Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Vol. 97 No. 4, Winter 2022

“Everybody takes math. The better math gets, the better engineering and all the other sciences get.”

—Tim E. Waller, MATH 1970, and LuAnne Waller

Tim E. Waller, MATH 1970, and his wife, LuAnne, make a strong case for supporting mathematics.

“Math is taken for granted, but it affects every academic department and everything at Georgia Tech,” Waller said.

Waller, retired from a career in healthcare information systems, said the math education he received at Georgia Tech prepared him well for his career, as did the many computer courses he took as both an undergraduate and, briefly, as a graduate student in computer science before being called into service during the Vietnam War era. Waller said his education allowed him to “move into executive positions in several companies in the healthcare field.”

Now, Tim and LuAnne, who also has a bachelor’s

degree in mathematics, have made a significant expansion to their seven-figure planned gift to benefit their two endowments: the LuAnne and Tim Waller Endowment for the School of Mathematics and the LuAnne and Tim Waller Faculty Endowment for the School of Mathematics. “A few years ago, I met with Doug Ulmer (previous chair of the School), and asked him what the school needed, and he suggested an endowed chair,” Waller said.

The expanded endowment provides funding for additional needs, as determined by the School chair.

“We didn’t want the wording of the endowment to restrict the department to an overly specific use,” Waller said. “The School chair has the flexibility to use funds in the most relevant manner.”

Founders’ Council is the honorary society recognizing donors who have made estate or life-income gifts of $25,000 or more for the support of Georgia Tech. For more information, please contact: 404.385.6716 • giftplanning@dev.gatech.edu • plannedgiving.gatech.edu

Georgia Tech MBA:

Three Ways to Earn It As a Georgia Tech alum, you know that innovation is what’s needed to solve the toughest challenges we face in business and society. At the Scheller College of Business, we offer Full-time, Evening, and Executive MBA programs designed to cultivate forward-thinking leaders who know how to leverage technology to drive progress. And with day, evening, and weekend formats, we have an MBA to fit your life and goals.

Let your journey lead you back to Tech. The Full-time, Evening, and Executive MBA programs are now accepting applications for Fall 2022.

Learn more at GATechScheller.com

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

BRINGING US TOGETHER

B

BACK IN THE DAY when I was a hungry, young Yellow Jacket, coming home used to mean the promise of a home-cooked meal and a place to do my laundry.

However, the longer I was away, the more I came to realize it meant a lot more than that. When my mother used to say, “Keep your fork,” at the end of family dinners, we all knew it meant something good was about to come out of the kitchen. While it did mean we’d be tucking into one of my mom’s amazing desserts, it also meant keeping the conversation and laughter around the table going a little longer.

Food is special, particularly for fostering connections and creating memories.

For example, my brother and I would quite happily stand in line for up to an hour for a Barker’s hot dog when they would set up in Callaway Plaza before home games. I often would Nothing beats the conversation that follows a home-cooked meal—except maybe dessert!

Here I am at home on a break during college.

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91

join friends and study partners over at The Varsity for a chili dog and a fried pie. And, of course, Junior’s fed both me and generations of Jackets with their beloved French toast and battered chicken fingers. Each item is tinted with memories of good times with friends and family.

Food also stretches into our careers. Connecting with colleagues ov e r l u n c h , d i n n e r, o r e v e n a n after-work social helps foster our team mentality. We look forward to attending holiday potlucks or enjoying baked goods from a talented co-worker. While it was a good alternative to attend a virtual “lunch and learn” or chat online during work, it was not as much fun as seeing what your colleagues had packed or spending those lunches together in the break room.

Over the past year and a half, inperson gatherings were rare. Even visiting campus or stopping at a favorite place to eat around Atlanta was more difficult.

It’s important to remember what made visiting these places special in the first place: creating and maintaining those crucial connections to family, friends, and your fellow Yellow Jackets.

As we get back together and get closer to hosting more in-person events, keep the wise words of my mother in mind: “Keep your fork!”

Go Jackets!

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

4 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE VOL. 97 | NO. 4 VP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Lindsay Vaughn

COPY DIRECTOR Kari Lloyd

EDITOR Jennifer Herseim

ART DIRECTOR Karen Matthes

COPY EDITOR Barbara McIntosh Webb

STUDENT ASSISTANTS Jessica Barber & Riddhi Bhattacharya

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

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

ADVERTISING Justin Estes (404) 683-9599 justin.estes@alumni.gatech.edu

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN: 1061-9747) is published quarterly by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313.

Periodical postage paid in Atlanta and additional mailing offices. © 2022 Georgia Tech Alumni Association

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

VOLUME 97 ISSUE 4

chicken recipe led Peter Chung, BA 19, to team up with his college roommate to open Mukja, which means “let’s eat!” in Korean. Mukja opened in Midtown Atlanta in

COVER PHOTOGRAPH

ROB FELT

October 2020.

FEATURES

“LET’S EAT!” A mouthwatering Korean fried

36

42

52

FOOD FOR GOOD

RAMBLIN’ FOOD & BEVERAGE GUIDE

Sometimes food nourishes more

If you’re in Guatemala and

than the body. Meet three Tech

want a craft beer brewed by

THE SOUTH’S MOST STUNNING DINING HALL

alumni fighting to put equity,

a Yellow Jacket, we’ve got

impressive place to

diversity, and sustainability

you covered!

eat breakfast on a

on the menu.

COVER LETTERING

ANGELA SOUTHERN

Brittain is easily the most

college campus.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

5

VOLUME 97

DEPARTMENTS

ISSUE 4

TWO CHILI DOGS AND A COLD COKE Two of Atlanta’s proudest homegrown establishments—The Varsity restaurant and Coca-Cola—have strong ties to Georgia Tech alumni. Founded by Tech alumnus Frank Gordy, Cls 1927, The Varsity was modeled after an earlier eatery that Gordy opened called The Yellow Jacket. The Varsity serves more than two million Coca-Colas a year.

Located just down the street from The Varsity and across from Tech Tower is CocaCola’s headquarters. Former chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises John F. Brock, ChE 70, MS ChE 71, HON PhD 16, is one of the many Yellow Jackets who have helped Coca-Cola become one of the biggest beverage companies in the world.

PHOTOGRAPH

LIVING HISTORY ARCHIVES

CONTENTS

10

AROUND CAMPUS Tech Ranks in U.S. Top 10 12 U.S. Space Force Recognizes Georgia Tech 14 Making Martian Rocket Biofuel 16 Tech’s Wendy White Explains Food Supply-Chain Issues 18

20

ON THE FIELD Fueling Up for Peak Performance 22 Sports Shorts 24

28

IN THE WORLD Eating Seasonally 30 Paella: A Family Tradition 34

58

ALUMNI HOUSE 2022 Gold & White Honors 60 Alumni Association Annual Report 70 Student Snapshot 74 Ramblin’ Roll 75 In Memoriam 82

92

TECH HISTORY Tender Memories: Tommy Klemis of Junior’s Grill 92 67 Years After the Great Book Move of 1953 96

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

7

FEEDBACK A “MAJOR” QUIZ O N O U R S O C I A L C H A N N E L S , you told us your major at Tech without telling us

received. Answers are provided below upside down.

Tag us @gtalumni if you got them

your major. Try to choose the correct degree from the descriptions that we

all correct!

1. They say “It’s not rocket science,” but sometimes it is. – PATRICK BILTGEN 2. Let’s make some socks. – JANET KINARD 3. I got Rich by starting in the basement and punching my way out bit by bit. – JIM REACH 4. I took the M-Train. – STACY GIBBS

I N S P I R E D BY T E C H IN OUR L AST ISSUE, we asked you to tell us who inspired you while you were at Tech. We received many responses, including, on Twitter, Kathryn R. Smith, MBA 16, who couldn’t choose a single

5. Many would call my degree imaginary. – SARAH KRISS 6. Everyone always asks, “What are you making?”

– BRANDON “SWAFF” SWAFFORD 7. You can’t spell “geek” without it. – ALL AN METTS 8. Adler. – STEVEN KOSMAL A 9. Studied the past to understand the present. – GABRIEL GRIMES 10. We don’t fit the mold, we grow it! – CAMILLE STEPHENS

person, but wrote, “It is a tie between the woman pictured (Debby Turner) and Beverly Wright, whose passion for data got me excited about Business Analytics as a concentration!”

Calvin D. Johnson, MgtSci 73, wrote that his inspiration at Tech was his father’s thesis advisor, Dr. Jesse Mason,

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

(Required by 39 USC 3685) Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Publication No. 014-073 Frequency: Quarterly.

No. of issues published annually: Four. Annual subscription price: None. Publisher: Dene Sheheane Editor: Jennifer Herseim Owner: Georgia Tech Alumni Association, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313 Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security No. of Average holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, copies of No. of mortgages or other securities: None Tax Status/The purpose, function and single issue copies each nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal published issue during income tax purposes: Has not changed in the preceding 12 months.

Extent and nature of circulation

preceding

nearest to

12 months

filing date

a. Total No. Copies

88,916

153,382

88,716

153,132

None

None

None

None

ence program before it was officially

b. Paid Circulation (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 354

(2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541

(3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales & Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS

(4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS

None

None

launched. And that made all the differ-

c. Total Paid Distribution

88,716

153,132

d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541

(2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541

None

None

None

None

(3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS

None

None

(4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail

150

150

former dean of Engineering and Regents professor.

“Dad sent me to see Dr. Mason, who got me enrolled in the management sci-

ence!” Johnson tweeted.

HOMECOMING T R A D I T I O N S FA C E O F F

e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution

150

150

f. Total Distribution

88,866

153,282

g. Copies not Distributed

50

100

ditions up against each other and asked

h. Total

88,916

153,382

you to vote for your favorite. Here are

i. Percent Paid

99.8%

your winners:

This statement of ownership has been printed in the Vol. 97, No. 4 issue of this publication. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

THIS HOMECOMING, we put Tech’s tra-

99.9% Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91 President, Georgia Tech Alumni Association

#1

8 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Answers: 1.) Aerospace Engineering 2.) Textile Engineering 3.) Information and Computer Science 4.) Management 5.) Industrial Engineering (IE) 6.) Industrial Design 7.) Electrical Engineering (EE) 8.) Industrial Management 9.) History, Technology, and Society 10.) Applied Biology

MINI 500 #2 WRECK PARADE #3 TAILGATING

FROM THE BOOKSHELVES

JACKET COPY

FICTION

T H E I N TA N G I B L E

BY C . J . W A S H I N G T O N , M S C S 18 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

STRATEGIC JAYWALKING: THE SECRET SAUCE TO LIFE & LEADERSHIP E XC E L L E N C E

BY J A Y M C D O N A L D , I M 6 8

ADVICE

THE ART OF CHOICE: MAKING CHANGES THAT COUNT IN W O R K A N D L I F E

BY T E R RY W A R R E N , M S I M 74

STRATEGIC JAYWALKING is about mea-

W A R R E N O F F E R S readers practical,

suring risk and finding ways to think

accessible knowledge they need to

critically in pursuit of novel meth-

make wise decisions in every stage of

ods or solutions. It’s designed to get

life. His lessons in productivity, inten-

you thinking about how we can be-

tionality, and accountability serve

come our best selves as humans and

as an invaluable tool for navigat-

leaders.

ing multiple arenas.

IN THIS THOUGHT-PROVOKING N O V E L , Washington explores human behavior through the fictional story of Amanda, whose road to motherhood has strained her marriage and left her unsure if she can trust her own mind.

ADVOCACY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

NONPROFITS IN P O L I C Y A DVO C A C Y: THEIR STRATEGIES A N D S T O R I E S

H I G H I M PA C T MENTORING: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO C R E A T I N G VA L U E I N OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES

BY B E R T T H O R N T O N , IM 68, AND DR. S H E R RY H A R T N E T T

BY S H E L D O N G E N , PHD PP 04, AND AMY C O N L E Y W R I G H T

DESCRIBED BY REVIEWERS as “a mustexpertise in this first-ever practical

read” and an “important contribution

F O R M E R W A F F L E H O U S E President

guide for remarkably effective one-

to the field,” Gen’s book details dis-

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on-one mentoring. Learn how to scale

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in policy advocacy and illustrates their

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ganization’s outstanding mentoring

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Dr. Sherry Hartnett combine their

program for rising stars.

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GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

9

VOLUME 97

AROUND CAMPUS

ISSUE 4

1953

“OPERATION BOOKS” REDUX This October, students celebrated the return of Georgia Tech Library’s core collection by recreating an event that happened at the library 67 years earlier. On page 96, read about the unique punishment Dean Griffin doled out, which helped transport books into the newly constructed library.

PHOTOGRAPH

COURTESY OF GEORGIA TECH LIBRARY

12

TECH RANKS IN U.S. TOP 10

14

TALK OF TECH

16

MAKING MARTIAN ROCKET BIOFUEL

18

FOOD SUPPLYCHAIN ISSUES

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

11

AROUND CAMPUS

The Institute once again lands in the list of top 10 best public universities in the country, according to rankings released Sept. 13.

GEORGIA TECH RANKS IN NATION’S TOP 10

BY SIOBHAN RODRIGUEZ

and Systems Engineering and the undergraduate civil engineering program at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

The Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business holds its No. 19 spot for Best Undergraduate Business Programs in a tie with the University of Wisconsin Madison, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and the University of Washington. Three of Scheller’s specialty business programs ranked in the top five, with both management information systems and quantitative analysis at No. 5 and business analytics at No. 3. Note that U.S. News & World Report does not rank all colleges, schools, and subjects every year.

SCOTT DINERMAN, STC 03

12 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Additionally, four programs from the College of Computing have made the top 10 for undergraduate computer science programs this year, with artificial intelligence at No. 6 and computer systems at No. 4. Georgia Tech’s software engineering program ranks No. 4 among national universities. The computer science program holds its No. 5 overall ranking in a tie with Cornell University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Tech’s College of Engineering has maintained its fourth-place overall ranking for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, with the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial

PHOTOGRAPH

G E O R G I A T E C H continues to rank among the top public universities in the nation, and its programs remain among the best in the country, according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

In the newest report, released Sept.

13, Georgia Tech ranks No. 10 in the Best Public University category, along with the University of California Davis, the University of Texas at Austin, and the College of William & Mary.

Among universities both public and private, Georgia Tech is ranked No. 38 and also shares that spot with the University of Texas, William & Mary, and UC Davis.

FACULTY NEWS

STUDENT CENTER NAME TO HONOR JOHN LEWIS G E O R G I A T E C H ’ S R E N O V AT E D student

In matters of policy, Lewis was a

center will be named in honor of John

strong advocate for federal programs

Lewis, the civil and human rights lead-

that are important to Tech students,

er and longtime U.S. representative

including the Pell Grant and federal

from Georgia’s Fifth Congressional

work-study programs, the National

District.

Science Foundation, the National In-

From 1987 until his death in 2020,

stitutes of Health, and the Office of

Lewis served in Congress represent-

Science. The University System of

ing the district in which Georgia Tech’s

Georgia approved the student cen-

campus is located. During that time,

ter’s new name in November.

he was a frequent guest at the Insti-

An ongoing fundraising initia-

tute—delivering the keynote address

tive will create a permanent

at Commencement in 1995 and 2011,

endowment in memory of John Lewis

imparting wisdom about leadership

to support student leadership de-

to students, providing internship op-

velopment programs. The student

portunities to students, and accepting

center renovation is sc heduled

Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for

for completion in Summer 2022.

Social Courage in 2013.

—BLAIR MEEKS

NEW DEAN OF COLLEGE OF DESIGN SELECTED A F T E R A N AT I O N A L S E A R C H , Ellen M. Bassett has been selected as the John Portman Dean’s Chair of Georgia Tech’s College of Design.

A N D R É S G A R C Í A was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. García, director of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, is the third person from Tech elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

L E O H O W E L L joins the Institute as Tech’s new chief information security officer. He comes from the University of Oregon, where he served as chief information security officer and interim chief technology officer.

J . M A R K N O L A N has been named Tech’s inaugural associate vice president of corporate engagement. Nolan comes to the Institute from Carnegie Mellon University, where he served as the associate vice president of business engagement and strategy.

Bassett comes to Tech from the University of Virginia where she is a

JUAN CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ has been named to lead Ivan Allen College’s Atlanta Global Studies Center.

professor of urban and environmental planning and the associate dean for research in the School of Architecture.

She is also director of the school’s Real Estate Design and Development certificate program.

Bassett will assume her leadership role at Georgia Tech Jan. 1, 2022.

Bassett holds both a PhD and mas-

Previously, she served as chair of

ter’s in urban and regional planning,

the Department of Urban and Environ-

along with an M.A. in history, from

mental Planning, where she oversaw

the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

curricular revision, developed a real

She has a bachelor’s degree in history

estate certificate program, and ush-

and political science from the Univer-

ered the department through two

sity of Michigan-Ann Arbor.—OFFICE

reaccreditation processes.

OF THE PROVOST

RAGHUPATHY “SIVA” SIVAKUMAR has been named Georgia Tech’s first vice president of commercialization and chief commercialization officer. Sivakumar was previously the director of CREATE-X.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

13

TALK OF TECH

U.S. SPACE FORCE RECOGNIZES GEORGIA TECH

BY GEORGIA PARMELEE (L-R) Lt. Gen. Nina M. Armagno, U.S. Space Force director of staff, at a signing ceremony with Executive Vice President for Research Chaouki T. Abdallah and Provost Steven W. McLaughlin.

O N N O V . 1 1 , Georgia Tech and the U.S. Space Force launched a strategic partnership to develop a high-caliber aerospace workforce and collaborate on advanced aerospace research. As part of a comprehensive agreement, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding, making Georgia Tech the newest member of the U.S. Space Force’s University Partnership Program.

Lt. Gen. Nina M. Armagno, U.S. Space Force director of staff, joined Georgia Tech Provost Steven W. McLaughlin and Executive Vice President for Research Chaouki T. Abdallah to sign the agreement. The signing ceremony, which fell on Veterans Day, took place on Georgia Tech’s campus.

“At the heart of the Space Force’s 14 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

University Partnership Program is the need to advance our science and technology to build the next generation of space capabilities, while developing the workforce of the future,” Armagno says. “With its reputation as a leader in cutting-edge aerospace research, we are confident that Georgia Tech will be an outstanding partner.”

The U.S. Space Force—the sixth and ne west branch of t he U.S. Armed Forces—established the University Partnership Program to identify, develop, and retain a diverse, STEM-capable workforce to further its mission to protect U.S. and allied interests in space. Through the partnership, the Space Force will seek to recruit new members and also create educational and leadership development

programs for existing Space Force employees. Georgia Tech was selected for its outstanding aerospace engineering research, its expertise in national defense and security, the diversity of its students, and its robust ROTC program.

Georgia Tech is one of 11 universities selected for the U.S. Space Force University Partnership Program in fiscal year 2021. As a next step, Georgia Tech and the Space Force will outline specific implementation milestones to meet the program’s objectives. This initial work will include establishing educational programs such as scholarships, internships, and mentorship opportunities, and identifying specific research areas of mutual benefit to the Space Force and Georgia Tech.

R E Y N O L D S S E L E C T E D T O S E R V E A S B OA R D O F R E G E N T S C H A I R HAROLD REYNOLDS, IE 82, WILL CHAIR T H E 2 6 - M E M B E R S YS T E M T H A T S E R V E S 3 4 0 , 0 0 0 S T U D E N T S .

AT ITS NOVEMBER MEETING, the Board

universities, nine state universities, and

of Regents of the University System of

nine state colleges. Reynolds was ap-

Georgia (USG) elected Harold Reyn-

pointed to the Board of Regents by

olds, IE 82, to serve as its chair for

Gov. Brian P. Kemp in early 2020.

2022.

“I’m honored to ser ve as t he

“Chairing a university system that

next chair of the Board of Regents.

serves 340,000 students and drives

Throughout my tenure, I’ve focused

research, innovation, and economic

on improving student achievement

development across the state is a ma-

throughout the state,” Reynolds says.

in Atlanta), Coldwell Banker Lake

jor responsibility, and I am delighted

“Earning my degree at Georgia Tech,

Oconee Realty, and other subsidiar-

to see another distinguished Georgia

a USG institution, taught me how valu-

ies. Former Gov. Zell Miller appointed

Tech alumnus elected for the task,”

able a quality education can be. I

Reynolds to the State Board of Techni-

says Georgia Tech President Ángel

look forward to the road ahead and

cal and Adult Education, now known

Cabrera.

remain committed to putting students

as the Technical College System of

and their families first.”

Georgia. He served for 10 years as

With members appointed by the governor, the Board of Regents serves

Reynolds is the chief executive of-

the chairperson of the capital out-

as the governing and management

ficer of privately held BankSouth

lays committee and a two-year term

authority for 26 public higher-ed-

Holding Company. The company

as board chairman during the 13

ucation institutions: four research

owns and operates BankSouth, Bank-

years that he was a board member.

universities, four comprehensive

South Mortgage (headquartered

—INSTITUTE COMMUNICATIONS

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

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

You’ve got a lot to offer.

(We do, too.) Apply yourself.

CoxCareersATL.com

RESEARCH

MAKING MARTIAN ROCKET BIOFUEL ON MARS

BY JASON MADERER

BASELINE

35

16 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Neither exists on the red planet, which means they would need to be transported from Earth to power a return spacecraft into Martian orbit. That transportation is expensive: Ferrying the needed 30 tons of methane and LOX is estimated to cost around $8 billion. To reduce this cost, NASA has proposed using chemical catalysis to convert Martian carbon dioxide into LOX, though this still requires methane to be transported from Earth.

As an alternative, Georgia Tech researchers propose a biotechnologybased in situ resource utilization (bio-ISRU) strategy that can produce

NEW GRAVITATIONAL WAVE EVENTS—OR RIPPLES IN SPACE AND TIME CAUSED BY BLACK HOLES SMASHING INTO EACH OTHER—ARE IN THE LATEST CATALOG OF SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS RELEASED BY AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION OF SCIENTISTS, WHICH INCLUDES A TEAM FROM TECH.

NASA

the

a Mars-specific propellant for rockets and other propulsion devices. The Martian propellant, which is called 2,3-butanediol, is currently in existence, can be created by E. coli, and, on Earth, is used to make polymers for production of rubber.

The process is outlined in a paper, “Designing the bioproduction of Martian rocket propellant via a biotechnology-enabled in situ resource utilization strategy,” published in the journal Nature Communications.

Rocket engines departing Mars are currently planned to be fueled by methane and liquid oxygen (LOX).

ILLUSTRATION

GEORGIA TECH RESEARCHERS have developed a concept that would make Martian rocket fuel, on Mars, that could be used to launch future astronauts back to Earth.

The bioproduction process would use three resources native to the red planet: carbon dioxide (CO2), sunlight, and frozen water. It would also include transporting two microbes to Mars. The first would be cyanobacteria (algae), which would take CO2 from the Martian atmosphere and use sunlight to create sugars. An engineered E. coli, which would be shipped from Earth, would convert those sugars into

Future trips to Mars may be less costly with a new biotechnology process outlined by Georgia Tech researchers that could produce rocket fuel on the red planet.

both the propellant and LOX from CO2. The researchers say making the propellant on Mars using Martian resources could help reduce mission cost. Additionally, the bio-ISRU process generates 44 tons of excess clean oxygen that could be set aside to use for other purposes, such as supporting human colonization.

“Carbon dioxide is one of the only resources available on Mars. Knowing that biology is especially good at converting CO2 into useful products makes it a good fit for creating rocket fuel,” says Nick Kruyer, PhD ChE 21, first author of the study.

The paper outlines the process, which begins by ferrying plastic

44

materials to Mars that would be assembled into photobioreactors occupying an area the size of four football fields.

Cyanobacteria would grow in the reactors via photosynthesis (which requires carbon dioxide). Enzymes in a separate reactor would break down the cyanobacteria into sugars, which could be fed to the E. coli to produce the rocket propellant. The propellant would be separated from the E. coli fermentation broth using advanced separation methods.

The team’s research finds that the bio-ISRU strategy uses 32% less power (but weighs three times more) than the proposed chemically enabled strategy of shipping methane from Earth and producing oxygen via chemical catalysis.

Because the gravity on Mars is only one-third of what is felt on Earth, the researchers were able to be creative as they thought of potential fuels.

“You need a lot less energy for liftoff on Mars, which gave us the flexibility to consider different chemicals that aren’t designed for rocket launch on Earth,” says Pamela Peralta-Yahya, a corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in the School of Chemistry & Biochemistry who engineers microbes for the production of chemicals. “We started to consider ways to take advantage of the planet’s lower gravity and lack of oxygen to create solutions that aren’t relevant for Earth launches.”

“2,3-butanediol has been around

TONS OF EXCESS OXYGEN COULD BE SET ASIDE TO SUPPORT HUMANS ON MARS BY PRODUCING PROPELLANT AND LOX FROM CO2 USING MARTIAN RESOURCES, ACCORDING TO TECH RESEARCHERS.

15

for a long time, but we never thought about using it as a propellant. After analysis and preliminary experimental study, we realized that it is actually a good candidate,” says Wenting Sun, associate professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, who works on fuels.

The Georgia Tech team spans the entire campus. Chemists and chemical, mechanical, and aerospace engineers came together to develop the idea and the process to create a viable Martian fuel. In addition to Kruyer, Peralta-Yahya, and Sun, the group included Caroline Genzale, a combustion expert and associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and Matthew Realff, professor and David Wang Sr. Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, who is an expert in process synthesis and design.

The team is now looking to perform the biological and materials optimization identified to reduce the weight of the bio-ISRU process and make it lighter than the proposed chemical process. For example, improving the speed at which cyanobacteria grow on Mars will reduce the size of the photobioreactor, significantly lowering the payload required to transport the equipment from Earth.

The research was supported by a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Award.

PROJECT SITES HAVE BEEN STARTED BY THE PARTNERSHIP FOR INCLUSIVE INNOVATION, A PRIVATE-PUBLIC COALITION THAT INCLUDES GEORGIA TECH, WITHIN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

17

RESEARCH

N O T U R K E Y ? T E C H ’ S W E N DY W H I T E E X P L A I N S F O O D S U P P LY- C H A I N I S S U E S T H I S H O L I D AY S E AS O N , supply-chain

shipping and logistics segments of our

concerns added anxiety around rus-

food supply and it becomes appar-

tling up all the ingredients for a feast.

ent how [reliant] we sometimes are on

Many of us may not understand how

those imports.”

complicated it is to get cranberries

White says the American food

from the bog to the processor, then

industr y is robust and resilient.

cooked down and into a can and

Throughout the pandemic, manufac-

shipped to a distribution center and fi-

turers have had to continually pivot,

nally to a store so we can buy it and

and have done so with surprising suc-

have it on hand beside the turkey.

cess. Nevertheless, consumers might

“Supply chains are convoluted,”

the

BASELINE

explains Wendy White, a nationally

According to White, there are

known food safety and supply-chain

two primary drivers of price increas-

expert who works with the Georgia

es right now: labor shortages and

Manufacturing Extension Partnership

higher transportation costs. This isn’t

at Georgia Tech. Before joining aca-

limited to the United States; the Unit-

demia, White spent 17 years focused

ed Nations’ FAO (Food & Agricultural

on safety and regulatory compliance

Organization) Food Price Index states

in the food manufacturing and distri-

that across international markets,

bution industry.

we’re seeing the highest food pric-

“Formulated foods encompass a

es in 20 years. Domestically, some

lot of ingredients, and shortages can

food manufacturers are having trou-

be caused by breaks in the supply

ble staffing their facilities. To attract

chain for any of those ingredients,”

workers, they increase wages, which

she says.

in turn increases prices on products.

These issues are not always appar-

Also, when oil prices rise, the cost of

ent to the public, but we may feel the

transporting products increases. That

effects. Supply-chain concerns can

gets passed on to the consumer at the

mean grocery stores aren’t getting

grocery store as well.

shipments on time, and manufacturers

White says that while prices will

don’t always have all the ingredients

go up, she’s optimistic that it won’t be

needed to make their products.

enough to break the bank.

“We have a large global market,

Specialty items, especially those

and shipping something from anoth-

from abroad, however, might be

er part of the world has become so

more difficult to find or more expen-

easy for us in this day and age. Sourc-

sive, White says. Often these products

ing cheaper and different ingredients

are transported by ships, and con-

from different parts of the world has

gestion and backups at America’s

become commonplace,” says White.

ports may mean delays or scarcity.

“Now, we’re seeing bottlenecks in the

—STEVEN NORRIS

23.6%

18 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

see higher prices across the board.

PERCENTAGE LOWER LIKELIHOOD THAT BLACK MEN WOULD RECEIVE AN MRI EXAM FOLLOWING A PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA) BLOOD TEST, COMPARED TO THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS, ACCORDING TO A STUDY CONDUCTED BY TECH RESEARCHERS.

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19

VOLUME 97

ON THE FIELD

ISSUE 4

LEADING ON THE FLATS A new statue on Callaway Plaza honors legendary athletic director Homer Rice. Under Rice’s leadership from 1980 to 1997, Tech revitalized its athletics program and implemented the Total Person Program, which Rice developed at Tech. The program became the model for the NCAA Life Skills Program.

PHOTOGRAPH

GT ATHLETICS

22

FUELING UP FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

24

SPORTS SHORTS

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

21

ON THE FIELD

FUELING UP FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

WHAT ATHLETES EAT AND DRINK OFF THE FIELD MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY PERFORM ON IT. ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR LEAH THOMAS KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT THAT.

T

T O D A Y , Andy Ogletree, BA 20, is a professional golfer, touring the world and teeing off against the greatest players in the game. He owes a lot of the success to his coaches and teammates back at Georgia Tech. But when he’s out on the loop and he goes to his bag for a bite of a protein bar or a sip of Powerade, he sometimes thinks of Associate Athletic Director Leah Thomas.

In 2016, Ogletree was a freshman sitting in a room with his fellow Tech golfers, waiting for a team meeting to begin. The squad was fresh off a disappointing result at a tournament that they were expected to win. They had been in the lead coming down to the last few holes but faded late and couldn’t hold onto the win. Now, the players snapped to attention as then Tech sports dietitian Thomas entered the room and offered a suggestion on how they might improve their performance—by changing the way they snacked on the course.

Ogletree had spent days on fairways 22 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

BY TONY REHAGEN

Former student-athletes like pro golfer Andy Ogletree (inset) credit Tech’s Leah Thomas for helping them reach peak performance with sports nutrition.

and greens since he was a kid without giving a second thought to what he ate or drank. “I was one of those guys who was so into what I was doing on the golf course that I’d forget to eat,” says Ogletree. “[When Thomas spoke to us,] the entire team was super interested. None of us had considered our eating routines while playing.”

By now, Thomas was used to her work being a revelation to athletes.

When the Tech athletic department first brought her on board as director of nutrition in 2003, only about 10 schools nationwide had such a position devoted to athletics. Thomas

didn’t realize that sports nutrition wasn’t a big thing when she got her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she ran track and cross country and was constantly mindful of what she put in her body and how it affected her performance. “It definitely sparked an interest in fueling correctly,” says Thomas. “I knew what I wanted to do for my career.”

After getting her master’s in exercise physiology, Thomas came to Tech looking to make an impact wherever she could. She helped baseball and

football players lose and put on weight in a healthy way. She helped tennis players and basketball players lose fat and gain body mass. She hoped that her work had a positive impact on performance, but also on health—both physical and mental. While the coaches and athletes were receptive across all sports, they were unfamiliar with the idea. “I understood, when I was a runner, it wasn’t a huge topic either,” says Thomas. “But a lot of athletes had an innate interest in eating right.”

Then about 10 years ago, the culture shifted and suddenly everyone was talking about nutrition. Thomas believes the change coincided with the advent of pro teams and colleges incorporating analytics and sports science into their preparation. It made

A “SNACK ATTACK” FOR THE GREENS Golfers, like all athletes, need the proper fuel to stay focused throughout the course. Here’s a “snack attack” plan that Thomas created for golfers:

For the FIRST SIX HOLES, snack lightly on carbs and protein with a fruit bar or lean-meat stick.

For the MIDDLE OF THE COURSE, eat a heartier meal that includes an energy base, such as a protein bar or trail mix.

To FINISH THE COURSE, keep your cognitive functions

“GOLF ISN’T WHAT COMES IMMEDIATELY TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT FITNESS AND CONDITIONING,” SAYS THOMAS.

sense: If a player now believed that a technical understanding of physics and data could help them succeed on the field, why not nutritional science and hydration? Today, there’s only one school in the entire ACC that doesn’t have a dietitian, and most of them have entire staffs of scientists helping student-athletes watch what they eat.

About five years ago, Thomas was starting to think about sports she hadn’t worked much with during her tenure. “Golf isn’t what comes immediately to mind when you think about fitness and conditioning,” says Thomas. “But they were in the weight room like everyone else.”

Thomas was present at the 2016 tournament where the favored Yellow Jackets faded down the stretch.

She came back to campus and dove into her research. She came up with a detailed, three-phase plan of snack attack on the 18-hole loop: For the first six holes, nibble on carbs and protein (a fruit bar, some nuts, or a lean-meat stick) for some quick fuel; for the next six, make more of a meal calorie-wise to lay an energy base (a protein bar or trail mix); and for the final six, just simple carbs (energy chews) to keep

cognitive function sharp to close out the tournament and finish strong.

Thomas also prescribed a certain amount of water or Powerade per hole, to stay hydrated. She even polled each player on their preferences and then pre-portioned each phase to put in their golf bags for each tournament. “Every round, you’re spending eight hours on the golf course; no matter when you play, you’re missing a meal,” says Ogletree. “So, you replace those meals with snacks. I didn’t have any idea the effect that was having on my body.”

Thomas is reluctant to take even a small share of credit for a win or championship, much less a Tech athlete graduating to the pros. She just hopes that she was a part of the larger team effort and a positive influence on each student-athlete’s life, on and off the field. Ogletree, meanwhile, is happy to brag for her. “She was very important to us,” he says. “Coming down the stretch, you need that little bit of extra energy. In golf, every tournament comes down to the last few holes. If you save one shot at the end of the round, it’s a big deal.”

sharp with simple carbs like energy chews.

One round of golf might last eight hours, which means most golfers are missing a meal. Snacks can help replace those lost calories and keep golfers sharp throughout the course.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

23

SPORTS SHORTS TWO ALUMNI INDUCTED I N T O S K Y D I V I N G H A L L O F FA M E CHRIS GAY AND IAN BOBO took differ-

make his first jump, where he instantly

ent paths to Tech’s Sport Parachute

got hooked—so SPC seemed like a nat-

Club (SPC) when they were students.

ural next step.

“Whether it was with an umbrella

Their achievements have occurred

or cape, I was always trying to fly as

both in and beyond the club. Gay has

a kid,” says Gay, EE 87, MS EE 90. “I

either participated in or helped set

fell in love the instant I saw the club.”

more than 15 skydiving world records.

Gay, along with other skydivers, jumped into Bobby Dodd Stadium before the start of Georgia Tech’s football game against Boston College on November 13.

Bobo, IE 94, built remote control

Bobo is one of the only people to win

models of planes with his father, an

world championships in two different

degrees to advance the safety and ed-

aerospace engineer from Tech. After

skydiving disciplines, formation sky-

ucation of the sport. The two alumni

hearing of a drop zone in Georgia,

diving and canopy piloting. The two

were recently inducted into the skydiv-

he waited until he was old enough to

men have also used their engineering

ing hall of fame.—CONNOR WHITE

C H O I C E N A M E D B R OY L E S A W A R D N O M I N E E Arkansas head coach and athlet-

GEORGIA TECH running backs coach

in program history in 2020.

ics director Frank Broyles, IM 47, the

He played running back at Tech

award is presented annually to col-

from 2005 to ‘07 and was one of

lege football’s top assistant coach.

the most decorated student-athletes

In his first two seasons as running

in program history. In just three sea-

backs coach at his alma mater, Choice

sons, he ran for 3,365 yards and

coached a freshman All-American

scored 28 touchdowns, marks that

and two All-ACC honorees.

still rank fourth and sixth in school

In his role as offensive recruiting

history. He went on to enjoy an NFL

nominees for the 2021 Frank Broyles

coordinator, he was instrumental in

career with the Dallas Cowboys, the

Award, the Frank & Barbara Broyles

helping put together consecutive high-

former Washington Redskins, the

Foundation announced. Named after

ly ranked recruiting classes at Tech,

Buffalo Bills, and the Indianapolis

Georgia Tech alumnus and longtime

including only the second top-25 class

Colts.—GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS

CUBAJ, L AHTINEN TA B B E D T O N A T I O N A L WATCH LISTS

Award All American Team and Most

Coaches’ All-American honorable

Outstanding Player Award, were an-

mention accolades last season.

GEORGIA TECH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VETERANS Lorela Cubaj and Lotta-Maj Lahtinen were recently named to the

nounced after a national committee

Lahtinen was named the ACC Most

of college basketball experts deter-

Improved Player last season after av-

mined the recipients. The winner will

eraging 15.0 points per game to lead

be presented by Wendy’s following

the Jackets. She was one of only six

the NCAA Tournament in April.

players in the ACC to score 30 points

The reigning ACC Co-Defensive

or more in a game. Lahtinen has also

by Wendy’s Women’s Preseason Top

Player of the Year, Cubaj collect-

garnered WBCA NCAA Division I

50 Watch List. The list of early front-

ed all-ACC first team honors, ACC

Coaches’ All-America honorable men-

runners for the most prestigious hon-

all-tournament team (second) recog-

tion honors last season.—GEORGIA

ors in college basketball, the Wooden

nition, and WBCA NCAA Division I

TECH ATHLETICS

24 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

NATHAN TOUCHBERRY

John R. Wooden Award presented

PHOTOGRAPH

Tashard Choice, HTS 07, is one of 59

ALEXANDER-THARPE FUND

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is a division of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association and serves as the primary fundraising arm for all facilities, endowments and current operations. The A-T Fund community plays a critical role in shaping the future of the Yellow Jackets.

P HHII L A N TH ROPY AT WORK SINCE 2017 GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS HAS SEEN INCREASED SUPPORT AND INCREASED RESULTS How It Started (2017)

$

HOw It’s Going (2021)

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M RAISED

• Men’s Basketball: 11th Place Finish • Women’s Basketball: ACC 9th Place Finish • Men’s Golf: 2 US Amateur Open Champions • 3 of 17 Teams - NCAA Championship Appearances • 9 All-Americans

M RAISED

• Men’s Basketball: ACC Champions • Women’s Basketball: ACC 3rd Place – NCAA Sweet 16 • Men’s Golf: 4 US Amateur Open Champions • 11 of 17 Teams - NCAA Championship Appearances • 26 All-Americans

The momentum for Georgia Tech Athletics is real. Just like we couldn’t have gotten the momentum rolling without your support in 2020-21, we need you to keep it going. Consider supporting the AlexanderTharpe Fund to ensure future academic and athletic success.

Scan the QR code to learn more about 2021-2022 fundraising priorities!

We still need you!

Our goal is to cover the costs of all tuition for studentathletes through philanthropy.

RECENT AVERAGE:

$10M SCHOLARSHIP COSTS

$4.5M REMAINING TO RAISE $2.5M ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND

$3M SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT DISTRIBUTIONS

TO LEARN MORE VISIT www.atfund.org or call (404) 894-5414 GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

25

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VOLUME 97

IN THE WORLD

ISSUE 4

SEASONAL SUSTENANCE Award-winning chef Steven Satterfield, Arch 92, cooked up this golden-hued winter squash for the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Find the recipe on page 32.

PHOTOGRAPH

BEN ROLLINS

30

EATING SEASONALLY

34

PAELLA: A FAMILY TRADITION

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

29

IN THE WORLD

EATING SEASONALLY

IN THE KITCHEN WITH AWARD-WINNING CHEF STEVEN SATTERFIELD, ARCH 92.

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

Named “Best Chef: Southeast,” Steven Satterfield serves up fresh, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients on the menu at Miller Union, the restaurant he cofounded in 2009.

30 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS

BEN ROLLINS

I

I F Y O U S U B S T I T U T E M A T E R I A L S — c e me nt for celery, rebar for rhubarb—an architect is not that different from a chef. The process of transforming one raw substance into something new and inspiring is quite similar, says Steven Satterfield, Arch 92.

Satterfield is executive chef and cofounder of Miller Union, a restaurant on Atlanta’s Westside that serves seasonal dishes with Southern flair.

Building a menu around the harvests of the season makes use of Satterfield’s creative, out-of-the-box thinking—a mindset he honed in Tech’s School of Design.

“I work with organic material, not structures, so there is a very different kind of expression, but training your brain to think about materials and their form and function is very similar,” he explains.

After graduating in 1992, Satterfield played and toured in a rock band called Seely before switching careers in 2009 to start Miller Union with Neal McCarthy. Rustic, farmhouse-style dishes made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients have garnered accolades for the restaurant and for Satterfield himself, who was named “Best Chef: Southeast” by the James Beard Foundation in 2017.

Inside and beyond his restaurant’s kitchen, Satterfield is an advocate for seasonal cooking and sustainable practices. He serves on the board of Slow Food Atlanta and is a member of the City of Atlanta’s Food Waste Committee. His 2015 book, Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons, espouses the value of reducing food waste through the creative use of all parts of a vegetable. He’s at work on a new book about vegetables, expected to be released in Spring 2023.

“The little things can really add up,” says Satterfield, of seasonal eating. “You can start by going to your local farmer’s market, talking with farmers there, and buying fresh produce.” Make a seasonal ingredient the star of a main dish and save the rest of it to make two or even three dishes later.

Winter squash, which can be stored for several months, can be hollowed out, baked, and stuffed with spiced pork and mushrooms (see recipe on the next page), while the leftover squash seeds can be roasted and added to granola or simmered and pureed for a flavorful broth.

Greens like Swiss chard, collards, and mustards in Georgia are plentiful in the winter—and with a little imagination, so too are the ways to eat them, Satterfield says.

“When you have fresh produce, you can see how just by changing the way you slice and dice it can enhance the

Start cooking seasonally by visiting your local farmer’s market and seeing what’s fresh and in season, says chef Steven Satterfield.

flavors,” he says.

Collard greens are a great example. Most people separate the leaves from the stems, which are woody and slightly bitter. “The most effective way to cut the stalks is crosswise and in shorter pieces. That makes them easier to chew and digest,” Satterfield says. Enjoy the stalks raw, sautéed, or grilled.

They can enhance a dish with an umami flavor, he adds.

“Eating seasonally requires exploration and approaching each vegetable in a tiered way, thinking about the main dish, the ancillary byproducts, and finally, what can be composted,” Satterfield says.

Twice a week a local composting service picks up kitchen scraps and leftover food from Miller Union. Restaurant staff separate waste and recycling in-house, and a glass hauler comes by for glass waste.

“Sustainability is constantly evolving based on new things that we learn, but it’s been part of our restaurant from the beginning,” Satterfield says.

JOIN US IN MARCH

for a month-long series on career change. Hear stories from alumni like Satterfield who have made major career shifts. For on demand resources to start your journey today go to www.gtalumni.org/career.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

31

IN THE WORLD

STUFFED SQUASH INGREDIENTS 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded

½ pound ground pork (substitute ground turkey or cooked chickpeas) 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms 1 chili pepper, chopped

1. / Cut the squash into halves and scoop out

2. / Season the squash halves with salt, place in

3. / Sauté the pork, mushrooms, chili pepper,

4. / Add the ground pepper, nutmeg, clove,

6. / Place the stuffed squash back into the oven

7. / Garnish with greens.

the seeds to create a hollow for the mixture.

4 ounces pecan pieces,

a baking pan, and bake at 350°Fahrenheit for 55 minutes.

roasted 1 shallot, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1-inch fresh ginger root, minced

½ teaspoon each: ground white pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, ground clove, and ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons cane vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1 handful mustard greens, arugula, or mizuna

pecans, shallot, garlic, and ginger on the stove for 6-7 minutes.

5. / Spoon the stuffing into the squash halves.

32 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

for 10 minutes to warm.

and cinnamon and splashes of vinegar.

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IN THE WORLD

PAELL A: A FAMILY TRADITION BY ÁNGEL CABRERA, MS PSY 93, PHD PSY 95

T

THE CABRERA PAELL A TRADITION began in Benicàssim, a beautiful beach town in Valencia, where Beth, the kids, and I like to spend time in the summer. Valencia happens to be the riceproducing region in Spain and the place where paella originated.

Years ago, my friend Miguel invited us to a paella lunch, and I accepted under the condition that he would let me be his sous-chef. That day proved to be transformative in our family’s culinary journey. I continued to build on my learnings from that day and, years later, I even dared to cook paella for Spanish celebrity chef and global philanthropist José Andrés. I could have hung up my apron after peaking so spectacularly, but I kept going.

The “recipe” I will share here is the result of years of practice—and, as a disclaimer, doesn’t come with the blessings of either Miguel or Chef José Andrés.

This one-of-a-kind paella pan was a gift that Pres. Cabrera received this Homecoming from alumnus Bobby Maxwell, IM 81, of Thomasville, Ga.

My paella, like all my cooking, is more intuitive than prescriptive, and trying to codify anything I cook is nearly impossible. Because of my love for Georgia Tech, I’ll give it my best here.

***

Paella is cooked on a special-purpose pan that is actually called “paella” in the language spoken in Valencia—thus the name of the dish. Heat your paella pan on a nice wood fire. Your grill or kitchen stove will also do—especially with modern pans that are good at distributing the heat. Pour good olive oil into the pan, being careful not to burn it. I can’t tell you how much oil. You just have to feel it and let the fun begin.

Dice and sear a few chicken breasts—well fried until golden brown or, like Miguel likes to cry, “¡bien fritito!” Push the chicken toward the rim of the pan and throw in some diced red or yellow peppers. When they start to brown, push them also to the rim and add two or three peeled and diced tomatoes. Once fried, push them also to the rim and add other vegetables. Feel free to experiment with artichoke hearts or your favorite veggies—I’ve even used eggplant. You can be excommunicated if you admit in public to using onions in paella, although many do. If you do, don’t tell anyone I told you. Green peas, snow peas are great. Maybe green beans if you’re so inclined (no thanks).

Please no brussels sprouts. Garlic, parsley, and salt are a must. And paprika, but only if you have the deliciously

“THIS IS SERIOUS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COOK PAELLA WITH ANY OTHER

RICE BESIDES ‘ARROZ BOMBA.’ THEY SELL IT ONLINE. TRUST ME ON THIS.”

34 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

smoky variety produced in La Vera, Cáceres, near my mom’s hometown. Otherwise, don’t bother.

I know it’s super expensive, but this is when I add a few strands of saffron. It makes paella taste amazing.

Next, add water. As a reference for the amount of water to add, look to fill the pan up to the screws that connect the handles to the pan. Bring all to a boil. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

This would be the perfect time to add a few shrimp, but please don’t behead the poor fellows. Squid would be great, too, or maybe clams and mussels, but don’t overdo it. The key to a good paella is good rice, so don’t bury it in animal protein.

Finally, add the rice. This is serious. Do not attempt to cook paella with any other rice besides “arroz bomba.” They sell it online. Trust me on this. How much? Forget grams or ounces or cups. Add four little mountains of rice so they barely emerge from your broth. Four rice icebergs, so to speak.

Lower the fire, spread the rice, and let it sit for 25 minutes.

“BRING THE PAELLA TO THE TABLE TO SERVE. DON’T WORRY IF THE BOTTOM OF THE RICE IS SLIGHTLY CHARRED. IN SPAIN WE FIGHT FOR THAT BURNT LAYER OF RICE— WE EVEN HAVE A NAME FOR IT, SOCARRAT , FROM THE VALENCIÀ LANGUAGE.” Do not panic thinking you have too much broth or rice. Relax with a glass of Rioja.

Talk with friends. Leave the paella alone.

Remove the paella from the heat. Cover with kitchen cloths. In Valencia, they cover it with the local newspaper and even claim out-of-town newspapers don’t do the trick.

I’m not convinced. Clean kitchen towels do just fine.

Decorate. Bring the paella to the table to serve. Don’t worry if the bottom of the rice is slightly charred. In Spain we fight for that burnt layer of rice—we even have a name for it, socarrat, from the Valencià language.

Serve with fresh lemon or homemade aioli.

Accompany with a fresh, simple, green salad. Open another bottle of Rioja. Take your time and enjoy!

Michelin Chef José Andrés and Ángel Cabrera cooking paella.

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FOOD n

GOOD Meet the Tech alumni

fighting to put diversity, equity, and sustainability on the menu.

KELLEY FREUND

36 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Can a takeout order of moo shu pork help stop racism? Or can a glass of wine inspire diversity in the industry? And is it possible for a small garden planted in a utility corridor to ensure a community has fresh produce?

The alumni featured on the following pages say yes. These Ramblin’ Wrecks are dishing up a big helping of good, using food, drink, and their talents to make our world a better place. Let’s dig in.

PHOTOGRAPH OF CARLY QUEEN

CASEY CRAIN

URBAN

SUSTAINABILITY

For Carly Queen, sustainability has always been an important part of her life. Growing up on a farm in North Carolina, she was surrounded by vegetable gardens and orchards. Later, to save money for school, Queen worked as a canvasser, raising funds for environmental organizations. And as a student at Georgia Tech, Queen, ME 09, MS CE 16, M CRP 16, helped to found Students Organizing for Sustainability, which led campaigns for more sustainable dining options and a recycling and composting program, and brought the

As president of the board of directors for Groundwork Atlanta, Carly Queen helps lead sustainable farming projects.

first community garden to campus.

Today, Queen, a 2021 40 Under 40 honoree, works as a sustainable transportation specialist for AECOM, where she directs transportation planning and engineering efforts focused on reducing pedestrian and cyclist crashes, injuries, and fatalities. But she also has a sustainability side-hustle: board president of Groundwork Atlanta, an organization that works to advance environmental projects that improve communities and quality of life in Atlanta.

“I focus on sustainable transportation, and I thought this would be a great way to continue that holistic approach to community sustainability and global sustainability,” Queen says of her decision to get involved. She began by volunteering to help with a survey and became a founding board member in 2015.

When the president position opened in 2017, Queen knew her experience leading Students Organizing for Sustainability provided valuable lessons.

“It was challenging leading an organization from its starting point, but we had success in changing campus policies and practices, and that gave me confidence,” Queen says. “So when I had the chance to lead Groundwork Atlanta, I was willing to try.

One of the biggest things Georgia Tech teaches you is how to figure things out, how to learn, how to teach yourself what GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

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Carly Queen (third from right) with Groundwork Atlanta staff and board members at the Browns Mill Urban Food Forest, which is in an area identified as a food desert.

“One of the biggest things Georgia Tech teaches you is how to figure things out, how to learn, how to teach yourself what you need to know in order to succeed.”

ERIK VOSS

38 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

to enjoy, and Groundwork Atlanta hopes to bring that resource back to residents. Groundwork Atlanta also helps put on a local food festival, AgLanta Eats, to raise funds and support for AgLanta programs. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the event will return to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Aug. 29, 2022.

All the AgLanta programs are part of a mission to advance Atlanta’s local food system and ensure that 85 percent of Atlanta residents are within a half-mile of fresh food by 2022.

“I had good lessons early in life about eating organic and healthy food,” Queen says. “I can tell that has resulted in huge benefits in my life. Not just physically, but my mental health and my ability to think has come from eating healthy, fresh food. Everybody should have access to that and be able to have their bodies and minds as healthy as they can be.”

PHOTOGRAPH

you need to know in order to succeed.”

Under Queen’s leadership for the past five years, Groundwork Atlanta launched AgLanta Grows-a-Lot, which converts vacant city properties and Georgia Power utility corridor lots into urban farms and community gardens that are leased by residents, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and farmers. Some lessees are focused on building a business selling produce and flowers, while others, such as nonprofits, work to feed those in need. The program currently has eight sites across the city, with plans to activate more in the future.

In 2019, the program was a finalist for the Engaged Cities Award by Cities of Service.

In addition to its Grows-a-Lot program, Queen’s organization is also helping to reactivate a 7-plus-acre farm located in a food desert in southeast Atlanta. The farm’s former owners used to leave excess produce on fence posts for neighbors

Donae Burston is a trailblazer in the rosé market, and he’s pushing for greater inclusivity and representation in the luxury wine industry.

RAISE A GLASS

PHOTOGRAPH

RON HILL

FOR Diversity

Donae Burston first had rosé wine when he visited Saint-Tropez in France for his 30th birthday—although at first he thought it was white Zinfandel.

“But when I learned it was French rosé, I fell in love with it,” he says. “It became this nostalgic thing that takes me back to the South of France.”

Burston, IE 98, has spent more than 15 years working in the wine and spirits industry. But his career didn’t begin there. After earning a degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech, he took a job in information technology consulting, where he found himself working in the basement of a hospital. He wasn’t loving it. Then a friend who did promotions for a liquor brand asked Burston to help out at an event, handing out drink tickets. The perk? He’d get into the club for free.

From there, Burston began moonlighting for different companies and brands, helping out at events. He eventually got a job as an ambassador for a liquor brand, and went on to work with companies like Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, and Hennessy. Throughout those 15 years, he noticed that the industry seemed to be alienating people of color because it lacked insight into what those consumers wanted.

“There just wasn’t a brand speaking to me as a man, or to multicultural consumers,” Burston says. “Everything was about flowers and pink. Every brand was talking to white women.”

Burston had a goal: to create a rosé that would appeal to a multicultural audience. While in France for a work event, he met the owner of a vineyard, and when Burston mentioned his idea, the two decided to collaborate. The result was La Fête du Rosé, which launched officially in 2019. Today, it’s available for purchase nationwide and at big retailers like Target, Whole Foods, and Costco in select markets. Burston marketed the wine as a lifestyle brand and focused on its universal appeal. He organized theme parties and festivals to reach different demographics, then posted on social media.

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“There just wasn’t a brand speaking to me as a man, or to multicultural consumers,” Burston says. “Everything was about flowers and pink. Every brand was talking to white women.”

Burston’s goal is for La Fête du Rosé to appeal to a multicultural audience.

Eventually, La Fête du Rosé gained some high-profile fans, like Michael Strahan.

“We want to be the No. 1 luxury rosé brand in the U.S., and possibly the world,” Burston says. “But more importantly, we want to change the idea of rosé.”

Burston also wants to help change the wine industry as a whole. It’s estimated that of the 8,000 wineries in the United States, only 0.1 percent of winemakers and brand owners are Black. Last year, La Fête du Rosé gave $25,000 to The Roots Fund, an organization that is working to diversify the wine industry by providing funding and opportunities to people of color. Burston’s brand also donated $10,000 to AllAbroad.org, an Atlanta-based organization that provides 40 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

local high school kids with travel experiences. Burston’s donations helped pay for some of the trips, as well as passports.

“Travel was so important to me as a postgraduate and made me who I am today.” Burston says. “But many minority kids don’t have those opportunities. I wanted to give those experiences back to underserved and underprivileged kids. If they have those experiences early on, it will broaden their horizons and make them see there’s something beyond their block.”

FIGHTING

ANTI-ASIAN HATE

Chef Tim Ma, EE 00, didn’t attend culinary school until he was 30. Ma is the son of Chinese immigrants, and it was his parents’ dream that their children attend good American schools, so he found himself studying engineering at Tech.

But Ma grew up around the restaurant industry. His parents and both his uncles owned restaurants, and his aunt wrote a cookbook.

“I think there was an unstoppable propensity that led me to end up with a restaurant,” Ma says. “It was in my blood. So I left the older generation’s American dream to pursue my American dream.”

Ending a 12-year career in the defense industry as a hardware engineer, Ma moved to New York City to attend the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center). Since then, Ma has opened a variety of award-winning restaurant ventures, from Maple Ave, which was ranked No. 1 in Northern Virginia in 2013, to his first Washington, D.C., restaurant, Kyirisan, which won awards such as Michelin Top chef Tim Ma cofounded Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate.

Guide’s Bib Gourmand and an annual recurring spot in the Washington Post’s Best Restaurants Dining Guide. In November of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, Ma founded Lucky Danger, his take on American Chinese takeout. Ma also serves as culinary director for Laoban Dumplings and is in the process of opening a sports bar.

“The projects I worked on in engineering would take years to complete, and sometimes they were never completed,” says Ma. “But the interesting thing about food is that you see the results of this thing you created immediately, in the reaction of your guests. There’s something about that pace of cooking that makes it much more interesting to me than engineering was.”

Since becoming a chef in the Washington, D.C., area, Ma has consistently aligned himself with a few nonprofits. But when incidents of AAPI hate began occurring earlier this past year, the need to do something became more urgent and more personal.

“I sat down with a good friend and fellow chef and thought about what we could do,” Ma says. “It felt like we had a responsibility to do something because we have this platform that’s public. We decided to use that for a cause that was close to us. Because when I watched videos of Asian-Americans being attacked, those people looked just like my mom and dad,” Ma says.

So the two chefs used their cooking talents to help. They formed Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, hosting a takeout series to raise awareness and funds for AAPI organizations combating anti-Asian violence. The series quickly sold out and received interest from chefs around the country who wanted to contribute to the initiative, spreading the project from D.C. to New York, Detroit, and San Francisco. Each week in May, to coincide with AAPI Heritage Month, a rotating roster of chefs each cooked a dish for a five-course takeout experience, inspired by the importance of food and familystyle meals within the AAPI community. The money raised went to national AAPI organizations, as well as local organizations in those four cities. While some participating chefs were Asian-American like Ma, those who were not provided their own interpretation of Asian food in America.

“Food is typically a person’s first introduction into another person’s culture,” Ma says. “And that’s what has been great about the nonprofit: We are introducing people to many different Asian cultures, through food.”

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Enjoy a taste of the dozens of food & beverage companies owned and run by Yellow Jackets.

Check out our full food & beverage guide and see what Burdell would order at each spot at gtalumni.org/food.

THE PASTRY ENGINEER

page 47

KETTLEROCK BREWING

page 44

MUKJA: KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

page 46

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WAFFLE HOUSE

page 48

ANTIGUA CERVEZA

CASEY-MO’S COOKIES

page 50

page 49

From chili to cookies to a cold cerveza, Georgia Tech alumni bring spirited energy to the food and beverage marketplace.

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Located in Peachtree Corners, this family-ownedand-operated brewery is buzzing with Georgia Tech grads.

TA K E A S I P A L O N G S I D E A FA M I LY O F Y E L L O W J A C K E T S AT

KETTLEROCK

g n i w e br

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR at

Kettlerock Brewing, a recent addition to metro Atlanta’s surging craft beer scene. At the not-yet-one-year-old brewery in Peachtree Corners, someone in the six-member, Georgia Tech–educated Peet family touches every aspect of the operation.

The family matriarch and Kettlerock CEO, Dianna Peet, ICS 79, 44 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

brought her artistic sensibilities to the brewery’s design and branding.

Husband Stephen Peet, ME 80, leveraged years of project management skills with AT&T to guide the brewery’s construction and now oversees its finances.

Oldest son Sterling Peet, CS 16, is Kettlerock’s head brewer and resident mad scientist whose weekday job consists of building satellites and

propulsion systems at Tech’s Space Systems Design Laboratory. Though second-born son Taylor Peet, CS 14, officially holds the title of brewery operations manager, the running family joke holds that his “real job” is keeping Sterling in check. Meanwhile, the youngest two Peet children, Devon Peet, CM 15, MS HCI 18, and Christa Peet, CS 17, MS HCI 19, drive Kettlerock’s marketing efforts.

“Everyone pitches in everywhere,” Dianna assures. “That’s the way it goes here.”

The collaborative, all-hands-ondeck feel at Kettlerock shouldn’t be surprising, given that opening a brewery was a collective family decision.

Drinking beers one night, someone— no one can confirm who—suggested opening a brewery. The offer generated immediate laughter, followed by earnest reflection.

“After all,” Dianna says, “we had all the skills to do it.”

After months of intense market research that included visiting breweries, surveying the legal landscape, and sending Stephen, Sterling, and Taylor to a conference in Vermont designed to help homebrewers pursue commercial operations—“It was like drinking from a fire hose,” Stephen says of that four-day event—the Peets’ entrepreneurial effort intensified in early 2020.

Powered by a standing family business meeting every Monday night, the Peets secured a storefront in Peachtree Corners, the community Stephen and Dianna have called home for more than three decades, strengthened their business plan, and generated community interest by capturing top honors in Gwinnett County’s Amazing Entrepreneur Contest.

“People say all the time, ‘I don’t

Each member of the Peet family plays a part in operating Kettlerock, from the youngest Peet children, who drive marketing efforts, to the oldest son, who serves as head brewmaster and resident mad scientist.

know if I could work with my kids,’ but they’ve stepped up in every way,” Dianna says of her four children, all former Tech marching band members accustomed to disciplined, synergistic action.

Since May 2021, Kettlerock Brewing has welcomed guests into its cozy, 5,000-square-foot space on Peachtree Parkway. Pulling its name from North Carolina’s Kettle Rock Mountain,

The Kettlerock crew produces its beer on site, crafting more than 450 gallons of beer each month for the establishment’s 10 taps. The Trailhead blonde ale has emerged as an early fan favorite, though Sterling and Taylor—longtime homebrewers and self-identifying “beer nerds”—experiment with styles ranging from New England IPAs and imperial stouts to German lagers and wee heavies to diversify Kettlerock’s lineup and entice guests’ exploration.

In one particularly interesting twist, Kettlerock offers four rotating syrup

The Kettlerock crew produces its beer on site, crafting more than 450 gallons of beer each month. the 150-seat taproom carries an outdoorsy, mountain lodge feel with its stone fireplace, bear-themed rug, and natural wood tabletops, a deliberate contrast to the industrial vibe so commonplace in U.S. breweries.

flavors, such as wildberry, lychee, and habanero lime, that can be pumped into its Variable Conditions kettle sour beer and Base Layer hard seltzer for a touch of liquid customization.

Eager to build on Kettlerock’s early success, the Peets continue adding live entertainment to the taproom, plotting new recipes for the brewery’s imaginative barrel-aged program, and developing plans for both canning and distribution.

“As a bunch of Georgia Tech engineers, we have a handle on the chemistry aspect that goes into beermaking,” Devon says. “Combine that with a dash of family love, and that’s the magic formula.”

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One of Atlanta’s hottest new restaurants, Mukja started with two roommates and a killer recipe for fried chicken.

DEVOUR SOME KOREAN FRIED C H I C K E N I N M I D T O W N AT

were soon welcoming a revolving cast of guests into their apartment, including prominent Atlanta area chefs, to trial the ballyhooed recipe.

“Universally, everyone told us it would sell,” Chung says.

When one of those early visitors offered an investment to open a restaurant, Chung and Chang tabled any other professional thoughts and placed a bet that Korean food would trend in Atlanta much like it was in New York and L.A. “We saw the upside and wanted to be an early mover,” Chung says.

At Mukja, which translates to “Let’s

a j k u m WHY WOULD a newly minted Georgia

Tech grad ditch a potentially lucrative career in finance to open a fast casual restaurant—amid the pandemic, no less—dishing up a startling mashup of the American South and Korea?

“Honestly, this felt like an opportunity we might never see again,” says Peter Chung, BA 19, who teamed with Sean Chang to open Mukja in Midtown Atlanta in October 2020.

After Chang, a Georgia State student and Chung’s collegiate roommate, produced a delectable dish blending Southern-style fried chicken with Korean-powered flavors and cooking techniques, Chung invited friends over to the pair’s apartment for a taste.

“It was incredible,” Chung says.

“And I mean incredible.”

So much so that Chung and Chang 46 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Peter Chung, BA 19 (left), and cofounder Sean Chang at Mukja in Midtown Atlanta.

eat!” in Korean, Chang’s original fried chicken recipe is the undeniable star.

Combined with Korean-inspired sides like roasted kimchi-infused mac & cheese as well as corn cheese, a Korean staple featuring buttered sweet corn, bell peppers, onion, and mozzarella, Mukja offers an East-meets-West culinary experience complemented by the restaurant’s dramatic décor— charcoal-colored walls punctuated by a vibrant street-art graphic paying homage to Chung and Chang’s cultural duality as the American-born sons of Korean immigrants.

“Mukja is something new and refreshing for fried chicken and an expression of our cultural identity,” Chung says. “It’s a different concept and that’s why it’s working.”

Kia Benion took her twin loves for baking and science and mixed them up into a crafty business idea that makes science more relatable and enjoyable for middle and high schoolers.

STING

’EM! + + + + +

2 OZ GIN (CAN SUB VODKA) 1 OZ FRESH LEMON JUICE 1 OZ HONEY OR SIMPLE SYRUP 0.5 OZ FRESH ORANGE JUICE PINCH CAYENNE PEPPER

Combine gin, lemon juice, honey, orange juice, and pinch of cayenne. Fill with ice and shake until frosted. Strain into coupe glass and garnish with lemon peel.

G R A B A C U P C A K E , A C O C K TA I L , A N D SOME SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE FROM

THE PASTRY

other tasty treats to make science more relatable and enjoyable for middle and high school students.

While the pandemic halted Benion’s onsite demonstrations and sparked a move to virtual events, it also compelled Benion to answer growing calls for adult programming and to incorporate cocktail training.

“From the breakdown of the chemical compounds to the flavor pairings, the scientific approach to cocktails is similar to baking,” Benion says, noting that juniper, the botanical found in all gins, features 28 chemical compounds carrying notes such as citrus, floral, and pine.

Benion has since directed teambuilding events and workshops for a client list that includes AT&T and Morningstar.

She also led a class for the Georgia Tech Women’s Alumnae Network in which she unveiled a custom cocktail called the Sting ’Em, a Bee’s Knees spinoff infused with additional citrus components and spice.

For Benion, a self-professed lover of red velvet cake and gin-based cocktails, crafting food and drink provides a gateway to scientific understanding as well as heightened confidence and deeper human connections.

“Food is such an important piece of how we build community and show up for one another,” the Chicago native says. “If I can give people the tools to execute in the kitchen, I know that can bring good to people’s lives.”

R E E N I ENG

PHOTOGRAPH

VETT PETTY, STC 13, MS PP 15

IN BETWEEN undergraduate civil engineering courses at

Georgia Tech centered around topics like building design and planning, Kia Benion, CE 13, crafted cupcakes, cookies, mini-pies, and other goodies for Soco Sweets, her dessert catering company. While baking and civil engineering seemed disparate fields to most, Benion reveled in the similarities.

“Both rely on formulas, ratios, and analysis, which I thought was wonderful,” Benion says.

So wonderful, in fact, it became a business when Benion launched The Pastry Engineer in 2017. Through partnerships with schools and summer camps around Atlanta, Dallas, and Chicago, Benion uses cookies, cakes, and

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The namesake of Waffle House’s famous chili spills the beans (and bacon, jalapeños, sausage...) behind its creation.

ORDER A WARM BOWL OF B E R T ’ S C H I L I AT

WAFFLE

house

IN 1973, newly installed Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers, Jr., IM

11 million bowls of Bert’s Chili annually. authorship with Bert’s Chili, a dutiful nod to Waffle House’s “one-class culture,” the chili’s popularity and cult fandom regularly prompts speaking requests and calls from media.

“The success of Bert’s Chili goes well beyond my wildest dreams,” Thornton says.

KEN WOLTER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

48 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Waffle House sells some

PHOTOGRAPH

68, issued a directive to his Division Manager of the Dallas– Fort Worth area and former Alpha Tau Omega fraternity brother Bert Thornton, IM 68: make a new chili recipe.

“I’m embarrassed to say our previous chili came straight from a can,” confesses Thornton, who was pulled into Rogers’ enterprising vision to build the then-regional Waffle House concept into a national brand two years prior.

Despite possessing a limited culinary background, Thornton embraced the task. From a frozen chili base, the former Tech football player concocted four distinct recipes mixing and matching ingredients such as bacon, sausage, tomato juice, and jalapeños. He then dispersed the four unique batches to Waffle House restaurants located in each corner of the chili-obsessed Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex before patiently awaiting feedback.

With the Lewisville, Texas, recipe emerging the clear

winner, Waffle House had its new national chili recipe, which Rogers promptly labeled “Bert’s Chili.”

“That was Joe’s way of getting me to supervise the chili quality for all eternity,” jokes Thornton, who, true to Rogers’ hypothesis, has spent the five subsequent decades taste-testing his namesake chili in every Waffle House restaurant he visits.

Waffle House—a chain of about 2,000 restaurants now helmed by Tech’s Walt Ehmer, IE 89—sells some 11 million bowls of Bert’s Chili annually. The internet, meanwhile, hosts dozens of recipes dedicated to recreating the popular dish at home as well as online forums littered with different ways to customize the meal, from adding grilled jalapeños or hash browns to even layering the chili on salad.

“People monkey with it all the time,” says Thornton, who retired as Waffle House’s president and chief operating officer in 2011 but remains its vice chairman emeritus.

Though Thornton initially rejected any pride of

From a RAT cap to the _ech Tower missing a “T”, this Yellow Jacket’s culinary skills are straight out of Burdell’s Institute of Baking.

Casey Mo’s popular oyster cookies resemble three-dimensional oyster shells.

TA K E A B I T E O F

CASEY MO’S s e i k o co

CASEY IGEL, MGT 97, never intended to enter the baking

business. A tight job market, a move to St. Simons Island, Ga., and a swelling affinity for cookie decorating, however, ignited an entrepreneurial energy she didn’t know she had.

In 2019, the former behavioral therapist obtained a cottage baking license and opened Casey Mo’s Cookies. The fast-growing venture brings cookie-decorating classes to elementary schools, home parties, and corporate events, operates pop-up shops at St. Simons Island businesses, and fulfills custom cookie orders for private clients like the GT Golden Isles

Network, which distributed Buzz-shaped cookies during its student send-off last August.

“That was an especially personal project,” says Igel, who comes from a family of Tech grads led by her father, Bill Dart, IE 72.

Igel leverages social media to drive both her culinary creativity and Casey Mo’s rise. Facebook groups inspire different techniques and ideas, including eye-catching creations like Casey Mo’s popular “oyster cookie”—a textured, three-dimensional sugar cookie designed and decorated to resemble an oyster shell, while Igel also uses social media to bring fans into her home kitchen.

“Video has allowed people to get to know me and my story, which has been so valuable,” Igel says.

Such familiarity helped amid the pandemic when Igel introduced at-home cookie decorating kits featuring 12 sugar cookies alongside icing and sprinkles.

“It’s all of the fun and memories with none of the mess,” Igel says of the kits, which have boosted Casey Mo’s revenue 55 percent.

After three years of building Casey Mo’s direct-toconsumer business, Igel is contemplating the pursuit of a commercial license that would bring her creations into the wholesale market. Though that would mean more time in the kitchen, the mother of two isn’t deterred.

“Cookie making is my creative outlet and my downtime,” she says.

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Hear more about Jorge Guzman’s brewing company & his strategies for career development at a virtual event on March 16 at 1 PM EST. Visit www.gtalumni.org/career.

Overcoming Guatemala’s lack of draft beer infrastructure, these Jackets brought award-winning beers to bars all around the country.

ENJOY A COLD ONE FROM

ANTIGUA

a z e v cer G U AT E M A L A’ S T R A I L B L A Z I N G CRAFT BREWERY

AFTER ENJOYING his first pale ale at Oregon’s acclaimed

Deschutes Brewery in 2011, Jorge Guzman, IE 09, turned to Tech buddies Taylor Virgil, IE 09, and Jack Spehn, IE 09, with the wild suggestion of starting a craft brewery in Guatemala.

Though Guzman’s home country remained a rum-loving nation with no existing craft beer marketplace and neither he nor his partners knew anything about brewing, Guzman marveled at the possibilities.

After devouring homebrewing books, attending a 50 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Jorge Guzman, IE 09, is Antigua Cerveza’s on-theground leader in Guatemala and its head brewer.

one-week intensive brewing course in California, and devoting every Saturday to persuading the owner (Glenn Golden) of Jailhouse Brewing in Hampton, Ga., to let him work for free in exchange for learning how to brew, Guzman quit his investment banking job, convinced Spehn and Virgil to fund his living expenses—$1,500 a month—and began lobbying Guatemalan officials for a brewing license.

“We argued it was our constitutional right to brew and sell beer,” Guzman says.

After an arduous three-year quest, Guzman, Virgil, and Spehn launched Antigua Cerveza in 2017, wisely overcoming the lack of draft beer infrastructure in Guatemala by

FIGHT! ! k n i r d WIN!

BY JESSICA BARBER, CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING STUDENT From billion-dollar beverage powerhouses to micro-scale home breweries, chemistry largely determines the make of a beer. Packaging and branding are important, but the real magic lies beneath the surface: the chemistry of taste.

Four basic ingredients make up the baseline for a craft beer: water, grain, hops, and yeast. Variables like ingredient ratios, mash temperatures, and pH levels affect the taste, appearance, and even texture of a beer. Colloquially named “beer science,” the study of these factors has gained popularity in recent years.

“Beer science is anything related to understanding, improving, and optimizing the processes or ingredients of beer. For mass producers, this science relates to cheapness; for craft brewers, it’s mostly focused on taste,” explains Michael Evans, a senior academic professional in Tech’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In his free time, Evans is an advocate for home brewing, and he has a background in organic chemistry. He detailed some of the compounds that—in certain combinations— can make or break a batch of beer.

Seeing people order our beer, take a sip, and smile, there’s just nothing like that.

“Consumer preferences play a lot into the chemistry of it all.

Juicy flavors are really popular now in IPAs, and a compound called myrcene is key in this. In terms of the ‘bad guys,’ there are compounds such as fusel alcohols, which are believed to cause hangovers. Oxidation of beer can result in very bad flavors due to compounds like caproic acid, whose Latin root is capro, or ‘goat.’ You can imagine that’s not so great in something you want to drink,” he says.

funding the installation of draft systems in restaurants and bars agreeing to serve its beer. In quick time, Guatemalans and tourists alike began enjoying award-winning Antigua Cerveza beers like the Muy Noble blonde ale and the Nectar de Jade, a seasonal barrel-aged stout.

Today, Antigua Cerveza brews upwards of 250,000 liters annually, including five staple beers, and rotating seasonal selections it then spreads to its four taprooms as well as some 150 restaurants and bars around Guatemala. Antigua Cerveza’s on-the-ground leader in Guatemala and its head brewer, Guzman says the company is investigating additional taprooms as well as expansion across Central America, ambitions propelled by about a dozen Georgia Tech alumni investors.

“Seeing people order our beer, take a sip, and smile, there’s just nothing like that,” Guzman says. “That will never get old.”

Diacetyl is another risky component in the chemistry of beer: When its concentration is too high, a flavor of buttery popcorn can dominate a batch.

“Ions can also give a bad, metallic taste when in too high amounts. Brewers often need to add or remove ions from their municipal water supplies. Believe it or not, Atlanta actually has fantastic water conditions for home brewing,” Evans offers.

As with most things in life, moderation is key in beer science.

Too little of a compound can lead to a bland or bitter taste, whereas too much may result in a strong cough-medicine flavor.

As consumer tastes are ever-changing, perhaps these chemical “bad guys”—in the right concentration, of course—will go on to make the next fan-favorite.

T h i r st y f o r m o r e b e e r s c i e n c e ?

Watch a video of Mike Evans explaining the brewing process at alumni-owned Second Self Beer Company.

Visit www.gtalumni.org/beer www.gtalumni.org/beer..

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THE

SOUTH’S MOST

STUNNING DINING

HALL*

AT TIMES COMPARED TO HOGWARTS, BRITTAIN HAS A MAGICAL WAY OF TRANSPORTING ALUMNI BACK TO TECH.

BY J E N N I F E R H E R S E I M *As proclaimed by generations of Jackets and confirmed in 2017 by Southern Living Magazine’s list of the most stunning dining halls in the South.

P HOTO G R A P H S BY S C OT T DI N E R M A N , S TC 0 3 , A N D T EC H DI N I NG

DIDACTIC ARCHITECTURE: TEACHING THROUGH DESIGN Brittain is adorned with sculptures, tapestries, and stained glass—all of which were made by Tech departments, and which pay homage to Georgia Tech.

In this way, Brittain is an example of “didactic architecture,” in that it teaches students in the same way that cathedrals taught Bible studies, says Robert Craig, professor emeritus of the School of Architecture.

B R I T TA I N DI N I NG H A L L

is easily the most impressive place on a college campus to eat breakfast. Under a cathedral ceiling and bathed in iridescent light from stained glass above, omelets have never looked so good.

Whether you went to Brittain for a quick meal (the burritos were a hit) or to enjoy the company of classmates, everyone who has stepped through the arched doorway can appreciate the dining hall’s grandeur.

If Brittain’s architecture gives you an almost virtuous feeling, that’s on purpose. Constructed in 1928, the building’s architect, Harold BushBrown, was the head of architecture at Tech at the time. Bush-Brown came from Harvard University, where he followed the Beaux Arts school of thought that architecture could embody art and life’s values.

Robert Craig, professor emeritus of Tech’s School of Architecture and author of Georgia Tech: Campus Architecture (2021), explains that those of the Beaux Arts school believed students could absorb these values through a well-constructed building. Architects like Bush-Brown held fast to two ideas, Craig says.

“The first is that architecture is art, which seeks beauty and adornment. The second is the idea of ‘caractère’, or the spiritual values and emotional and evocative elements of a space. This has more to do with the heart than the brain.”

Why is Brittain such an edifice of nostalgia for Yellow Jackets? One argument, suggests Craig, is that architecture that’s focused on spiritual values rather than only the bricks and mortar can create a higher level of engagement with the building. The effect is similar to how theatre-goers experience empathy for actors on the stage.

“It’s empathy when you experience the building on site and it’s nostalgia when you think about it after you’ve left,” Craig says.

In the next few pages, learn about Brittain’s stunning architecture while reminiscing with fellow Yellow Jackets about what made this dining hall so special.

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“

I will never forget Ms. Sheena behind the counter wrapping burritos and always checking on how our days are going.

–PRATYUSH MAMIDANNA, CE 15

A PLACE TO GATHER Brittain’s layout is based on a country house tradition in England, in which the whole community can gather under a great hall. “When you walk into Brittain, you go under the tower, and you walk through a screens passage and turn either right or left into the great hall.

That’s right out of the English tradition,” Craig says.

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FIND OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS (@GTALUMNI) TO SHARE YOUR BRITTAIN STORIES

REFRESHED CULINARY FEATURES Dining hall food isn’t usually worth writing home about, and for many years, the same held true for Brittain. But this summer, Brittain was the first of the Institute’s dining halls to re-open under a new, in-house program called Tech Dining. Brittain’s stations and menu were revamped to include more international and healthier food options and an in-house pastry station serving tasty treats. The new culinary team is focused on improving the quality and variety of culinary options for students. A new station called Global Connection focuses on international cuisine, and one called Engineered Salads features a full salad bar with multiple types of protein for vegans and vegetarians.

TECH’S TALENTS ON DISPLAY

“

First semester freshman year, I ate almost exclusively at Brittain Hall. Loved the food, particularly the Southern dishes. It was where this Yankee learned to love grits, hominy, greens, corn bread, and chicken livers.

–DON LUTZ JR., AM 76

Several Georgia Tech departments contributed to Brittain, which was dedicated to Tech’s fourth president, Marion L. Brittain. The ceramics department manufactured the floor tiles, the textile department made the wall tapestries, and the mechanical engineering department created the wrought-iron light fixtures.

While a student, Julian Hoke Harris, Arch 28, designed Brittain’s intricate stained-glass windows, a memorial to the class of 1928. Craig says, “When you look carefully at that window, you’ll see figures that represent the fields of study here. Mechanical engineering, architecture, electrical engineering and so on. They’re holding different symbols just like the figures in the gospels did on a medieval church.”

These symbols are another example of didactic architecture at work, Craig says. Visitors learn about the Institute through Brittain’s artwork.

Harris continued the Tech motif outside the dining hall as well. After graduating, he returned to Tech as a practicing sculptor to create the 10 corbel stone faces on Brittain’s outer arcade.

Each face includes the name of an academic discipline and a historical figure that represents that field of study. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci’s name is inscribed under the face for aeronautical engineering and Michelangelo for fine arts.

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“

Got to love Hogwarts.

I learned to cook pasta dishes by watching the chefs at the fry station each day and remember if you brought in fresh fruit the pancake guy would throw them in your pancakes. –CHACE CROWELL, EE 12

“

We used the trays to slide down Peters Park (before it became a parking deck).

–DIANE (VANLANINGHAM) CROSON, CHE 81

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LOVE & STORY COLLECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHS

A SIDE OF ROMANCE They say the stomach is the quickest way to the heart. One couple who will always remember Brittain’s romantic side is Gabby (Rosen) Avery, IE 17, and Jordan Avery, IE 15. The couple got married in Brittain on Nov. 9, 2019. Besides the perfect location, there were no less than 17 Tech grads in their wedding party.

Gabby and Jordan met through mutual friends in Greek life—Gabby was an Alpha Xi Delta and Jordan was a Delta Chi. Brittain wasn’t on the couple’s radar as a wedding location until Gabby’s father, Glenn Rosen, IM 85, suggested the unique space. With Jordan’s love of all things Tech and Gabby being a fourth-generation Yellow Jacket, Brittain was the perfect common ground for the two to tie the knot.

“We loved the architecture and the history of east campus,” Gabby says. “But then the question became, How do we do it? No one else had held a wedding in Brittain before.”

After they worked with two facility managers to rent the space and finalize details, invitations were sent out to guests with “Brittain Dining Hall” listed as the location. “We definitely got a few funny looks from people who didn’t go to Tech and before they showed up. I had to pull up a picture of Brittain a couple times to explain it.”

On the day of the wedding, they let Brittain’s architecture speak for itself with simple decorations and a chuppah below the soaring ceiling.

“We kept it simplistic to speak to the beauty of the building,” Gabby says.

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VOLUME 97

ALUMNI HOUSE

ISSUE 4

MINI RACE, MAJOR FUN One of Georgia Tech’s unique Homecoming traditions, the Mini 500 includes teams of students wobbling down the road as fast as they can on children’s tricycles.

According to the rules, each team is required to rotate their front tire three times throughout the race.

PHOTOGRAPH

NATHAN TOUCHBERRY

60

THE 2022 GOLD & WHITE HONORS

70

ANNUAL REPORT

75

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

82

IN MEMORIAM

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ALUMNI HOUSE

MEET THE 2022 GOLD & WHITE HONORS RECIPIENTS WHO MAKE GEORGIA TECH PROUD.

GOLD & WHITE J O I N I N G O V E R 1 5 0 P AS T H O N O R E E S , these eight exceptional individuals have demonstrated through their impressive achievements, dedication to the Institute, and commitment to service a standard of excellence that inspires us all.

For 87 years, the Gold & White Honors—the Georgia Tech Alumni Association’s most prestigious recognitions— have highlighted the best of Georgia Tech. These eight honorees will be recognized at the 2022 Gold & White Gala this February in Atlanta.

On the next few pages, learn about their many personal and professional accomplishments and their unparalleled dedication to the Institute and its people.

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PROFILES BY JENNIFER HERSEIM & KARI LLOYD

DOUG HOOKER, ME 78, MS TSP 85 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ATLANTA REGIONAL COMMISSION

THROUGH A LIFE OF SERVICE in the public and private sectors, Doug Hooker has left an indelible mark on the city of Atlanta and his alma mater. Although he plans to retire as executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) this March, he’s setting the tempo for a busy next chapter that’s just as focused on the community and the Institute as his career has been. A talented musician, Hooker will premiere a symphony that he wrote, titled “Without Regard to Sex, Race, or Color,” at Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts for the start of Black History Month this February.

While a student, Hooker was president of the Institute’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, growing it into one of the strongest chapters in the country. After graduating, he went on to several leadership positions serving Atlanta and its people.

That includes leading the city’s Department of Public Works during the 1996 Olympics. The mayor and city council of Atlanta have even declared a Doug Hooker Day Proclamation in recognition of his service.

Over the last 10 years, Hooker has led the ARC, driving cultural changes across the organization. Under his leadership, the organization played a key role in securing Atlanta’s water supply for decades to come—the result of years of work defending against litigation from neighboring states. “It’s a quiet victory, but water is the foundation for life and community, and the ARC has been a critical part of coordinating that use of water,” Hooker says.

In addition, under Hooker’s leadership, the ARC paved the way for Aerotropolis Atlanta, a public-private partnership focused on increasing economic development for communities near Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Deeply passionate about education, Hooker also helped foster a partnership between ARC, civic organizations, and school districts in Atlanta that led to the founding of an educational nonprofit, Learn4Life.

A proud Jacket, Hooker has served on numerous organizations at the Institute. He serves on the School of City and Regional Planning Advisory Board and the Ivan Allen College Advisory Board

PHOTOGRAPH

KAYLINN GILSTRAP

DEAN GRIFFIN COMMUNIT Y SERVICE AWARD Recognizes alumni who have performed exemplary community service in the following ways: service in a long-term volunteer capacity, impact on the quality of life of others, leadership and creativity in dealing with societal problems, and ability to serve as a source of inspiration for others.

and is a past member of the Alumni Trustee Board, the CEE Advisory Board, and the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.

“I couldn’t say enough about Tech’s value in my life both personally and professionally,” Hooker says. “With my engineering degree, I felt better prepared than colleagues from other institutions. And years later, my public policy degree gave me the framework to navigate and interpret for people who were in both public and private sectors, but who only understood one of them.

And to do so in a way that helped us find real solutions.”

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J A C Q U E LY N R E N É E S C H N E I D E R , B C 0 6 , M B A 18 MANAGER AT JABIAN CONSULTING

JACQUELYN RENÉE SCHNEIDER’S meteoric rise in management consulting hasn’t slowed down for one second her commitment to service. Schneider was able to attend college through the support of her family and Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship and graduate, becoming the first in her family to do so.

“While Tech requires a lot of hard work and builds resilience, people really believed in me and helped make the Georgia Tech dream a reality,” Schneider says.

Now a Double Jacket, she’s keeping the door open for future Jackets with a planned gift for an MBA endowment fund that gives preference to women who are first in their families to attend college and to women from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities.

After graduating in 2006 from the School of Building Construction, Schneider set out to pursue a career in academia, earning master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Davis. Missing the fast-paced environment of consulting, she founded Aigu Consulting in 2014, which provides coaching for clients on career search, career strategy, and authentic leadership. A few years later, she returned to Tech to earn her MBA from the Scheller College of Business and served as the student body president for the Evening MBA students.

“Being able to participate in student leadership was an immense teaching experience for me,” Schneider says. “That 365 days, 24/7 leadership and being able to see the dean’s and faculty’s vision for the future was an incredible experience.”

Schneider’s service also extends to alumni. Her personal outreach has helped thousands of Tech graduates reconnect with the Institute. In addition to serving on Scheller’s Advisory Board, she joined the Women Alumnae Network (WAN) in 2019 to serve on their first Strategy & Growth committee. She helped launch the first WAN webinar, which saw over 100 attendees—one of the largest events in the network’s recent history. She also launched an annual Scheller MBA International Women’s Day Brunch, which brings together women from around the world. In 2021, she served as a Giving Day Ambassador for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, raising the second-highest dollar amount that day for gifts.

Schneider credits Tech’s faculty, students, and alumni for helping her realize the impact of a Georgia Tech education.

“They have instilled such a vision in me that we have an ability to change our city, change our country, and change our world.

You can do that through the physical space, through your beliefs and values. And with a Tech education, you can really shape the future.”

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OUT S TANDIN G YOUN G AL UMNI Given to a Georgia Tech alum under 40 who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, the community, and his/her profession.

ROBERT DIXON, EE 77 SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & GLOBAL CIO, PEPSICO (RETIRED)

ROBERT DIXON KNOWS a thing or two when it comes to giving back and staying involved in the community. Raised just a few miles from Georgia Tech, the Atlanta native carved out a career at two of the world’s most iconic companies, but also stayed an active leader in both Atlanta business and civic communities as well as maintaining his service as a proud Yellow Jacket by serving on multiple advisory boards.

Dixon’s career has been influential, to say the least. As the longest-tenured CIO in PepsiCo’s 50+ years of operation, he led the global function that delivered all information technology and information risk management solutions worldwide—a position that saw him recognized as one of the “Most Influential Black Corporate Directors” (Savoy Magazine, 2016 and 2021), a “CIO Top Ten Breakaway Leader” (Evanta, 2015), one of the “Top 100 CIO/CTO Leaders” (STEMconnector, 2015), and “Information Technology Senior Management Forum Fellow” (2020). Prior to his career at PepsiCo, Dixon was a 30-year veteran with Procter & Gamble, concluding his career there as the vice president in the Global Business Services Organization. Dixon currently serves on four corporate boards of directors: Anthem, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Okta, and Gilbane.

Despite his career achievements, Dixon continued to remain active as a Tech alumnus, serving on the College of Computing Advisory Board, on the College of Cybersecurity & Privacy Advisory Board, and on the Foundation Board as a trustee-at-large.

He recently started a second six-year tour of duty on the Georgia Tech President’s Advisory Board and remains active with the Black Alumni Organization. Dixon was recognized as one of the Distinguished Engineering Alumni in 2002 and was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Fame in 2017.

According to Dixon, giving back is just a natural part of his DNA. “My wife and I try to support the Institute with our time, talents, and treasures. Georgia Tech has done so much for me and

PHOTOGRAPH

KAYLINN GILSTRAP

JOSEPH MAYO PETTIT DIS TIN GUISHED SERVICE AWARD The highest award conferred by the Alumni Association, honoring alumni who have provided outstanding support for the Institute and Alumni Association throughout a lifetime and who have provided leadership in their chosen professions and local communities.

my family in terms of the education and opening doors. It’s just fitting that I apply that spirit of philanthropy to Georgia Tech,” says Dixon.

Given all his accomplishments and activity with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, being nominated for a Gold & White Award still came as something of a surprise for Dixon. “It was quite a surprise when Dene [Sheheane, president of the Alumni Association] called me,” Dixon remembers. “Dene explained the award’s significance, and I looked at the impressive list of previous honorees. It was really humbling to be selected for such a prestigious award, and I am deeply grateful for the recognition.”

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J AY M c D O N A L D , I M 6 8 SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR, BUSINESS LEADER & MASTER CHAIR, VISTAGE WORLDWIDE, INC.

JAY MCDONALD SWITCHED MAJORS from Aerospace Engineering to Industrial Management on his first day at Tech. “I walked in and saw students drawing engines and fuselages and decided that I didn’t want to do that all day. I thought I’d be better suited to people and business.”

With more than 40 years’ experience leading and owning five successful companies, it’s safe to say that McDonald proved his college-age-self correct. Alongside an impressive career in business, McDonald has built an even more impressive reputation as an advisor, thought-leader, and mentor. With two books on leadership and corporate banking and a series of seminars for executives, McDonald is committed to helping others succeed both personally and professionally. A master chair with the executive coaching organization Vistage Worldwide, Inc., McDonald’s passion for mentorship was inspired by those who offered guidance early in his career. “I know that every opportunity over the years has come from people who have mentored, supported, and recommended me,” McDonald says.

McDonald is past president of the Cherokee Town and Country Club as well as an original member of the Georgia Governor’s Council for Science and Technology Development. Deeply committed to his alma mater, he has served as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees, Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Scheller College of Business Advisory Board, and as president of the Alumni Association Board. He is an avid Tech fan, attending most home games, many ACC tournaments, and countless events supporting Tech’s teams. In fact, McDonald’s affinity for Tech might even exceed his business acumen, according to a story from when he was president of The Wayne Watson Company, Russell Athletics’ distributor to the Southeast.

McDonald received a call from Tech’s basketball coach at the time, Bobby Cremins, who needed help choosing new gold uniforms for the team. After McDonald offered nine different swatches of different fabrics and color options, the team took the court that year in shiny gold uniforms, deemed by a Dallas sports reporter to be the best-looking uniforms in the nation. That year, the Yellow Jackets won their first ACC championship and the uniAthletics’ catalog. At a distribution event, McDonald had the unfortunate task of handing the catalog to a coach and his wife from a certain university in Athens. Their reaction was what you might “I love Georgia Tech, and I guess I love it enough to lose business over it,” McDonald jokes.

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KAYLINN GILSTRAP

expect.

The highest award conferred by the Alumni Association, honoring alumni who have provided outstanding support for the Institute and Alumni Association throughout a lifetime and who have provided leadership in their chosen professions and local communities.

PHOTOGRAPH

forms were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Russell

JOSEPH MAYO PETTIT DIS TIN GUISHED SERVICE AWARD

M I C H A E L M E S S N E R , C E 76 CO-CEO & PORTFOLIO MANAGER, SEMINOLE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, INC. (RETIRED)

CIVIL ENGINEERING might not seem like the ideal background for a successful career on Wall Street, but Mike Messner is here to prove you wrong. Having founded the profitable hedge-fund Seminole Capital and led it for 23 years before his retirement, Messner says more than any financial education, his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech set him up for success.

“I often say that more civil engineers should think about careers like this. Civil engineers build things that last a very long time. Having that long-term perspective is a very good way of looking at investing—or really any set of problems.”

With his wife, Jenny, the Messners’ philanthropic giving supports the sciences, culture, and the community. They founded the Speedwell Foundation, which provides full study abroad scholarships to students in central Pennsylvania and supports efforts to restore and expand public parks and green spaces in major U.S. cities. Their support also made possible a one-of-a-kind, solarpowered carousel at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The carousel includes hand-carved and hand-painted representations of endangered species, with one exception—a yellow jacket.

The Messners were also early supporters of the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Program and the Frederick Law Olmsted Professorships in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).

Indeed, Messner is helping the Institute maintain its leadership in higher education by recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty. In 2018, he launched the Messner Faculty Endowment Challenge, which supports CEE through dollar-for-dollar matching, up to $5 million, for endowed faculty chairs. He has also supported the Rafael Bras Scholarship Endowment. Messner, a member of The Hill Society, has also served on the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Board.

PHOTOGRAPH

KAYLINN GILSTRAP

JOSEPH MAYO PETTIT DIS TIN GUISHED SERVICE AWARD The highest award conferred by the Alumni Association, honoring alumni who have provided outstanding support for the Institute and Alumni Association throughout a lifetime and who have provided leadership in their chosen professions and local communities.

He is currently a Professor of the Practice for the Scheller College of Business and the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where he teaches courses on management and civil engineering to the next generation of problem-solvers.

“When you grow up in Atlanta, you know that Georgia Tech is a really good school, but it’s not until you go away that you realize how important that education has been,” Messner says. “And the motto of ‘Progress and Service’ is just as good a motto as you can have for any university.”

Messner’s outstanding contributions to Georgia Tech and his community are a clear example of the Institute’s motto at work.

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RAFAEL L. BRAS K. HARRISON BROWN FAMILY CHAIR AND PROFESSOR

THE FIELD OF HYDROLOGY is almost unrecognizable today versus what it looked like when Rafael L. Bras graduated in 1972.

“Everything has changed so fast that what I learned originally is now wrong. It’s been a great time to be a hydrologist,” Bras says.

Granted, Bras played a large part in the field’s evolution over the last five decades. His research in ecohydrology—or as he describes it, “the close waltz between the water cycle, the Earth’s surface, vegetation, and the atmosphere,” has contributed to modern hydrology, which today acknowledges the interaction between land masses and the atmosphere at a much more global scale than previously. Bras’ research and consulting work has taken him around the world, from studying the impact of deforestation in the Amazon to advising on flood control in Venice to investigating how the rain forest in Puerto Rico (where he was born) responds to and recovers from hurricanes. He maintains an active international consulting practice alongside mentoring and teaching the next generation of scientists, who will go forth to transform the field even further.

Bras earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and D.Sc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he also spent 32 years in the faculty of the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Among many awards, Bras is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Puerto Rico, and the Academies of Science and Engineering of Mexico.

He was distinguished professor and dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.

In 2010, Bras came to Tech to serve as the Institute’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “I was convinced that Georgia Tech presented a profile of a university that was willing to take risks and was on the right trajectory. I wasn’t disappointed,” he says.

Under Bras’ leadership, Tech opened the Shenzhen campus in China, launched the successful Online Master of Science in Com-

HON ORARY AL UMNI This honors non-alumni who have devoted themselves to the greater good of Georgia Tech.

puter Science program, adjusted the academic calendar, and reimagined the modern university library through the Library Next initiative. He also launched Arts@Tech, which has brought a new In 2020, he stepped down as provost, remaining a professor at the Institute.

“Being provost was one of the most fun times of my life. It not stitution that had a culture of excellence and of risk taking, which resonated with me.”

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KAYLINN GILSTRAP

only allowed me to work with very bright people, but to help an in-

PHOTOGRAPH

degree of creativity to curriculum and to campus spaces.

REGINALD DESROCHES EIGHTH PRESIDENT OF RICE UNIVERSITY

GROWING UP, Reginald DesRoches had all the traits of a destined engineer—he was good at science and math and always tinkering.

But the “A-ha” moment that made him want to become a civil engineer was literally Earth-shaking.

In 1989, he was a mechanical engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley, when he experienced his first major earthquake. “It got me completely fascinated with earthquakes,” DesRoches says. “As an engineer, it got me thinking about why some things collapse and some don’t.” That curiosity drove him to become a civil engineer and expert in seismic risk engineering.

Building better, stronger structures doesn’t end with his research. As a leader in higher education, DesRoches makes organizations stronger, too. Since July of 2020, he has served as the provost of Rice University. This November, DesRoches was named Rice’s eighth president. When he takes office, he will become the first Black person and first immigrant to lead the university.

Born in Haiti, DesRoches returned to his country of birth in 2010 to lead a team of engineers as part of response efforts following one of the country’s most catastrophic earthquakes. The experience reinforced why engineering matters, he says.

“I had been to various earthquake sites before, but I’d never seen anything like the earthquake in Haiti,” DesRoches says. “It emphasized the work that we do as engineers. That really brought home to me the importance of building things safely.”

In 1998, DesRoches joined Georgia Tech’s faculty as an assistant professor. He rose quickly through the ranks to become the Karen and John Huff School Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. During his time at Tech, DesRoches oversaw significant changes to the school, including the complete renovation of the civil engineering building, a rise in the number of endowed chairs, and the increase in the school’s graduate rankings to No. 2 in the country (U.S. News & World Report).

As he looks ahead to the future of Rice University, DesRoches says he’ll take a page from Georgia Tech’s playbook. “Tech is absolutely a leader in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is a major focus for us at Rice,” he says. “Tech also has one of the best research reputations in the world. In a way, we’re at the early stages of what I saw Tech doing while I was there, in terms of

PHOTOGRAPH

TODD SPOTH

HON ORARY AL UMNI This honors non-alumni who have devoted themselves to the greater good of Georgia Tech.

becoming the research powerhouse that it is today. I’d like to see Rice get there, too.”

Among numerous recognitions and awards, DesRoches was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2020, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2002, and is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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JANE STONER FORMER SENIOR MANAGER OF ALUMNI NETWORKS

THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE who set the standard for service to Georgia Tech and to the alumni community. Jane Stoner is a golden example.

You might assume that Stoner was already an alumna—with a husband (Joe Stoner, ChE 66), daughter (Lelia Conlin, CE 97), and son-in-law (Mark Conlin, CS 99, MBA 04) who are all Tech grads, it certainly runs in her family. But what most stands out to alumni who have met Stoner during her years of service working at the Alumni Association and at Georgia Tech is her unwavering support and love for the Institute and its people.

“I’m thrilled to become part of the Georgia Tech community as an honorary alum,” Stoner says. “But I couldn’t have been successful had it not been for the support of the Alumni Association and campus staff as well as alumni, especially those network leaders who I worked with over the years. It was a career that I loved.”

Stoner grew up in Madison, Georgia, where college fans wore “mostly red and black,” so it wasn’t until she met her husband that she was introduced to the white and gold. When the two moved to New Jersey, they became involved in the alumni network in the area. Joe became co-chair, but Stoner essentially ran the club.

She was so successful at what she did, that when a position opened up in Atlanta to support alumni networks across the country, she was the obvious choice. Over the next 15 years, she coached and mentored alumni on how to start alumni networks, successfully strengthening the alumni network system to over 100 active groups. She is most proud of growing the number of networks with endowed scholarships as well as her role in getting many of the Association’s most innovative programs off the ground. That includes “Team Buzz Day,” a day of community service that alumni networks and students continue to host each year, and Mentor Jackets, which launched in 2004.

“I remember sitting on the [Alumni House] ballroom floor with board member Tom Davenport that first year of Mentor Jackets.

We had 50 student and 50 alum applications, and the two of us matched them all,” Stoner says. Since its inception, Mentor Jackets has successfully connected thousands of alumni and students and garnered numerous national awards.

before retiring. For many alumni who couldn’t return to Atlanta, Stoner became the face they associated with Tech—a role she’s rewarding to stay in touch with alumni and to see students who I worked with graduate and stay involved with Tech,” she says.

68 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

This honors non-alumni who have devoted themselves to the greater good of Georgia Tech.

KAYLINN GILSTRAP

maintained even years after her official retirement. “It’s been so

HON ORARY AL UMNI

PHOTOGRAPH

Following the Alumni Association, Stoner joined the Office of Admissions and worked with Tech’s Women’s basketball program

GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH | INNOVATIVE CAMPUS BUILDINGS | S T U D E N T S C H O L A R S H I P S

C E L E B R AT E T H E S P I R I T O F T E C H through Leadership Giving - the cornerstone of Roll Call For 75 years, 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 difference 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.

Give to Roll Call today at: gtalumni.org/givetoday Gifts can be mailed to: Roll Call, Georgia Tech Alumni Association, 190 North Ave, Atlanta, GA 30313, 404-385-4483 (GIVE)

GEORGIA TEC H ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S

ANNUAL REPORT 2 0 2 1

F I S C A L Y E A R

57%

ALUMNI BY COUNTRY (OUTSIDE U.S.)

#1

#4

CHINA

OF GEORGIA TECH A L U M N I H AV E G R A D U AT E D SINCE 2000

#3 #2

#5 GERMANY

INDIA

#1

A L U M N I B Y G R A D U AT I O N D E C A D E

GEORGIA

CALIFORNIA

2020s 11,714

#3

2010s

FLORIDA

54,214

ALUMNI BY COLLEGE ENGINEERING

104,456 — 58 %

#4

BUSINESS

24,629 — 14 %

TEXAS

#5

N. CAROLINA

COMPUTING

19,817 — 11 %

SCIENCES

14,046 — 8 %

DESIGN

9,923 — 6 % NOTE: Numbers as of October 1, 2021.

Totals are slightly lower than total living alumni where information on class year or college is unavailable.

70 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

S. KOREA

FRANCE

A L U M N I B Y S TAT E , T O P 5

#2

During an unprecedented year, the Georgia Tech Alumni Association went from strength to strength—hitting the highest giving targets in the organization’s history with your generous support.

LIBERAL ARTS

5,852 — 3 %

UNDESIGNATED

519 — 0.3 %

2000s

36,066

1990s

26,750

1980s

22,217

7%

9%

30 %

5%

20 %

2%

15 %

0.3 %

12 %

1970s

15,753

1960s 8,569

1950s 3,518

1940s OR EARLIER 460

179,269 T O TA L TECH ALUMNI AROUND THE WORLD

A S S O C I AT I O N F I N A N C E S

FISC AL YEAR 2021

REVENUES

BUDGET

ACTUAL

GT Foundation

VARIANCE

$5,183,000

$5,183,00

$0

Georgia Tech

503,125

481,610

(21,515)

Advertising & Sponsorships

185,000

143,475

(41,525)

Career Services

0

8,800

8,800

Tours

0

8,950

8,950

5,000

12,827

7,827

16,000

61,009

45,009 (116,847)

Merchandise Sales (Net of Cost of Sales) Royalties Event Registrations

207,800

90,953

Other Sources of Revenue

181,833

242,624

60,791

Gold & White Honors Gala/Contributions

250,000

436,230

186,230

Total

EXPENDITURES

$6,531,758

$6,669,478 $137,720

BUDGET

ACTUAL

VARIANCE

$1,987,772

$1,954,902

($32,870)

606,940

557,983

(48,957)

289,992

281,156

(8,836)

83,000

120,980

37,980

1,295,151

904,611

(390,540)

Alumni Engagement

465,340

400,426

(64,914)

Student Engagement

379,215

260,987

(118,228)

851,950

797,136

(54,814)

PRESIDENT & ADMINISTRATION President & Admin Tech Services/Bio CHIEF OF STAFF HR & Career Services Business Development Event Management ENGAGEMENT

ROLL CALL Roll Call/Gift STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Publications

670,730

609,394

(61,336)

Marketing Services

529,755

503,470

(26,285)

Total

$7,159,845

$6,391,045

($768,800)

Total Net Income/(Loss)

($628,087)

$278,433

$906,520

A S S E T S 2021 2020 $906,559

$1,397,896

Accounts Receivable Less Allowance for Doubtful Accounts of $3,000 in 2021 and $3,000 in 2020 151,012 Prepaid Expenses

67,911

77,711 24,760

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Inventory 12,694 14,742 Investments 1,784,239 296,272 Property, Plant and Equipment, Net 255,757

300,063

Antique Ramblin’ Wreck

12,500

12,500

Total Assets

$3,190,672

$2,123,944

L I A B I L I T I E S A N D N E T A S S E T S 2021

2020

LIABILITIES Accounts Payable $254,626

$864,180

Accrued Expenses 306,513

306,228

Total Liabilities

$561,139

NET ASSETS Without Donor Restrictions $1,247,620 With Donor Restrictions 1,381,913

$1,170,408 $953,536 0

Total Net Assets

$2,629,533

$953,536

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

$3,190,672

$2,123,944

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

D

DEAR YELLOW JACKET FAMILY, Our alumni continue to make a monumental impact on their communities and our world.

When the Yellow Jacket family bands together to solve problems big and small, the results are stunning and inspiring.

Look no further than our recent 40 Under 40 classes for outstanding examples of Progress & Service.

This fall, the resilience of the GT community throughout the pandemic continued to propel us forward. We grew stronger through the challenges, and we strived to take care of one another at every opportunity. This lasting mark is everywhere, from developing new ways to protect against Covid-19 to landing a rover on Mars to understand our humanity better.

Appropriately, we’ve dubbed 2021– 2022 the “Year of Momentum” at the Alumni Association, carrying on the excellent work of our alumni leaders, such as Past-Chair Jocelyn Stargel.

During FY 2021, we endeavored to achieve some of our biggest

72 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

fundraising goals. I am delighted to report that we exceeded our 74th Roll Call goal with more than $7 million of support from generous alumni and friends like you. Nearly 20,000 alumni contributed, and this year’s 75th Roll Call is building on this momentum and generosity.

We continue to execute our Strategic Plan. The headway we’re making is evident by the increased collaboration and creativity with campus partners.

The Association continues to lead with our values and aim high to achieve our vision. I am pleased that our Association strives for excellence and surrounds ourselves with teammates who live out our values.

Staying engaged with the Alumni Association starts before graduation and continues throughout our alumni’s lives. As our alumni population grows, the key to building connections with Georgia Tech and the Association is to start early with our students and young alumni. I’m excited by our progress in mixing in-person and virtual opportunities for all alumni to stay connected in the various stages of their lives.

It’s an honor to serve as the chair of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees. I am personally grateful for the support you show your alma mater, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together this year.

THANK YOU.

GEORGIA TECH A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N : OUR MISSION, V I S I O N & VA L U E S

MISSION: The mission of the Alumni Association is to champion and serve our alumni and the Institute through programming and engagement that fosters lifelong relationships and philanthropic support.

VISION: The vision of the Alumni Association is to build an enduring community with all alumni standing in proud support of Georgia Tech and each other.

VA L U E S : The Alumni Association’s culture, aligned with the Institute, is built on our

Go Jackets!

SHAN PESARU, CMPE 05 GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CHAIR FY2022

core values of Community, Excellence, Innovation, Collaboration, Integrity, and Respect.

IMPACT & ENGAGEMENT T H E

Y E A R

I N

R E V I E W

Continued traditions with the

PI MILE 5K ROAD RACE & HOMECOMING @HOME and celebrated eight deserving honorees during

17,056 alumni contributed more than

$7 MILLION

GOLD & WHITE to raise funds for

student programming .

to the 74th Roll Call in support of current and future Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech Alumni

40 UNDER 40 Program launched .

Celebrated 10 years of the Student Alumni Association. Events like the first-ever virtual Networking Night contributed to a

20%

increase in

member engagement.

400

alumni became Mentor Jackets to support students during a challenging year.

Georgia Tech Connect launched. The online platform brought together more than

4 , 600

community members who networked and had access to more than 2,000 job postings .

Innovative virtual events helped

alumni learn new skills and connect. More than participated in the Leadership Development Month, and thousands of alumni participated in hundreds of volunteer-led events, such as Zumba, cocktail engineering, first-time homebuying advice, and decoding blockchain.

400

SUPPORT 75TH ROLL C ALL MENTOR JACKETS S TAY I N V O LV E D

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

73

STUDENT SNAPSHOT

I T S TA R T E D W I T H A G A M E

MEET ZACH M c GEE “WHEN MY PARENTS finally agreed to let me play Minecraft in 7th grade, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into,” says Zach McGee, who is set to graduate in 2022 with a computer science degree. It was from those humble beginnings—as well as a long history of Tech graduates in his family—that McGee went on to become a Yellow Jacket and campus leader. President of both the SAA and the Army Cadet Association, McGee exemplifies the passion and drive of a true Yellow Jacket.

Minecraft became the spark that fueled McGee’s love for programming and more importantly, learning.

“My first app—created in high school for a local business—was Time Your Script.”

“My friends and I spent hours and hours playing on different custom servers, but there was always something we wanted that was missing. One day the question arose: ‘Why don’t we just make our own?’ This is a screenshot from the first mobile game I created in high school.”

A PA S S I O N F O R L E A D E R S H I P

F I R S T DA YS A T T E C H

“SAA Leadership retreat during my first year on leadership.”

McGee has since gone on to become president of the SAA. “My first picture with Buzz, taken at the FASET org fair. My freshman roommate is on the left, and I’m on the right.”

“As president of the Army Cadet Association, I learned valuable lessons about building a strong team.

Here are some of us in the Color Guard.”

Like other Yellow Jackets before them, the Army Cadet Association volunteers to improve their community.

“Here is my first Habitat for Humanity build with the Army Cadet Association.”

Three generations of Jackets. (L-R) “Me, my cousin Avery Bartlett, CM 19, my uncle Drew Bartlett, IE 91, and my papa, Rev. Harwood “Woody” Bartlett, AM 56. My papa passed away last year. He was a big influence on my decision to attend Tech.”

74 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

WHAT DOES YOUR SUPPORT DO? Gifts to Roll Call—Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence—support scholarships and programs that make the best-in-class Tech student experience possible for students like Zach.

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

CL ASS NOTES & ALUMNI UPDATES

FROM CRUD TO COLONEL

MORE THAN 20 YEARS LATER, TWO GT GRADS REUNITE AT DA V I S - M O N T H A N A F B F O R T H R E E Y E A R S they lived together in the Eighth Street Apartments—the city slicker and the country boy. Chicago and rural Virginia. Neil Aurelio, IE 98, and Mike Cundiff, AE 98, endured their core classes at Georgia Tech together, survived the all-nighters, the fried nerves, and the horrors of EMAG, or electromagnetism, a notoriously brutal course. Both Air Force ROTC cadets, they shared dreams of flying, marched together on the Peters Parking Deck, sometimes Grant Field, laughed away the surplus hours with ping pong and foosball and “crud,” a game they learned from their aerospace science professor.

Looking back, they hint at a little mischief, mumble amongst themselves— somet hing about paint, maybe a cannon.

“I don’t know what the statute of limitations is,” Cundiff says.

“Just in case I run for office some-

Col. Neil Aurelio (left), IE 98, and Col. Mike Cundiff (right), AE 98.

day…,” Aurelio adds.

Cundiff always knew his city friend was “top of the class,” but in truth they

BONDED BY TECH

shared the honor. Bucking tradition,

SHARE YOUR STORY

their colonel fought to award two distinguished graduates for the AFROTC class of 1998. And in the blink of an eye, their college years were behind them.

They advanced through their career

Bonded by Tech celebrates Tech connections in all their shapes and forms–from that adorable dog you found on campus all the way to the spouse you met on the Stinger Bus. Were you #BondedByTech?

Share your story on our social channels this February.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

75

RAMBLIN� ROLL

fields from one base to the next. Aurelio slid into acquisitions and later aircraft maintenance, too, heading first to Ohio, then Georgia and D.C., and more. Cundiff, still inspired by the military airplanes that flew low over his childhood home, finally earned his wings at the Columbus AFB in Mississippi. While climbing the ranks, both deployed at various times to the Middle East, adding “one more piece to that puzzle of the shared experiences that keep us close,” Cundiff says.

Despite the distance, the years, they never lost touch—not completely. They attended each other’s weddings, met up with their mutual Tech friends whenever they could. In 2019, they reunited briefly in Tampa, where Cundiff was stationed. Both had recently been promoted to full colonel, and they laughed about their prospects for group command.

“Could you imagine if we were both in charge of groups in the same place at the same time?” Cundiff asked his friend.

In July 2020, Cundiff was assigned to the Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, where he now commands the 55th Electronic Combat Group. With five squadrons and 950 Airmen, the 55th provides combat-ready EC-130 Compass Call aircraft, a model specifically designed to jam adversaries’ communication signals. Training. Organizing. Equipping. The Mike Cundiff that lived with Aurelio and a dozen other friends back at the Eighth Street Apartments would have been “shocked” by the responsibility.

“I’d have said you’re talking to the wrong guy,” he says.

“You need to be talking to Neil.”

Last summer, Cundiff received a cryptic text from Aurelio.

He was asking about the housing market in Tucson. Cundiff laughed it off, another joke from an old friend. What he didn’t know was that Aurelio had just been assigned to DavisMonthan, as well, tapped to command the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, an 800-person workforce dedicated to aircraft storage, regeneration, parts reclamation, disposal, and more. Spanning nearly 2,600 acres and housing roughly $34 billion worth of hardware, the Group is affectionately called “The Boneyard.”

“As you can imagine, it’s a very tough process to get vetted out and make sure you’re the right person for the job,” Aurelio says. “But to have two Tech grads in one location as group commanders is kind of a cool thing.”

“We don’t know if that’s ever happened,” Cundiff adds.

“We’re trying to make it look good. We haven’t gotten fired yet.”—CARSON VAUGHAN

CLASS NOTES WILLIAM “BILL” BL AC KSTOC K JR., EE 86, was recently appointed as president and CEO of Resilient Floor Covering Institute of LaGrange, Ga. Prior to this role, Blackstock served as VP of commercial business, segment, and sales development at Engineered Floors.

JOSEPH “JOE” C HARBONNET, ENVE 12, was hired as an assistant professor in the department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at Iowa State University.

His research interests began as an undergraduate at Tech, with a focus on removing chemical contaminants from water resources.

CHAMBERS WINS M R S . G E O R G I A A M E R I C A PA G E A N T O N A U G U S T 2 2 , Sarah (Lamb) Chambers, Mgt 02, won the title of Mrs. Georgia America.

Judging for the Mrs. Georgia Pageant was based on interviews focused on who the contestants are as individuals, what they’ve achieved in life, and how they give back to their community, as well as a fitness competition, in which Chambers came in first place, and an evening gown competition.

Chambers is an attorney in Georgia, and her practice is focused exclusively on defending architects and engineers in professional liability claims.

MEREDITH C HRISTIANSON , BA 16, joined the law firm Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres as an associate.

CARRIE (BUTLER) ELWELL, MGT 98, husband Kevin Elwell, and partner Charlie Buntin recently launched Cigars on the Boulevard in Apollo Beach, Fla. The lounge offers over 130 types of cigars and is open to the public.

It welcomes cigar smokers ranging from novice to expert.

C HAD GRASS, CE 06, became one of the newest shareholders at Thomas & Hutton. Grass has been working there since graduation, and he is currently a civil project manager.

His experience includes engineering, planning, and designing industrial and manufacturing sites.

ALUMNUS-OWNED ARCHITECTURAL FIRM S E L E C T E D F O R A T L A N TA M A YO R S M E M O R I A L MATHEW WEAVER, ARCH 01, M ARCH 0 4 , and his architectural firm, Point

Office Architecture & Design, have been selected to implement their design for a memorial to Atlanta mayors Ivan Allen, Jr., Mgt 33, and Maynard Jackson at

WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS?

the north end of Woodruff Park.

In 2020, Weaver’s team was short-

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

listed in an open competition and was

photos!), and out-and-about snapshots online at gtalumni.org/life.

eventually selected as the designer for this prestigious endeavor.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

77

RAMBLIN� ROLL R E E C E N A M E D W H I R L P O O L’ S V I C E PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS E L E A N O R R E E C E , I A 0 5 , has been named vice president of Global Communications at Whirlpool Corporations.

Reece joined Whirlpool Corporations as the senior director of Global Communications in 2019.

Reece obtained her first internship through a career event at Georgia Tech, which helped her land a job as a producer/writer at CNN. She has previously worked as director of International

CLASS NOTES DON ERIC HOWELL, MGT 06, is CEO of Port City Logistics in the Savannah Port. He is a third-generation Tech grad, following in the footsteps of his father, Don Howell Jr., IE 74, and late grandfather, Don Howell Sr., ME 50.

TIM HUR, IE 05, was recently named president of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA).

This will make him the second youngest leader in AREAA history. Hur is currently president of Point Honors & Associates, Realtors, of Atlanta.

Government Relations at General Motors and held various communications and government relations roles in the private sector.

A L U M N I - O W N E D C O M PA N I E S T O P D E L O I T T E ’ S T E C H N O L O GY FA S T 5 0 0 L I S T D E L O I T T E ’ S A N N U A L L I S T of the 500

companies on the list include

most innovative and fastest-growing

Coreview (CEO Shawn Lankton,

technology companies in the U.S. once

ECE 05, MS ECE 08, PhD ECE

again includes several Georgia Tech

09), CENTEGIX (CTO Adam Wil-

alumni-owned or -led companies. The list

liams, Mgt 14), Calendly (CTO Roy

includes OneTrust, founded and run by

Duvall, Cls 01), Wahoo Fitness (CTO

CEO Kabir Barday, CS 09, Salesloft, co-

John Trainor, EE 98), FormFree (CTO

founded and run by Kyle Porter, Mgt 04,

Brian Francis, Mgt 90, AE 90), Terminus

and FullStory, founded and run by Scott

(cofounded by Eric Vass, CS 00), and In-

Voigt, Mgt 97.

telligent Systems Corporation (CEO and

Other Tech alumni-owned or -led

chairman Leland Strange, IM 65).

S H U M P E R T W I N S “ DA N C I N G W I T H T H E S TA R S ” N B A S T A R and f or-

the first to win the show. For their final

m e r G e o r g i a Te c h

night of dance competitions, Shumpert

student-athlete Iman

and his dancing partner, Daniella

Shumpert, Cls 12, won

Karagach, performed a cha cha, foxtrot

season 30 of Danc-

fusion, and freestyle dance. Tyra Banks

ing with the Stars.

presented Shumpert and his pro danc-

Shumpert is the first

ing partner with the Mirrorball Trophy

basketball player to

at the end of the show’s finale on No-

reach the finale and

vember 22.

78 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

ISMAIL MUHAMMAD, MGT 06, was appointed partner of Barton Executive Search, a boutique firm in Atlanta.

KARAN RATURI, BME 09, is the North American general manager of upGrad, an India-based education technology startup. The company is focused on helping graduate programs fit virtual formats, and it has just opened a new office in Ponce City Market in Atlanta.

C HARLENE RINCON , PHD C HE 08, joins Amgen, Thousand Oaks as director of manufacturing. She leads a manufacturing team of 45 that assembles, packages, and labels the drugs needed to execute all the company’s clinical trials worldwide.

BRANDY (SUMNER) SEARCY, C HE 94, celebrated the one-year anniversary of her skincare brand, Rain Organica. Searcy launched her company in late 2020.

CLASS NOTES WILLIAM STAAK, JR., CLS 73, earned two awards for solving problems on Innocentive.com. The website features open challenges that range in depth from written proposal to ideations, and topics vary from reducing water usage to partnerships with the U.S. Navy.

OUT & ABOUT

BRADLEY STRIC KL AND, IE 10, was included in the second annual edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. Strickland is an associate with the litigation firm Kramon & Graham in Baltimore, Md. STEPHEN “STEVE” TRAVIA , CE 90, was appointed director of Highways Project Implementation/chief engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation. Travia recently celebrated his 30th year with IDOT, having served previously as bureau chief of Traffic, engineer of Operations, and engineer of Project Implementation for the District One office.

GEORGE “AL” WASCHKA, EE 68, MS EE 72, and wife, Missy, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Fripp Island Resort with their children and their spouses on April 5, 2019.

MIC HELLE WELLS, HPHYS 95, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Wells works at Piedmont Healthcare and was recognized for her leadership in and passion for medical physics.

Happy 90th! A helluva engineer, ARTHUR

On June 27, WADE “BING” KAO, CHE 97, completed the Western States

A. LAMAS, CE 54, celebrated 90 years

Endurance Run with a time of 29:44:43. This race is the oldest and most

young on May 6.

prestigious 100-mile trail race in the United States.

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

79

RAMBLIN� ROLL

BIRTHS 1.

LAUREN (CRESSE) BROWN, MGT 08, and ADAM BROWN, MGT 09, welcomed the birth of daughter Gwynneth Jeanne on July 30, 2021. Gwynneth joins big sister Annie James. The family lives in Charlotte, N.C.

2.

JOSEPH “JOE” CHARBONNET, ENVE 12, and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed the birth of Andrew Manuel Charbonnet on Jan. 29, 2021. They look forward to him one day deriving the Navier-Stokes equation in Mason Hall.

1

2

3

4

5

6

3.

KATHRYN (STOKLOSA) HUBBARD, ECON 16, and husband, ALEX HUBBARD, BME 16, welcomed the birth of their daughter Zoe in February 2021.

4.

LEE PEACOCK, ME 08, and Amanda Peacock welcomed the birth of their first child, Kenneth Peacock. The family lives in San Diego, Calif.

5.

TRAVIS ROGERS, AM 14, and MEGAN (DELONG) ROGERS, BA 15, welcomed their first child, Juliet Drew Rogers, on Jan. 26, 2021.

6.

LESLEY (PRICE) ROSE, IE 06, and husband, Chris, welcomed the birth of Audrey Melissa Rose on Feb. 11, 2021.

Audrey joins siblings Amelia and Brendan.

They are a Space Force family, currently residing in Virginia Beach, Va.

80 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

WEDDINGS 1

1.

RACHEL PUECHNER, CHBE 15, and CHRIS WONG, ME 12, were married on April 17. Both marched together in the GT Yellow Jacket Marching Band and now reside in Houston, Texas.

2.

TRISHA (LONG) LANSING, IE 15, AND DAVID LANSING, AE 14, have been together since they met on campus in 2013. After a yearlong delay due to Covid-19, they wed at Trisha’s childhood home in Sandy Springs, Ga. on June 12. The couple lives in San Diego, Calif.

2

3.

SHANNON (OWENS) JONES, BA 19, and CODY JONES, CHE 19, tied the knot on November 13. The two fell in love on campus and are thrilled for this new season of life!

4.

TAYLER HALEN, IE 16, and RYAN KRUSKO, CE 16, were married on July 31. The couple resides in Atlanta. [Not pictured.]

3

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

81

IN MEMORIAM 82 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

WE REMEMBER & HONOR THE FOLLOWING

1940s

1950s

HUGH A. “AUSTIN” BROWN, EE

ARTHUR S. “STAN” ADAMS,

43, of Atlanta, on Sept. 1.

ARCH 57, ARCH 61, of Macon, Ga., on Aug. 14.

ELLIOTT EDELMAN, IM 49, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Aug. 7.

BRANCH R. FLEMING, ME 49, of

JOHN B. HARWELL, IE 59, of Ball Ground, Ga., on Sept. 26.

WALTER D. “DALE” JAYES, IE 57, of Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 12.

HENRY B. “BARD” ALLISON II, MS ME 59, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on

CLAUD M. KELLETT JR., EE 50, of

Sept. 17.

Fairfax, Va., on Oct. 18.

CHARLES M. BAGWELL, CE 59, of

JOHN W. “WYMAN” LAMB,

Brunswick, Ga., on Sept. 18.

IE 58, of Stone Mountain, Ga., on

Huntsville, Ala., on Oct. 5.

CHARLES M. “CHARLIE” GEER JR., IE 49, of Lumberton, N.C., on Aug. 26.

Sept. 1.

ROBERT W. BAILEY JR., CHE 54, of

JOHN M. GUNN JR., PHYS 49, of

Macon, Ga., on Oct. 14.

Lexington, Va., on Oct. 16.

JOHN M. LANE, CLS 50, of Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 14.

ROBERT L. “BOB” BENNETT III, IM JAMES C. “JIM” HUCKABY, EE 49,

56, of Portland, Ore., on Aug. 4.

JOSEPH L. “LAMAR” LATIMER, TEXT 53, of Marietta, Ga., on Aug. 9.

of Atlanta, on Aug. 2.

BENJAMIN C. “BEN” BISHOP JR., JACQUE L. HUTCHINS, EE 46, of

TE 53, of Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 13.

Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept. 1.

ALBERT W. “AL” LEARY, CHE 54, of Washington, Mo., on Sept. 10.

ROBERT D. “BOB” CHENOWETH, ROBERT M. LEOPOLD, ME 45, of

PHD EE 55, of Bryan, Texas, on

TAYLOR E. “ED” NANCE, CERE 51,

Rye, N.Y., on Aug. 13.

Aug. 21.

of Winston-Salem, N.C., on Oct. 30.

JAMES B. MILNER, IM 49, of Rome,

HUMBERT W. “BILL” DICRISTINA

JACK G. OWENS, IE 51, of Pittsboro,

Ga., on Aug. 5.

JR., IM 55, of Atlanta, on Aug. 28.

N.C., on Sept. 2.

THOMAS “TOMMY” W. TIFT JR.,

WILLIAM I. “IRVINE” FOX JR., CE

ROBERT C. PATTERSON, CHE 56,

CLS 47, of Atlanta, on Oct. 1.

58, of Danville, Ky., on Sept. 29.

of Copperas Cove, Texas, on Sept. 22.

CHARLES E. “CHUCK” WINN, EE

RABUN W. “RAY” GRIFFITH, MS

HOWARD M. PRATT, EE 52, of

47, of Midlothian, Va., on Sept. 16.

EE 56, of Tucson, Ariz., on Aug. 23.

Southern Pines, N.C., on Oct. 15.

HENRY E. “HANK” WOODWARD,

WILLIAM E. “BILL” GUNSON, MS

JOHN J. PRINGLE III, EE 56, of

CE 49, of St. Petersburg, Fla., on

ME 52, of Oakmont, Pa., on Sept. 15.

Chapel Hill, N.C., on Oct. 18.

Aug. 3.

EDITOR’S NOTE We have changed the format for the In Memoriam section of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. We will include an abbreviated version of each obituary in print, while publishing the full obituaries online under Alumni Updates at gtalumni.org/magazine.

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

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

83

IN MEMORIAM

the U.S. Army as the commander of the

FRANK T. “TOWERS” RICE, IM 53,

3rd Platoon, achieving the rank of 2nd

of Greenville, S.C., on Sept. 4.

Lieutenant, leading his rifle company, and earning a Bronze Star.

After the war, he went to work for Ste-

JAMES T. RICHARDSON, IM 54, of Augusta, Ga., on Sept. 20.

vens Shipping Co., where he became president. While at Stevens, he invented

WILLIAM T. “BILL” ROGERS, EE

the bulk handling of kaolin clay, which

51, of Panama City, Fla., on Oct. 4.

revolutionized the export of that product, which was used for paper coating.

MARLIN A. SLOAN JR., EE 56, of

Peeples left Stevens to form his own

Gainesville, Ga., on Aug. 28.

stevedoring agency, Southeastern Maritime Company (“SEMCO”). He saw the

ALFRED J. “JIM” SMITH JR., TE 54,

shipping industry changing and bought

TEXT 54, of Naples, Fla., on Aug. 9.

marine terminal property from the Sea-

FRANK K. PEEPLES: ENTREPRENEUR, INVENTOR & BUSINESSMAN FRANK K. PEEPLES, IE 49, OF SAVANNAH, GA., ON AUG. 18.

board Coastline Railroad that became

NELSON SPOTO, ARCH 52, ARCH

East Coast Terminals. He later devel-

53, of Tampa, Fla., on July 25.

oped an export kaolin clay terminal along with a bulk woodchip-handling

NORRIS E. “ED” TAYLOR, IE 59, of

terminal. SEMCO was later merged into

Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 12.

Peeples Industries, Inc. as the company expanded.

Due to his representation of sev-

BERT WILKINS JR., CE 58, MS NE 61, PHD CE 65, of Hattiesburg, Miss.,

Peeples attended Savannah High

eral German shipping lines, he was

School and although too small to play

appointed as the Honorary Consul of

on July 13.

football, the coach made him the team

the Federal Republic of Germany, a po-

JACK C. WILSON, EE 54, MS EE

manager. He was so good at his job,

sition he held for over 30 years. For his

55, of Lynchburg, Va., on Oct. 9.

his coach wrote a letter to Bobby Dodd,

service he was awarded the German

legendary football coach at Geor-

Cross, the highest honor given by the

gia Tech. Coach Dodd offered him

German government to a non-citizen.

ADIEL L. “AL” ADAMS JR., CE 63,

the chance to manage the Tech foot-

He is also remembered for his kindness,

of Augusta, Ga., on Oct. 7.

ball team, and Peeples made history as

strength, and humor. He was thoughtful

the first-ever sophomore student to be-

and caring and loved his family beyond

FRED W. AJAX JR., IM 66, of Atlan-

come the Head Manager of the football

measure.

ta, on July 24.

1960s

team, a position he held the remain-

He is survived by his wife of 58 years,

der of his college years. He graduated

Elizabeth Clarke Peeples, along with

JACKIE L. ANDERSON, MS IS 69,

from Tech with a degree in Industrial En-

two daughters, Daryn Peeples Bering-

of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sept.

gineering. Peeples was recognized for

er and Ashley Peeples Oberlin, and his

30.

his significant achievements both on the

son, Frank Peeples, Jr. He also leaves

field and in logistics. He was inducted as

behind six grandsons along with two

JOSEPH O. “JOE” BAILEY, CLS 63,

a charter member in the Georgia Tech

great-grandchildren. He was preceded

of Norcross, Ga., on Oct. 1.

School of Engineering Hall of Fame and

in death by his parents, Marie Purse Pee-

the Athletic Hall of Fame.

ples and Homer Franklin Peeples, and

ROBIN M. BEARSS, IM 67, of Tam-

his brother, Homer Franklin Peeples, Jr.

pa, Fla., on Oct. 21.

Peeples served in the Korean War in

84 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

FREDERICK I. “RICK” BOONE, IE 67, of Fairhope, Ala., on Aug. 1.

ROBERT L. “BO” BROWN, IE 66, of Lookout Mountain, Ga., on July 29.

ANNE ROBINSON CLOUGH: FORMER T E C H F I R S T L A DY ANNE ROBINSON CLOUGH, OF BIG CANOE, GA., ON OCT. 30.

Clough died in her home in Big Canoe, a place she loved because of its beauty and embrace of nature, wrote G.

ROBERT W. CHEEK, EE 63, of Plais-

Wayne Clough in a remembrance sent

tow, N.H., on Sept. 29.

to Georgia Tech after her passing. She and her husband were married for 59

advocacy of the needs of the internation-

JAMES L. “JIM” CLINE, IE 68, of

years. For 14 of those years, she served

al student community.

Odenton, Md., on Oct. 6.

as Georgia Tech’s first lady. She was an

Clough is survived by her husband, G.

avid gardener and, with her husband,

Wayne Clough, and her son, Matthew

RICHARD E. “DICK” CONWAY

served as host for Georgia Tech alumni

Clough, and his wife, Ann-Marie Clo-

SR., ME 61, of Brookhaven, Ga., on

travel tours. The Anne Robinson Clough

re, as well as her daughter, Eliza Clough

Aug. 6.

International Student Fund was estab-

Pritchett, and her husband, Blaine Pritch-

lished in recognition of her longtime

ett, and four grandchildren.

KENNETH E. “KEN” H YA T T : P R O U D YELLOW JACKET

served it in various capacities, includ-

KENNETH E. “KEN” HYATT, CE 62, MS IM 66, OF TAMPA, FLA., ON OCT. 8.

a chair of the University of Tampa Board

69, of Alpharetta, Ga., on Sept. 26.

Hyatt attended Canton High School

He was also very active in the Boy

FRANK J. GRAVINO, ARCH 63, of

and Darlington Preparatory and was

Scouts, serving as the Southern Region

New Haven, Conn., on Oct. 3.

a loud and proud Ramblin’ Wreck from

Metro Group president and president of

Georgia Tech with degrees in civil en-

the Gulf Ridge Council, and ultimately

FRANK K. HALL JR., TEXT 64, of

gineering and industrial management.

receiving the Distinguished Eagle Scout

South Pasadena, Fla., on Aug. 27.

He served as a trustee of the Geor-

Award and Silver Beaver Award for his

RICHARD G. “DICK” DAVIS, PSY 62, of Topeka, Kan., on Aug. 26.

JOHN D. “DON” FOSTER, IM 67, of Mobile, Ala., on Oct. 23.

PHILIP D. “DUKE” GOSSAGE, CLS

ing on the boards of the Salvation Army Tampa Area Command, the Florida Aquarium, and the United Way, and as of Trustees.

gia Tech Alumni Association, founded

service to the scouts. Hyatt loved spend-

CHARLES L. “LEE” HOLLAND, IM

the Kenneth Hyatt Distinguished Alum-

ing time with his family. Their home was

63, of Cumming, Ga., on Sept. 5.

ni Speaking Series, and was a lifelong

the after-school gathering place for his

football fan.

grandchildren.

LARRY W. JACKSON, TEXT 65, of Gaffney, S.C., on Oct. 22.

Hyatt served as an officer in the U.S.

Hyatt was preceded in death by his

Navy from 1962 to 1965. He began his

parents, Spurgeon E. Hyatt and Grace

career with the Georgia Marble Com-

Lorentzson Hyatt, and brother Thomas

GEORGE C. JEWETT, IM 64, of Mari-

pany in 1976 in Atlanta, relocating to

Andrew Hyatt, IE 70 (Polly), all of Can-

etta, Ga., on July 23.

Tampa in 1985 to serve as chief oper-

ton, Ga.

ating officer for the parent company,

He is survived by his wife of 55 years,

JEROME M. “JERRY” KALLOCK,

Walter Industries. He served as chair-

Anne Rogers Hyatt, daughters Ava Hy-

IM 67, of Vandergrift, Pa., on Aug. 31.

man and CEO of Walter Industries from

att Trask (Raiford) and Marian Hyatt

mid-1995 until his retirement in 2000.

Sbar (Jon), son Kenneth Ernest Hyatt, Jr.

WILLIAM C. “BILL” LANGFORD, CHE 62, of Tucker, Ga., on Sept. 3.

Hyatt deeply loved his Tampa community, where he lived for 36 years, and

(Alison), six grandchildren, and brother Wayne Hyatt (Margaret Vick).

GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022

85

IN MEMORIAM

ELEANOR Q. MATTHEWS, M CRP

RYAN N. RITTER, IE 98, of Atlanta,

78, of Atlanta, on Sept. 24.

on Oct. 7.

WILLIAM C. “BILL” LUMPKIN, IE 69, of Spring, Texas, on Aug. 21.

CHARLES E. “ED” MADDEN, IM

MICHAEL G. “GARRY” McMAHON, IE 70, MS INFOSCI 79, of

ERIN E. SUSSMAN, IAML 10, of

Brookhaven, Ga., on Aug. 20.

Martinez, Ga., on Oct. 10.

62, of Marietta, Ga., on Aug. 5.

ROBERT J. “BOB” SCHMIDT, IM CLIFFORD E. NIX, IM 65, of Denton,

2010s

73, of Libertyville, Ill., on Oct. 18.

Texas, on Aug. 22.

FRIENDS DUANE S. AVIS, of Decatur, Ill., on Aug. 9.

DONALD H. “DON” WELLS, MS WILLIAM D. “BILL” RAMSBOT-

CE 71, of Richmond, Va., on Sept. 5.

TOM, TEXT 60, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., on July 30.

MICHAEL C. “MIKE” SASSER, IM 66, ME 67, of Richmond Hill, Ga., on Oct. 12.

ta, on Aug. 18.

BOBBY G. “BOB” WITMER, MS PSY 76, PHD PSY 80, of Gainesville,

BONNIE P. RAMSBOTTOM, of Fer-

Fla., on Sept. 1.

nandina Beach, Fla., on Dec. 19, 2019.

1980s STEVE E. ALEXANDER JR., IM 82,

ROBERT D. SCOTT, IE 62, of Dallas,

1970s

ELIZABETH LOUISE “BETTY” (LOEHR) SMALLEY, of Atlanta, on

M ARCH 83, of Atlanta, on July 17.

Aug. 5.

DONALD M. “DON” CORBETT III, EE 85, of Hampton Cove, Ala., on Sept. 15.

CHESTER A. “ARTHUR” CROWELL III, EE 75, of Macon, Ga., on Aug. 13.

CYNTHIA (JAMISON) CORREA, MS EE 87, of Peachtree Corners, Ga.,

DENNIS J. DELORENZO, ARCH

on Oct. 4.

77, of Milford, Conn., on July 21.

DANIEL F. MURRAY, INFOSCI 80, DICKEY P. FORRESTER, CE 74, of

of Atlanta, on Sept. 12.

Canton, Ga., on Sept. 8.

DIRK D. TWINE, ME 80, of Atlanta, DONALD L. “DON” HERRING, MS IM 78, of Dadeville, Ala., on Sept. 20.

on Aug. 15.

1990s

REITA (MATTHEWS) KING, AM 75,

EDWARD W. “BILL” DARBY, MGT

of Marietta, Ga., on Oct. 13.

90, ME 95, of Rome, Ga., on Oct. 13.

MARILYNN Y. MASINGALE, CE

GLENN A. PARKER, EE 94, MS

77, MS ENVE 83, of Decatur, Ga., on

MOT 01, of Huntsville, Ala., on Oct.

Sept. 16.

14.

86 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Aug. 10.

JAMES E. CARSON JR., ARCH 80, EM 68, of Windsor Locks, Conn., on Oct. 15.

JONE N. SALTER, of Atlanta, on

of Atlanta, on Sept. 9.

Texas, on May 2.

ROBERT S. WATSON, EM 66, MS

CHARLOTTE JONES IVEY, of Atlan-

G A I L S KO F R O N I C K - J A C K S O N : N A S A S C I E N T I S T GAIL SKOFRONICK-JACKSON, MS EE 88, PHD EE 97, OF McLEAN, VA., ON SEPT. 9.

after which she was hired at NASA. At

Skofronick-Jackson died in an acci-

gram manager at NASA Headquarters,

dent while hiking with colleagues on

Science Mission Directorate. Dr. Kar-

a day off with a joint NASA–Europe-

en St. Germain, director of the Earth

an Space Agency airborne campaign

Sciences Division at NASA Headquar-

women to pursue STEM careers, a me-

team.

ters and Skofronick-Jackson’s longtime

morial scholarship has been established

She was a brilliant scientist and a

colleague, stated, “She was one of

in her name for students studying science

deeply passionate and principled per-

our very best—brilliant, thoughtful, and

and electrical engineering at Florida

son who carried her enthusiasm for life

deeply committed to the science we do

State University.

over into her career at NASA. She was

and the integrity with which we do it.

Skofronick-Jackson is survived by her

a dedicated researcher whose interests

And she died being exactly who she

beloved husband of 29 years, Dr. Da-

included passive remote sensing, radia-

was—an avid outdoors person, an ath-

vid Jackson, EE 83, MS EE 84, PhD EE

tive transfer theory, and detection and

lete, and an admirer of our Earth.”

99, and their children, Marina and Mat-

the time of her death, she was a pro-

Skofronick-Jackson was a fellow in

thew; her parents, Dr. James and Dot

the Institute of Electrical and Electron-

Skofronick of Tallahassee; brothers,

Skofronick-Jackson received her

ics Engineers (IEEE) society and helped

Greg, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Gary

bachelor’s in electrical engineering from

create the Women Mentoring Women

(Anna) Skofronick of DeLand, Fla.;

Florida State University. She went on to

initiative within the IEEE Geoscience and

sister, Gretchen (Dr. Paul) Desch of Na-

complete her master’s and PhD in elec-

Remote Sensing Society. Because she

perville, Ill.; and many nieces, nephews,

trical engineering from Georgia Tech,

was always excited to encourage young

aunts, uncles, and cousins.

estimation of falling snow using active and passive spaceborne sensors.

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IN MEMORIAM H.M. “JACK” REYNOLDS: T E C H E N G I N E E R I N G H A L L - O F - FA M E R H.M. “JACK” REYNOLDS, EE 50, OF DUNLAP, TENN., ON OCT. 15.

promise, a friend suggested that he pursue a degree in electrical engineer-

Reynolds was born October 4, 1925,

ing. He applied to Georgia Tech. The

in Chattanooga, Tenn. All his life he was

dean was unsure about giving Reynolds

the epitome of a hard worker, dropping

a chance, considering his high school

out of school at the age of 15, after six

transcript was six weeks of four F’s and

weeks of high school, in order to join

an A. Taking a chance, the dean had

the workforce to help provide for his sib-

Reynolds take a placement exam. Based

lings. Reynolds used his maturity and

on his test results, he allowed Reynolds

stature to secure a job with the local

to enroll at Georgia Tech. Reynolds

electric power board, despite being un-

graduated three years later with a de-

estate development, began a strip mine

derage. His strong work ethic and drive

gree in electrical engineering.

business, and subsequently retired to his

quickly landed him a promotion mov-

Upon graduation, he returned to

ing him up to the test bench. He joined

the Chattanooga Electrical Board. He

farm, where he raised beef cattle.

In 2011, Reynolds was inducted into

the U.S. Navy in April 1942, and rose

then went on to do consulting work

the Georgia Tech Engineering Alumni

through the ranks while serving in World

for industrial plants in Chattanoo-

Hall of Fame, a recognition he was ex-

War II.

ga. In the following years, Reynolds

ceptionally proud of.

Upon his return to civilian life, Rey-

owned and operated a dairy farm,

Reynolds is survived by a host of

nolds decided to study television repair.

went into the trucking business, was an

children, grandchildren, and great-

As his work with electronics showed

airplane-owning pilot, worked in real

grandchildren.

CHARLES PHILIP REED JR.: PROFESSOR & COMPUTING PIONEER

CHARLES PHILIP REED JR., EE 50, MS EE 56, OF MARIETTA, GA., ON JULY 24.

Reed was a devoted husband, father,

encouraged them to be independent.

aversion to conformity and soon went

He enjoyed taking them to swim practice

back to Georgia Tech to teach mathe-

and often coached from the bleachers.

matics and was a pioneer in computing

He designed a muscle-building appa-

and head of the Computing Services

ratus out of picnic benches and rubber

department. After 30 years he retired

tubing to mimic the swimming motion.

from Georgia Tech and worked for

He bought a ball machine when tennis

eight years at Atlanta architecture firm

became an interest and set it up in their

Heery, where he helped them install

basement. He always pushed them to

a CAD system. Reed is survived by his

be better.

wife, Sally Reed; his daughters Alice

and grandfather. He treated everyone

He joined the naval aviation division

Reed and Sara Tanner; sons-in-law Art

he came in contact with the same and

of the Navy at 17. He entered Georgia

Gardner, Bill Haft, and Richard Tanner;

thought someone’s stature in life had

Tech in 1946 on the G.I. Bill and dis-

six grandchildren, and many nieces and

nothing to do with their capabilities. He

covered his love for mathematics and

nephews. He was predeceased by his

was very proud of all three of his daugh-

electrical engineering and earned a

parents, Nellie and Charles Reed Sr.,

ters—the engineer, the doctor, and the

master’s degree combining both areas

his sister, Margaret “Poppy” Whitlock,

one who made him laugh. He saw his

of study. He started his career at IBM

and his beloved daughter Anita Gard-

daughters as capable of anything, and

in 1950, but he quickly discovered his

ner, IE 81.

88 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

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91

TECH HISTORY

TENDER MEMORIES

AT JUNIOR’S GRILL, OWNER TOMMY KLEMIS TREATED EVERYONE IN THE TECH COMMUNITY LIKE FAMILY.

W

KRISTIN BAIRD RATTINI

W H E N Y O U H E A R the name Junior’s Grill, what do you think of?

Your answer likely depends on which decade you were on campus and patronize d t his b elove d mainstay of the Tech community, which closed its doors and turned off its blue neon sign in 2011.

Maybe it’s a slice of Edwards pie and a milkshake. Or the oversized slices of French toast, dusted with cinnamon. Perhaps it’s the warm chocolate chip cookies, sold three for $1. Or the first time you ate Junior’s chicken tenders, a veritable Tech rite of passage.

Whatever your particular culinary craving (we know your mouth is watering right now), everyone remembers the man behind them: Tommy Klemis, Junior’s genial and generous owner who helmed his family’s restaurant for 36 years and made 92 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

Tommy Klemis took over the family business, Junior’s Grill, in 1975. Klemis’ legacy at Tech continues today through Klemis Kitchen, named in his honor.

sure all customers felt welcome and left well-fed.

THE FAMILY BUSINESS Junior’s Grill was named for its original owner, Wilbur Gold Jr., who opened the restaurant at the corner of Techwood Drive and North Avenue in 1948. When Jimmy Klemis and John Chaknis—Tommy’s father and uncle—took it over in 1958, the year Tommy turned 10, they didn’t intend for him to follow in their footsteps.

“My dad told me, ‘I work like this so you don’t have to go into the restaurant business, so that you can go to Georgia Tech,’ ” Klemis recalls. When his father passed away suddenly in 1964, his mother, Lula, insisted that Klemis still pursue his own path. She took over as co-owner of Junior’s with Chaknis, a member of the Atlanta Symphony who occasionally serenaded diners on his violin.

After serving in the Marines, Klemis

was accepted into the electrical engineering program at Georgia Tech in 1970. “But life came just a little bit faster than we had planned,” he says.

He and his wife had an infant son, Jimmy, at home and another child— his daughter, Leigh Anne—on the way; money was tight. He left Tech after one year to work as an engineering associate at Western Electric.

In 1975, Chaknis suffered a heart attack. Lula Klemis couldn’t run Junior’s alone; she considered selling the restaurant. “My family encouraged me to try to save the business,” Klemis says. He left his job and joined Junior’s full time as co-owner with his mom.

“God had a plan,” he says. “He brought me back on campus, but this time to serve Georgia Tech students instead of be one.”

TAKING CARE OF “THEIR STUDENTS” Among those students was Larry Curtin, AP 87, who patronized three incarnations of Junior’s Grill over his 15 years on campus as a student and

as a staff member. Curtin lived in Techwood Dorm, which stood next to Junior’s second location. Squeezed into a former barbershop on Techwood Drive, the 28-stool diner served an average of 800 patrons a day. “Junior’s was our dining hall,” Curtin recalls. He still has a few coupons left in a Junior’s meal book, which provided $22 of Junior’s value-priced meals for $20, a deal that kept many cash-strapped students fed over the years.

To speed up the line, students often used shorthand, a “Junior’s jargon,” to order. “French strip, hold the dust”

1. / Junior’s prided itself on offering students affordable food on campus. A coupon book provided $22 worth of food for $20.

2. / Students shown eating inside Junior’s, from a 1975 Blue Print.

3. / In order to get through the line fast, students learned “Junior’s jargon,” or a shorthand form for ordering meals quickly.

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“GOD HAD A PLAN,” KLEMIS SAYS. “HE BROUGHT ME BACK ON CAMPUS, BUT THIS TIME TO SERVE GEORGIA TECH STUDENTS INSTEAD OF BE ONE.”

meant French toast with a strip of bacon, no cinnamon. “Top two, 10, cheese and choke it” meant the top two vegetables from the daily list of eight options and a 10-ounce hamburger steak with sautéed onions and cheese on top. “Honeymooner” for lettuce alone. The most popular call was “dress two cheese side”: two cheeseburgers with everything and an order of French fries.

In 1987, Junior’s expanded into the adjacent space vacated by the Engineer’s Bookstore. It was there—in the larger Junior’s 3.0—that Klemis hosted an unforgettable event for Curtin and his friends: a candlelight dinner for the 12 “Gentlemen of Techwood” and their dates after the dorm formal. Klemis brought porcelain plates from home and dressed in a tuxedo to serve ribeye steaks and baked potatoes to the appreciative guests. “I was overwhelmed,” Curtin says. “Outside of my family, there had never been an adult in my life who went above and beyond to do something so special for me.”

Klemis, his mother, and his aunt Anne Pamfilis—affectionately known to all customers as “Miss Anne”—constantly looked after “their students” and cared about what was happening 94 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

in their lives. “Sometimes when the ladies worked the register, you had to remind them, ‘Hey, quit talking so much! There’s a line!’ ” Klemis says with a laugh. If a customer looked glum after an exam, Miss Anne might slip them some chocolate chip cookies. If a student couldn’t pay, they ate anyway, their meal extended on credit.

Klemis’ generosity was not forgotten when Junior’s Grill was torn down in October 1993 to make way for dorms for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Alumni and supporters rallied for the restaurant’s revival. In February 1994, Georgia Tech handed Klemis the key to the new Junior’s Grill: a 4,000-square-foot restaurant in the

Bradley Building under Tech Tower, “in the best neighborhood ever,” Klemis says.

BJOC (BIG JUNIOR’S ON CAMPUS) In its new location, Junior’s Grill became even more entwined in Tech life. “When we came on campus, I said, ‘We’re going to focus on the traditions of Tech,’ ” Klemis recalls. He launched an annual trivia night to kick off Homecoming Week. “I learned more about Georgia Tech during those nights than I could ever learn in a book,” he says.

Billiee Pendleton-Parker, “BPP,” encouraged Klemis to sponsor a student photo contest, with the winning snaps displayed in Junior’s. “There was no one who loved the students more than she did,” he says of BPP, who received a Junior’s chicken tender basket at her retirement party. She passed away in January 2021, the same year she was named an Honorary Alumna by the Alumni Association. “She said, ‘Let’s see the campus through their eyes.’

The photos truly captured the beauty of our campus.”

The photos hung alongside other Tech mementos, including a piece of

In 1994, Junior’s was relocated to the Bradley Building, where it stayed until it was closed in 2011.

(Top) Tommy (center) with his aunt, Anne Pamfilis (left), and his mother, Lula (right), during the early days at Junior’s, and (bottom) at Junior’s farewell in 2011.

the goalpost from the 1990 National Championship game. The décor, however, was never what drew customers to Junior’s; it was the food and Klemis and the company.

There were the Theta Xi fraternity brothers, who claimed Junior’s hightop table as their own every Friday for group lunches. Laura Giglio, EE 10, MS ECE 11, remembers her frequent breakfast meetings over French toast with her mentor, Mahera “Mimi” Philobos, MS AE 83, architect of Tech’s Women in Engineering program. Giglio got to know Klemis well when she returned to Tech to work for the Alumni Association and floated the idea —still on hold—of a Junior’s cookbook to benefit the Students’ Temporary Assistance and Resources (STAR)’s Klemis Kitchen. (See sidebar.) “Tommy was like a grandpa,” she says. “He was everybody’s grandpa.”

Web Development Manager Scott Riggle and his wife, Associate Dean of Students Colleen Riggle, were among the countless couples to have their first date at Junior’s. “We went there many

word got out. On April 21, supporters streamed in from around town and out of town, lining up as they had at the 28-seat diner on Techwood Drive for one last chance to talk with Klemis, Gilbert, and “Miss Anne.”

The turnout left Klemis speechless. “I still think about, ‘How did our little family business end up on this amazing campus?’ ” he says. “I thank God all the time for all those years of being involved with the students.”

His decade in retirement has been largely focused on his family—including Miss Anne, now 92. He and his wife, Lis, spend a lot of time visiting their nine grandchildren in Tennessee. While he doesn’t cook much these days, he’s always happy to indulge when the grandkids want to play Junior’s. “I’ll call out, ‘Order In!’ ” he says, “and they’ll respond, ‘Cook me a French toast!’ ”

times after that for lunch and breakfast, and in later years they’d always ask about our daughter,” he says. “They remembered everybody.”

The student rap duo The GTGs even memorialized Klemis and Junior’s in two songs: “Junior’s Grill Jam” and “Y Tommy Dice,” on which Klemis himself rapped under the name “Tommy K.” The tunes, available online, namecheck the restaurant’s all-star cast of employees, including Miss Anne and Walter Gilbert, the resident poet on staff. They share the history of Junior’s. And they pay heartfelt tribute to Klemis.

“Tommy was one of the most encouraging people I encountered at Tech,” says Brandon “Swaff ” Swafford, ID 07, one half of the GTGs. “His love poured out to anyone he served.”

When Klemis realized in April 2011 it was time to hang up his apron, he tried to close up shop quietly. But

NO ONE GOES AWAY HUNGRY:

THE KLEMIS KITCHEN TOMMY KLEMIS never let a student go away hungry from Junior’s Grill. In tribute, in February 2015, Georgia Tech’s Students’ Temporary Assistance and Resources (STAR) opened the Klemis Kitchen, a 24/7 on-campus food pantry for students facing food insecurity.

“The honor moved me to tears,” Klemis says.

In the Fall 2021 semester, over 100 students have requested access to Klemis Kitchen for at least a few meals each

week. The student-led organization Campus Kitchen collects leftovers from the dining halls and packages them into individual meals for the pantry. There’s also a supply of shelf-stable foods collected through food drives.

“It has been exciting and inspiring to see how folks have rallied around the Klemis Kitchen and want to participate in removing that stressor of food insecurity for their fellow students,” says Steve Fazenbaker, direc-

tor of STAR. “I was thrilled to find out about Klemis Kitchen, since the strain of collegiate life has left me food insecure for many years now,” says Nadia Qutob, a fourth-year physics major. “Klemis Kitchen gave me the food I needed to keep my health up and the stability I needed to get me through a difficult semester.”

Donations can be made at mygeorgia tech.gatech.edu/ giving/starprogram.

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67 YEARS AFTER THE GREAT BOOK MOVE OF 1953

I

I T W A S C E R TA I N LY a different time, muses Jody Thompson, head of the Archives and Special Collections department and the Library’s preservation manager. One in which then Dean of Men, George C. Griffin, CE 22, MS IM 57, could remand the entire freshman class of 1953 to a single service project.

“This was such an interesting story in the archives, so indicative of college culture at the time,” she says. “It’s just charming and kind of quirky—exactly the type of thing we love about Georgia Tech history.”

Operation Books, as it was known, has all the classic elements you want— rowdy students getting in *just* a little bit of trouble, the campus community coming together with a can-do attitude, and a little color to add to the history of a beloved Georgia Tech mainstay. And it returned to campus this past Oct. 29 in the courtyard of the Georgia Tech Library to celebrate books being back in the library.

HELP PRESERVE TECH HISTORY The Georgia Tech Archives & Special Collections collects and preserves unique historical materials.

For information about donating to the archive, visit www.library.

gatech.edu/archives.

96 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

BY JASON WRIGHT

Students form a “human chain” to move books back into the Georgia Tech Library.

OPERATION BOOKS It was Thursday, Oct. 29, 1953. Hundreds of freshmen collected, milling about Cherry Street on a sunny late fall morning with coffee in hand.

They stood in line a quarter-mile long, ready to pass 150,000 books from the Carnegie Building, Tech’s original library, to the newly constructed Price Gilbert Memorial Library. It was a punishment for what the Georgia Tech Alumnus described as “pranks” during a “hyper vitiminized” pep rally after the game against Tulane.

Under a plan developed by older industrial engineering students utilizing a “human chain,” the books began to move.

“It turned into a really interesting practical application of engineering to solve a real-world problem,” says Alumni Historian Jennifer Rogers, HTS 07, MS HSTS 09.

All told, students fell short of their lofty 150,000-title goal. Final totals

were somewhere around the 55,000 to 75,000 mark. That left the rest of the collection to be moved over the weekend by faculty and staff, who came in to make sure the job was done. The new library opened Monday, Nov. 2.

And there the books stayed… until 1968, when the Graduate Addition, now known as Crosland Tower, sprang from atop Freshman Hill to hold the exploding print collection. Nearly 50 years later, in 2016, all print materials moved into cold storage for renovation and reimagining of both library buildings.

Sixty-seven years to the day of the first Operation Books, the community celebrated the return of the core collection to the building. The event was held in conjunction with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association and using resources from the Georgia Tech Archives, and included a brief history of the original book-passing from the alumni historian.

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CAMPUS CHEF APPEARS ON CHOPPED

F

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

FROZEN FRENCH FRIES, strawberry cheesecake milkshake, meatloaf mix, and Thai basil.

Chef Nico Shumpert enjoys competition, but nothing quite prepared him for those four mystery ingredients. Early in 2021, Shumpert competed live against three top chefs to turn those ingredients into an appetizer on the T.V. show Chopped. Unfortunately, the judges “chopped” Shumpert’s dish, but the experience of competing on his favorite cooking show was unbeatable.

“I used to watch the show faithfully back in the day and think about what I

Chef Nico Shumpert (second from left) competed against three chefs on an episode of the T.V. show Chopped, which aired Sept. 14.

98 WINTER 2022 | GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF NICO SHUMPERT

Shumpert relocated from St. Louis to take a leadership role at the newly opened Kaldi’s Coffee on Georgia Tech’s campus.

inside the coffee shop with photos of the Markworts,” Shumpert says. “It’s a really cool connection.”

In addition to Kaldi’s, Shumpert hosts a YouTube show called Y’all Eatin’ This!? and another called Chopping It Up with Chef Nico, and he plans elaborately themed dinner parties under the culinary production company Taste Buds Dining Club.

Shumpert, who specializes in immersive culinary experiences, is excited to be working on Tech’s campus and to be surrounded by technology enthusiasts. “In my planned dinner parties, I want you to feel completely immersed—from the food and the décor to all the sounds that you hear.

And a lot of that needs technology.

There’s so much that can be done using tech to enhance that experience.”

When he’s not cooking for others, Shumpert is in the kitchen cooking with his wife and his two kids, aged 4 and 3.

“My kids love cooking, and I’m proud to say that they already know how to crack eggs successfully.”

PHOTOGRAPH

would do if I was on it,” Shumpert says.

“The adrenaline of competing was crazy. It’s all real. Nothing was staged.”

Shumpert filmed the show in the spring and the episode aired Sept. 14.

A St. Louis native, Shumpert relocated to Atlanta in fall 2021 for a leadership role at a new coffee shop on Tech’s campus. He helped Kaldi’s Coffee open inside the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. The coffee shop has a unique connection to Georgia Tech alumni. Los Tablones Farm in El Salvador is a fourth-generation family farm that’s owned and operated by the Markwort family, which includes husband and wife Herb Markwort, Jr., IM 75, and Marielos Markwort, MS IM 76.

“We have a whole display

What does Roll Call mean to you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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