austin. When the car pulls up, there is no one behind the wheel. You just get in,

and the car takes you to your destination. In April, Kohli had the pleasure of accompanying President Cabrera and Dr. Beth Cabrera, on a Waymo ride when they visited San Francisco. “It was pretty overwhelming to see how positive their response was,” says Kohli.

From an early age, Kohli has felt drawn to the role of facilitator and helper. “I think I’m a people person, and I want to be someone in the room who understands what different people are saying,” he says. “I love learning from others and understanding the different ways they think and the different perspectives they bring to the table.”

Engineering came naturally to Kohli. He grew up in Essex, Vermont, home to a major IBM semiconductor facility. His parents were both engineers who worked at the plant,

and Kohli was steeped in technology. “There was a real emphasis on STEM education in the community. We also had events at IBM, and it was cool knowing that down the road they were designing chips for ThinkPads and PlayStation consoles,” he recalls. “The internet was starting to take off, and it resonated with me how much utility the technology was creating.”

But Kohli also knew his goals included advocacy and work across disciplines, and after graduation he went directly to law school at Boston College. “My grandfather was a defense attorney in India, and I did some mock trial work in grade school and loved problem solving,” he says. “I have a growth mindset, and wanted to work where there is a convergence of business, legal, and technical considerations as you take technology to the market. There’s often a translation gap between stakeholders, where decisions

are sometimes not made in the most efficient ways.”

Waymo’s business model involves incorporating its autonomous driving technology to the vehicles of car manufacturing partners, rather than building automated vehicles from the ground up. “There are a lot of things that have to be right about a car to put an automated system on it. You need redundancy for critical safety systems, and because you’re putting a super computer in the car, you

need to really think through the thermal elements,” Kohli explains. “I spend a lot of my time working with the automakers and engineers, thinking about the scope of our collaboration, the economics, and deploying the vehicles in the field.” Internally, Kohli works to smooth connections between divisions. “It’s about understanding what all our teams need and making the operations cross-functional.”

Besides getting an education at Georgia Tech, Kohli met his wife Purvi (Patel), ChBE 07, there as a freshman, and they now have three children. “She majored in chemical engineering,” he says. “She’s now in finance at Google, but we still have a constant battle over whether chemical engineering or electrical engineering was the more difficult major.”

“I WANTED TO WORK WHERE THERE IS A CONVERGENCE OF BUSINESS, LEGAL, AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS,” KOHLI SAYS.

Waymo currently operates in San Francisco and Phoenix.

Raghav Kohli, Dr. Beth Cabrera, and Georgia Tech Pres. Ángel Cabrera took a ride in Waymo’s driverless vehicle.

TURN LEFT AT THE BIG CHICKEN

THANK THIS GEORGIA TECH GRAD FOR MARIETTA’S BIG CHICKEN AND WISH HIM A HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY.

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

DDRIVE UP HIGHWAY 41 from Atlanta and you can’t miss it—the Big Chicken, a grand edifice of poultry, will welcome you to Marietta, Ga. Georgia Tech alumnus Hubert Puckett, Arch 57, is behind the design of the 56-foot-tall structure that over the last six decades has become a point of pride and a local landmark for the city.

This year, the Big Chicken turned 60 and Puckett turned 90. On August 13, family and community members came out to celebrate both a Big Chicken and a big life.

“It may sound silly, but I think there’s a lot of magic in something like this,” Jett Puckett, Hubert’s son, said at the celebration. “Our family is very proud of my dad and we’re proud to be part of the Big Chicken family.”

The celebration kicked off with the Big Chicken Chorus, a local barbershop group, singing the National Anthem, followed by speeches from

members of Puckett’s family and the community. Tommy Herrington, IM 82, chair-elect of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, made a proclamation on behalf of the organization, recognizing Puckett’s contributions to the community, and Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin bestowed honorary citizenship on Puckett, who now lives in Fort Myers, Fla., with his wife of 50 years, Gwen.

Puckett was born in 1933 in Atlanta. Growing up, he fell in love with Soap Box Derby, designing and racing cars throughout Georgia. “My

wife told me I went to Georgia Tech to design a Soap Box Derby,” Puckett says. “It’s partially true,” he admits. When his Tech professors lectured at the front of the class, he would be in his seat, doodling Soap Box Derby designs. His impressive math skills helped pull him through school despite his attention drifting elsewhere. “I got through Tech by the skin of my teeth,” Puckett says.

The Soap Box Derby continued to be a major part of his life. He and his brother attended the world championships in Akron, Ohio, in 1955, where

he began paying closer attention to what the most successful teams were doing—discovering that their actions weren’t always aboveboard. “I saw them with these big cans of chemicals that they used on their tires, so I came home and I cut a rubber tire and tested it in all kinds of containers,” he says. “In 1956, I was ready for them in Atlanta. No one beat my cars.”

One of his proudest moments was watching his 11-year-old son win third place at the world championships in 1968. Puckett kept designing cars until the 1980s, at which point the Soap Box Derby began requiring teams to purchase kit cars, which he felt took the creativity out of the design. In 2005, he got back into the competition in “The Ultimate Speed Challenge,” which permitted almost anything in the design. His car won the championship in 2007. The next year, his cars won first, second, and third place.

While designing Soap Box Derby cars, Puckett also designed buildings. In 1960, he went to work for Dixie Steel, a subsidiary of the Atlantic Steel Company. “Back in those days, we had no computers, no calculators to multiply or divide. We designed buildings

with a slide rule,” he says. A few years after he started, a company salesman went out and sold the idea for a large steel chicken on the top of a restaurant. “The president of the company was real upset at the salesman,” Puckett recalls. Puckett became the designer.

“Back then, we had no idea it would become such a local landmark; it was just another job. But I’m proud of what it’s become,” Puckett says.

The Big Chicken was added to the original restaurant, Johnny Reb’s Chick-Chuck-‘N’-Shake, in 1963, and KFC took it over in 1974. The structure was restored in 1993 following storm damage and again in 2017, at which time the rooster’s moving eyes

and beak were added.

Puckett started his own design company, U.S. Building Technology, in 1994, and still works on projects. His firm has designed buildings in Florida and The Bahamas.

Among Puckett’s many accomplishments in a long and successful career, the Big Chicken remains a lasting part of his legacy and a beloved piece of Marietta and Georgia Tech history.

“WE HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD BECOME SUCH A LOCAL LANDMARK; IT WAS JUST ANOTHER JOB,” PUCKETT SAYS. “I’M PROUD OF WHAT IT’S BECOME.”

Georgia Tech Alumni Board ChairElect Tommy Herrington presents Hubert Puckett with a plaque.

The community came out on Aug. 13 to celebrate the Big Chicken and Hubert Puckett.

TWO ALUMNAE PAVE THEIR WAY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTR Y

BY STEVEN GAGLIANO

WWOMEN MAKE UP just 24% of the automotive industry, but Jenn Voelker, ID 06, and Julia Vorpahl, ID 18, haven’t let statistics stop them from paving their own way. Both Voelker and Vorpahl work for Karma Automotive, a luxury electric vehicle manufacturer based in California. Beginning with their time at Tech, they’ve never let gender bias stop them from pursuing their passion.

“It’s math,” Vorpahl, a visualization and digital design modeler at Karma, says. “You either get the question right, or you get the question wrong. I think that attitude really helps when you get into a professional environment. It teaches you to have tougher skin where if you are the best for that job, you will get the job. That’s what Georgia Tech instilled.”

Vorpahl grew up in the industry watching her family operate what is now the oldest independently owned Mercedes-Benz dealer in metro Atlanta after her grandfather, an engine designer for the German automaker, came to America and opened the shop in 1967. She arrived at Tech unsure if she’d follow in her family’s footsteps, but ultimately, she landed an internship and then a full-time job at Daimler, the nation’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.

During her three years at Daimler before accepting her position at Karma in 2022, she’d cross paths with truckers, who often expressed surprise that Vorpahl was among those behind the scenes designing their rigs. She heard questions like “How did you end up there?” And her response was simple: “Women like cars, too.” That rang true through Voelker’s childhood as well. When the senior director of program management for Karma arrived at Tech, she knew she’d found a place that could help her turn an aptitude for math and

reer. Voelker got her foot in the door through an internship with Masterack, a commercial cargo vehicle equipment manufacturer. She attended Tech at a time when women made up around 27% of the undergraduate population, so when she entered the workforce, she wasn’t fazed. In fact, her experience taught her to always keep learning and never give up, a piece of advice she now passes along to other women entering the industry.

“Don’t be afraid to give your opinion in meetings, speak up and use all of the knowledge that you’ve learned over the years toward whatever project you’re working on,” says Voelker, who worked her way up the ladder at Masterack for 18 years before seeking a new challenge at Karma.

Vorpahl and Voelker each commend Karma for their dedication to promoting hard-working women and a culture that fosters diversity. Vorpahl hopes to share the technical aspects of what she’s learned with her alma mater and future graduates. “The students would thrive in this industry because it is so nitpicky, and Tech minds would just love it,” she says.

(L-R) Julia Vorpahl and Jenn Voelker

Julia Vorpahl is a visualization and digital design modeler at Karma Automotive.

FIXING THE AUTO REPAIR INDUSTRY

THREE GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI CREATED A COMPANY TO TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF CAR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE.

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

IN HIGH SCHOOL , John Gattuso, ME 15, became the go-to person when something went wrong with a car.

“I got a reputation for helping people,” he says. Naturally, when he heard how intimidating the auto repair industry can be for many car owners, he wanted to fix that, too.

Gattuso teamed up with Julian Knight, EE 15, and Frederick Grimm, IE 14, to build FIXD, a sensor and smartphone app that gives drivers easy-to-digest information about their vehicle issues and estimated repair costs. Gattuso, CEO, was in the first cohort of the CREATE-X Startup Launch alongside Knight, FIXD’s CTO. Grimm then joined as COO.

“We want to be the source that a driver can trust,” Gattuso says. “Because we’re a third-party, independent source, we have no incentive to tell a driver they need x, y, z when they don’t.”

We sat down with Gattuso to discuss the auto repair industry, plus where FIXD is heading, and how Georgia Tech influenced its founders.

Q: YOU WERE IN WRECK RACING. COULD YOU SHARE A MEMORY FROM THAT TIME?

When I was a freshman, we rebuilt a 1994 Miata with a V8 engine. We would go to an abandoned parking lot and set up a course to identify the fastest drivers for competitions. One time, I was driving fast, and the car spun out. Luckily, it wasn’t a bad accident, but that was certainly frightening.

Q: WHEN YOU WERE STARTING FIXD, WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WAS THE MOST HELPFUL?

Mike Tinskey, who is a Professor of the Practice and who used to be an executive at Ford, was helpful at giving advice on the people side of things. A lot of advisors have opinions on your product, but in the early days you need someone almost like a therapist, to help survive the ups and downs. A piece of advice he gave me was that people’s actions show their priorities.

Q: WHY ARE AUTO REPAIRS STRESSFUL AND INTIMIDATING FOR SO MANY?

I think there are three things. The first is that car problems don’t happen often and anything you don’t do often, you have a lot of hesitation about. The second is it’s costly. The third and biggest one is that people generally don’t know much about cars, so they’re at the mercy of the mechanic.

Q: WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR FIXD? We want to take someone from the

moment they have a problem with their car to the moment that it’s resolved. We have a lot of features in the pipeline around completing that user journey, such as helping you find a repair shop. Outside of that, because we have a product people enjoy and use repeatedly, we’ve established trust with these drivers. We think that’s a great position to be able to recommend other products and services that a customer might buy for their vehicle.

Q: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ERROR CODE? One is P0455, which deals with the evaporative emission control system and the fix is, tighten your gas cap.

“RAMBLIN’ GAMBLIN’ MAN” by Bob Seger is Gattuso’s favorite song to cruise to. See the Georgia Tech Alumni Cruising Playlist on social media @gtalumni and let us know your favorite cruising song.

FIXD is compatible with certain combustion cars. The company has plans to expand to EVs, too.

A NEED FOR SPEED

Georgia Tech gearheads passionate about planes, trains, automobiles, and rockets.

CARS

PLANES TRAINS ROCKETS

TThere’s no better place for a gearhead than Georgia Tech. Maybe you’re one of them—fully immersed in the meticulous details of a restoration or simply feeling the joy of finally driving your dream car. On the next few pages, learn about like-minded Yellow Jackets driven by their passions for planes, trains, automobiles, and rockets.

P. 36 P. 42 P. 48 P. 52

PHOTOGRAPHS

BEN ROLLINS

CARS

Reunited

BY DANIEL P. SMITH

IIn February 2022 , self-described “gearhead” Cole Getzler, CS 01, traveled to car-loving Puerto Rico on a single-minded mission: to find the silver 2000 Volkswagen GTI VR6 he’d parted with 19 years prior.

Getzler, then a Georgia Tech sophomore, purchased the six-cylinder manual-transmission Volkswagen in February 2000 for a cool $24,000, packing it with all the options he could get, including black leather seats.

“I certainly didn’t need a car payment, but I was young and dumb,” Getzler admits.

Over the subsequent three years, Getzler logged nearly 130,000 miles in the vehicle, much of it on road adventures with college pals. They hunted for great steak in Texas, eluded Federales in Mexico, enjoyed hijinks at Mardi Gras, and gazed into the Grand Canyon’s seemingly endless abyss. Those memories only tightened Getzler’s affinity for his GTI.

But as Getzler settled into professional life in August 2003, he swapped the Volkswagen for a more sophisticated German automobile, the 1998 BMW M Roadster. He instantly regretted his decision.

“Driving a car for 130,000 miles, you get to know its capabilities and limits,” Getzler says.

With the GTI gone, Getzler moved on with life. He married, became a father, and launched SimplePart, an e-commerce platform for automotive parts. And though he would own multiple cars over the next dozen years, nothing topped the GTI.

“I never found anything with the same fizz,” he says. Around 2015, Getzler began looking to reconnect with his old four-wheeled friend. He created searches for the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) and scoured online forums devoted to VW lovers. Nothing popped up. At the suggestion of a fellow car enthusiast, Getzler entered the GTI’s VIN into a maintenance service app. Remarkably, a tag renewal in Puerto Rico appeared.

“It was the first lead I’d gotten in years,” Getzler says.

He contacted Volkswagen dealers, car repair shops, parts stores, and DMV offices across the island seeking any additional information. Again, nothing. Through

The odds were against Cole Getzler ever finding his old friend from college.

a fortuitous friend-of-a-friend-of-afriend connection, Getzler learned the GTI was registered in the Puerto Rican municipality of Aibonito.

Drawing closer to his target, Getzler and his buddy, John, left Atlanta in February 2022 for a multi-day visit to Puerto Rico seeking a reunion. They held maps of Aibonito’s 31 square miles of roadways and an admittedly primitive plan: to drive one road at a time trying to make the car honk by pressing the spare key fob, which Getzler had never relinquished.

“Honestly, I figured I maybe had a 5 percent shot at finding it,” Getzler says.

Still, he prepared for the best. He assembled a binder of paperwork on the vehicle and old photos. If he found the car, he wanted to make an earnest case to purchase it.

After nearly two days of traveling the streets of Aibonito and appealing to local police and DMV officials, Getzler considered abandoning his search.

“It seemed pointless, like ‘What am I doing here?’” he says.

Driving the last mapped road in a hillside neighborhood, Getzler’s eyes beamed when he spotted a silver GTI sitting outside a home.

“I was absolutely gobsmacked,” he says.

Getzler exchanged pleasantries with the homeowner, explained his plight, and confirmed the VIN. He

learned the GTI belonged to the homeowner’s son, who had moved to the U.S. The car had been sitting idle for more than a year.

That evening, Getzler connected with the GTI’s passionate owner of 10-plus years. Though the car’s odometer read 400,000 miles, its motor had been massively turbocharged, and a colony of frogs lived inside the vehicle, Getzler asked about purchasing the car.

“He named a big number and I was only all too happy to pay it,” Getzler says.

Finally reunited with his beloved GTI, Getzler navigated a labyrinth of complex requirements to ship the car from San Juan to the U.S. mainland. It arrived at his Atlanta-area home in April 2022, and Getzler has spent the last year-plus restoring the vehicle, including its mechanicals and interior.

MILES OF MEMORIES

We want to hear about the time you drove 36 hours across the country over spring break. Share your college road trip stories with us on Facebook @gtalumni

“It’ll be another year or two until it looks new again, but it’s getting there,” he says.

Not that Getzler minds the ongoing saga. The effort is worth the reward.

“When I sit behind the wheel,” he says, “it’s like falling back into an old, comfortable friendship.”

When I sit behind the wheel, it’s like falling back into an old, comfortable friendship.”

Little Yellow Corvette

COMPILED BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

TThe only thing better than cruising in an exquisite 1971 yellow Corvette is being able to appreciate the hundreds of hours of labor that went into restoring this icon of an American sports car back to its original luster.

Behind the wheel of this Stingray are married Yellow Jackets Ben McMillan, CS 07, and Jacquelyn Schneider, BC 06, MBA 18. McMillan purchased the car on eBay Motors in the summer of 2010. Although the 350-cubicinch V8 engine, 4-speed transmission, and chassis are original to the car, over the past 13 years almost every component has been refreshed, rebuilt, or upgraded by McMillan or specialty shops. More than 100 hours were spent sanding, restoring, painting, and finishing the body to achieve its “Sunflower Yellow” exterior.

Although the pandemic tried to throw a wrench in his plans, McMillan made many personal trips to local hardware and auto parts stores, and studied YouTube videos, forum posts, and repair manuals to finish the

project. The saddle-brown interior was replaced, including the dash, seat upholstery, insulation, carpet, gauges, stereo system, and steering wheel. All lights, inside and out, were replaced with LED. He upgraded the stock braking system with new components for the brake calipers, rotors, hard and soft lines, master cylinder, and brake booster. Opting for a more environmentally friendly AC option, he upgraded the factory AC system with a new refrigerant. The old, tired, and leaky power steering also got an upgrade for more modern handling; nearly all the suspension components were replaced to improve handling as well.

The rear differential was rebuilt with 3.73 gears for more torque off-the-line. The 15-inch rally wheels were replaced with 17-inch chrome Torque Thrusts from American Racing, wrapped with very sticky Michelin tires. Most recently, McMillan replaced the entire carbureted fuel system with electronic fuel injection (EFI) paired with newer computer-controlled ignition.

Last but not least, the engine breathes out of custom dual exhaust pipes with valve-operated mufflers to switch its tone between mild and loud.

“While it is a helluva lot of horsepower, our Georgia Tech education provided us the willpower to take on such a project,” McMillan and Schneider say. You can spot both Yellow Jackets cruising through campus at the Ramblin’ Wreck Parade this Homecoming (it’ll be their sixth appearance!).

PHOTOGRAPHS

BEN ROLLINS

Thirteen years later, this classic Corvette has been restored to its former glory.

FROM THE PIT CREW

Pedal to the Metal

BY DANIEL P. SMITH

After Robert “Bud” Moeller, ChBE 76, survived his first taste of openwheel race car driving in 1984—a racing school experience gifted to him by his wife to commemorate his 30th birthday—he was hooked. Four years later, he began competing in semi-pro races, first in Indytype cars before getting behind the wheel of Formula One vehicles.

“It’s the ultimate fight of man versus physics and then man versus man,” Moeller says of race car driving. “You’re trying to optimize the car while others are trying to do the same.”

Over the last three decades, Moeller has competed in more than 250 races. He’s traveled more than 213 miles per hour in a car—traversing the distance of a football field in a second—and set lap records at six different tracks.

“When you see in-car video of drivers, you might think they’re out for a Sunday drive, but few recognize the physics involved and the many variables at play—the temperature of the track, the fuel load in the car, debris on the track, and on and on,” he says. “Mathematical equations need to become second nature.”

Then, there’s the human side of successful racing: the visual acuity to pick out a braking point 100 yards ahead; the reflex speed necessary to instantaneously react to car behavior; and the aerobic stamina to endure a race while the heart pounds at up to 180 beats per minute.

“Fearlessness is an important factor or else you wouldn’t be driving at the limit,” Moeller says.

While familiar territory for Moeller, automobile racing represented a new adventure for Georgia Tech mechanical engineering student Chelsea Pechenino when she joined the female-dominated Paretta Autosport team for the Indianapolis 500 in 2021.

Working on the No. 16 car driven by Swiss-born driver Simona de Silvestro, one of only 10 women to ever participate in the famed race, Pechenino served as the team’s data acquisition engineer. Her responsibilities included monitoring the Chevrolet car’s electronics and feeding data to the team’s engineers to inform pitstop strategy.

The ferocity and precision of the work fascinated Pechenino. Over two weeks of practice and qualifying prior to the race, Pechenino braved 12- to 14-hour days at the track. She saw seemingly minor adjustments dramatically alter the car’s performance and marveled at de Silvestro’s intuition.

“She would feel something on the track, tell us about it, and, sure enough, the data would support it,” Pechenino says of the veteran driver, who earned the event’s final qualifying spot before finishing 31st in the 2021 field.

Two years after her Indy 500 experience, the soon-to-graduate Pechenino continues savoring her first taste of automobile racing.

“The pressure of qualifying, the energy of the track on race day, cars zooming by at 230 miles per hour, you just can’t put the intensity of the experience into words,” Pechenino says.

Race car driver Bud Moeller celebrates next to his Williams FW08 Formula One car.

Chelsea Pechenino in the pit crew at the Indy 500 in 2021.

FUTURE FOCUS

Predicting how the cars we drive are going to change

Derek Bier, ME 95 , has seen plenty of automobile evolution over his 25 years with the Ford Motor Company and he expects to see plenty more, given technological advancements, consumer desires, and industry innovation.

As the Ford Performance vehicle engineering manager, Bier leads the vehicle development of the Ford Performance

brand globally, which includes overseeing how vehicles like the Raptors operate under extreme off-road conditions. His work also includes directing the performance of Shelby Mustangs on the track as well as touching future projects in the electric vehicle space.

We asked Bier for an insider’s take on the future of the cars we drive, and he offered four intriguing predictions.

Over the last decade, electronics have become increasingly embedded into our vehicles, shaping how we interact with our cars on a daily basis. In-car navigation, for example, is now rather ubiquitous as the vehicle’s electrical interface and the driver’s personal devices become more integrated. Such “electrification” will only accelerate.

Bier also sees legislation propelling a continued push toward series hybrids, in which an e-motor, sitting between an engine and a transmission, becomes the lone means of power to the wheels.

“Electrification is the now and the near,” he says.

Bier foresees ongoing enhancements to the human-machine interface to deliver a more lively, digitally powered experience to drivers. This includes the disappearance of hard buttons—Goodbye, manual ventilation knobs!—and a move toward bigger display screens with customizable controls, the latter reflecting trends in consumer electronics.

“Think of the 50-inch television,” Bier says. “That was once a luxury. Now, it’s relatively commonplace.”

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Customizing a vehicle once meant selecting a car’s exterior color and upholstery fabric, maybe adding a moonroof. Today and moving forward, customization will apply to the ways in which the car becomes “yours.” The vehicle, for instance, will recognize the driver and adjust accordingly—the seat position, the audio, the temperature, and so on—to the individual’s desired comfort levels.

“The car will know who you are and prepare accordingly,” Bier says.

Don’t laugh. We’re trending toward self-driving vehicles. Level 1 of autonomous driving is already here, with features like hands-free parallel parking. Level 2 is starting to pop up, too, with hands-free driving on interstate roadways powered by sensors and cameras that keep cars centered in lanes and a safe distance from others. Expect continued advancements here, Bier says, as innovations perhaps initially developed for ride-sharing or delivery enterprises move into our everyday vehicles as well.

“At some point—though it’s far off—we’re going to get to a point where a car might not even have a steering wheel in it,” Bier says, admittedly sad at that potential reality. “I got into this industry because I love driving, and the automobile, especially to Americans, is a representation of the individual, so the steering wheel is something many people might not give up so easily.”

— DANIEL P. SMITH

It’s about to get (even) more electric. Expect a more dynamic user experience. Cars will know us — like, really know us.

A car without a steering wheel?

PLANES

Love Is in the Air

BY KRISTIN BAIRD RATTINI

FFlying club

or

matchmaking club?

For Jennifer Telling, MS EAS 11, PhD EAS 13, MBA 21, and Shahin Mehrabanzad, AE 11, MBA 14, the Yellow Jacket Flying Club was both. While volunteering together at club events and working to maintain one of the club’s Cessna 172’s, these passionate aviation enthusiasts found true love in each other.

When they met in 2008, he was a rising junior aerospace engineering major, and she was starting her master’s degree in geophysics. “We definitely wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the flying club,” Jennifer says.

They both had grown up in flying families. “I can’t remember a time I didn’t enjoy airplanes,” Shahin says. From a young age he attended air shows with his father, a private pilot, and knew he wanted to work in the aviation industry in some way.

Jennifer’s parents were also pilots who not only owned planes but raced annually in the legendary Reno Air Races. “Other families would take the family station wagon or minivan on a trip,” Jennifer says. “We just piled into the plane and flew.”

She started taking helicopter lessons at age 10. “They had to prop me up on phone books and pillows because

I was too small to reach the controls,” Jennifer says. She took her first solo helicopter flight on her 16th birthday, earned her helicopter license a year later, and earned her fixed-wing license by age 18.

Both Jennifer and Shahin discovered the Yellow Jacket Flying Club, one of the country’s oldest continuously operating collegiate flying clubs, upon arriving on campus. They each instantly knew they’d found their home—and soon after, their flying partner for

Jennifer Telling and Shahin Mehrabanzad met in 2008 as students through the Yellow Jacket Flying Club.

life. In August 2013, the couple celebrated Jennifer’s 27th birthday and the completion of her PhD and got engaged all in the span of three days. At their wedding in 2014, the groom’s cake was modeled after the airport used by the Yellow Jacket Flying Club.

“Flying is a huge part of our lives,” Jennifer says. They both serve on the pit crew during the Reno Air Races for her parents’ two AT-6 Texans, named “Almost Perfect” and “Baby Boomer,” and P-51 Mustang “Lady B”. They also volunteer for the Commemorative Air Force Airbase Georgia, which acquires, restores,

and preserves aircraft, particularly from World War II. “It brings people together so you can transmit this generational knowledge about these planes,” she says.

Shahin has just earned his commercial pilot’s license. He currently manages airframe and engine acquisitions and leases for Delta Material Services. “What I really like about my job is it mixes both engineering and business,” he says. While a student, Shahin held nearly every office in YJFC, including as president in 2010–2011, when the club applied for nonprofit status. He now serves as chair of the club’s board. He recently guided the YJFC’s proposal for a brand-new Cessna 172 through Cessna’s Top Hawk program. “This is exactly the type of advanced plane an engineering school should have,” he says. “It will introduce Tech students to the systems they will use if they move on to a professional flying role.”

The couple’s son, Gabriel, 20 months old, has clearly inherited his parents’ passion for flying; he loves watching airplane videos with Shahin. “We have aviation stuff everywhere in our house,” Jennifer says. “Shahin’s parents have joked that Gabriel doesn’t stand a chance.”

BEN ROLLINS

Other families would take the family station wagon or minivan on a trip. We just piled into the plane and flew.”

WHO RULES THE SKIES?

RotorJackets, Tech’s student drone racing team. Now in its sixth year, the 30-member club has won back-to-back victories in the annual Collegiate Drone Racing Championship, including a split-second win in last May’s team finals. Tech also came within a hair of winning the individual competition. A mere 0.012 second cost Tanner Beard, ME 23, first place.

Wearing FPV (First-Person Viewer) goggles, current president Ian Boraks, Dylan Wyckoff, Beard, and Luke Lawver, AE 21, MS AE 23, jockeyed their whirring marvels in 100 mph head-to-head bouts against other schools. These 90-second races demanded lightning-fast reflexes. Pilots twisted, dove, and shot through obstacles in ways that would have impressed Han Solo.

“Watching something you built fly is a great experience,” says computer engineering major Boraks, who, like other club members, makes what he flies. “There’s definitely an engineering part to it. It’s one thing to do calculations for an airplane in class, but when you build one and feel how it performs, you get an intuition.”

Though he worries privacy fears give drones a bad rap, he points to their evergrowing use in the military, the media, real estate, search-and-rescue, and for deliveries. “I see a lot of promise for drones in the future,” he says.

A Tiny Obsession

In the Yellow Jacket community , it’s not only alumni who geek out over planes—Georgia Tech staff get in on the fun, too. Sei Yoshioka-Cefalo has been fascinated with commercial aviation since he was young. Yoshioka-Cefalo is assistant director of administrative operations in Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning in the College of Design.

Born in New York City, he would frequently fly across the globe to visit his extended family in Japan. At each airport along the way, he watched the planes from his gate and became enthralled by the colorful designs on their fins as they made their way across the runway and into the sky.

“They’re just so colorful. At international airports, you get to see these carriers that fly in from all over the world and you get to see all these different logos of airlines; I think it’s fun to watch,” he says. “Now, I go to the airport early just so I can watch planes take off and land.”

His fascination with aviation has grown into a collection of more than 200 diecast commercial airplanes—mini replicas of airplanes he’s flown on. “If I take that particular carrier and I’m on that particular aircraft, I buy that model,” he says.

Yoshioka-Cefalo, who has a background in counseling psychology, also has an interest in airplane crash investigations. “In a lot of the cases, the cause ends up being human error. I love learning about wings and engines and things, but the psychological part of what causes air disasters really fascinates me.”

SEI YOSHIOKA-CEFALO

(L-R) Dylan Wyckoff, Ian Boraks, Tanner Beard, Luke Lawver

Take to the Skies

BY GEORGE SPENCER

TThe words “safety” and “aviation” are bound as tightly together as wings to a fuselage. Boeing’s Director of Engineering for Fabrication Stacie Sire, CE 96, and aerial firefighter Mike Rhodes, AE 01, live that ethic every day.

Sire oversees the work of 2,000 engineers in 18 business units in the U.S. and around the world in a division that produces about 20,000 parts a day. “You can think of us as an internal supply chain. Our engineers come up with cool ideas to help us produce things faster, more efficiently, defect-free, and eliminate rework,” says the New Orleans native.

First-time visitors to her office notice how organized her workspace is. Yet Sire doesn’t see herself as a perfectionist. “I’m the opposite of that,” she says. “I’m all about grit because I’m not scared to fail. I lean into it, because if I don’t find out my limits, I haven’t pushed myself hard enough.”

That zeal served her well at Tech. She found it “extremely difficult scholastically” and worked a full-time job. “I’ve never shied away from superdifficult challenges. I want to test my boundaries,

and I got to do that at Tech,” says Sire, who interfaces with Tech’s corporate development and recruiting offices as her company’s corporate sponsor.

Her role involves the manufacture and conception of all Boeing’s commercial aircraft, including new versions of the 787 and the still-in-development 797 and TTBW (Transonic TrussBraced Wing) in partnership with NASA.

The design flaws that caused crashes and grounding of the 737MAX weigh heavily on her. “It’s a reminder of how important and critical the work we do as engineers is,” she says. “We’ve taken those hard learnings and grief and said, ‘How do we get even better than we are? How do we strengthen?’”

A career highlight came when she helped shepherd the 787 from its early conceptual stages and flew on an early test flight. “I was asked to be on the flight deck for the landing,” she recalls. “That was the pinnacle.”

A 787 can cruise at 43,100 feet, but the 802F Fire

Boeing’s 787 is under Stacie Sire’s purview as Boeing’s director of engineering for fabrication.

Boss loves to go low. It skims burning treetops 80 feet off the ground. Pilot Rhodes wouldn’t have it any other way. For the past seven years, he’s flown his amphibious firefighting aircraft everywhere from Alaska to Texas. He came prepared for his job at Dauntless Air. This aeronautical engineer towed gliders and banners while at Tech and was a co-op student in Delta’s engineering department. Before Dauntless, he worked for 22 years for Air Tractor, the Texas company that makes this singleengine prop plane.

“I know this plane as well as anybody else,” says the Taylorsville, Georgia, native whose pilot father Dennis Rhodes, Text 71, inspired him to fly. “I’ve got the background of how the airplane was designed, how was it tested, and how its parts bolt together.” Today he is one of only about 50 pilots who flies the Fire Boss in the U.S. When Rhodes climbs in the cockpit, he shows his Tech pride by wearing a helmet painted Old

Gold. A typical eight-hour day might find him landing on lakes or rivers as many as 80 times. Each time he swoops down, it takes only seconds for 800 gallons of water to fill the plane’s tank. Then it’s back in the smoke-roiled air. For precision drops, he takes his highly maneuverable Fire Boss careening over hillsides and veering past cell phone towers, powerlines, and ridges.

“I enjoy trying to be precise,” he says.

When it is suggested to him that his work is dangerous, the laconic Rhodes replies, “It’s not a forgiving-ofmistakes environment to operate in. So, slow and smooth and steady wins the race.”

Knowing that he’s helping others feels great. Someone recently left a note on his windshield that read “Thank you fire air people XOXO.”

“That kind of stuff is always cool,” says Rhodes.

Mike Rhodes flies the 802F Fire Boss at 80 mph across water, scooping up 800 gallons into the plane’s tank.

It’s not a forgiving-of-mistakes environment to operate in. So, slow and smooth and steady wins the race.”

TRAINS

Railroad Legacy

BY KELLEY FREUND

From every house Benjamin Tarbutton III, Mgt 94, has lived in, he’s had a view of trains passing on the Sandersville Railroad line. The rail company, a shortline freight railroad serving Washington County in Georgia, is a tradition for the Tarbutton clan—their family has owned it for over 100 years.

In 1893, a group of local businessmen launched the Sandersville Railroad Company to compete with Augusta Southern. But as those men got older, they began looking for someone younger to take over. That successor was Tarbutton’s grandfather, who Tarbutton says was an energetic entrepreneur always looking for new opportunities. (He also worked in the cotton warehouse business, did some farming, and was a Ford dealer at one point.) The elder Tarbutton laid the groundwork for the industrial development of the railroad, attracting companies that processed kaolin, a white clay used in products ranging from paper and ceramic tile to toothpaste. Sandersville, Georgia, is now known as the Kaolin Capital of the World.

As a kid, Tarbutton went to work with his father, visiting different job sites to oversee projects such as the replacement of cross ties and the laying of new tracks to

support a growing local company. Tarbutton always knew he wanted to go into the family business, so when he graduated from Georgia Tech, he returned to the rail company, taking over as president in 2015.

Tarbutton describes the Sandersville Railroad Company as “the fingers of the North American rail network,” taking its freight to the larger railroads, which then deliver goods all over the continent.

“At our core, we’re in the customer service business,” Tarbutton says. “People probably don’t think of railroads in that light, but we exist to serve our customers. We do that by providing high-quality transportation service six days a week at good freight rates to get our clients’ products to their destinations.”

While the line had its beginnings in the kaolin industry, it has since added other businesses to its customer list, including Southern Chips, which provides wood chips to pulp and paper mills; Beasley Forest Products, a hardwood sawmill; and Dura-Line, which creates plastic pipe conduits. Tarbutton says the railroad company’s latest, biggest endeavor is building a rail spur to reach multiple new customers who aren’t currently

Benjamin Tarbutton III leads Sandersville Railroad Company, a shortline railroad that traces its origins back to 1893.

rail-served. “While we work alongside some giant companies, we also serve smaller and medium-sized ones,” Tarbutton says. “We take it very seriously to give the same quality of service, whether the company is large or small.”

As president, Tarbutton says no two days are the same. One day he could be meeting with an engineering firm to lay out a new rail spur, the next he might speak with an operating team to discuss transportation issues, or with a business wanting to grow their service. Or he might help plan a retirement party for a long-time employee. The job can be challenging, but for Tarbutton and his family, being a valued member of the local communities along the rail line is worth it.

“I think the American dream starts with a job, and we’ve been in the community for 130 years, supporting companies that employ a lot of people,” he says. “That’s a great thing. We’re very active in supporting our local chamber of commerce, our local schools, and our local governments because we strive to be the best corporate citizen that we can be in the communities we serve.”

LITTLE LOCOMOTIVES

For Christmas in 1954, Santa brought to a young John Carter Jr., IE 69, a set of five Lionel train cars, a gift that launched a lifelong hobby of collecting model trains. Today, Carter, who is a former president and chief operating officer of the Georgia Tech Foundation and is former executive director of the Alumni Association, owns 220 model trains (including his original five) and 10 engines, all laid out in an extra room upstairs in his home. Carter has found most of his collection through internet sites like Craigslist, but when he and his trains were featured in a Georgia Tech publication many years ago, other alumni began sending him cars. He even has a Georgia Tech boxcar, given by his friend Bill Bulpitt, ME 70, MS ME 72, who is another self-professed train and car “gearhead.” Carter also attends annual train shows, where he buys what he needs to repair any trains that break. (And he says if he can’t fix something, he sends it to Bulpitt.)

“People enjoy seeing the collection because it’s not something they normally see,” Carter says. “My wife likes it because it keeps the grandkids entertained. I like it because I can teach my grandchildren how the trains work. And, as a Georgia Tech engineer, it’s a fun thing to twiddle with them and fix them up.”

John Carter was the 2023 Gold & White “Spirit of Georgia Tech” Award recipient.

Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech is a more than $2 billion comprehensive campaign designed to secure resources that will advance the Institute and its impact — on people’s lives, on the way we work together to create innovative solutions, and on our world — for decades to come.

Learn more about our goals at transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu

BY KELLEY

We Have Liftoff

As kids and young adults, these three alumni always had their eyes on the sky. Whether they wondered what lived on the moon, were awed by the vastness of space, or were excited by a rocket’s plume, their curiosity and passion led them to careers where, at three different organizations, they are driving innovation in the aerospace industry.

From Star Trek to NASA

As a kid growing up in India, Kavya Manyapu, AE 06, was a curious child. She asked her father questions like, “Why does Spock have pointy ears?” And, “Are there sharks or dinosaurs on the moon?” It blew her mind when he told her that humans had actually been to the moon, and someday she could too.

As Manyapu moved on from Star Trek to National Geographic, she became fascinated by the channel’s showing of space shuttle launches and Apollo documentaries. Manyapu’s father would eventually move his family to the United States so Manyapu could someday work at NASA. In 2021, that dream became a reality, but first she worked on the Orion capsule at Lockheed Martin and then on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner program, where she saw the spacecraft through from initial PowerPoint design to launch.

“Having that opportunity to be part of its entire lifecycle,

from its conception on paper to the major testing and then sitting in Boeing mission control watching it launch, was an opportunity that cannot be replaced,” Manyapu says. Although her new job with NASA comes close.

As a kid, Manyapu says she was obsessed with the NASA spacesuit, and now she gets to test those spacesuits and design spacewalks for the Artemis program. In earning her PhD while at Boeing, Manyapu invented technologies for self-cleaning suits and habitats for lunar missions that led to seven patents. Variances of the technologies she developed are currently being tested for Artemis. For Manyapu, this program is particularly important because it will bring humans back to the moon. “Space exploration is not just a step in history, but a step in evolution—not just for humans, but our entire planet,” Manyapu says. “As we’re looking outward to develop technology, it’s helping us look inward into what we can do for our planet.”

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test in 2022.

FREUND

Space Fuels Solutions Here

In 1990, when the Voyager 1 spacecraft sent back a photo of Earth from almost 4 billion miles away, planetary scientist Carl Sagen had this to say about the picture’s tiny bluish-white speck: “That’s us. On it everyone you love, … every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there—on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

When Sarah Walker, AE 09, MS AE 11, read that quote years later as a high school student, it made an impact on her career path. “Every subject, except maybe theology, exists on this tiny speck of rock we call Earth,” she says. “And I found myself wanting to learn more about what seemed to me the biggest uncharted territory for humans to explore.”

Today, Walker is the director of Dragon’s mission management team at SpaceX. The Dragon missions provide cargo resupply services and crew and commercial missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Walker began her career with SpaceX 10 months before Dragon’s first journey to the ISS, and now has helped the program make the trip 40 times. She also speaks at pre- and post-flight news conferences, which means she gets to travel to launch sites often. Walker says the rumble in her chest from a rocket launch never gets old.

While some might think it was 14 levels of calculus at Tech that prepared her for her career, Walker says it was the team projects and leadership opportunities, as much of her job today requires balancing individual strengths with what the team needs to achieve their mission. And while that mission is space exploration, the findings could have an impact back on Earth.

“People don’t realize that what we’re learning in space fuels solutions here,” Walker says. “Space exploration is critical to pushing the boundaries of technological development and research down on Earth. Humans have the most meaningful impact on the world when we live at this intersection between being deeply passionate about something and aggressively challenged. SpaceX is putting thousands of the best and brightest in exactly that place, and that’s why it’s changing the world.”

An Adrenaline Rush

When Fred Villeneuve, MS AE 03, PhD AE 07, was 16, he attended a summer camp at Université de Sherbrooke, his future alma mater, that introduced him to aerospace engineering. But later as a college student, he wondered what opportunities there would be in that field for a kid from a small town in Quebec, Canada. Villeneuve thought maybe he should pursue biomedical engineering instead, until a project during his last two years of college convinced him aerospace was the right choice.

“We were designing our own rockets, and I really like things that burn,” Villeneuve says. “It was giving me an adrenaline rush. The project was also complex and challenging, and there was a discovery aspect that I enjoyed. All of that gave me the gut feeling that this is what I should be doing.”

He went to Georgia Tech to learn more. But following graduation, because he wasn’t an American citizen, it was hard to get a job in the aerospace field. Instead, Villeneuve landed at Siemens in their energy division. In June 2020, citizenship issues resolved, Villeneuve accepted a job at Blue Origin as a team lead within the Human Landing System program. He was so excited about the new role that during the interview process, he told his wife that he would do the job for free. (She advised him not to mention that.)

Today at Blue Origin, Villeneuve is a principal systems engineer in the company’s rocket engine business unit. One of the things he enjoys most about his job is working with like-minded people.

“I appreciate the mission of Blue Origin, which is, ‘A million people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth.’ That’s something that resonates with me,” he says. “Their aspiration for getting us into space supports my main views, which are space tourism, space exploration, and colonization. With some aspects of a startup culture, the atmosphere fits well with my personality. I often have unconventional ideas that I think are well received here.”

You Might Be a Helluva Gearhead If…

Andrew Kim, MS ECE 22, was the lead engineer of Wreck Racing at Tech, where he honed his fabrication and automotive skills and helped build a Honda V6-powered Chevy S10. Since graduating, he moved to Mountain View, Calif., and works at Apple as an engineer. He purchased his childhood dream car, a 1977 Toyota Celica liftback, and has been slowly restoring it, first tackling the badly rusted body. He plans to do an engine swap with the skills he learned from Wreck Racing.

Buzz is your co-pilot

There are plenty of great co-pilots—those who handle navigation or those who bring snacks—but there’s no better passenger to bring the Tech spirit to your drive than Buzz. John O’Neal, Mgt 91, spent part of high school restoring his mom’s Austin-Healey. At Georgia Tech, he and his fraternity brothers worked on fixed bodies and contraptions for the Ramblin’ Wreck Parade. He went home during school break to find the Austin-Healey was gone—sold to pay for his tuition. “Throughout the early years of our marriage, I would see him looking at listings for Austin-Healeys,” his wife, Sharlon, says. Finally, after years of wishing, he bought a barn find that was in pieces. He lovingly restored the car, and in the fall of 2016, he represented his fraternity, driving the Healey in the Wreck Parade. His passengers were their two youngest children, Kelly, BA 21, and Patrick. And of course, Buzz, who jumped in the back seat.

Justin Finke, IE 05, MBA 15, fell in love with cars and engineering at an early age thanks to his father, who loves classic cars. The two have restored three cars together. The first car was a 1967 Ford Mustang when Finke was 16 that took nearly a year to complete. “Through the experience, I learned a lot about cars, time management, budgeting, sacrificing vacation time to work to pay for it, and, most importantly, I got to spend quality time with my father.” He referenced the restoration as part of his application to Georgia Tech. During his undergrad, his father purchased a 1980 Datsun 280Z, originally white, that they slowly restored with his little brother’s help. “My father and I purchased a 1973 Triumph Spitfire in September 2022, and are just getting it roadworthy. My father has owned over 50 cars in his lifetime, including four Triumph and MG vehicles, which is why this 1973 car brings back many memories for him. Memories that he shares with me while we work on it. My father is also a retired Army veteran, serving in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom as a helicopter pilot in all three tours.” Justin and his wife, Sara Finke, PP 09, MS PP 10, MBA 14, are both proud Yellow Jackets!

It runs in the family

Your Wreck Racing skills come in handy on your dream car

You create custom stickers of your restoration projects

One way to stand out as a gearhead is to make custom cartoon versions of your cars like Antonio Llanos, CS 95. In high school and as a student at Tech, Llanos drove a 1969 Pontiac Firebird, a gift from his grandfather. In 2017, he traded it for a 1975 Ford Bronco that he plans to restore. His current restoration project is a 1988 Toyota FJ62 Land Cruiser. Both cars have been cartoonized and turned into custom stickers.

Kevin Renshaw, AE 78, has been playing with flying machines his entire life. He got his private pilot license at 16 and has 41 years in the aircraft design business. In his spare time, he flies sailplanes and tow planes, and restores aircraft. In addition to turning wrenches to keep Texas Soaring’s fleet of aircraft airworthy, he is the crew chief for the restoration of YF-16 #2 for the Fort Worth Aviation Museum.

“In the 1940s it was unusual for a married woman to have their own car. My grandmother, Ann (Spitzer) Rudolph, not only had her own car, she had a custom-ordered car where the build ticket and the title both had her name on it. My dad, Gary Stickles, and I were given her 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe P-18 Sedan in 2005 and had it frame-off rotisserie restored. The car is all OEM parts except for the single barrel carburetor. I am so proud that this car is still in the family 74 years later.” Valerie Stickles, Bio 91

Two wheels will do

In 1911, Tech’s student newspaper was born, and only a year earlier, the smallest Buick ever made entered the scene. Mike Danzig, IE 63, and his wife, Audrey, collect brass era cars, or early cars made before 1914. They own a 1910 Buick two-cylinder chain drive and a 1914 Overland. “We drive our brass era cars on car tours, some of which are over a thousand miles,” Danzig says.

Benjamin Scoggin, CE 19, is a fourth-generation motorcycle rider and third-generation motorcycle racer. He rode a motorcycle every day from Sandy Springs to campus, no matter the conditions. “I still ride to work most days and spend most nights in the shop working and preparing the bikes for the next race. I also had the chance to drive and do a little work on the Alumni Wreck as a student employee due to my mechanical background.”

Your car’s been in the family for 74 years

The Technique was founded when your car was built

You don’t need an engine to soar

(L-R) Steve Justice, AE 78, and Kevin Renshaw, AE 78, ready to take off in a sailplane.

Student Driver On Board

Five student-built competition cars showcase Tech’s automotive ingenuity at the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Ga.

BY TONY REHAGEN

In less than two years, the Savoy Automobile Museum has already assembled a reputation as a world-class showcase of everything related to cars. The nonprofit hosts educational programs, car shows, and exhibits celebrating the past, present, and future of America’s most popular mode of transportation. And it’s no surprise that the Cartersville museum, founded by a Yellow Jacket, maintains an express-lane connection down Interstate 75 to Georgia Tech.

Tech’s ties to automobiles predate the 1930 Ford Model A that serves as the school’s mascot. Some people believe the car’s name, the Ramblin’ Wreck, comes from jalopies cobbled together by Tech engineers to traverse the jungle while building the Panama Canal in the early 1900s. In 1929, editors of the Technique sponsored the first 70-mile student “Old Ford Race” to Athens. The spectacle of worn metal, spent fuel, and dust proved sufficiently dangerous for the administration to ban the event after just two years. Students responded by replacing the race in 1932 with the more orderly Ramblin’ Wreck Parade of studentand alumni-piloted classic, fixed-body, and/or contraption cars that still motors across campus every year at Homecoming.

While the Savoy is a museum dedicated to the preservation of this type of automotive history, the organization also looks to Tech as a pioneer of the industry’s future. That’s why the Savoy has dedicated an entire exhibit to the Georgia Tech Student Competition Center (SCC) Engineering Vehicles, spotlighting the work of recent and current Yellow Jacket student engineering teams. In addition to a replica of the 1930 Ramblin’ Wreck Ford Model A, this exhibition features five student-built automobiles that represent Yellow Jackets’ innovations in technology, performance, and automotive ingenuity. The idea is to show the world, including Tech alumni, what the current crop of Yellow Jackets are doing, giving current students a platform to show off their work and inspire future generations to look under the hood. “We want to further car culture,” says Macra Adair, executive director of the Savoy. “It’s to get younger children to work with cars. When kids come to see this exhibit, it will hopefully fuel the fire to keep this going.”

Here is the starting grid of five Tech cars featured in the Savoy SCC exhibit this past summer.

GT Motorsports placed in the overall top 10 at the 2023 Formula SAE Michigan.

Team: GT OFF-ROAD

Car: 2022 OR-7 RESILIENCE

Innovation doesn’t just happen on a flat, paved track. That’s why the GT Off-Road team designs vehicles that can handle dirt, sand, rocks, bumps, hills, and drops of several feet—and do it while going as fast as possible over a fourhour endurance race.

The team competes in three North American Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) competitions per year, lining up beside more than 100 other teams. The objective: conceptualize and build a single-seat, all-terrain car that will not only perform under grueling off-road conditions, but also sell to that niche market. That means the team is rated on its business model as well as its design—and the judges are industry professionals.

In 2022, the team’s OR-7 Resilience finished 7th at the Baja SAE in Tennessee.

Team: GT MOTORSPORTS

Car: GTMS 70

Ask any engineer, mechanic, or gearhead, and they’ll tell you: A car is more than the parts it’s comprised of. The same goes for a racing team.

When Eli Kuperman transferred to Tech during his sophomore year, he was looking to find community in a club. He had always had a passion for cars and racing. But he was a business major, and he thought the student-run racing groups were just for engineers.

He was happy to learn he was wrong.

Team: GT SOLAR RACING Car: 2012 SJ-1 ENDEAVOUR

When you’re talking about the future of any technology, you’re talking about its impact on the environment—and the automotive industry is no different. For more than a decade, the student-run GT Solar Racing Team has been racing against climate change, trying to harness one of the Earth’s most renewable resources.

The team builds cars for both speedcentered track races and 1,000-mile cross-country endurance events. But Endeavour was the team’s first race-worthy solar car. This car is a sleek carbon-fiber aerobody donated by Boeing on a steel chassis, mounted with SBM solar cells. It weighs only 400 kg with driver and reached top speeds around 45 mph. Endeavour finished 6th in the 2017 Formula Sun Grand Prix. Perhaps more importantly, the engineers, mechanics, student business reps, and the rest of the crew got valuable experience in a technology that may help define the future of automobiles.

“I met the team lead of GT Motorsports, and he told me about the complexity of running the team,” says Kuperman. “It wasn’t just mechanical engineers, but it also involved budgeting, finance, project management, and marketing.”

Kuperman came aboard as head of Sponsorships, in charge of building relationships with corporate sponsors like General Motors and Delta. For 2022, his junior year, he moved up to Finance Lead, ordering parts and handling logistics for traveling to the team’s two annual competitions. His first year, the car was the GTMS 70, which was actually built to race in 2020; but that season was washed out by Covid. The following year, the day before the car was to leave for competition, its driver had an accident during practice and No. 70 was wrecked beyond repair. Finally, last year, the car got its chance at a 22kilometer endurance event in Michigan. The car was on pace for a Top 5 finish, but on lap 8 of 10, the car crashed and finished 23rd. “Regardless of the finish, I like to take the long view,” says Kuperman. “My favorite thing about that car is that we learned so much through three years of teamwork.”

Those lessons helped Kuperman this year when he was elected by the crew of 85 students to be Team Lead.

“I’ve learned that it’s not just racing; it’s about the people,” says Kuperman. “My job is to make sure the people perform. We put in a lot of time, coming in three or four nights a week. That’s a lot with a Georgia Tech class schedule. I make sure they remember they have classes and finals. I’m not just looking out for the car; I’m also looking out for the team’s well-being.”

Team: WRECK RACING

Care: 2001 CHEVROLET S10 XTREME

Growing up, Andrew Knops always wanted to work on cars—he just never had the guidance or the resources. So, when he arrived at Tech in 2021, he took a tour of the Student Competition Center looking for the right student racing team for him. He saw it almost immediately. “Most of the other teams were carefully pouring carbon fiber into molds,” says Knops. “But there was one team that was just a bunch of people gathered around a stripped-down truck and cutting through the frame. I wanted to hang out with those guys.”

Those guys were the Wreck Racing Team, which competes in the annual Grassroots Motorsports $2,000 Challenge. The competition is about ingenuity more than space-age tech. Each team gets a budget of $2K to build a car that can race for 48 hours, both drag and autocross, while looking presentable doing it. For instance, the team found the Chevy S10 in a junkyard for $275. After mid-mounting an old Acura V6 engine, and adding a 6-speed Honda manual transmission and power steering from a Toyota Prius, the team finished second last year at a budget of just $1,888.90.

“Sometimes you’re surprised it even works,” says Knops. “But we’re just a bunch of friends wrenching on a car together. And that first time you run it, it feels good.”

Team: HYTECH RACING

Car: 2022 FSAE EV HT06

Speaking of renewable fuels, for electric vehicles, the future is now.

Even so, the student-run HyTech Racing team strives to be on the cutting edge of EV technology. Their goal last year was to build a car that was extremely lightweight with strong lateral acceleration. The result was the HT06.

Among the HT06’s innovations is a battery pack cooling design that facilitates an extremely energy-dense accumulator to take in, store, and release energy. And by using advanced composite simulation techniques to design a lighter, stronger aero package, and ergonomic seating that puts the driver at the lowest possible position for maximum acceleration, the HT06 was able to finish 3rd overall out of 55 competitors in the Formula SAE Michigan Electric competition.

CELEBRATE THE SPIRIT OF TECH through

Leadership Circle donors of Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence, have established the tone for the future of Georgia Tech. It is the spirit of philanthropy that has sustained the Institute since its founding. And, through this spirit, Leadership Circle donors have provided the resources necessary to make the di erence between an experience of average quality and one that is extraordinary for every student and faculty member at the Institute. Give now to demonstrate your commitment to excellence and celebrate the spirit of philanthropy at Tech.

DRIVING INNOVATION

MEET THE “40 UNDER 40” MAKING AN IMPACT IN INDUSTRIES WORLDWIDE.

HIRA BATOOL RIZVI, MS PP 15 CEO & Cofounder | SheKab

An electrical engineer by trade and a problem-solver by nature, Hira Batool Rizvi is the CEO and cofounder of SheKab, a carpool service for women and girls in Pakistan. “We’re digitizing the decades-old community-based carpooling prevalent in South Asia,” she says. A couple months before graduation, Batool Rizvi participated in a hackathon event, where she pitched the idea for a carpool service for women. Her idea won second place, and a few days after graduation, she returned to Pakistan to solve daily mobility issues for women in her hometown, Islamabad. She recognized a problem with transportation in Pakistan, where seats on public vans are often reserved for men, which means women spend significantly longer on their daily commutes. In 2017, she launched SheKab. The platform and app connect registered riders with vetted and verified partner drivers for a safe and affordable commute. “With SheKab, I wanted to build a product for women and girls to travel freely and safely and realize their true potential,” she says.

CHRIS CARTER, IE 07 Chief Engineer, Executive GM Toyota Motor North America (HQ)

Chris Carter has 15 years of experience in portfolio management, leadership, instruction, team building, and people development worldwide. Although he’s a top executive at Toyota, his personal passion lies in promoting lifelong learning. Through Georgia Tech Professional Education, he became a Project Management Professional and Agile Certified Practitioner. As Professor of the Practice and academic program director for Project Management in the Division of Lifetime Learning, he designed a modular curriculum that’s rooted in experiential learning. The program has become incredibly popular with students and earned recognition for its high student satisfaction and academic success. As chief engineer for Toyota Motor North America in the Connected Technologies division, Carter is responsible for portfolio management for all Toyota and Lexus new model infotainment systems, including various technology life cycle management activities. He and his team were directly involved in the product planning and launch of the all-new MY22 Lexus NX.

KATE GUNDERSON, MS AE 18 Graduate Assistant National Test Pilot School

Kate Gunderson grew up dreaming of becoming an astronaut. She followed that dream to an internship in 2013 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. After graduating from Tech, she began working in JSC’s Aircraft Operations Division as an engineer, and quickly emerged as the group’s optical window subject matter expert. Within a year, she was selected as the alternate project engineer for NASA’s Gulfstream aircraft and then became NASA’s youngest flight science officer, flying with the aircraft that supports astronaut training and transportation activities. Searching for the next big challenge, she applied to and was selected for a flight test engineering fellowship at the National Test Pilot School. The fellowship is awarded to two students in the world each year. Gunderson, who once dressed up as Sally Ride for an elementary school project, is an inspiration to the next generation of women and girls in STEM. Today, she runs a blog called “The Plane Kate” describing her experience as a flight test engineer.

“SHARING MY PASSION FOR ENGINEERING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMPOWERING WOMEN IN MALE-DOMINATED STEM FIELDS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY REWARDING.”

“ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I HAD SEEN GROWING UP WAS THE LACK OF SAFE, AFFORDABLE, AND RELIABLE TRANSPORT FOR WOMEN IN PAKISTAN.”

“TEAM DEVELOPMENT IS A LARGE FOCUS OF MINE WHEN LEADING, WHETHER AT TOYOTA OR GEORGIA TECH.”

The Georgia Tech Alumni Association proudly presents the 2023 class of 40 Under 40. These changemakers are making an impact across a range of industries and working to improve the human condition.

In its fourth year, the 40 Under 40 program recognizes a sampling of innovators, researchers, trendsetters, and people to watch. Nominees must be Georgia Tech alumni, under the age of 40 as of June 30, and have made an impact in their profession or community. A committee of faculty, staff, and volunteer leaders, who collectively represent all Georgia Tech colleges, scored the nominees. Meet the Yellow Jackets from this year’s class who are driving innovation in transportation and beyond. Read more about the full class at gtalumni.org/40under40.

KATE HENRY, CE 08 Vice President | Aulick Engineering

Kate Henry, PE, is vice president and partner of Aulick Engineering, a woman-owned civil engineering firm that provides engineering and construction management services for transportation projects. She’s worn many hats in her business, from running payroll to internal projects manager to engineer of record for aviation projects. Under her leadership with partner Jennifer Etheridge, the firm’s staff has increased four-fold and revenue has grown to more than $5 million. She was the project engineer for the development of a new 25-acre terminal complex at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. The project timeline coincided with regulatory agency leadership changes and the birth of her second child, and culminated in a race to complete it in time to welcome a record number of aircraft for Super Bowl LIII in 2019. The project was chosen as the 2021 Engineering Excellence State Award in the transportation category.

Henry is also active in her community, serving on the Design Review Board and Housing Team for the City of Chamblee, as an officer for Chapter A/GA, P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), and as co-chair for the Cathedral of St. Philip Stewardship Committee.

ION LEAHU-ALUAS, AE 06 CEO | DRIVECO

At DRIVECO, Ion Leahu-Aluas has been instrumental in transforming a simple concept—clean energy in the transportation industry—into one of the fastest-growing charge point operators globally. Under his leadership, DRIVECO has become the second largest public charging point network in France and is on its way to fulfilling its mission to make electric mobility accessible to all. Starting out as a new company in 2010, DRIVECO entered the industry at a time when electric vehicles were still a relatively new idea. “Very few people thought electric cars were the future of transportation, and even fewer thought that we needed to go further and look at how the energy for these vehicles is produced,” Leahu-Aluas says. “Being an enabler for the adoption of electric cars is fundamental to one day reaching a world without pollution.” Born in Romania, LeahuAluas draws inspiration from his parents’ decision to leave Romania and start anew in the U.S. “That decision exemplifies the kind of bravery that fuels my entrepreneurial spirit.”

AMANDA

Senior Polymer Materials Engineer, Biomimic | Hyundai-Kia, Biomimicry 3.8

Amanda Nummy is a senior polymer engineer in the automotive industry and an expert in alternative energy and sustainable materials. In her role at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, she’s responsible for all plastic components for North and South America, and she leads collaboration on fuel cells and battery electric vehicles. In 2022, one of the test methods that she developed for evaluating battery enclosures became a UL global standard and is now being used by automakers and suppliers around the world. Nummy has also begun leading a project to develop a next-generation polymer composite material for Hyundai’s first North American design-responsible vehicle. Inspired by nature’s ability to solve complex problems, she’s started biomimicry consulting in built environments, consumer products, and carbon-capture technologies. Through her interest in preventing plastic waste in the oceans, she developed a process for recovering ocean-bound polyethylene plastic for recycling and reuse in EV components and a process for recycling PPE, such as face masks, as a replacement for automotive-grade plastic—both firsts in the industry.

NUMMY, PFE 11

“ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF OWNING AND MANAGING A SMALL BUSINESS IS THAT I GET TO BE TRULY PLUGGED IN TO MY LOCAL COMMUNITY.”

“MY MISSION IS TO ELIMINATE CO2 EMISSIONS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR, WHICH CONTRIBUTES 25% OF THE WORLD’S CO2.”

“BY STUDYING NATURE’S DEEP PATTERNS AND MECHANISMS, WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT KNOWLEDGE TO EMULATE THOSE PRINCIPLES IN OUR HUMAN DESIGNS, FINDING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAYS OF SOLVING OUR CHALLENGES.”

KARAN AGRAWAL, IE 19 Senior Manager, Supply Chain | Peloton Interactive

CHRIS CARTER, IE 07 Chief Engineer, Executive GM | Toyota Motor North America (HQ)

JOE GAMMIE, ME 13 Executive Vice President & Cofounder Utility Innovation Group

PRASHANT KHARE, PHD AE 14

Associate Department Head & Program Chair University of Cincinnati

MUSHEER AHMED, CS 09, PHD CS 16 CEO & Founder | Codoxo

JUN CHEN, PHD MSE 16 Assistant Professor University of California, Los Angeles

KATE GUNDERSON, MS AE 18 Graduate Assistant National Test Pilot School

ION LEAHU-ALUAS, AE 06 CEO | DRIVECO

HIRA BATOOL RIZVI, MS PP 15 CEO & Cofounder | SheKab

STEPHEN CROOKE, PHD CHEM 18 Lead Microbiologist, Vaccine Immunology Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHITNEY N. BLANCO, CE 12 Real Estate Development Manager The Benoit Group

NELSON DAVIS, CE 07, MS CE 08 Founder & CEO Analytic Vizion

KATE HENRY, CE 08 Vice President Aulick Engineering

JASREET HUNDAL, MS BI 09 Principal Project Lead / Senior Scientist McDonnell Genome Institute

JING LI, IE 10 Product Management Sr. Principal | Accenture

ASHLEY C. BROWN, PHD BIOE 11

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering North Carolina State University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

SAIRA DRAPER, PP 06 State Representative, District 90 | Georgia House of Representatives

CAMBRE KELLY, BME 15 CTO / CEO restor3d / Reselute

STEVEN LITTLE, MGT 06 Director Product Design, NCAA Digital | Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Founder | Section 103

KAIBO LIU, MS STAT 11, PHD IE 13 Professor | University of Wisconsin–Madison

DEV MANDAVIA, BME 18 President, OXOS Healthcare Services; VP, Strategy and Corporate Development | OXOS Medical

LUJENDRA OJHA, PHD EAS 16 Assistant Professor Rutgers University

LAVANYA RISHISHWAR, MS BI 12, PHD BI 16 Senior Technical Manager Pillar Biosciences

KENDRICK TREADWELL, EE 10 Senior Program Manager | Google

STUART MICHELSON, STC 11, MS HCI 13 Senior Research Scientist, Branch Head | Georgia Tech Research Institute

MIHIR PATHAK, ME 08, MS ME 10, PHD ME 13 Chief Operating Officer Mayvenn

THILINI SCHLESINGER, AE 07 Private Astronaut Mission Manager | NASA

KENDALL TYSON, IE 11 SVP, Finance and Business Intelligence Seattle Kraken

NASSIR MOKARRAMDORRI, PHD MSE 15 Associate Professor of Neurosurgery Emory University

TOM MULCAHEY, MS ME 10, PHD ME 14 CTO & COO CSA Medical, Inc.

ALI PERRY-HATCH, ID 12 CEO & Founder Earth Harbor

TYLER SISK, EE 17 CTO & Cofounder SlateSafety

DONALD R. WASHINGTON JR., MBA 20 Founding Principal Bolster Real Estate Partners

AMANDA NUMMY, PFE 11 Senior Polymer Materials Engineer, Biomimic Hyundai-Kia, Biomimicry 3.8

LAURA E. POWELL, PP 13 Senior Associate WilmerHale

KATHRYN R. SMITH, MBA 16 Founder & Principal Consultant | Walton Birch

KYLE WOUMN, CS 16 VP of Product and Engineering | Overflow

VEDANT PRADEEP, CHBE 19, CMPE 19 CEO & Cofounder Glucobit Inc. (Reframe)

MATT TONER, BC 06 Growth & Strategy Leader | CBRE

TUBA YILMAZ GOZBASI, MS OR 11, PHD IE 13 COO & Cofounder Optiyol

ALUMNI HOUSE

HOUSTON, WE HAVE TECH SPIRIT

The Alumni Association’s car visited Yellow Jackets across the country as it made its way to the West Coast for this summer’s Wreck on the Road Tour. Here, it stopped for a photo-op outside NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

ON THE ROAD WITH THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

THIS SUMMER , the Georgia Tech Alumni Association celebrated the reach of Georgia Tech’s impact across the country with Wreck on the Road. This twist on a summer road trip took the Alumni Association’s Wreck the far thest it’s ever traveled. Journeying from campus to San Diego, the Alumni Wreck traveled up the West Coast, stop ping in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle before ending its journey in Portland. Each stop invited local alumni to gather, take pictures with the Alumni car, meet Yellow Jackets in their area, and introduce friends and family to the Tech spirit.

PRESIDENT’S SUMMER TOUR

For three action-packed days, Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95, traveled more than 850 miles to attend nearly 20 events in nine towns across Georgia as part of the President’s Summer Tour. Covering destinations like Macon, Savannah, Brunswick, Valdosta, Columbus, and Newnan, the 2023 tour continued an Institute tradition started by President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. The President’s Summer Tour is a chance for Yellow Jackets across the state to spend time with leaders of the Institute, build their local networks, and celebrate what it means to be a Yellow Jacket.

Kendall Tyson, IE 11, and Brian Tyson, EE 10, in Seattle.

Dave Lo, CS 00, in San Francisco, Calif.

Vishesh Chachra, IE 01, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Incoming first-year students in Macon, Ga.

Visiting Gulfstream Aerospace headquarters. In Macon, Ga., on the first day of the tour.

READY FOR ITS LONGEST JOURNEY YET

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET AN ANTIQUE MODEL A READY FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP?

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

BEFORE hitting the road this summer for the Wreck on the Road Tour, the Alumni Association’s Wreck needed a tune-up and a new paint job to get in tip-top shape for its journey.

We visited Bentley’s Antique Auto Service shop located in Maysville, Ga., earlier this year to see how the crew got the car ready ahead of its big trip. Bentley’s has been maintaining the Alumni Association car for over a decade. Shop owner and gearhead Bentley “Benny” Bohanan, has been fixing cars since before he could drive them and established the shop in 1996. Though diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012, Bohanan is still never far from his garage.

In addition to the Alumni Association’s car, Bentley’s has come in clutch fixing Tech’s official mascot, the Ramblin’ Wreck, in collaboration with the Reck Club. “We started working on the Ramblin’ Wreck around 1999 or 2000,”

Bohanan says. One time the Wreck came in the Friday night before a morning football game. A bolt had fallen into the vehicle’s transmission. “We worked on it overnight until 1 or 2 in the morning, got the car fixed, got it back out to the school, and got it on the field for the next day’s game,” he says. “It was all hands on deck.”

Bentley’s also helps alumni build their own replicas of the Ramblin’ Wreck. “We’ve probably built four exact copies over the years,” Bohanan says.

Today, Bohanan is where he loves to be, in his garage surrounded by antique car parts—on one side of him rests the frame for a 1914 Model T and on the other is the radiator for the Alumni Association’s car. While one of his five employees works on the engine, another is working in the garage next door, spraying epoxy on the car’s fenders.

In total, Bentley’s repainted the car’s fenders, repaired cracks in the body, completed a full service on the engine, and checked all systems to make sure the vehicle was ready for its 8,900+ mile journey.

Bentley’s employees reassembled the painted fenders.

Bentley Bohanan is owner of Bentley’s, which has serviced the Alumni Association’s car for more than a decade.

The car’s fenders were suspended in the air to avoid dust and other particles during the painting process.

CELEBRATE WHERE TRADITION MEETS TOMORROW AT HOMECOMING 202 3

BY MATT SOWELL

TRAVEL TO WHERE TRADITION MEETS TOMORROW and come home to Georgia Tech at Homecoming 2023! Return to classic campus traditions like the Mini 500 and make new memories at celebrations like Buzz Bash. Homecoming 2023 is your chance to celebrate the places that gave you the drive to get where you are today. Homecoming 2023 is the weekend of Oct. 26–28, 2023. Find details on specific events below.

OCT. 26

OLD GOLD SOCIETY REUNION

10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Georgia Tech Hotel Ballroom

Graduates of the class of 1972 and prior and their guests are invited to reconnect with classmates, reminisce about your favorite campus memories, and see what’s new at Georgia Tech!

OCT. 27

CAMPUS WALKING TOURS

9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Georgia Tech Alumni House

Join Georgia Tech Student

Ambassadors for a walking tour of campus. This will last approximately 90 minutes.

CAMPUS BUS TOURS

10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Georgia Tech Alumni House

Join Georgia Tech Student Ambassadors for a bus tour of campus. This will last approximately 90 minutes. The bus will stop in several locations to allow guests the opportunity to go inside buildings, including The Kendeda Building and Coda.

TOUR OF CODA AT TECH SQUARE

10:30 a.m.

Georgia Tech Alumni House

The Georgia Tech Student Ambassadors will lead a tour of the innovative Coda building at Tech Square.

50TH REUNION–CLASS OF 1973

6:30–10:30 p.m.

Georgia Tech Hotel Ballroom

Graduates of the class of 1973 are invited to celebrate their 50th class reunion with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association! Reconnect with friends from your time on campus and remember what it means to be a Yellow Jacket.

TOUR OF THE KENDEDA BUILDING

3:30 p.m.

Georgia Tech Alumni House

Georgia Tech Student Ambassadors will lead a tour of The Kendeda Building for Sustainable Design, Georgia Tech’s Living Building.

BUZZ BASH

5–9 p.m.

Exhibition Hall

Celebrate your roots as a Yellow Jacket at the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s premiere homecoming event, Buzz Bash. This annual affair is steeped in Tech traditions old and new, bringing together Jackets from across generations.

GTBAO HOMECOMING AND BUZZ BASH AFTERPARTY

9–11 p.m.

Exhibition Hall Atrium

The celebration continues! Join the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization for an afterparty.

OCT. 28

THE RAMBLIN’ WRECK PARADE

9 a.m. (Time subject to change)

Hosted by the Ramblin’ Reck Club, join fellow Yellow Jackets on the parade route to witness these mechanical marvels—classic, fixedbody, and contraptions—roll through campus on Game Day.

GEORGIA TECH VS. NORTH CAROLINA

Kickoff TBD

Cheer on the White & Gold as the Yellow Jackets face off against North Carolina!

A new day in Wealth Management

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If you’re ready to take charge of your financial future, ask us how.

ALEXIS DAVIS is no stranger to Georgia Tech. “I’m an Atlanta native. I feel like this is a city of transplants, so it’s exciting to be from here,” she says.

Born in Dunwoody and raised in Stone Mountain, she recalls her high school friends attending Georgia Tech, and later her colleagues who worked at the Institute.

After completing undergrad at Georgia Southern University and graduate school at Auburn University, Davis moved back to Atlanta and began her career. She eventually found herself at Tech, which felt like a natural fit to celebrate the city that she loves.

“Working here is really cool because

GEORGIA TECH STUDENT FOUNDATION

The Student Foundation is a 100% student-run organization that manages a more than $2 million endowment. It allocates about $40,000 per semester to student organizations across campus. Last year, 20 student organizations participated in allocation Sunday, where they each had the chance to pitch why their organization deserves funding.

GIVING BACK TO THE CITY SHE LOVES

MEET ALEXIS DAVIS, THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S STUDENT ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR.

BY MATT SOWELL

I feel like, in an indirect way, I’m giving back to the city that made me who I am,” she says.

Davis is the student engagement coordinator, specializing in the Georgia Tech Student Foundation (GTSF), a philanthropic student organization on campus that has the largest studentrun endowment in the country, valued at over $2 million. GTSF’s goal is to educate the next generation of Yellow Jackets about philanthropy.

Davis works closely with soon-tobe graduates, planning events that educate them on the benefits of the Alumni Association, Roll Call, and Alumni Networks. She also manages the Association’s official graduation event for new alumni, Ramblin’ On, which was recognized this year with a Bronze CASE Award for being one of the top student engagement programs in the country. Davis herself received a Golden Teammate Award from her colleagues, acknowledging her commitment to the Association’s values. “I love getting to know students. Just seeing

them graduate, learning about their experiences, and seeing what they do after graduation is exciting. I get to help them with resumes and letters of recommendation, and we keep in touch. It’s very rewarding,” she says.

Davis draws from her own experiences when helping students. As she neared graduation at Georgia Southern, she realized she was no longer interested in the biology degree she had worked hard to obtain.

Luckily, she had resources. “My sister was in higher education, so I talked to her and my supervisor.” With their help, she found excitement in the higher ed industry and created clear career goals. “They helped me with grad school applications. Without them, I don’t know what I would have been doing. I’m very grateful that I had mentors.”

Now, she’s excited to be in a position to help others. “Here at the Alumni Association, we’re here to help [students] throughout their journey,” she says. “I want them to know they can call us for anything. We’re here for them.”

e 76th Roll Call was a Helluva Year ank You!

25,186

15,854

Georgia Tech alumni and friends swarmed the 76th Roll Call – raising a record $7.7 million in unrestricted support for current and future Yellow Jackets. We are blown away by the Tech spirit shown by our community and are excited to see how much we can raise for Georgia Tech in the 77th Roll Call (which is now underway!). Together, we can have an even bigger impact on Tech students this year! donors

alumni donors

2,272

Golden Givers (50+ year Roll Call consecutive donors)

1,332

f irst-time donors

2,217

Leadership Circle households

158

Roll Call Ambassadors

most common gift amount $100

of gifts below $1,000 93%

Total dollars $7.7 Million

DIFFERENT

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI TRAVEL OFFERS

UNIQUE WAYS TO EXPLORE THE WORLD.

BY MATT SOWELL

WHAT’S YOUR PREFERRED WAY TO TRAVEL: Is it a train through the mountains or a golf cart on the green? You may already know that Georgia Tech Alumni Travel offers Yellow Jackets the chance to see the world in a unique way, but did you know our trips often include expedition vehicles as remarkable as the journey? See some of our favorites below.

LEARN MORE about these and more trips offered through Georgia Tech Alumni Travel at gtalumni.org/travel.

TRAIN

Great Trains & Grand Canyons

Hop aboard two trains with this journey through the American West. Take in the sights of Grand Canyon National Park, the red rocks of Sedona, and the rich history at the Montezuma Castle National Monument.

JET BOAT

Exploring Australia & New Zealand Tour

Race through the land down under on a thrilling excursion. Unwind after the rush with a tour of Mt. Cook National Park and a cruise through Milford Sound’s legendary fjords.

HOT AIR BALLOON

Kenya Safari: The Big 5

Take a safari like no other. See famed African wildlife and breathtaking landscapes from above by flying high in a hot air balloon as it soars over pristine Kenyan wilderness.

ZODIAC

Expedition to Antarctica Tour

Float past mammoth ice sculptures, pristine ecosystems, humpback whales, leopard seals, and Adélie penguins in a Zodiac craft in this stunning look at what makes Antarctica a place like no other.

CUSTOM VEHICLE

The Wolves and Wildlife of Yellowstone Tour

Take an unforgettable safari in the heart of Yellowstone National Park. Trade a traditional tour bus for a specially designed custom vehicle that immerses you in nature in an intimate way.

Husband and wife team Grant and Kimberly Austin never imagined they’d get a Master of Science degree at Georgia Tech, much less at the same time. Despite having different career paths and goals, this ambitious duo found themselves simultaneously on the same academic pursuit, albeit with very different destinations.

QWhat made you each decide to pursue a master’s degree — Grant in Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity (OMS Cybersecurity) program, and Kimberly through its Online Master of Science in Analytics (OMS Analytics)?

Grant: I’d been working in cybersecurity for over 10 years and felt I was at a point in my career where I had ample experience but wanted to expand my knowledge with additional education that was relevant to my profession.

Kimberly: The OMS Analytics degree was the beginning of a career shift for me. I knew I wanted to move away from the IT support work I had been doing and focus on a career in numbers. Grant suggested I might like data analytics, and the more I learned about Georgia Tech’s program, the more enthusiastic I became.

What led you two to Georgia Tech?

Grant: First, Georgia Tech has a great reputation. Combined with its value proposition, going anywhere else didn’t make sense.

Kimberly: Grant was gaining so much knowledge in the OMS Cybersecurity program that was directly relevant to his career. That gave me great confidence that the OMS Analytics degree would provide the strong foundation I needed if I wanted to pivot to a new career.

Since you both chose Georgia Tech, would you say your interests are similar?

Grant: No way! Analytics is not my skill set. Kimberly has ways of evaluating data that make sense to her but go right over my head.

• Top-5 nationally ranked program

• 100% online and self-paced

• Complete in 24-36 months

• Same faculty and curriculum as on-campus program

• 3 specialized tracks:

- Analytical Tools

- Business Analytics

- Computational Data

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• Total tuition under $10,000

• No GRE/GMAT required

A Q A Q A Master of Science in Analytics

Online Master of Science in Analytics

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

CLASS NOTES & ALUMNI UPDATES

CHEERS TO GEORGIA TECH LOVE

On June 3, Varun Yarabarla, BME 16, proposed to Neha Mylarapu, BME 16, in front of Tech Tower. She said yes!

CLASS NOTES

G. NILES BOLTON, ARCH 68, founder of the architecture, planning, and design firm Niles Bolton Associates (NBA), has transitioned to chairman of the board for NBA.

BROOK BRANDON-WEEMS, MS PP 08, M CRP 08, was included in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command’s National Public Works Week campaign on Facebook. Her segment highlighted her work as a facilities management and sustainment program manager.

BONNIE CRAMER, IM 86, joined Neel-Schaffer as the strategic communications lead, where she will spearhead strategic creative initiatives to include grant submissions, support for public involvement campaigns, event coordination, and various creative services.

DAVID JOSHUA FERGUSON, BCH 23, has been working in science education and has produced The New Chemist’s Podcast and Lecture-casts, a podcast lecture series in chemistry.

BRANDON KENNEY, MBA 15, has been appointed assistant commissioner for operations for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

KATHRYN LANIER, PHD CHEM 17, was a speaker at the commencement ceremony for her undergraduate alma mater, Georgia Southern University.

BRIAN MARTZ, MBA 09, has been named the COO of Vision RNG. The U.S.-based company develops sustainable, renewable natural gas from landfill gas for electricity generation.

SHANNON NAMED PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA

MIKE SHANNON, MS HP 03, PHD NRE 09 , became president of the University of North Georgia on July 1. Shannon previously served as Georgia Tech’s interim executive vice president of Administration

and Finance and interim chief business officer. In 2015, he retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service, including more than a decade of leadership and technical expertise in nuclear technology. University of North Georgia is one of six federally designated senior military colleges. During his time as an administrator at Georgia Tech, Shannon oversaw initiatives to improve administrative services across the Institute as well as several initiatives to support militaryconnected students and U.S. veterans at Tech.

GOLDMAN WILL LEAD CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY IN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

GRETCHEN GOLDMAN, MS ENVE 08, PHD ENVE 11 , has become the director of Climate Change in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Research, Development, and Technology Programs. Goldman joined the department following her role as assistant director for Environmental Science, Engineering, Policy, and Justice in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. Previously, Goldman was the research director for the

Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She is part of the 2022 class of the Georgia Tech Alumni 40 Under 40.

PORTER INDUCTED INTO GEORGIA TECHNOLOGY HALL OF FAME

KYLE PORTER, MGT 04 , was inducted into the 2022 Georgia Technology Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry and impact on the state. Porter, an entrepreneur and technology industry leader, founded Salesloft. As CEO, he’s grown the company to over 900 employees and $180 million in revenue. In 2021, Salesloft

was acquired by Vista Equity Partners. In March 2023, Porter transitioned to the role of chairman of the board at Salesloft. He joins fellow alumni in the Technology Hall of Fame, including 2021 honoree Ben Chestnut, ID 98, and 2018 honoree Chris Klaus, Cls 96. Porter serves on the Georgia Tech Alumni Board of Trustees.

HELLUVA POKER FACE DANIEL WEINMAN, ME 09, CELEBRATES RECORDBREAKING POKER WIN.

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI are famously good at perseverance. Daniel Weinman, who won the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and took home a record-breaking $12.1 million in winnings, credits it as part of his strategy for success. “Even the best players in the world have to come to terms with the fact they are going to lose a tournament about 75% of the time. There’s not much instant gratification, and the hard work put in at and away from the tables doesn’t always yield immediate results,” says Weinman. “I’m sure most Tech grads can relate to having to persevere through a difficult class or concept that eventually tied everything together.”

Weinman, who plays professional poker, became interested in poker in high school, where he and his friends would spend nights huddled in basements playing the game. He quickly realized that it would be more than a hobby for him. “It was during my years at Tech that I began

to take it more seriously,” he says. His passion for poker has certainly paid off. To win the WSOP Main Event, Weinman had to beat 10,042 other participants.

Weinman says he felt relieved at the end of the tournament. “The last couple of days especially were nerve-wracking. Not so much the playing, but the waiting between days was really starting to get to me,” he says.

Besides a significant amount of media attention, Weinman expects life

to remain the same post-win. He plans to continue to play poker competitively. He also advises a few Tech students and alumni who are part of a startup called RF Poker, which hopes to create a Top Golf–like poker experience.

Though the tournament was almost a month before the time of this interview, he says the win still hasn’t sunk in. “It’s a tournament that you never expect to win, or even really have a chance to win, simply due to the massive field size,” Weinman says. —MATT

SOWELL

CLASS NOTES

KATHLEEN “KATIE” McGUIRE, BIO

14, is graduating with her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder. For her research, she studied ring-tailed lemurs, investigating how individuals navigate meeting their own needs while working in social groups.

CURTIS O’MALLEY, MS CE 07, PHD

CE 11, is being honored by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Tech Engagement Office with the Mentor Award for his dedication to K-12 students as the Mechanical Engineering’s Robotic STEM Outreach Programs director at New Mexico Tech. This award honors students, teachers, volunteers, and other New Mexicans for their STEM outreach.

C. CANNON REYNOLDS, ARCH 93, M ARCH 96, has been named managing director for Niles Bolton Associates after working with the company since 2000.

RUSHI PATEL, ENVE 16, was profiled in Atlanta Trend for his work with RaceTrac on bringing about a faster, frictionless aspect to EV charging.

JOSEPH P. STONER, CHE 66, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the BMGT Nexus Award, which was established to recognize strategic, outstanding, and sustainable contributions to the American Chemical Society Division of Business Development & Management. Stoner is retired from Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, where he capped a 30-year career in sales and marketing of analytical instruments.

RICHARD TYLER, IE 90, became director of Real Estate & Facilities for Westrock. Tyler will provide oversight for real estate management and strategy.

LEE NAMED CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER AT MERCEDES-BENZ USA

MELODY LEE, IA 03, MS IA 04 , has joined Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Atlanta, as the company’s chief marketing officer. Prior to her new role, Lee was senior vice president of Global Brand & Product Marketing at MillerKnoll, leading brand strategy across Herman Miller and Knoll’s products, channels, and audiences. Lee is no stranger to the luxury automotive industry, having served in two executive roles at Cadillac, including

as global brand director of BOOK by Cadillac and director of Brand Marketing.

RETIRED LT. GEN. INDUCTED INTO 82ND AIRBORNE ALL AMERICAN HALL OF FAME

RETIRED LT. GEN. JACK P. NIX JR., IM

70 , has been selected for induction into the 82nd Airborne All American Hall of Fame. Nix volunteered for the Army on a regular commission in 1969 after completing the ROTC program at Georgia Tech. He served in many assignments with elite units within the Army, including multiple command assignments within the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and the 1st Ranger

Battalion, and leading troops in combat in Central America, the Middle East, and Western Balkans. During the 1982 parachute mission to liberate Grenada, Nix served as executive officer of the 1st Ranger Battalion. After 30 years of significant contributions to the U.S. Army, he led J.E. Dunn as president and CEO to $1.2 billion annual revenue. Nix and his wife, Sharon, retired to South Carolina in 2013.

YELLOW JACKET WINS NATIONAL QUILT AWARD

MARY MATTIMOE, BCH 09 , was awarded “Best of Show” for her quilt at the Quilt National 2023 in Athens, Ohio. Her quilt, titled Not Enough Time, was created in the memory of two friends and associates, Krissie Carter and Wanda Walters, whose fifth anniversary of their passing is memorialized within the dual silhouettes of the art piece.

WRECKS AT WORK

SIMIT SHAH, CMPE 99: “As a second-generation Georgia Tech graduate and now an associate athletic director, I have the privilege of coming to work at Bobby Dodd Stadium every day. And sometimes, two-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker, IE 17, drops by.” #WrecksAtWork

WRECKS AT WORK

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

1. ERIN (WEST) CARLSON, ARCH 11, M ARCH 13, and Cody Carlson are proud to announce the arrival of their daughter, Ruby Marilyn, born on Aug. 9, 2022. Ruby joins big brother Weston as a fellow Yellow Jacket supporter. The family resides in Marietta, Ga.

2. COURTNEY (SMITH) COSTANZO, MGT 10, and Louis Costanzo welcomed Avalyn Janie Rose Costanzo on Oct. 16, 2022. Avalyn is the first grandchild of Patrick Smith, IM 80.

3. AUSTIN HOPE, PSY 14, and his wife, Shari, welcomed their second son, August Charles Hope, on March 12. August joins his big brother AJ (Austin II) as a future Yellow Jacket.

4. CHRIS KISER, CE 14, and Jessica Kiser welcomed their daughter Elizabeth into the world on June 22. Elizabeth’s parents can’t wait for her to explore the traditions of Georgia Tech and grow her talents as a Yellow Jacket hopeful!

5. HANNAH (SKIBIEL) VOELKER, BCH 14, and CHRIS VOELKER, ME 12, welcomed their son Luke Anthony on April 8, 2022. Luke’s proud Yellow Jacket aunts include Mary Frances Skibiel, Bio 19, and Tech student Elizabeth Skibiel. Luke’s parents met in the Georgia Tech library and are excited for him to join the class of 2044!

WEDDINGS

03, were married on May 24. After having met and dated at Georgia Tech in 2002 and 2003, the two married others and had four children before reconnecting many

years later in their home state of South Carolina. They live in Myrtle Beach, where Melanie works as a banker, and in Greenville, where Aaron works for VARIAN medical systems as a medical physicist. Both reflect on their days at Tech when Melanie would frequently visit Aaron when he managed the Westside Diner.

on

22,

Methodist Church in Hope Town, Abaco, The Bahamas. The bride and groom both grew up on St. Simons Island, Ga., and currently live in Denver, Colo. Pictured with the couple are Caroline’s parents, Angie and Daren Pietsch, ME 91.

5.

FRIAS, MSE 20, and Franky Frias were married in Alpharetta, Ga., on March 24. Franky proposed to Veronica in Las Vegas in front of the Bellagio Fountain, creating an unforgettable moment.

1. BROOK BRANDON-WEEMS, M CRP 08, MS PP 08, and Tyrone Weems were married on Oct. 8, 2022, at Historic Fort Monroe in Hampton, Va. Brook is a facilities program manager for the U.S. Navy and Tyrone is a teacher for Norfolk Public Schools. The couple resides in Newport News, Va.

2. ASHLEY DYE, IE 20, and Payton Griffen were married at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 5. Ashley completed two engineering professional internships at Disney while attending Georgia Tech and is a data analyst at Disney World. They honeymooned for a week aboard Disney’s Fantasy cruise ship to St. Thomas, Tortola, and Castaway Cay.

3. MELANIE LYNN (MARSHALL) GERSH, PSY 05, and JACOB AARON GERSH, PHYS

4. CAROLINE ELIZABETH PIETSCH, ALIS 18, and Ronald Elridge Harrison III were married

April

at St. James

VERONICA (THOMPKINS)

WRECK WEDDING REDUX

LAUREN LEIGH HERRINGTON, BA 11, and William Glore Rogers were married on June 17, at the Kellett Chapel at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. After the ceremony, Lauren and Will rode in the Alumni Association’s Wreck to their reception at the Chastain Horse Park. Lauren’s parents, Tammy and Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board Chair-Elect

Tommy Herrington, IM 82, rode in the same vehicle following their wedding in 1988! The newlyweds recreated their photo. Lauren and William both work in corporate finance and reside in Atlanta.

OUT & ABOUT

Heather Noyes, BME 17, completed her first marathon, the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. During her time at Georgia Tech, she was captain of the Georgia Tech Colorguard, was an intern at Ecolab, and pursued a minor in Computer Science. Noyes is a software developer at Ware2Go, an Atlanta-based warehouse software company.

11Alive meteorologist Melissa Nord, EAS 13, speaks to summer camp participants at Georgia Tech during an “Into the Storm” weather camp this past June.

(From L-R) Stephen Kalinsky, BME 21, Jared Meyers, BME 21, Thomas Kim, CHEM 92, Anu Parvatiyar, BME 08, and Julie Yip connected in Toronto, Ontario, at a Creative Destruction Labs supersession for all graduates of their incubator program. Each of them has been involved in cofounding a health startup company.

1. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

2. SUMMER STORMS & SCIENCE

3. SUPER MEETUP

IN MEMORIAM

DR. PHILIP ADLER JR., OF ATLANTA, ON JULY 24. Dr. Adler, professor at the Georgia Tech College of Management (now Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business) from 1962 to 2000, stands out as one of those rare individuals who likely changed your life if you were lucky enough to take one of his classes.

Adler was a “jack of many trades” with a range of different experiences throughout an impressive career. In addition to his 38-year tenure as a distinguished professor at Georgia Tech, he served 31 years in the U.S. Air Force, achieving the rank of colonel. He also spent time as a radio personality who was broadcast weekly across the globe. He served as an organization adviser in the White House during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, and worked at Westinghouse, the Department of Defense, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A memorial service for Dr. Adler was held August 5 at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts. Among the speakers was Chuck Easley, IM 86, Professor of the Practice at the Scheller College of Business.

“Dr. Adler always expected your absolute best, and he gave you the same,” says Easley. “Now, we, ‘his students,’ must carry on and make his belief in and expectations of us truth by living and passing on what he

WE REMEMBER & HONOR THE FOLLOWING

shared and gave us to continue to help others live better.”

In recognition of the immeasurable difference Dr. Adler made in the lives of thousands of students at Georgia Tech, the Scheller College of Business pulled together a few of the many tributes provided by the Yellow Jacket community following his death. On the next page, read a sample of the memories and stories that were shared.

Adler is survived by his wife, Sharon Adler, his sons and daughtersin-law, Scott Philip and Holly Adler of Milton, Ga.; Todd Louis Adler of Alpharetta, Ga.; Bradley Thomas and Holly Adler of Marietta, Ga.; and grandchildren, Danielle Nicole Adler, Courtney Grace Adler, Carson Philip Adler, Cameron Potter Adler, Reece Ann Adler, and Ryan Elizabeth Adler.

—Scheller College of Business

DR. PHILIP ADLER JR.: LEGENDARY GEORGIA TECH PROFESSOR

REMEMBERING DR. ADLER

“One quote of his that I have repeated many times is that we are in a spiral of constant change. Changes we make to society, policies, work, technology, etc. cause other changes to which we need to react. This drives development. Forty years after taking his courses, he remains a vivid figure in my mind. I can still see him walking up and down the aisles of the classroom, asking questions and listening.” –Alex

McCusker, IM 84

“Dr. Adler was my toughest and also my favorite professor while at Tech. He demanded you be prepared for class, or you would regret it, and he was also available to help anytime you needed it. I am so glad I got to see him and get a photo taken with him when he was honored at the Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame basketball game in 2020.” –Mike

Anderson, Mgt 92

“Dr. Adler had a profound impact on my life as a leader and as a human. I took him for four or five classes, and while they were some of the most challenging classes I took at Georgia Tech, they were also some of the most rewarding. Three highlights for me: 1) His disciples, and there were many, will remember him telling every class, “You are the worst class I have ever taught!” He always wanted us to push ourselves to do more and improve, which was the root of this comment. 2) He was the first adult I had ever known who made sure we all understood that saying ‘he/she’ was such a powerful tool in creating equality. 3) And finally, the gut! He talked to us so much about how important this would be in our working lives, and he was beyond correct. I loved him the moment I stepped foot into his classroom. If you loved him, you wanted as much Dr. Adler as you could possibly get because you knew this was a special opportunity to grow in ways that still live within you today. Rest in peace, Dr. Adler.”

–Wendi Sturgis Yong, IM 90

“I was a graduate teaching assistant in 1990, and my ‘office hours’ were in a classroom directly after Dr. Adler’s undergrad class. As I rarely had anyone come to office hours, and because his class always went over, we had an agreement that I would sit in on his Socratic method classes until one of my students showed up. It was pure bliss to watch him hold the attention of a roomful of undergrads (and this grad student) simply by asking questions. And the topics he chose kept everyone, including me, wanting more. He was a master at this method, and I still remember his teaching as much as I do my core accounting professors. I feel so blessed to have participated in a glimpse into his raw power and enthusiasm. RIP Dr. Adler!”

–Scott Moyer, MS Mgt 91

“I had Dr. Adler for two classes. He taught by the Socratic method, so you really had to pay attention. I’m sure everyone remembers the very relevant POC (plan, organize, control). Most memorable was my oral final my senior year while walking to class with him. He had a phenomenal memory. Fifteen to 20 years after getting out, he still remembered your name, the company for which you worked, even where you sat in his class.”

–Bruce Mullininx, IM 72

To read a 2017 Alumni Magazine profile of Philip Adler, visit gtalumni.org/Adler.

ELADIO LARRY FONTS: CIVIC LEADER

ELADIO LARRY FONTS, IM 59, M CRP 61, of Decatur, Ga., on June 1. Born in Detroit, Mich., Fonts moved to Miami with his family at age 10. At Miami Senior High, he soon became a star running back and as a junior became All-City and All-South. In his senior year, he was elected captain of the state championship team and was selected again to All-State and All-South teams, earning the title of Florida’s Mr. Football.

Fonts chose Georgia Tech because Coach Bobby Dodd promised his mother that he would get a great education. He played all four years for Coach Dodd. Fonts received a commission in the U.S. Air Force through the ROTC program and served at Kesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. He began his city planning career in 1964 as planning director of Brevard County, Fla., and moved to Atlanta in 1967 as planning director in Fulton County. He began his long career with nonprofits, serving as vice president of planning at Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and then as president and CEO of Central Dallas Association. In Atlanta, Fonts managed the CAP Urban Design Team, planned and managed construction of the Fairlie-Poplar project involving streetscapes and reconstruction of historic Woodruff Park and Margaret Mitchell Square. In Dallas, Larry created the first Tax Increment Financing District (1988), the first Public Improvement District (1990), the first Multi-Institutional Teaching Center (1994), and the first Transportation Management Association (1995).

His leadership activities included serving as chair of the International

1940

CLARENCE F. BROOKINS, CLS 43, of Northville, Mich., on May 16.

WALTER E. “GENE” HAWKINS, EE 49, MS EE 51, of Winter Park, Fla., on July 1.

ROE D. McBURNETT JR., EE 44, of Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 22, 2022.

1950

RAYMOND H. ANDERSON, IM 55, of Richmond, Ky., on April 1.

Downtown Association, president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Certified Planners, president of the Texas Downtown Association, director of the Dallas Art District Association, director of West End Association, and director of Dallas Association of Services to the Homeless.

He was a leader who could envision projects and bring them to fruition, from the revitalization of downtown Atlanta and Dallas to the construction of a number of Atlanta parks. Some of Fonts’ most memorable Dallas successes were the renovation of Pegasus atop the Magnolia Building, The McKinney Avenue Trolly, and the development of Downtown University Center in Dallas. The International Downtown Association honored Larry with its prestigious Award of Lifetime Achievement in 2004.

Fonts is survived by his wife, Patricia Nichols Fonts; his daughters, Paige Lefont, Laurie Fonts Seabrooke and her husband, Alan (Ace) Seabrooke, Audrey Lefont, Stacey Lefont and her husband, Barry Biggar; and his seven grandchildren.

EUGENE H. AVRETT, PHYS 57, of Cambridge, Mass., on April 5.

GARY D. BAGWELL, IE 57, of Columbia, S.C., on May 29.

STEPHEN M. BOWES JR., ME 52, of Jacksonville, Fla., on April 19.

JACK H. BROWN, ARCH 55, of Tacoma, Wash., on May 19.

KENNETH G. BROWN, CHE 51, of Pinehurst, N.C., on May 8.

BEN D. CALLAWAY, IM 56, of Cleveland, Tenn., on April 19.

IRA CHARAK, ME 57, MS NE 58, of Lincolnshire, Ill., on April 24.

RICHARD W. “DICK” DEVANE JR., ME 56, of Atlantic Beach, Fla., on May 20.

JOHN W. DIXON, CE 54, of Gwynn, Va., on April 5.

HAROLD M. FINNELL, EE 58, of Rockledge, Fla., on March 6.

PATRICK W. FLAUTT, EE 59, of Sunnyvale, Texas, on May 2.

LYNN C. FOWLER, IM 56, of Decatur, Ala., on May 17.

WILLIAM J. FREEMAN, IM 59, of Jacksonville, Fla., on April 2.

ROBERT O. GODWIN, EE 58, of Melbourne, Fla., on March 19.

NELSON F. GOETZ, CE 51, of Brookhaven, Ga., on April 14.

WALTER R. “REX” HAWKINS, CHE 53, of Houston, Texas, on March 8.

LAMONT A. “DREW” HEARN JR., EE 57, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., on June 2.

JAMES H. HENDRIX, EE 57, of Newton, Mass., on May 4.

EVERETT L. HIXSON, IM 55, of Chattanooga, Tenn., on March 17.

ROBERT S. HOLMES, AE 58, MS AE 58, of Anacortes, Wash., on March 9.

SAMUEL M. INMAN JR., IE 58, of Greenville, S.C., on May 15.

EDWARD D. “DUNBAR” JEWELL, TEXT 50, of Matthews, N.C., on June 20.

LEONARD N. SNOW: FOOTBALL HALL-OF-FAMER

LEONARD N. SNOW, IM 69, of Rising Fawn, Ga., on May 28. Snow was the MVP of Georgia Tech’s 1965 Gator Bowl victory who went on to become a first-team All-American and member of the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. He amassed 2,049 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns in his three seasons as a Yellow Jacket (1965 to 1967), including 1,743 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. His 1,743 rushing yards ranked second in school history at the close of his collegiate career and still stand 24th all-time at Tech. He led the Jackets in rushing every season (597 yards in 1965, 761 in 1966, and 385 in 1967).

Snow was named MVP of the 1965 Gator Bowl after rushing for 136 yards to help lead Tech to a 31–21 victory over No. 10-ranked Texas Tech. The following season, he rushed for 761 yards and 12 touchdowns

EDITOR’S NOTE

and caught 14 passes for 128 yards en route to being named first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and helping lead the Jackets to a 9–2 record, an Orange Bowl berth, and a No. 8 final national ranking.

Following the conclusion of his collegiate career, he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 1968 NFL Draft, but never played professionally due to injury. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Daytona Beach, Fla., Snow spent his adult life in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Trenton, Ga., and worked in the construction, real estate, and precious metals industries. He is survived by his wife, Shelia, three daughters, a stepson, and six grandchildren.—Georgia Tech Athletics

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

MARY M c LANE: EARLY TECH CO-ED

MARY E.

(HUGGINS)

M c LANE, IM 75, of Oxford, Miss., on May 20. McLane was born on Dec. 13, 1952, in Gleason, Tenn., to the late Charles Willard and Sarah Fleming Huggins. She was the 87th female student to graduate from Georgia Tech. While at Tech, she pursued her bachelor’s in Industrial Management. In her youth, she held an admiration for horses and was a talented equestrian. McLane was a longtime resident of Aiken, S.C., working as the production manager with Owens Corning Fiberglass for 32 years. After relocating to Oxford,

Miss., she joined the Cedar Oaks Guild, where she worked alongside other women in the community to help support the historic estate. Nothing brought McLane joy quite like her vegetable and flower gardens, spending many hours tending them to perfection.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Tom Huggins. She is survived by her husband, Philip D. McLane of Oxford, Miss.; daughter, Jill Lawrence (Drew) of Atlanta; son, Patrick D. McLane of Louisville, Ky.; brother, John Huggins of Villa Rica, Ga.; and one grandchild.

CHARLES N. “NORBERT”

JONES, ME 59, of Savannah, Ga., on March 31.

WILLIAM P. KENYON, IM 51, of Hayesville, N.C., on April 17.

PETER A. “PETE” KILL, IM 59, of Naples, Fla., on April 2.

DOUGLAS E. “GENE”

KILLINGER, ME 58, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., on May 31.

ROBERT J. “BOB” KLETT, CHE 59, MS CHE 61, PHD CHE 65, of San Francisco, Calif., on May 25.

ROBERT “BOB” ALEXANDER LANSDELL JR, TE

54, of Atlanta, on April 27. Lansdell attended Georgia Tech on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1954 with a degree in Textile Engineering before attending Florida State University for his graduate work in Meteorology.

In 1959, he met the love of his life, Patricia Mayo, while he was home on leave from the Air Force. Lansdell was a captain in the Air Force, so they would begin their married life at Homestead AFB in Florida and then spend the next 16 years building a family and traveling the world. They lived in Florida, England, Scotland, Illinois, Japan, and Georgia. Lansdell

retired in 1976 as a lieutenant colonel after 22 years of service, which included the Korean and Vietnam wars. Memorable tours include being selected for the Atomic Energy Commission in the South Pacific during the nuclear bomb testing on Enewetak Atoll, touring with the Air Force Thunderbirds in South America as their PA officer and weatherman, and lastly being President Nixon’s weatherman during his stays at Key Biscayne, Florida.

Lansdell was also involved in testing and evaluating the first weather and high-resolution satellites during the Vietnam War. His decorations are many, topped by the Meritorious Service Medal.

Lansdell’s retirement was shortlived. His love of math and disdain for the tax season led him to become an Enrolled Agent, where he worked for H&R Block Executive Tax Service and then created his own business, Lansdell Tax Service, where he had clients for decades up until 2018. He was an active member of Embry Hills United Methodist Church for over 40 years, and he was a member of the Laurel Ridge Lions Club for over 20 years. He loved reading and he loved sports—especially anytime Georgia Tech was playing.

Lansdell was preceded in death by his wife and his daughter, Margie Anderson. Survivors include his children and their spouses: Bob and Joan Lansdell, Barbee and Greg Taylor, Ashlee and Jack Rood; his six grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

ROBERT “BOB” ALEXANDER LANSDELL JR: RETIRED LIEUTENANT COLONEL

RONALD K. “RON” KYLE, ME 57, of Hickory, N.C., on March 24.

ROBERT H. “BOB” LANDSMAN, ARCH 54, of New York, N.Y., on April 3.

WILLIAM W. “BILL” LYONS JR., AM 56, of Austell, Ga., on March 26.

JOSEPH M. “JOE” MAYO, IM 54, of Palm Coast, Fla., on May 5.

GEORGE P. MEHAFFEY, ME 58, of Greenville, S.C., on April 2.

GARY W. MILLER, IE 58, of Hampstead, N.C., on May 20.

WILLIAM N. “BILLY” MITCHELL, IM 55, of New Orleans, La., on March 14.

ORRILL H. MORRIS JR., IE 58, MS IM 60, of Carrollton, Ga., on April 18.

MALCOLM P. OWENS, ME 56, of Denham Springs, La., on April 20.

OLIVER L. RACE, CLS 51, of Acworth, Ga., on April 11.

RONALD E. ROBINSON, IE 57, of Roswell, Ga., on June 6.

DON R. SCARBROUGH, CE 52, of Douglasville, Ga., on May 10.

ROBERT A. TAIT, CHE 53, of Staunton, Va., on April 29.

ROBERT H. TROWBRIDGE JR., CE 56, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on May 26.

DANIEL LEE ALBRITTON: PIONEER IN ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE

DANIEL LEE ALBRITTON, EE 59, MS PHYS 63, PHD PHYS 67, of Boulder, Colo., on April 1, 2023. Albritton grew up in small-town Alabama, where life for him included Boy Scouts, Model A Fords, and numerous outdoor activities around fishing and swimming holes. He left home in 1954 to attend Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Albritton and his high school (and later, lifelong) sweetheart, Vera Elizabeth Bigger, were married in 1959. After graduating with his doctorate in Physics from Tech, Albritton and the family moved to Boulder, Colo., where they lived the remainder of their lives. Albritton spent nearly four decades as a scientist and administrator studying the chemical processes of the atmosphere and the global climate system. He was head of the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration’s Aeronomy Laboratory from 1986 until his retirement in 2006. His research focused on understanding the causes of pollution, including the chemistry of acid rain.

Albritton was the father of three children: Daniel Miller Albritton (partner Penny Duncan), Eliz Albritton-McDonald (husband Jim Albritton-McDonald), and Vivian Albritton Cox (husband Arne Norton).

Albritton was preceded in death by his parents, Jessie McDaniel Albritton and Lena Tucker Miller, and his wife, Vera. He is survived by his two brothers, Haas Strother and Lee Albritton (“Mac”), his beloved niece Libby Hall, and first cousin Beth McDavid, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

WILLIAM K. “KEN” UPCHURCH JR., CE 54, of Montgomery, Ala., on March 23.

CHARLES M. “CHUCK” VALENTINE JR., IM 59, of Downingtown, Pa., on March 15.

FREDERICK A. “FRED” WARE JR., ME 58, of Quitman, Ga., on April 15.

SUMNER L. “ROY” WAYNE, IE 55, of Louisville, Ky., on April 10.

LAMAR T. WEBB, ARCH 59, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on May 22.

JOHN A. WHITNER III, EE 56, of

Marion, Va., on April 22.

EDWIN A. “ED” WILINSKI, IM 59, of Sayville, N.Y., on April 11.

RICHARD M. WILSON, ARCH 58, of Buchanan, Ga., on May 10.

1960

SAMUEL T. ALFORD, EE 60, MS EE 65, of Dacula, Ga., on May 9.

ARNOLD A. “TONY” AUTIN JR., AM 60, of Gray, La., on May 16.

GEORGE N. BROWN JR., MS CHE 68, PHD CHE 70, of Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 7, 2021.

JOHN M. BURGESS, EE 61, MS EE 64, of Chevy Chase, Md., on March 17.

WILLIAM C. “BILL” BURRISS JR., ME 64, of Bristol, Tenn., on June 23.

GARY C. BUTLER, IE 68, of Sarasota, Fla., on April 10.

JAMES W. “JIM” CALDWELL JR., IM 65, of Roswell, Ga., on April 6.

DOUGLAS W. COOK, IM 65, of Indianola, Wash., on May 26.

BASIL P. COOPER JR., AE 65, MS AE 67, PHD AE 75, of Huntsville, Ala., on March 13.

JAMES W. CUNNINGHAM, MS EE 62, of Nashville, Tenn., on May 11.

CHARLES D. DEMING, EE 63, of Melbourne, Fla., on June 13.

DONALD C. DRENNON, IM 60, of Augusta, Ga., on Aug. 2, 2020.

JOHN R. EMMETT, BIO 65, of Collierville, Tenn., on June 2.

EDWARD A. “AL” EPPINGER, ME 60, of Pooler, Ga., on June 4.

FREDERICK R. FRUEAUFF, IM 60, of Fayetteville, N.C., on June 17.

SIMEON B. “SIM” FULCHER, ME 60, of Augusta, Ga., on April 2.

DONALD A. FULLER, IM 64, of Winter Park, Fla., on April 24.

GEORGE S. GAILLARD III, BC 65, of Waleska, Ga., on June 23.

LON D. HADDEN, AM 62, MS AM 73, of Kennesaw, Ga., on May 17.

ALEXANDER S. HAWES, PHYS 63, MS NE 69, of Atlanta, on March 19.

WILLIAM G. HAYDEN, BIO 65, of Lutz, Fla., on April 1.

JOHN D. HOVERKAMP, AE 68, of Augusta, Ga., on March 10.

JESSE H. “HAROLD” IVESTER, EE 63, MS EE 65, of Carrollton, Ga., on May 3.

EMERY B. JONES, EE 62, of Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., on April 7.

FRED JOSEY, IE 60, of Cape Carteret, N.C., on Jan. 24.

MARTIN L. “MARTY” KATER, IM 65, of Melbourne, Fla., on April 11.

DONALD P. KELLEY, MS IS 69, of Rio Rancho, N.M., on March 28.

WILLIAM B. KING, IM 60, of Bradenton, Fla., on April 9.

ROLAND R. “ROYCE” KNEECE JR., AM 61, MS AM 63, of Springfield, Va., on June 7.

YUEN G. LAM, CE 62, of Tucker, Ga., on Dec. 29, 2022.

BEN J. LAMB III, EE 65, of Burke, Va., on April 16.

ROBIN J. LARSON, EE 66, of Eatonton, Ga., on April 12.

JAMES L. MARTIN, IM 68, of Gainesville, Ga., on April 7.

ROY A. MAYNARD JR., IE 60, of Deland, Fla., on April 17.

ROBERT V. McBRAYER JR., CLS 60, of Dallas, Texas, on June 14.

ROBERT B. McELREATH JR., IM 62, of Matthews, N.C., on April 30.

WAYNE F. MULLINS, IM 62, of Atlanta, on May 22.

WILLIAM E. “BILL” MULLINS II, IE 64, of Eastport, Maine, on June 7.

JAMES T. PALMER, IM 63, of Swainsboro, Ga., on June 1.

ARTHUR C. PARKER JR., ME 60, of Cartersville, Ga., on April 28.

WILLIAM F. “FRED” PEACOCK, IM 68, of LaFayette, Ga., on March 28.

BOB E. POWELL, PHYS 63, of Carrollton, Ga., on May 5.

FRANK R. REICHART, IM 67, of Aiken, S.C., on March 17.

MORRIS W. ROBERTS, PHD CHEM 68, of San Jose, Calif., on April 22.

ALLAN I. SCHER, EE 65, of Atlanta, on April 3.

LUCIUS E. “ED” SCOTT JR., IE 65, of Albany, Ga., on April 5.

SAMUEL D. “SAM” SMITH, IM 67, of Longmont, Colo., on April 8.

WILBUR J. “WILL” STILES, AM 60, MS AM 62, PhD AM 65, of Tallahassee, Fla., on April 1.

RONALD L. TURNER, CHE 68, of Allentown, Pa., on April 30.

GEORGE L. “LEONARD” TYLER, EE 63, of Palo Alto, Ga., on March 16.

CHARLES R. UNDERWOOD, IM 62, of Woodstock, Ga., on May 6.

JAMES T. VAUGHAN JR., AE 67, MS AE 69, of Irvine, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2022.

PAUL A. WEBER JR., MS IE 62, of Austin, Texas, on March 23.

MARVIN H. WILLIAMS, MS CE 60, of Fort Myers, Fla., on June 4.

DONALD R. WILSON, AE 62, of Arlington, Texas, on April 11.

MAYNARD E. YOUNG JR., IM 60, of Canton, Ga., on April 24.

1970

DAVID B. ANDERSON, CE 76, of Zephyr Cove, Nev., on April 8.

MICHAEL D. ASHER, IM 70, of San Antonio, Texas, on May 11.

EDWARD J. “ED” BROWN III, IM 70, of Charlotte, N.C., on April 3.

ROBERT EDWARD “ED” CHESHIRE III: ARTIST & ARCHITECT

ROBERT EDWARD “ED” CHESHIRE III, ARCH 61, OF ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA., ON MAY 27. Cheshire attended Georgia Tech, where he fell in love with the architecture school and was a member of the Georgia Tech Glee Club, Chi Phi fraternity, and joined the All Saints Episcopal Church, where he sang in the choir. Cheshire entered Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1962. It was in Cambridge where Cheshire developed his signature modernist aesthetic expression, honed his legendary drafting skills, and fell in love with Le Corbusier and the “emotional commitment” for design harmony within an environment. While at Harvard, he met Julianna “Judy” Webb. Falling head-over-heels instantly, he asked Judy to marry him three times before she finally said yes at the top of the Beekman Bar at the Beekman Tower Hotel in Manhattan. Cheshire’s work was published in many periodicals, including a profile of the Cheshire Family beach house in Fernandina Beach by the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. One of his post-modern designs, Pavilion-by-the-Sea, on Sea Island was included in the anthology Landmark Homes of Georgia 1733–1983.

In addition to his architecture, he

THOMAS H. CAMPBELL, IE 73, MS IE 82, of Richmond, Va., on March 25.

CHRISTOPHER M. CARTER, ME 74, of Bryn Athyn, Pa., on June 9.

turned to painting and illustrating, becoming a prolific artist in later years, with artwork ranging from abstract to animals to local scenes of his beloved St. Simons Island.

With legendary performances for The Island Players spanning decades, Cheshire “brought the house down” on many occasions with lead roles in the local theater company, including Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum , Alfie in My Fair Lady, Billus in South Pacific, and Herr Schultz in Cabaret.

Cheshire’s joy was palpable, and his laughter was infectious. He loved greatly, especially family and dear friends, but none more than the “center of his heart,” his wife Judy. Cheshire is survived by his wife of 60 years, Judy Webb Cheshire; his three children, daughter, Anna Cheshire Levitan and husband, Richard Alan Levitan, of St. Simons Island and Warren, Vermont; son, Robert Edward Cheshire IV and wife, Elaine Tate Cheshire, of Austin, Texas; and son Julian Webb Cheshire and wife, Diana Louise Cheshire, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; and eight grandchildren. He is predeceased by his parents, Frances and Robert Edward Cheshire Jr., and his eldest granddaughter, Lee Merritt Levitan.

WALTER H. CHANDLER III, IE 70, of Savannah, Ga., on April 17.

MICHAEL S. CLOTT, MS EE 73,

of Woodstock, Ga., on June 18.

OLIVER BRAND: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE FOR ELECTRONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY (IEN)

NNCI sites.

OLIVER BRAND, of Atlanta, on April 13. Described by friends and colleagues as a true gentleman scholar, Brand made a lasting impact on those he met. “Oliver was a gentle soul. He led IEN with empathy and advocated vigorously for his team,” says Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for research at Georgia Tech.

“Oliver was beloved by staff, students, and faculty alike at Georgia Tech and around the world. He was a delightful person who made every occasion brighter with his kindness, dedication, passion, and intellect,” adds Julia Kubanek, vice president of interdisciplinary research at Tech.

Brand spent more than 20 years as a member of the Georgia Tech faculty and officially began his role as executive director of IEN in 2014. In addition to leading IEN, he was a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), the director of the Coordinating Office for the NSF-funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), as well as director of the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor, one of the 16

Brand was passionate about supporting and connecting those doing basic and applied research in the areas of electronics and nanotechnology, and under his direction, IEN grew to include more than 200 faculty members at Tech from multiple colleges and departments.

Brand was a leading researcher in the area of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and, in particular, the development of micro-scale physical, chemical, and biological sensors. He used his expertise in this area to help create the NIH-funded Atlanta Center for Microsystems Engineered Point-ofCare Technologies.

Brand received the 2011 ECE Distinguished Mentor Award and the 2012 ECE Richard M. Bass/Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Teacher Award, which is determined by the vote of the ECE senior class. He also served as general co-chair of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, co-editor of the Wiley-VCH book series Advanced Micro and Nanosystems, was a member of the editorial board of Sensors and Materials, a co-recipient of the 2005 IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award, and a senior member of IEEE.

He is survived by his wife, Claudia, and his children, Marina and Tim.

—Laurie Haigh

DONA C. (SWIGER) COOPER, MS ICS 71, of Cornelius, N.C., on April 14.

MARK S. FRESSELL, HS 79, of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., on June 19.

JAN E. FRIDRICHSEN, NE 79, of Jersey City, N.J., on Jan. 17.

GARY L. GATES, ME 72, of Cocoa Beach, Fla., on April 26, 2022.

KIM M. HAWKINS, CE 76, of Omaha, Neb., on April 28.

JAMES W. “JIM” JENKINS JR., IM 72, of Stockbridge, Ga., on March 17.

THOMAS E. JONES, IE 78, MS IE 79, of Macon, Ga., on June 22.

KENTON L. KINARD, IM 70, of Tucker, Ga., on April 9.

RICHARD W. “RICK” LANTZ JR., BM 73, of Savannah, Ga., on March 26.

DAVID A. LIPS, EE 70, MS EE 76, of Atlanta, on April 24.

YU LIU, PHD PHYS 74, of Huntsville, Ala., on June 13.

RICHARD J. “DICK” MALLION, MS OR 74, of Whitefield, N.H., on April 7.

JESSE K. McDONALD, MS CRP 73, of Starkville, Miss., on April 7.

JOHN McKELVEY, PHD CHEM 71, of St. Louis, Mo., on July 4.

DENNIS A. MORIAN, CE 73, of Conneaut Lake, Pa., on May 30.

GRAY D. MORRISON III, AE 73, MS AE 74, of Metairie, La., on May 2.

ARTHUR V. “ART” PETTY JR., CERE 70, MS CERE 73, of Oro Valley, Ariz., on Feb. 8.

JOHN W. PRATOR JR., MGT 73, of Boca Raton, Fla., on April 25.

MICHAEL A. SCHLACTER, IE 72, of Lake Santee, Ind., on May 20.

RANDALL W. “RANDY” SMITH, NE 77, of South Lebanon, Ohio., on March 27.

BOBBY H. SPAKE, EE 73, of Bremen, Ga., on April 23.

ROBERT A. “BOB” SPAULDING, AM 70, MS ICS 74, of Hobe Sound, Fla., on May 7.

JAMES E. “JIM” SPROULL JR., EE 73, of Atlanta, on April 9.

RAYMOND W. “R. W.” TAYLOR, PHYS 75, MS PHYS 77, of Fort Valley, Ga., on May 5.

1980

LYNN A. BARCH, MS TEXT 82, of Whitwell, Tenn., on March 31.

RONALD A. BISHOP, ICS 85, of Temple, Ga., on March 27.

MICHAEL B. BROWN, EE 83, MS EE 84, of Madison, Ala., on April 22.

ANDREW M. COGGINS JR., EE 81, of Macon, Ga., on May 14.

ERNEST L. “ERNIE” COOK JR., AE 82, of Atlanta, on April 10.

SUSAN M. (MADDEN) DEARMAN, EE 86, of Fayetteville, Ga., on June 14.

RICHARD E. EDWARDS JR., CHE 80, of Aiken, S.C., on May 26.

MICHELLE M. (MORRIS) FRANCIS, MS MGT 88, of Atlanta, on March 20.

LAURIE L. (CRAVEN) GRIZZARD, IE 80, of Franklin, Ga., on April 18, 2018.

JEFFREY R. JONES, MGT 87, of Hendersonville, N.C., on March 24.

DAVID A. KEMP, ME 82, EE 83, of Woodstock, Ga., on June 20.

STEVEN B. RIVERS, BC 83, of Merritt Island, Fla., on June 22.

1990

BARRY L. ARNETT, ME 90, of Griffin, Ga., on April 9.

CRAIG J. GRAHAM, TE 95, of Eastman, Ga., on March 13.

BLAKE E. LARSON, MS ME 93, of Mapleton, Utah, on March 27.

ANDREW C. MOORE, ME 95, MS ME 97, of Lawrenceville, Ga., on April 26.

WESLEY R. REED, EE 90, of Alpharetta, Ga., on March 27.

MARK H. WATHEN, ME 93, of Sharpsburg, Ga., on April 7.

2000

DANIEL J. HURLEY, EE 01, MS ECE 02, of Jacksonville, Fla., on May 6.

TAMIKA W. McDOWELL, CE 02, of Huntsville, Ala., on May 4.

DWAYNE M. STRICKLAND, CE 01, of Plaquemine, La., on May 14.

2010

CHRISTOPHER A. “CHRIS” COOK, CHEM 15, of Athens, Ga., on April 11.

2020

JACOB T. MILLER, PSY 21, of Roswell, Ga., on June 1.

FRIENDS

FRED C. ALLVINE, of Roswell, Ga., on May 2.

JIMMY LAWTON BOWMAN, of Rutland, Ga., on May 9.

MARGARET M. KILBY, of Tallahassee, Fla., on April 5.

ZACK E. OSBORNE, of Warner Robins, Ga., on April 9.

DONALD A. SCHONER, of Decatur, Ga., on May 5.

APEX PEDALERS: THE MINI 500’S TRADITION OF COMPETITION

PAST

CHAMPIONS

BY SHELLEY WUNDER-SMITH

GGEORGE P. BURDELL. “The Horse.” RAT caps. The Institute abounds with storied student traditions. Arguably, however, none exemplify the spirit of Georgia Tech as much as the Mini 500.

“Practically speaking, it’s a team-based, multilap tricycle race,” says Ajay Mathur, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student and this year’s Mini 500 co-chair. “But in spirit, it’s the most ‘Techie’ tradition—involving engineering problems and requiring ingenuity and creativity.”

BUT FIRST, A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO

On the Friday night before Homecoming, you will find hundreds of spectators lined up around Peters Parking Deck, near the heart of Tech’s campus, to watch a spectacle unlike any other. The Mini 500 began in 1969 as a circuit around then-Peters Park, as a nod to a fraternity prank during the sixties that had freshman pledges traversing campus on tricycles.

The Wreck—Tech’s 1930 Ford Model A Coupe mascot—sits at the starting line by the Chi Phi house on Fowler Street; behind it are 50 or so tricycles with students perched over them like huge birds. Most sit sideways, with one leg sprawled out to push themselves along.

8 laps total Front wheel must be reversed after laps 2, 4, and 6.

The Mini 500 commences when the Wreck begins moving, and the riders launch their trikes forward, jostling the other racers like bumper cars in an effort to get past the Wreck and out in front.

Naturally, both the race logistics and the rules have evolved over the years. For a time, men were required to take 15 laps around the race course, while women finished 10. Now teams have four riders who switch out after two laps

MINI 500

REVEAL THEIR WINNING STRATEGIES FOR ONE OF TECH’S BEST HOMECOMING TRADITIONS.

Team “Build a Trike” hoists the Mini 500 trophy. They were the Overall Winner three times in recent years.

each, completing a total of eight; additionally, the front wheel must be reversed by the team’s three-person pit crew after every second lap, for a sum of three pit stops. A lap is around 0.4 miles, making for a race distance of about 3.2 miles.

MODIFICATION AND COMPETITION

The Ramblin’ Reck Club has overseen the Mini 500 since its beginning and now publishes the rule book online. The rule book describes what is and is not acceptable in terms of both racing behaviors and modifications to the tricycle—and there’s a good bit of creative leeway. One point, however, gets emphasized explicitly and repeatedly: “RED TRICYCLES WILL NOT RACE.”

Every year, the Reck Club purchases the tricycles directly from Radio Flyer, which come in their classic red color; accordingly, the Mini 500 rule book states that the one required modification is painting the tricycles (THWg!).

Pictures of early Mini 500s show the tricycles were

not modified much, if at all. These days, teams take the race quite seriously as both an athletic and an engineering challenge. Modifications have become increasingly sophisticated.

“Build a Trike and Make UGA Pay for It” is a recent team that has been a repeat Overall Mini 500 Winner (2018, 2019, 2021, 2nd place 2022); they set a new course record in 2018, completing their race in 15 minutes, 9 sec onds. PhD student Jacob Blevins, ME 20, MS ME 21, helped lead the team to victory.

“I like the competition of it,” he explains. “You might think, oh, it’s a little tricycle race, but there are hundreds of spectators, hundreds of competitors, it’s broadcast live,

Teams rely on their pit crew members for on-the-go repairs and the required front wheel reversal.

and when you put a lot of effort into something that’s a big challenge and come out on top, it’s really satisfying.”

Team Build a Trike raced “casually a few times,” Blevins notes, before bicycling enthusiast and fellow mechanical engineering student Kuttler Smith, ME 17, MS ME 18, decided they should buckle down and get serious.

“And then from year to year, we updated our trike’s design based on issues from the previous year,” says Blevins. “For example, the tires are incredibly important, as is the seat length, and the handlebar shape, grip, and position, so you’re in an optimal position to push with your legs. We have tryouts every year for our riders—the race is really strenuous, so we look for people who are light and athletic.”

Blevins stops there. “I’m not allowed to disclose everything, because we have our secret formulas,” he adds, laughing.

FINDING A LOOPHOLE

“Build a Trike was so athletic; we were looking for an edge to make us faster. We were literally trying to engineer a better option. What’s the most efficient way of moving this tricycle? How do we achieve that within the rules?”

That’s Iain MacKeith, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, describing his Invention Studio team’s approach in the lead-up to last year’s Mini 500. They carefully analyzed the rules, pinpointing several ambiguities concerning allowed modifications. MacKeith brought bike-building experience to the team’s trike redesign: They disassembled the entire frame and rebuilt it, bringing the back two wheels so closely together on an axle, they essentially functioned as a single rear wheel. With a few additional modifications, this

enabled Invention Studio’s racers to ride the trike like a conventional bicycle.

Notably, during the race the team was heavily booed by the watching crowd, who clearly felt that their tricycle’s alterations violated the spirit of fair play. A Reck Club referee even attempted to disqualify them for illegal modifications. Despite intense opposition, the Invention Studio team won.

“I think what we brought to the competition was the Georgia Tech engineering spirit: Here’s a design problem. How can we solve it and achieve the best result?” says MacKeith.

His teammate, second-year mechanical engineering student Hilmy Rukmana, agrees. “We flopped a few times along the way, but that’s all part of the engineering process: trying, testing, failing.”

The Invention Studio team, it was ruled, won legally. They legitimately interpreted the rules as written and engineered their tricycle accordingly. In other words, they designed to win. In an email from Mathur and his co-chair, Aastha Singh, a second-year mechanical engineering student, the Reck Club commended the Invention Studio team on their “incredible creativity and success” but stated that going forward, “we will require the two back wheels of the tricycle to be at least 12 inches apart from each other.”

THE SPIRIT OF GEORGIA TECH

“Is there anything more Georgia Tech than the Mini 500?” Blevins asks. “It shows the high-achieving nature of Tech students who use their skills—designing, engineering, fabricating, building—for something silly, competitive, and fun.”

Singh says, “The Mini 500 is an exciting event that truly exemplifies the Tech spirit. It brings together many different groups that may not normally interact: participants from a wide variety of student organizations, facilitators from Reck Club, spectators from every sphere of campus, all to celebrate creativity, adaptability, and collaboration—really, everything that makes Tech so special to everyone here.”

“This is for the entire Yellow Jacket family,” she adds. “Students, parents, and alumni—we want everyone to come out and enjoy the Mini 500.”

The Mini 500 takes place the Friday before Homecoming.

The race was introduced to campus in 1969.

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“At

1930

CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?

BY LEVI WATERHOUSE, GEORGIA TECH MUSIC TECHNOLOGY STUDENT

EVER SINCE the conception of the “Ramblin’ Wreck,” the iconography of the white-and-gold Sport Coupe has permeated both campus culture and identity. Whether you hear its horn around Tech Green or see it sputtering down Freshman Hill, the car always seems to have a welcome presence around any part of Georgia Tech.

White-and-gold

But looks can be deceiving (if not a little confusing). There are actually TWO iconic cars driving on campus: the original only-student-driven Ramblin’ Wreck that was purchased in 1961, and the Alumni Association’s Wreck, a relatively newer addition to the Wreck family. Check out a few key differences between both cars and learn how they all tie

together in the end!

All these details make each Wreck stand out, but they each are still one-of-a-kind. You can request the Ramblin’ Wreck to be at an event at www.reckclub.org. Also, if you ever see the Wreck rumbling around campus (and you’re older than a first-year), wave it down: You might get the chance to ride in a piece of history.

ALUMNI WRECK

1931 Ford Model A Roadster (purchased in 1985) Can be driven by Alumni Association staff with proper training.

Where have you seen the Wreck?

Tech’s mascot has witnessed countless weddings, engagements, and joy rides through campus. Tell us where you’ve spotted it on social. Tag @gtalumni.

isn’t the original car, better safe than sorry…

A Sport Coupe (purchased in 1961)

Two

Annual mileage traveled: 2,500 miles a year

Only driven by the Wreck Driver, who is always a student. (The 2023 driver is Omar Khan.)

Shield on the back restored in 2018

RAMBLIN’ WRECK

Ford Model

flags in front

The Alumni car is a 1931 convertible, wheras the Wreck is a 1930 coup.

striped seats (originally present on the Ramblin’ Wreck until a 2007 refurbishment)

Two spare tires, one on each side

Leads Georgia Tech Football onto the field every home game since 1961

Single spare tire behind the rumble seat

What does Roll Call mean to you?

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

help students achieve their fullest potential as engineers and leaders.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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