Alumni Spotlight The Gift That Keeps on Giving:
Tech Alum Bill Todd Names a ChBE Scholarship as Birthday Present When pondering the perfect gift for a milestone birthday of his significant other, GT alum Bill Todd initially felt stymied, thinking of the cliché about what to buy the “woman who has everything.” He decided that jewelry or other expensive gifts wouldn’t be as meaningful for either of them as starting a scholarship in her name for undergraduates in ChBE@GT. So, in early 2022, his gift created the Cheryl Johnson Weldon Scholarship Fund. Weldon graduated with a chemical engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1985, while Todd earned an industrial management degree in 1971. “We’re both beneficiaries of a Georgia Tech education and share a desire to pay it forward, so I created a need-based scholarship,” Todd said. “We want to find those bright, motivated people who deserve to be here, but might not be without some help.” Of the birthday gift, Weldon said she knew Todd “had something up his sleeve,” before he presented her with the scholarship documentation at her birthday dinner. “I was so pleasantly surprised,” she said. Todd said he is happy that some of his alumni friends are emulating this giving model of naming gifts honoring loved ones. First Scholarship Recipient Hannah Clay, a Georgia Tech cheerleader who is considering a career in renewable energy, said
Novoste in 2001 after marriage, then enterered the world of fashion a few years later. Earlier this year, she launched a new business with Cabi, an innovative boutique fashion brand. Weldon, who served on the ChBE External Advisory Board for many years, was inducted into the College of Engineering’s Council of Outstanding Young Alumni in 2002. She first met Todd around 2009 while the two served as board members of the Alumni Association. They began dating nine years ago. Todd, a member of the College of Engineering’s Academy of Distinguished “I absolutely love Georgia Tech, and I Alumni, began his career at Emory would love to give back to the school University hospitals, where he rose one day too.” - Weldon Scholarship to the executive level during his two recipient Hannah Clay decades there. His 40-year career in health she was shocked when she got the care included eight years as presicall from the Office of Scholarships dent and CEO of the Georgia Cancer and Financial Aid informing her of Coalition prior to joining Scheller the scholarship, which she hadn’t College of Business as a professor of known existed. the practice in 2011. She has received $5,000 of In 1990, he became the foundsupport from the scholarship for ing president of the Georgia Reher sophomore and junior years. search Alliance, which fosters Having the Weldon scholarship advances in medicine. He also helped ease the burden of living founded Encina Technology Venexpenses and loans, she said. tures in 2000. Since joining Scheller College, Professional Journeys Todd has taught the Management in the Healthcare Sector seminar every After graduating from Tech, semester, winning teaching awards Weldon earned an MBA from the from both the College and Institute. Kellogg School at Northwestern “What I’m doing as a professor University in 1989. She was part of the founding management team of of the practice is giving my students very practical exposure to rich, rea medical device company, Nowarding careers,” Todd said. voste Corporation. But she stepped away from
10 SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING, GEORGIA TECH
