10 Questions With Alex Orso

10 QUESTIONS WITH ALEX ORSO

The New UGA Engineering Dean

DAVID CARAVIELLO

After more than two decades at Georgia Tech, Dr. Alessandro “Alex” Orso traded his white and old gold for red and back in becoming the new dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. Orso answered 10 questions from Engineering Georgia ranging from his native Italy to the future of engineering, with responses edited for clarity and brevity.

EG: WHAT’S YOUR HOMETOWN, AND HOW DID IT SHAPE YOU?

ORSO: I would say I'm from Milan. But if you ask my wife, she'll say I'm not from Milan. I was born in a small town close to Milan, of like 25,000 people. The reason I was there was because both my parents were working at IT-related companies, because there were a bunch of those companies around that area. It used to be a very rural town, and then it became much more industrialized. So that's the reason why I grew up there. I was surrounded by IT companies, despite the fact that I was in a in a rural area.

EG: WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE UNITED STATES?

ORSO: Curiosity. I've always been a very curious person, and I’ve always liked new things. At the point I was getting my Ph.D., engineering in Italy was so hot that you were getting approached by companies one year from graduation, sometimes two years from graduation. So I had plenty of opportunities. I was trying to figure out, should I do research? Should I go work for a company? The opportunity came in the U.S. for a postdoc, and I said, ‘Well, let's see how that works.’ I came to Atlanta to stay nine months, and 25 years later, here I am. So it worked out.

EG: WAS THERE ANY PARTICULARLY MENTOR OR PERSON WHO INFLUENCED YOU COMING UP?

ORSO: I had plenty. I feel like I've always had a mentor, even in elementary school. My elementary school teacher played a big role in my life. She was very energetic. She really kind of woke me up. I was very timid, shy, and she really woke me up. She really had a big influence on my personality. No matter where I was, I always identified multiple people who were my mentors. And the more you get older and progress in your career, the more the mentorship becomes almost like a peer-to-peer. One of the recommendations I always make is, get your network, find your mentor. Because you're going to have tons of situations in which you don't know exactly how to proceed. And finding somebody you trust can help. N

EG: WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED IN YOUR CAREER?

ORSO: I think probably creating the Scientific Software Engineering Center at Georgia Tech was one of my biggest ones. It was the typical situation of, be careful what you wish for. We submitted the proposal, we got a considerable amount of funding, and we were starting from scratch with no idea how to build a center. I was very well-trained in hiring faculty members, but hiring real-world software engineers, not as much. The beginning was a really trial and error in many ways. But I found the right team, and everything worked out perfectly.

EG: WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR TIME AT GEORGIA TECH?

ORSO: The center is definitely up there, but students become like your kids. I'm very proud of the students that I graduated and who went on to have their own careers. Every time I see them publish papers, or graduate students on their own and realize I'm an academic grandfather, it’s great.

EG: FAVORITE RECENT BOOK THAT YOU'VE READ?

ORSO: I read plenty, and one book that keeps coming up in conversation that I have with people is Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. That book really resonated with me, because as I was reading it, I was recognizing a lot of things that were happening to me. It's rare that you read a book and you can place whatever you're reading and say, ‘Oh yeah, that's why that thing happened.’ It also really affected the way in which I do some of the things that I do.

EG: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

ORSO: I like to run when I when I can. Georgia in the summer is hot and humid, so I ended up getting a treadmill, which is now in the garage. So I like to run, and I really like to play music. I play a little bit of piano, guitar. I torment my family with my with my music. First thing I do when I come home on Friday night, I sit in front of the piano and I play the piano. I just love that. And of course, it goes without saying that I like spending time with my family. That's a given.

EG: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT ATHENS?

ORSO: Regretfully, I haven't had too much of a chance to explore Athens. My family is still in Atlanta, so I basically have this bachelor pad. I go to work in the morning, I go back, I work after dinner. But the first weekend I was here, my kids came, so we explored a bit. It's great. It reminds me a little bit of my hometown—the feel of a small place with local restaurants, the farmer’s market, a really nice atmosphere. I'll be able to answer better in probably in a year or so, but right now, I really like the way that the city is.

EG: WHAT MOST EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ENGINEERING?

ORSO: I think the fact that it's unknown. I'm not saying that engineering was ever completely stable. Engineering evolved. But I feel right now it's such a rapidly changing field, that it’s very exciting to think about what it could be. That’s it to me, finding out what’s around the corner. With all the changes that are occurring in technology, what's going to be next? How can we be part of that? And also the fact that engineering is a more traditional discipline, and you can really help people with engineering. There's a lot, pretty much, wherever you look.

EG: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN STUDYING ENGINEERING OR PURSUING IT AS A CAREER?

ORSO: Come to UGA! Actually, it goes without saying, learn the fundamentals. To become a strong engineer, you have to learn your statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, all the basics. But try to be broad. Try to go beyond the pure technical skills. At UGA, there's a whole world around it. Get involved with clubs, organizations, do something for the community. I think that's really going to make a difference in your college experience. I’m also a strong believer in abroad experiences, and how they give you some exposure to the world. So I would say come to UGA, learn the fundamentals, and if you have an opportunity to do study abroad, do it.