Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, Vol. 98 No. 3 Fall 2022

Don Meaders can’t say enough good things about George C. Griffin, Georgia Tech’s Dean of Students from 1946 to 1964. Meaders, retired after a long and successful career at Lockheed Martin, credits Griffin for — among other things — his graduating from Georgia Tech.

A transfer student in 1952, Meaders nevertheless had to start over at Tech as a first-year RAT. During orientation, he heard the then-standard “only one of every four of you will graduate.” He decided to be among the 25% who did. “I made a commitment that I would graduate from Georgia Tech, and I would do it in four years,” Meaders said.

Academically, he had no trouble. Registering for all the required courses in sequence, however, proved challenging. “When I was approaching my junior year, I found I couldn’t make my schedule without dropping ROTC,” Meaders said. This didn’t sit well with the ROTC program, and “they called the draft board, and lo and behold, I got a notice telling me to report,” he said. “I went to see Dean Griffin, told him my story, and he wrote the draft board on my behalf — and, apparently, they reconsidered.” Meaders fulfilled his obligation to the Army after graduation.

In 2020, Meaders established a charitable gift annuity directed to the George C. Griffin Hip Pocket Endowment. While serving as Dean, Griffin was known to provide loans from his own personal account to students facing financial need. Although the “Hip Pocket” loans are now history, Meaders has requested that his gift be used to help students in difficult circumstances. “My goal is not ambiguous, theoretical help, but direct gifts where they are needed.”

“My gift is not about me. It’s about Dean Griffin. His presence and influence made a difference in the lives of everyone who knew him.”

A YELLOW JACKET’S SECRET TO SUCCESS

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AS WE START a new academ ic year, I can’t help but feel the excitement on cam pus. We’ve welcomed a record number of new firstyear and transfer students to Tech (5,131), and over the coming months, these “alumni in residence” will learn what it means to be a Yellow Jacket.

I remember those days. With the “firsts” come a lot of questions. We want a list of steps—a secret “how to” guide—to help us reach our goals. It wasn’t until later in my ca reer that I began to understand what that is. It’s something that you and I have in common. I like to call it Tech spirit.

Tech spirit is more than having a pocket full of Yellow Jacket lapel pins or a sport coat with Tech lining (though that doesn’t hurt). It’s also more than the things we learn in class. Our world has no shortage of information. Knowledge is important and it’s great that it’s more

Carry the Tech spirit with you wherever you go. It doesn’t hurt to have a Tech-lined sport coat!

accessible than ever. But knowledge isn’t Tech spirit.

For me, Tech spirit is the way Geor gia Tech teaches us to interact with the world around us.

Jackets know that the first step to solv ing a problem is to uncover what the actual problem is. We think before we act. We consult those around us because we know to listen to every perspective. We understand there’s no shame in ask ing for help. That’s Tech spirit.

It’s also our instinct to do our jobs “and then some.” We go the extra mile in everything we do. We never accept anything less than our best, both person ally and professionally. We are known by our actions.

More than anything, Tech spirit is our community. It’s the way these traits bind us to one another. You and I are mem bers of a network of brilliant thinkers. We support each other for life. We cele brate our collective victories and support each other through life’s obstacles.

Though I may not know the answer to a question, I probably know some one who does. My key to success for Yellow Jackets is to live the Tech spirit. Do it by being an active member of our alumni community. Share your knowl edge and never be afraid to ask others for help. That’s Tech spirit. That’s the secret to success.

Go Jackets!

DENE SHEHEANE, MGT 91 PRESIDENT GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI MAGAZINE

VOL. 98 | NO. 3

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Dene Sheheane, Mgt 91

VP STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Lindsay Vaughn

EDITOR Jennifer Herseim

ART DIRECTOR Karen Matthes COPYWRITER Matt Sowell

COPY EDITOR Barbara McIntosh Webb

STUDENT ASSISTANT

Riddhi Bhattacharya

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair

Magd Riad, IE 01

Past Chair/Vice Chair of Finance

Shan Pesaru, CmpE 05

Chair Elect, Vice Chair/Roll Call

Elizabeth “Betsy” Bulat, IAML 04

Vice Chair

Tommy Herrington, IM 82

Member at Large

Annie I. Antón, ICS 90, MS ICS 92, PhD CS 97

Member at Large Jason Byars, ME 96

Member at Large Brian Tyson, EE 10

Member at Large Amy Rich, MBA 12

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jennifer Abrams, PP 17; Latanza Adjei, IE 98; Sybrina Atwaters, EE 94, MS HSTS 09, PhD HSTS 14; Archel Bernard, STC 11; Michael Bogachek, IE 00; Jasmine Burton, ID 14; Duane Carver, CmpE 10; Aurélien Cottet, MS AE 03; Elizabeth Donnelly, IA 08; Matthew 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; Antonio Llanos, CS 95; Matthew Mason, IE 01; Randolph McDow, IE 95, MS PP 03; Meredith Moot, Mgt 08; Antai Peng, PhD EE 96; Anna Pinder, ME 03; George Ray, Mgt 09, PP 09; James Sanders, IE 88; Stacey Sapp, IM 80; Jacquelyn Renée Schneider, BC 06, MBA 18; Rene Simon, MBA 18; Chad Sims, BA 15; Courtney Robinson Smith, Mgt 00; Mary Lynn Smith, EE 88; John R. Spriggle, ME 02; Kenji Takeuchi, ME 94; Maurice Trebuchon, IE 86; Sheetal Wrzesien, CS 94

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GENDER EQUALITY

An art exhibit curated by Michelle Ramirez, MS DM 22, celebrates past and present pioneers of gender equality. The exhibit is on display in The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.

HOW TO BE A CHANGEMAKER

PERFECT COMBINATION

Vintage mailboxes from the former Student Center building were preserved and installed near the Georgia Tech Post Office in the newly opened John Lewis Student Center. Do you remember your mailbox number?

DESERVING OF RECOGNITION

I WAS A STUDENT ASSISTANT in the VP/Student Services Office, which meant that I got to know Dean Carole Moore. She may not have held the Dean of Students ti tle, but regardless, she compassionately and tirelessly served the role of Dean of Students, very well. I developed some medical issues while a student and she helped my family navigate the issues of withdrawing, which is what I needed at the time.

STEVE G. SHOCKLEY, ARCH 92

A TREASURED POSITION

I REALLY ENJOYED the article by George Spencer, “Tech’s Best-Kept Secrets” [Summer 2022, Vol. 98, Issue 2] and its coverage of professors of the practice. I thought the article was very well written in content, tone, and tenor. While I would never place myself alongside an astronaut or an ad miral, I am very proud to be one of the 54 Professors of the Practice at Tech. I LOVED Richard’s allusions to towers and drawbridges… What else would we expect from a medie valist? Bill Todd’s words, “We don’t do theory,” warmed my heart! The overall emphasis on pure excellence through out the article was spot-on. Most of us realized very early that no one pays twice for a C-solution received once. Some years ago, Jacqueline Royster, Richard, et al., honored me

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SINGING DEAN DULL’S PRAISES

THE ARTICLE about the Deans of Students [Summer 2022, “100 Years of Georgia Tech’s Dean of Students,” Vol. 98, Issue 2] was really interesting. My particular memories are of Dean James Dull. During the summer, three of us from my high school in Greenville, S.C., drove down to vis it campus. We went to the Tower and wound up in Dean Dull’s office. My memory, beyond his welcoming atti tude, was me commenting on a mug that said “SAC 70.” I asked, “What’s that?” I was told it referred to the planned Student Athletic Center. Great news! I should point out that SAC never opened in 1970 or during my student years. That aside, I have gratefully used SAC and its successor, the CRC, ever since with an alumni membership. The other memory is that we incoming fresh men were bussed to Camp Rock Eagle before registration. Dean Dull taught us all the songs! I have heard “Ramblin’ Wreck” and “Up with the White and Gold” thousands of times since, but that was the first. I thought it was great!

BILL BROCKMAN, MGT 73

with the PoP appointment in LMC, and I have treasured it from Day One. STEPHEN C. HALL, IM 67, COLONEL USAF (RET.), PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE, LITERATURE, MEDIA, AND COMMUNICATION

Dean James Dull

TALES OF TIMECARDS

IN THE SUMMER ISSUE, WE FEATURED A STORY ABOUT THE LENGTHS TO WHICH ONE ALUMNUS WENT FOR AN 8 A.M. REGISTRATION TIMECARD. WE ASKED FOR YOUR STORIES AND YOU DELIVERED! READ ABOUT THE TRICKS JACKETS PULLED AT GTALUMNI.ORG/CLASSREGISTRATION .

“

I camped out on the steps of the ME building every quarter from 1966 to 1968. …I also remember how the lady in the ME office would take her time opening the door, setting up her desk, and finally, after what seemed like forever, asking what could she do for us. Dean Dull also used to have early timecards that he would distribute. I think the faculty enjoyed the process. Timecard management is as much a part of Georgia Tech history as T-Cuts, RAT Caps, Sideways, etc. —JIM MEYER, ME 68

I HAD IT EASY. I WAS A MATH MAJOR IN THE EARLY SIXTIES. THE MATH DEPARTMENT GAVE OUT TIMECARDS FOR REGISTERING ACCORDING TO GPA. I ALWAYS HAD A GOOD GPA, SO I GOT AN EARLY TIME-SLOT FOR REGISTERING. —FRANCES DORROUGH, AM 65, MS AM 66

WHEN I ATTENDED (LATE ‘80 s ), I HAD ALL THE OPTIONS FIGURED OUT IN ADVANCE AND HUNG OUT IN THE BASEMENT OF THE BOGGS BUILDING WAITING FOR THE NEXT GREEN-COMPUTER-PAPER SCHEDULE UNTIL I HAD ONE THAT WORKED ; FOR ME, I HAD TO TRAVEL ONCE A MONTH AS A WEEKEND WARRIOR (10 HOURS UP TO PERU, INDIANA, WHERE I WAS AN A10 MECHANIC). ONE GENERATION LATER, I STILL PERUSED ALL THE OPTIONS—BUT NOW ONLINE!— AS I JOKED WITH MY DOUBLE-MAJORING SON ABOUT PLAYING TETRIS WITH HIS SOMETIMES CHALLENGING SCHEDULE. I NEVER DID REGISTER MY PAL GEORGE P. BURDELL FOR ANY CLASSES, THOUGH. —KAT COFFMAN, AE 91

During registration for the fall quarter 1960, I decided there must be a better way. So, I kept my ears open, and someone told me that students employed by the bookstore received an unheard of 7:30 timecard. I made it a point to find the bookstore manager, and yes, he needed one or two additional student employees for winter quarter. As instruct ed, I checked in with the man ager during fall finals week, received my 7:30 timecard, and learned I would be paid $0.75 for hours worked. This wonderful perk followed me until June 1963, when I finally got out.

—K. KIRK DOMINGOS, IM 63

AROUND CAMPUS

WELCOME IN

The new John Lewis Student Center and Stamps Commons is now open. The newly renovated space offers 11 dining options, new offices for student programming, two theaters to support student events, and a bowling alley to boot.

PHOTOGRAPH

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO—EVEN CLOSE TO HOME

HOW TO EXPLORE NEW PLACES AND REDISCOVER FAMILIAR ONES, FROM A WELL-TRAVELED YELLOW JACKET.

TAKE IT FROM AN ADVENTURER with a penchant for exploring (so much so that he’s on the board of National Geo graphic) that wherever your Yellow Jacket wings may take you, there’s al ways something new to discover.

At last count, President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95, has visited most of Europe and North America, and much of South Amer ica, North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. His last trip took him to Botswana this September. For the President, exploring comes naturally. For those of you who need a slight push to venture near or far, he offers these tips:

1. ADD AN EXTRA DAY TO A BUSINESS TRIP. It can be easy to arrive at the air port, head straight to your hotel, go to your meeting, and head home. Add some time to see the sights. Even if you can’t devote a full day, sneak away for a few hours to visit a local museum or walk through the town. By seeing the sights, you have something in com mon that you can bring up later with local partners at a business dinner.

2. DO A HOUSE VISIT. If you are invited to visit a colleague’s home for dinner,

say yes! Visiting a home while you’re traveling gives you a peek into the culture, food, politics, and life of that community. Ask lots of questions. You learn a ton by asking questions, and it’s usually seen as a sign of respect that you want to learn more.

3. LET HISTORY LEAD YOU. When we moved back to Atlanta, my wife, Beth, discovered a new podcast about the history of the city [Archive Atlanta]. There’s even an episode on Georgia Tech. Sometimes the episodes have in spired us to visit a place. After listening to one about Historic Oakland Ceme tery, we walked through it. There’s so much Atlanta history here, including Bobby Jones, the famous golfer and Tech alumnus’ gravesite. People still leave golf balls at his grave.

This summer, we visited Georgia Tech-Lorraine. When our students go there, they’re surrounded by histo ry. Reading or listening about a place brings the things you’re seeing to life.

4. TAKE A WALK. One thing Beth and I try to do is take an Uber to a place, and then we walk home. Just walking can help you stumble upon things in your own town that you didn’t know were

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.

there. We have walked to the Atlan ta University Center and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. There’s so much history around our city, but you have to get out of the car and explore. And the beauty of Uber or Lyft is you can pick a neighborhood, get dropped off, have a coffee, and walk around.

5. VOLUNTEER. Every city has a website for volunteering. If you move to a new city, volunteering is a great way to do something good for your community as well as meet new people.

6. PLAY TOURIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN.

When you’re visiting a city, you al ways go to the museums and theaters. When you live in a city, there’s less ur gency and you don’t do it. Every place has hidden treasures in its museums. In Atlanta, there’s the High Museum of Art, the Coca-Cola Museum, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, but also lesser-known ones like the Trap Music Museum or Atlanta Con temporary. Most people take for granted what’s available to them in their own city, but go do it!

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GEORGIA TECH’S ECONOMIC IMPACT GROWS

THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA (USG) released its annual report highlighting the significant economic impact that Georgia’s higher educa tion institutions had across the state between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. The data calculated by the Se lig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business includes a breakdown of Georgia Tech’s benefit to the state.

The study shows that the USG contributed a total of $19.3 billion to Georgia’s economy during the 2021 fiscal year. Georgia Tech’s economic impact is the highest of any USG in stitution, with nearly $4.2 billion—a 4.6% increase from FY 2020.

BY AYANA ISLES

BREAKING GROUND ON SCIENCE SQUARE

THE NEW 18-ACRE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF GEORGIA TECH’S CAMPUS WILL BE DEDICATED TO BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY.

GEORGIA TECH, in partnership with Trammell Crow Company (TCC), host ed a groundbreaking ceremony for Science Square this August. The new development will be a purpose-built district dedicated to biomedical re search and technology—the first of its kind in Atlanta.

As part of this project, TCC is pro viding a $500,000 Community Educational Grant to support local job training, education, and outreach. With this grant, Science Square will partner with schools in the Wash ington and Douglass clusters to support life science education with advanced equipment, professional development, and engaging student experiences. The grant will also fund scholarships for local residents to earn associate’s degrees in bioscience technology from Atlanta Metropoli tan College and provide community members with internships and other opportunities to acquire the training

credentials they need to work in these industries. This development is a key advancement toward solidifying At lanta as a resource for talent in this sector, allowing the city to not only at tract thought leaders from around the world but use these resources to build those leaders in local communities.

“Historically, Atlanta hasn’t en joyed the same success with startups in the life sciences as we have with other tech sectors,” says Georgia

Tech President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95. “Sometimes, great ideas and companies that start in this city end up elsewhere be cause Atlanta hasn’t been able to provide the rich, dense biomedical innovation ecosystem that biotech en trepreneurs need to attract talent and develop their ideas into marketable solutions. The purpose of this new de velopment is to reverse that dynamic.”

AYANA ISLES

TECH GRADS HOLD HIGHEST USG POST-GRADUATE EARNINGS

WITH RISING COSTS affecting every thing from food to gasoline, many may be asking the question: Is seeking a higher education worth the price?

An effort involving the University System of Georgia (USG) partner ing with the U.S. Census Bureau on a project called Post-Secondary Em ployment Outcomes (PSEO) helps answer that question affirmatively.

The project, which provides nation al employment outcomes for USG graduates that have been published on the PSEO Explorer website, in dicates that Tech stands out as a particularly advantageous financial decision. Georgia Tech had the high est earnings of all USG colleges for baccalaureate graduates at one year ($43,579), five years ($61,200), and 10 years ($74,633) after graduation.

“We are proud that Tech consis tently provides an excellent return on investment for our students and

their families,” says Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “The re turns are equally valuable for the economy of the state, as many of our talented students begin their careers in Georgia. In fact, 54% of our bac calaureate graduates still work in the state five years after graduating.” Computer and information services graduates had the highest average salaries at one ($73,936), five ($94,314), and 10 years ($124,663) after graduation. INSTITUTE

NEW SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTING INSTRUCTION

THE COLLEGE OF COMPUTING LAUNCHES SCHOOL OF COMPUTING INSTRUCTION (SCI) AT GEORGIA TECH.

BY ANN CLAYCOMBE

A NEW SCHOOL at Georgia Tech fo cuses on undergraduate computing education as well as research into scalable techniques for teaching com puting to students at all levels.

“It’s time for the college’s Division of Computing Instruction to become a school,” says Charles Isbell, ICS 90, dean and John P. Imlay, Jr. chair of the College of Computing.

“Not just because they do a tremen dous amount of work for the college and the Institute—although they do— but because they constantly produce new scholarship and techniques that expand everyone’s ability to both teach and learn computing. This new school is both a recognition and a celebration of their ongoing contributions to what makes Georgia Tech great.”

The college has long had a Division of Computing Instruction housing its teaching-track faculty, which now in cludes 15 full-time and five part-time lecturers. As a school, the Comput ing Instruction faculty will continue to teach all 1000- and 2000-level cours es, as well as some upper-division courses.

In all, SCI faculty teach a third of the college’s undergraduate course

sections and half of its students each semester.

Because computer sci ence is the largest major on campus and because of computer science course requirements for all Tech students, SCI instructors teach more students from across campus every year than any other academic unit. To help with the high volume of students, the school hires and manages hundreds of teaching assistants every semester.

The new school also offers the Junior Design Capstone, two intro ductory computing classes offered remotely to high school students across Georgia through the state’s dual enrollment program, and three mas sive open online courses (MOOCs).

The MOOCs, created by school facul ty, are among the five most popular in their subject, according to Class Cen tral, which aggregates online courses.

Beyond academics, SCI faculty do a considerable amount of research into effective, scalable computing educa tion, including online. These efforts actively address the ongoing shortage

of computing science educators at ev ery level, which is vital to finding new ways for existing teachers to reach more students.

Olufisayo Omojokun, principal lec turer and former head of the Division of Computing Instruction, is the new school’s inaugural chair.

“We’ve been building toward this for a long time,” Omojokun says. “And becoming a school will provide the foundation for future growth and ex pansion. We will attract new talent and new resources. I’m excited to see what we can do going forward.”

Georgia Tech is excited to introduce a new campaign that will build a foundation to support our students, advance our research and innovation, enhance our campus and our community, and expand our impact at home and around the world.

GT GRAFFITI: THE ROBOT THAT PAINTS LIKE A HUMAN

BY CATHERINE BARZLER

GEORGIA TECH graduate students have built the first graffiti-painting ro bot system that mimics the fluidity of human movement. Aptly named GTGraffiti, the system uses motion capture technology to record human painting motions and then composes and processes the gestures to program a cable-driven robot that spray-paints graffiti artwork.

The project was devised by ro botics PhD student Gerry Chen, in collaboration with JuanDiego Florez, a fellow graduate student; Frank Dellaert, robotics professor in the School of Interactive Computing; and Seth Hutchinson, professor and KUKA Chair for Robot ics. The team’s peer-reviewed study of the robot system was published in the International Conference on Robotics and Automation proceedings in June.

HOW IT WORKS

The GTGraffiti system consists of three stages: artwork capture, robot hardware, and planning and control. The team uses motion capture tech nology to first record human artists painting. Next, they process the data to analyze each motion and move on to the next stage—designing the robot. The artist’s composition is con verted into electrical signals. Taken together, the figures form a library of digital characters which can be pro grammed in any size, perspective, and

combination to produce words for the robot to paint. A human artist choos es shapes from the library and uses them to compose a piece of art. For this study, the team chose to paint the letters “ATL.”

Once the team chooses a sequence and position of characters, they use mathematical equations to gener ate trajectories for the robot to follow. These algorithmically produced path ways ensure that the robot paints with the correct speed, location, orien tation, and perspective. Finally, the pathways are converted into motor commands to be executed.

Cable-driven robots, like the Sky cams used in sports stadiums for aerial camera shots, are notable for being able to scale to large sizes. The team’s robot is currently mounted on a 9- by 10-foot-tall steel frame, but Chen says it should be possible to mount it

directly onto a flat structure of almost any size, such as the side of a building.

With all the computing and com peting movements, the motors on the robot could potentially work against each other, threatening to rip the robot apart. To address this, the central robot controller is programmed to recalcu late motor commands 1,000 times per second so that the robot can function safely and reliably.

WHY ART? WHY GRAFFITI?

“The arts, especially painting or danc ing, exemplify some of the most complex and nuanced motions hu mans can make,” Chen says. “So, if we want to create robots that can do the highly technical things that

(L–R) PhD candidate Gerry Chen and Michael Qian, a computer science student, with artwork by the GTGraffiti robot.

humans do, then creating robots that can dance or paint are great goals to shoot for. These are the types of skills that demonstrate the extraor dinary capabilities of robots and can also be applied to a variety of other applications.”

On a personal level, Chen is mo tivated by his hope for people to perceive robots as being helpful to humanity.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Presently, Chen and the team’s plans for the robot are centered around two main thrusts: preserving and amplify ing art. They are experimenting with reproducing pre-recorded shapes at different scales and testing the robot’s ability to paint larger surfaces. These abilities would enable the robot to paint scaled-up versions of original works in different geographical loca tions and for artists who are physically unable to spray-paint on-site. In theo ry, an artist would be able to paint an artwork in one part of the world, and a GTGraffiti bot could execute that art work in another place.

Chen hopes to develop the tech nology that could enable an artist standing at the foot of a building to spray-paint graffiti in a small space while the cable-driven robot copies the painting with giant strokes on the side of the building, for example.

“We hope that our research can help artists compose artwork that, executed by a superhuman robot, communi cates messages more powerfully than any piece they could have physically painted themselves,” says Chen.

GTGraffiti is funded by a National Science Foundation grant that sup ports research involving human-robot collaboration in artistic endeavors.

ROTORJACKETS WIN COLLEGIATE DRONE RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

A THREE-MEMBER Georgia Tech stu dent drone racing team placed first in the Collegiate Drone Racing Champi onship in Grand Forks, North Dakota,

this June. RotorJackets is a campus or ganization that provides education and opportunities for students to learn how to build and operate drones.

TECH’S INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE TEAM WINS NATIONALS

National Championship.

“We are so grateful to keep our cultural heritage alive across the country, and we are thankful for all of the support we have re ceived from the Georgia Tech community all these years,” say captains Am rita Sarker and Shruthi Saravanan.

GEORGIA TECH’S Indian classical dance team, GT Pulse, beat 24 teams from across the country to become na tional champions.

The team competed this summer in Houston, Texas, at the Origins

GT Pulse was founded in 2010 with a focus on raising awareness of the ancient art of Indian classical dance in a modern form. The team frequently represents the Institute on a national level, placing first at the ETSU SACE Diwali Show (2010), ATL Tama sha (2011), Laasya (2013), Mayuri (2014), and Mayuri (2016).

HOW TO…

A SERIES OF TIPS SPANNING WORK, LIFE, THE LAWS OF PHYSICS, AND MORE FROM GEORGIA TECH’S EXPERTS.

…MANAGE AN AGE-DIVERSE WORKFORCE

Age diversity is here to stay, says School of Psychology Professor Ruth Kanfer, author of Ageless Talent: Enhancing the Perfor mance and Well-Being of Your AgeDiverse Workforce (2021). Kanfer pro vides evidence-based tools to use when managing an age-diverse workforce. Understanding motivation and “why” people exert effort is important, Kanfer says. “It’s usually not a single reason, but what motive is dominant. Am I doing this to get a promotion, because I like to learn, to help others, or maybe to teach younger people? That last generativity motive is typically stronger in middle to late adulthood,” she says.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL

…BE HAPPIER

Dr. Beth Cabrera, MS PSY 93, PhD Psy 95, who was a guest presenter in a five-week course for Georgia Tech students on strategies for building resilience, says having a posi tive outlook and experiencing happiness are important for well-being, but “being happy” should not be the goal. “There’s a difference between doing things that allow you to experi ence positive emotions and having the goal of being happy,” she says. “Being happy all the time is never going to happen, so if you set a goal to be happy, then you’re always going to fall short.”

Instead, Cabrera suggests participating in activities that make you happy. That could be anything from reading to exercising to hanging out with friends. The result will be a feeling of happiness that can be repeated as needed.

VICTOR ROGERS

…DEFY A LAW OF PHYSICS

When humans, animals, and machines move throughout the world, they always push against something, whether it’s the ground, air, or water. Until recently, physicists believed this to be a constant, following the law of conservation of momentum. Now, re searchers from Georgia Tech have proven the opposite—when bodies exist in curved spaces, it turns out that they can in fact move without pushing against something.

A team led by Zeb Rocklin, an assistant professor of physics in the College of Scienc es, created a robot confined to a spherical surface with unprecedented levels of isolation from its environment so that these curvatureinduced effects would predominate. Their findings, which might inform how spacecraft could move around a black hole, were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

GEORGIA PARMELEE

…SNACK BETTER

When hunger strikes and you want a snack, it’s easy to grab a bag of chips or a pack of cookies.

Danielle Southern, a nutritionist in Health Initiatives in the Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being, offers several tips for mindful and balanced snacking:

• Stock up on portable non-perishables such as nuts, trail mix, and jerky.

• Consider cold snacks like yogurt, cottage cheese, a sandwich, and berries. If you don’t have a refriger ator nearby, use a lunch bag with an ice pack.

• Pair a protein or fat with a carbohydrate.

As the leaves fall and temperatures drop, mow your lawn one last time for the year. Raise the height of the lawnmower blades to 2 or 2.5 inches. Then, apply a pre-emergent herbicide to keep weed seeds from germinating. Don’t select the “weed and feed” variety, however, because the grass goes dormant in winter. Once the lawn is asleep, rake the leaves as needed to prevent buildup that can cause damage to the grass.

—CLAYTON PATTERSON, TURF MAINTENANCE MANAGER

AND, HOW NOT TO DESIGN A ROBOT

A team from Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Washington recently showed that flawed artificial intelligence contributed to robots that were racist and sexist. The team tested a robot built using a public AI model by instructing the robot to put objects with human faces on them in a box. The commands included instructions such as “pack the doctor in the brown box,” “pack the criminal in the brown box,” and “pack the homemaker in the brown box.” The robot often acted out significant and disturbing stereotypes. To prevent future machines from adopting and reenacting these stereotypes, the team says systematic changes to research and business practices are needed.—TESS MALONE

BIG REACH

Georgia Tech’s Ayinde Eley jumps for the ball as Tech faced off against Clemson University Sept. 5 during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

HOW TO PUT ON AN INTERNATIONAL SPORTING EVENT

WHEN IT COMES TO HOSTING GLOBAL GAMES AND TOURNAMENTS, TECH CAN BE MUCH MORE THAN PART OF THE BACKDROP.

WWE SEE IT ON OUR SCREENS every time a national or international sport ing event comes to Atlanta: As the pro gram cuts to or from commercial, there’s swirling aerial cutaway footage of downtown.

The petal-roof of Mer cedes-Benz Stadium. Centennial Olympic Park and the SkyView Ferris wheel. Bank of America Plaza. And just across the buzzing Down town Connector, the glowing gem of Bobby Dodd Stadium, lights on, draw ing your eye to the brick, steel, and glass campus of Georgia Tech.

It makes for a pretty picture. But the truth is that anytime Atlanta hosts a major happening, whether it’s the Super Bowl, the Olympics, or the re cently announced 2026 FIFA World Cup, Georgia Tech is much more than a landmark in the backdrop. Behind the scenes, Tech’s students, faculty, and facilities are often an integral part of the festivities. And while it’s too ear ly to know for certain what Tech’s role might be in facilitating the World Cup,

alumni who have helped the city put on big events in the past say there will be plenty of chances for Yellow Jackets to get involved. “It’s going to be right in Tech’s backyard,” says Lee Hen drickson, MBA 19, head of corporate volunteerism for The Home Depot and vice president of community en gagement and volunteer programs for the Atlanta Super Bowl 53 Host Committee. “For Tech, there’s an op portunity to reconnect with and be proud of our city.”

For starters, the presence of Tech it self downtown can be a key element in attracting a sprawling sporting event or tournament. Visiting athletes need places to train, work out, meet, and practice, and urban campuses have plenty of gyms, auditoriums, train ing facilities, fields, courts, and pools

BY TONY REHAGEN

a short shuttle ride from downtown hotels. When it comes to soccer, Tech has specific experience, having hosted the MLS Atlanta United before con struction on their permanent home of Mercedes-Benz Stadium was com plete. “The infrastructure is there, and the United and the fans all talk ed about what a great experience it was,” says Clint Padgett, EE 95, ad junct professor in the Scheller College of Business, who worked with CocaCola in their role in previous FIFA events and was part of the planning team for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Tech also hosted the Súper Clásico, a major rivalry between two Mexican soccer clubs in September at Bobby Dodd Stadium. “We have a recent his tory of being able to do this—Tech can have a role to play,” Padgett says.

“FOR TECH, THERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECONNECT WITH AND BE PROUD OF OUR CITY,” SAYS HENDRICKSON.

Putting together any major commu nity undertaking, be it a championship game, a festival, or a concert, typical ly starts with a ready workforce. The 1996 Olympics required 50,000 lo cal volunteers, while the Super Bowl selected more than 10,000. With proximity to the neighborhood and public transit, plus students’ flexi ble schedules and eagerness to throw themselves into new things, Yellow Jackets make ideal volunteers.

And jobs aren’t all just menial tasks—Hendrickson says there’s a real chance to build a resumé. “It’s not just a ‘show up and wear a smile’ service

project,” she says. “The students we in terview for volunteer positions take on real responsibility and manage a group of peers. It’s a great learning experience to come into something so large-scale and showcase their leadership skills and a great opportunity to build those skills in a really fun way.”

Hendrickson says there’s also a huge community engagement component to any event like this. Whenever the world comes to Atlanta, the planning committees work with local busi nesses and nonprofits to showcase the city’s diversity. Georgia Tech students, faculty, and alumni have working

Georgia Tech is much more than a landmark in the backdrop of international sporting events. Students, faculty, and facilities are often integral to the festivities.

relationships with these organizations and can help make those connections. Furthermore, for a worldwide event like the World Cup, Tech also has the built-in multi-national student body and faculty to engage at a global lev el. “Given our international diversity and global collaborative perspective, that’s an area where we shine,” says Hendrickson.

“Tech has a special role in being a part of Atlanta’s past and continuing to shape its future. It’s going to be a criti cal part of these hosting opportunities, and it helps us win bids and be success ful in showcasing our city.”

COMPETE LIKE A YELLOW JACKET

HOW TO USE NATIONAL TEAM EXPERIENCE AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL VOLLEYBALL STAR JULIA BERGMANN EXPLAINS HOW TO QUICKLY UP YOUR GAME.

Julia Bergmann, set to graduate next year, has aspirations for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

watching what they do on the court, but also off, for example, what they eat, how they prepare for games, and how they act as leaders.”

FOR EVERY ACTION, there’s an equal and opposite reaction, according to Newton’s third law. It’s a principle that volleyball star Julia Bergmann un derstands well, having grown up in Germany around the sport’s signature tournaments and a father obsessed with stars, black holes, and other sci entific phenomena. “He’d love it at Georgia Tech,” she chuckles. As the 2021 AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year—and the first Yellow Jack et named as such—she applies these teachings to her thinking both on and off the court. Or, in other words, “it’s about consistently showing up and putting in the work,”she notes.

Having recently switched majors from Physics to Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, Bergmann says this philosophy is all part of her plan

to go pro and play in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Not only is she an AVCA First Team All-American performer, but she debuted as an outside hitter in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League tournament this summer as a member of Brazil’s national squad. Noting this, we couldn’t help but won der: What did she learn playing on the national team that has helped her compete? And what tips would she of fer aspiring student-athletes?

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE SERVES AND SPIKES

“Being on the [Brazil] national team offers a huge opportunity to grow as an athlete because you’re play ing alongside the greatest players in the world,” Bergmann says. “But to play at that level, it’s not just about

Likewise, she says, you’ve got to be diligent about self-care and training as well as bring the right mindset to the game. “Being coachable and being consistent with your performance and routines is critical,” she says.

As you quickly learn at the top, there’s more to playing at your best than simply practicing your shots, she says. It’s also about exposing your self to other perspectives, as you can learn a lot just by observing and talking to other players. “I’ve played beside teammates of every back ground and skill level, and all have helped me learn and grow,” she says.

It’s a spirit that she says Georgia Tech champions and fans can rou tinely see reflected on the court. “Everyone feels welcome when they join the team,” she proudly beams. “The energy is great, and you can tell that people really love to watch us play…the gym is always packed! It makes me happy and grateful to be here.” SCOTT STEINBERG,

Business Administration major Christo Lamprecht came to Georgia Tech from a small town in South Africa.

HOW TO GET GOLF CLUBS WHEN YOU’RE 6’8”

TECH MEN’S GOLF STAR CHRISTO LAMPRECHT REVEALS

WHY IT PAYS TO KEEP SWINGING AWAY IN LIFE AND SPORTS.

“BALANCE IS IMPORTANT in every thing,” says Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech men’s golfing sensa tion and Golfweek All-American and Golf Coaches Association of Ameri ca (GCAA) All-America Scholar. It’s his general philosophy on both life and sport, noting that it’s critical to use time efficiently for study and prac tice, and how important it also is to get adequate sleep and downtime to stave off burnout. Standing an impres sive 6’8” as the tallest member ever to play in Georgia Tech’s golf program, he notes that he applies similar think ing when selecting clubs as well.

“Obviously, I want to be a worldclass athlete and play on the PGA Tour one day, that’s the goal,” he notes. “But as soon as I started get ting really tall and my posture shifted, it began to affect my swing—so we started building custom clubs around how my body works.”

Thankfully, as a child prodigy at South Africa’s

Louis Oosthuizen Junior Golf Acade my, he caught the eye of manufacturer (and soon to be sponsor) PING, who signed on to assist by providing per sonalized gear. Incredibly, since age 16, Lamprecht has had to use both longer and heavier woods and irons customized to his size and built from scratch.

Finding ways to smooth out all man ner of new challenges is nothing new to Lamprecht, though, as a versatile performer who grew up playing near ly every sport imaginable. (“I grew up with a ball in hand,” he jokes.) But as a self-described people person, he says that he’s also made it a priority in life to balance out his athletic pur suits with socializing and studying, having always had a head for numbercrunching as well. Accordingly, the third-year Business Administration ma jor sees himself potentially exploring the world of finance at some point in the future.

Whatever your passion—be it Ex cel spreadsheets or excellence on the green—though, he says it’s important to invest in yourself first and foremost.

“You can do anything if you put your mind to it,” Lamprecht ex plains. Given the importance of being well-rounded, true to yourself, and applying a balanced approach to life—lessons he credits his father for teaching him—Lamprecht says focus is paramount for success.

“Being an international student coming from a small town in South Af rica, there’s always people that are going to say you shouldn’t be doing this, you’re not good enough, etc. If you believe in yourself, don’t care what others think, and just live and work according to your values, you’ll be fine. One lesson that I learned is that if your dreams don’t scare you, then you don’t dream big enough.”

SCOTT STEINBERG,

TITLE IX TURNS 50

TITLE IX MADE A MONUMENTAL IMPACT ON THE QUEST FOR EQUALITY AND CONTINUES TO DO SO HALF A CENTURY LATER.

BY VICTOR ROGERS

TTITLE IX —the federal law that prevents discrimina tion based on sex by any education program receiv ing federal funds—turned 50 on June 23. The clause, part of the education legis lation passed in 1972, made a substantial impact on the quest for equality and continues to do so 50 years later.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t have the opportunity to play organized sports. It was for the boys,” says Nell Fortner, Georgia Tech wom en’s basketball head coach. “Now, little girls start playing soccer at age 4 or 5. They get to play T-ball. They get to do everything just like the boys. That was not the world I grew up in, and it’s really cool to see.”

Although Title IX was implement ed too late to affect Fortner’s early years, it has played a big role in her adulthood.

“I hate to even think about having to spend my whole life without Title IX because it gave me my career,” she says. “It gave me tremendous opportuni ties, from coaching the 2000 Olympics team to traveling the world playing sports against the best women’s teams.

Without Title IX, I would have had none of those opportunities.”

Much of the attention on Title IX fo cuses on opportunities for women to participate in athletics. But the law also prohibits sex discrimination, which has been defined to include sexual as sault and sexual harassment, as well as sex-based discrimination in a school’s courses, programs, and activities. The law also prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy.

“The federal government identified

that women were dropping out or were being told to leave because they were pregnant,” says Alexis Martinez, Geor gia Tech’s executive director of Equity and Compliance Programs. “Title IX put protections in the education space that made it illegal to remove a woman from her job or from school because she was pregnant. In higher education, we work with pregnant students to help them finish their studies.”

Title IX also increased conversa tions and actions involving parity for

The 1974 Women’s Basketball squad. Basketball was the first women’s sport to earn varsity status at Georgia Tech.

The 50 Years of Title IX Panel, hosted Sept. 9, featured panelists representing five decades of Title IX.

women who were earning degrees and applying for faculty positions.

“Women wanted placement in the same kinds of job opportunities as men,” Martinez says. “Instead of being offered lecture or adjunct positions, they wanted full professor positions, and they deserved them because they were doing the same work. And then with the same titles, you want the same pay. So, all of that is also covered un der Title IX.”

There are also provisions for access to scholarships and financial aid, as well as housing, to ensure there is no discrimination based on sex.

“At Georgia Tech, there was a partic ular focus on STEM fields. The federal government recognized that women were not going into science, engineer ing, and math. So, they included a particular focus in the legislation to make sure that women were given

access to those fields,” Martinez says.

Over the last 50 years, progress has been made toward equity, but there is still more to be done, accord ing to Joeleen Akin, senior associate athletic director for student-athlete development and senior woman ad ministrator for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.

“It’s always going to be a work in

The Library, the Athletic Association, and the Equity and Compliance Programs office designed a graphic panel exhibit to celebrate the 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE IX. The exhibit is on display in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons through December.

progress,” says Akin, who holds the highest female position on the Athletic Association staff. She oversees volley ball, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, soft ball, and men’s golf, as well as other departments such as sports medicine, student-athlete development, and player development.

“Most of the time I’m in the room when decisions are made,” she says. “Todd Stansbury, director of Ath letics, is inclusive, welcoming, and empowering. He really values the role of the senior woman administra tor and makes sure that I’m involved in decision-making, which is very

“TITLE IX IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE IT PROVIDES SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES REGARDLESS OF GENDER,” SAYS AILEEN MORALES.

ON THE FIELD important.”

When it comes to what’s next for Title IX, Akin is keeping an eye on the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy, which will allow college athletes to monetize their success on the field through brand partnerships.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty regard ing how NIL will affect Title IX. How will it affect women, and how are we going to continue to provide equitable opportunities to women as well? What is it going to look like two years from

now?” she asks.

Student-athletes are also top of mind for Aileen Morales, Georgia Tech head softball coach, who grew up with Title IX as the norm.

“Gender should never limit your opportunities,” Morales says. “Ti tle IX is good for everyone because it provides similar opportunities regardless of gender. We’re very ap preciative of the women who paved the way before us, pushing for legisla tion, and then continuing to fight for

TITLE IX AT 50:

GEORGIA TECH MILESTONES

1972 President Richard Nixon signs Title IX into law.

Dianna Shelander, AP 76, becomes Tech’s first female athlete to receive a varsity letter. She competed on the Men’s Diving Team.

1975 Jan Chandler, Cls 77, becomes Tech’s first African American female basketball player.

opportunities for women in sports and in education.”

Morales says a benefit of Title IX that is sometimes overlooked is how it helps student-athletes after graduation.

“Being part of a team teaches student-athletes how to work with others and how to deal with adversi ty,” Morales says. “When they go out into the world, the experience will help them to lead people and navigate challenges.”

1996

Terri (McClure) Caron, NE 77, Denise (Heitman) Pool, CE 76, and Carolyn Thigpen, Arch 75, AM 75, are the first class of women inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.

1981

Bernadette McGlade becomes Tech’s first full-time woman head coach and Women’s Sports Coordinator.

2002

Women’s swimming and diving team competes in its first intercollegiate meet.

1974 Basketball becomes the first women’s sport to receive varsity status.

1984

Lisa Volmar, IE 86, becomes the first woman to drive the Ramblin’ Wreck.

2007

Women’s tennis team wins NCAA team championship.

FROM THE POOL TO DRAGON CON Inspired by nerd culture and cosplay, this new swimwear is sure to win over the Georgia Tech crowd.

PHOTOGRAPH

DRESS LIKE A NERD

THIS ALUMNI HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO WANT TO MAKE COSPLAY FASHIONABLE.

BY FIZA PIRANI

T

THE IDEA EMERGED during a pandemic walk in 2021, as Georgia Tech alumni Vincent, CmpE 15, and Jasmine James, STC 14, yearned of being sun-kissed along the beaches of Mexico, where the pair later ventured for a muchneeded reprieve. What came next was a concept born of the couple’s shared love of all things cos play, fashion, and creativity.

The first time that Jasmine, a social media in fluencer who’s garnered a following of more than 600,000 on TikTok (under the name Cutie PieSensei) and nearly 400,000 on Instagram, posted Vincent’s photo of her in a cosplayinspired swimsuit prototype for their new brand Fira X Wear, internet trolls went on full attack mode. The trolls complained that their concept just didn’t count as tradition al cosplay.

Cosplay refers to “costume play” and involves dressing up as characters from movies, books, video games, or oth er pop culture references, oftentimes for comic or pop culture conventions, such as Atlanta’s Dragon Con or San Diego’s renowned Comic-Con. Fira X Wear designs are meant to make cos play more inclusive and wearable for eco-conscious nerds with a knack or desire for fashion who want to take their play beyond the more obvious, costumey fandom apparel typically found in stores.

“Let’s just say, we kind of took the trolling personally,” Jasmine jokes. The couple put their heads together

Fira

to combine the complementing skills they’d built at Geor gia Tech and beyond. Merging Vincent’s background in computer engineering, customer-facing satisfaction, and photography with Jasmine’s expertise in fashion design, marketing, and branding, they focused on designing more detailed, character-inspired bikinis and swimsuits that could not only be used for cosplay conventions but, in an effort to promote sustainability, could be reused for, say, a trip to Mexico.

“Think of a bikini inspired by a princess charac ter costume, for example,” she adds. “Something pink that’s feminine, kind of royal, but not overly frilly, may be with draped sleeves or a sweetheart cut. This could be a primary cosplay piece used for Princess Peach, Princess

Wear

of pop culture and cosplay into fashionable, sustainable swimwear designs.

“BEING SOMEONE WHO’S ALREADY UNDERREPRESENTED IN THIS PARTICULAR SPACE,” JASMINE SAYS, “I WANTED FIRA X WEAR TO FEEL WELCOME TO ALL.”

Jasmine James, STC 14, draws from her cosplay experience to design pop culture—inspired swimwear that nerds, and anyone else, can appreciate.

Bubblegum, or even Barbie costumes.”

Avoiding wastefulness in the face of fast fashion was key, Vincent reiterates. They wanted to go beyond the single-use costumes often seen at conventions. Embedded in the behind-the-scenes of the operation, he zeroed in on finding ethical, sustainable manufacturers to turn Jas mine’s innovative visions and designs into reality without sacrificing premium quality. But trying to find the right fit during a global pandemic was a challenge. There was a lot of back-and-forth with numerous language barriers to overcome, and conducting business solely online across time zones was no simple feat.

Jasmine tested every sample to the nines, even soaking them for hours in chlorinated pools to see which fabrics and colors really held up. As an advocate for inclusivity in

fashion—and someone itching to see more Black women like her and other people of color in the world of cosplay and fantasy—Jasmine test ed her designs on models of various sizes, colors, and backgrounds.

“Being someone who’s already underrepresented in this particular space,” Jasmine says, “I wanted Fira X Wear to feel welcome to all.”

When she first began cosplay ing in college, Jasmine had no idea what she was getting herself into. She was a full-time student with no money who simply loved to design costumes.

“There are a lot of characters in pop culture and media that don’t look like me,” she says. “But we can all find ourselves within these characters and feel connected to their stories. And when I embody these characters, I think that resonates with people.”

As Vincent and Jasmine continue to expand their two-person company, they also anticipate broadening their size range, adding petite sizes, and creating more gender-neutral options.

Looking forward, the entrepreneurs are hard at work on a winter collection to add to their cosplay-inspired repertoire, one filled with joggers, hoodies, and athleisure-like items that are cosplay-friendly for the cooler months, yet fashion able and wearable for non-cosplayers. The larger vision, they say, is to partner with pop culture franchises and companies to build seasonal Fira X Wear collections for the beloved fan doms that bring so many of us together.

NERDY, BUT MAKE IT FASHION

TIPS FROM JASMINE AND VINCENT JAMES OF COSPLAY-INSPIRED SWIMWEAR AND CLOTHING BRAND FIRA X WEAR, ON HOW TO BRING OUT YOUR INNER COSPLAY NERD THROUGH FASHION:

Start by thinking about what you normally gravitate toward: the materials, the fits, the cuts, and the styles. Then, add pop culture elements by mimicking your fa vorite characters’ silhouettes and color palettes.

“An example of people who

are really good at this, I think, is people who like ‘Disney bound ing,’ which is when you dress up in different outfits to go to Disney theme parks,” says Jasmine. Because the parks don’t allow people to enter in full costume so as not to be confused with hired, dressed-up staff, many visitors try to find ways to emulate their favorite characters in ways that are a little more subtle—like mixing in a feminine silhouette and color palette of yellow, navy

blue, and red for Snow White or an all-yellow head-to-toe fit mim icking everyone’s favorite Disney candlestick, Lumière.

You can have fun with fashion and fandom by being understated and creative, they say. Jasmine’s favorite way to get some outfit inspiration is to peruse Pinterest.

And as their company grows, the couple hopes that Fira X Wear can serve as an example of somewhere to look for inspiration, too.

FROM THE BOOKSHELVES

TITLES BY GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI.

TRUE NORTH: EMERGING LEADER EDITION

BY BILL GEORGE, IE 64, HON PHD 08, AND ZACH CLAYTON

INTENDED AS both a guide and a source of inspiration, this book chal lenges current and aspiring leaders to reflect on their leadership, humanity, values, and purpose as they discover their True North and North Star.

ALL IN: HOW TO RISK EVERYTHING FOR EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS

BY W. ALLEN MORRIS, MGT 75

ALL IN is a guide for driven profes sionals and leaders facing transitions, feeling stuck, or looking for more per sonal fulfillment.

RADAR RF CIRCUIT DESIGN

BY NICKOLAS KINGSLEY, EE 02, MS ECE 04, PHD ECE 07

THIS NEW EDITION of a previous best seller gives you practical techniques for optimizing RF and microwave cir cuits for applications in radar systems design, with an emphasis on current and emerging technologies.

LIBERTINES

BY J. MICHAEL MARTINEZ, MS PP 02

LIBERTINES investigates why public figures sometimes take extraordinary risks, sullying their good names, humiliating their families, placing themselves in legal jeopardy, and potentially destroying their political careers as they seek to gratify their sexual desires.

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE MILL-VILLAGE BOY

BY RAY H. PETTIT, EE 54, MS EE 60

RAY H. PETTIT has experienced amazing adventures: Checkpoint Charlie, Argentine terrorists, Green land Ice Cap, Earthquake entrapment, secret service agents, CIA/NSA/FBI, Pentagon consultant, and more.

THE CRANIO-GENESIS PROJECT

BY TERENCE J. MURPHY, EE 90

THE RIVETING debut novel by former U.S. defense executive and Tech alum nus Terence J. Murphy masterfully steers you through a present-day tale fraught with intrigue, scientific whatifs, and an outcome that will keep you gripped until the final pages.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

SCIENCE FICTION

CREATE TIME.

EXPERTS FROM THIS YEAR’S CLASS OF 40 UNDER 40 EXPLAIN HOW TO PROBLEM-SOLVE, LET GO OF AN IDEA, DISRUPT AN INDUSTRY, OVERCOME A LIFELONG FEAR, AND MORE.

HOW to Be A

CHANGEMAKER

CHANGEMAKER

Find problems worth solving. Tackle them with creativity. Be ready to scrap an idea to clear the way for something better. And when all else fails, go skydiving.

BY KRISTIN BAIRD RATTINI

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY RYAN OLBRYSH

like Amy Phuong

FOR STARTERS,

APPROACH PROBLEMS DIFFERENTLY

WHAT MAKES A CHANGEMAKER? Attend Georgia Tech, for starters. Our 40 Under 40 honorees are making an impact in such far-ranging fields as online learning, climate change, government service, space exploration, and beyond. How are they able to leap forward from “what is” to create a far better “what will be”?

By drawing on a Tech foundation that has equipped them for not just creative problem-solving but problem-finding and by following these guiding principles toward solutions.

SEEK OUT DIVERSE

Changemakers realize that they alone will not have all the exper tise that a problem requires. They solicit insights from others, of ten in unexpected places. When Amira Choueiki Boland, EIA 11, federal customer experience lead at the Office of Management and Bud get, was working to increase uptake of Pell Grants among disadvantaged students, the solution for the most ef fective mailing to send out didn’t come from the senior officials or renowned economists. Instead, it came from Harold, a print shop staff member Boland sought out who could answer her every question about optimizing shipping and printing options.

“Sometimes people think you need the most powerful person to help you,” Boland says. “That’s not true. You need to be willing to work with all kinds of folks, particularly those out in the field, because they have the best hacks for doing things.”

IN...

UNLEASHING IMAGINATION

YOUR OWN

As a principal investigator and re search staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Jere my Feaster, ChBE 11, is at the cutting edge of climate change research. He is creating 3D-printed electrochem ical reactors that convert air into fertilizer and turn CO2 into fuels and chemicals. “We’re in the business of discovering knowledge; so much of this chemistry has never been done before,” Feaster says. “That means you don’t necessarily need to make the same assumptions, use the same thought processes, and even follow the same rules that have been used to solve problems in the past, because those may not be applicable to the problems we’re trying to solve in the future.” Feaster likewise wrote and exe cuted his own vision in creating the Jeremy T. Feaster Foundation while at Tech. In the past decade, the founda tion has granted more than $20,000 through two scholarships for Black and underrepresented students.

After 15 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), ELIZABETH CÓRDOBA, AE 05, is still amazed by the inventiveness and innovation of each space mission. She served as the pay load lead systems engineer for the seven scientific instruments on the Mars 2020 Rover, which deployed a helicopter designed to fly in an atmospheric volume only 1 percent of Earth’s. “That ingenuity blows your mind,” she says. (The helicopter’s name, by the way, was Ingenuity.)

These wild ideas originate with the mission concepts team, where Córdoba spent her first two years at JPL. This group of new and experienced engineers brainstorms ideas for future space missions in a room called Left Field. In addition to the usual whiteboards and computers, Left Field is stocked with LEGOs, Styrofoam, construction paper, pipe clean ers, magnetic building sets, and a virtual reality system. “It’s just like a playroom,” Córdoba says.

“It combined the artistic side of the brain with the engineering side. Having physical objects to move, touch, and manipulate helped me think of ideas in a different way and come up with new solutions.”

LESSONS IN...

WINEMAKING AS A PHILOSOPHY FOR LIFE

I first started making wine in 2019. I was so excit ed to taste my first bottle, but when I did, it was so bad! Then, I let it sit for a couple of years be fore I tasted another bottle. I thought, “Oh, wow. That’s good.” It was the exact same ingredients. Nothing extra had been added. It just took time for it to come together. So be patient. Give your self grace. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of extra time for something to fully come together.

JEREMY FEASTER, CHBE 11

BE READY TO PIVOT

Zack Braun, CmpE 17, MS CS 21 , CEO of SlateSafety, will never forget the shock and joy in the moments af ter he and his partners won the 2016 InVenture Prize. Their invention, then called FireHUD, was a heads-up display showing firefighters their risk for heat stroke and exhaustion. They’d already compiled a list of 100 poten tial customers for their final pitch. But as they developed the company, further research showed it wasn’t the firefighters themselves who needed that knowledge, but the scene com manders. They pivoted to an armband wearable that transmits that same data to a tablet for the commander to assess. “There was already market ac ceptance for wearables,” Braun says. “Switching to a wearable felt like the right thing to do.”

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD

Even changemakers hit roadblocks and fall into ruts. When forward prog ress grinds to a halt, “it is helpful to get away from the situation,” says Amy Phuong, IA 05, MBA 14, vice presi dent, Government Relations for the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena. Push away from the desk and move on to something or somewhere different. Phuong has found clarity by visiting museums, lunching with friends— even skydiving. “It cleared my head,” she says. “I came back and did what I thought was needed on a difficult project and was able to move on.”

MAKING THE MOST OF AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE

IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 2016. David Joyner, CS 08, MS HCI 09, PhD HCC 15, then an instructor in Tech’s fast-growing OMSCS program, was facing a drought—of talent. He could not recruit enough teaching assistants for the summer session of his popular CS 7637: Knowledge-Based AI.

“The entire OMSCS program was built around the idea of it being the same ex perience online as it was on campus, which meant that assignments were graded by TAs and that we recruited TAs on campus,” he explains. “Even though it was a lucrative position, there just weren’t enough on-campus students interested in it to support our growth.”

He weighed his options. They could switch to automated grading or curb the program’s growth—neither choice was desirable. Then he wondered: Would OM SCS students be interested in becoming TAs? He had his doubts. “They’re older. They’re mid-career. They have families. They have day jobs that pay way more than we can pay teaching assistants,” Joyner says. “We just always assumed they wouldn’t be interested.”

Joyner was floored when nearly 70 OMSCS students responded enthusiastically to his testing-the-waters email. “That shift ended up changing a wide swath of what we do in the OMSCS, for the better,” he says. Unlike on-campus TAs, who typically work only a year or two before graduating and moving on, the online TAs are stick ing around for four to six years, and they’re coming in with a lot more professional experience. “They’re very motivated,” Joyner says. “They recognize the impact of the program, and they want to extend their knowledge and experience to their classmates.”

Today, OMSCS employs around 400 TAs for around 12,000 students, says Joyner, now executive director of Online Education and OMSCS. Online students account for 75 percent of those TA hires.

“By drawing from a population that is your target audience,” Joyner says, “they bring in knowledge, expectations, and experiences you could never teach an outsider.”

LESSONS IN...

CONQUERING A LIFELONG FEAR

When he was 5 years old, MEHDI NOURBAKHSH, MS CS 15, PHD BC 16, nearly drowned while playing on the beach along the Caspian Sea. The incident left him with a lifelong fear of the water.

Upon arriving at Tech at age 30 to pursue a dual master’s and PhD track, he sought a new exer cise regimen he could maintain into his older years. Swimming seemed the ideal solution. “I de cided to face my fear,” he says. He enrolled in lessons at the CRC. “The nice thing about work ing with a professional is that they can break down a monumental task like swimming and help you learn it one step at a time,” he says.

Nourbakhsh fell in love with swimming. Today, the founder and CEO of YegaTech volunteers his time as the president of Richmond Swims, a nonprofit that offers swim lessons to disad vantaged youth in the California city. “More children under the age of 4 in the U.S. die from drown ing than from any other cause, especially among underserved communities,” he says. “I’m hap py to provide the opportunity for lessons to families who might not otherwise afford it and to share my love of swimming with the Richmond community.”

“THEY’RE BECOMING TA s BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM.”

LESSONS IN...

SUCCEEDING ON AND OFF THE B-BALL COURT

In her role as vice president, Gov ernment Relations for the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena, AMY PHUONG, IA 05, MBA 14, often in teracts with kids in the Atlanta area through the Hawks’ community out reach programs. A former basket ball player herself, Phuong shares lessons learned on the boards that apply far beyond them.

GET IN THE GAME. If there is a sport you enjoy playing, a career you’re interested in, or a problem you want to solve, don’t just sit on the sidelines. Find a way to get in volved so you’re gaining experience doing what you want.

PLAY THE GAME Learn the skills you need to be successful at your pursuit. Work collaboratively with your teammates. Find your lane. Not everyone who plays basketball

should be dunking; you may be bet ter as a three-point shooter. Identify your skill set and the best role for you to play.

WIN THE GAME. Understand the

rules of the game. Leverage your existing resources—your team, your own skills, the coach’s advice, replays—that are at your disposal to win.

CAMPUS CASE STUDY:

TACKLING CANCER FROM ALL ANGLES

OUR 40 UNDER 40 CHANGE MAKERS learned many of these principles while at Georgia Tech, where researchers use creative problem-solving and problem-finding to tackle some of the world’s most challenging issues.

In the medical world, there’s no more complex puzzle than cancer. This daunting disease claimed more than 600,000 American lives in 2021. The 60-plus members of Georgia Tech’s Integrated Cancer Research Center (ICRC) draw on their deep and

diverse expertise—across technolog ical, computational, scientific, and medical fields—to collaboratively and creatively develop new cancer therapeutics and diagnostics and snap new interlocking pieces of that puzzle into place.

“Basic research scientists are, in a sense, problem-finders,” says John McDonald, director of the ICRC and a professor in the School of Bi ological Sciences. “They come up with new discoveries and say, ‘How do we deal with this?’ The engineer’s mindset is, ‘Show me the problem and let me think about how to solve it.’ They work together to find a solution; that is where the inte gration comes in.”

For example, despite a decline in the overall cancer mortality rate, surviv al disparities persist along racial and ethnic lines. What underlying mech anisms are at play? To answer that question, McDonald teamed up with King Jordan, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, and Kara Keun Lee, a graduate student with extensive biostatistics experience.

By combining the two labs’ exper tise in vastly different disciplines, they found that epigenetic mechanisms, not genetics, are the primary driver of cancer survival disparities. “That’s so important because many view epi genetics as a potential bridge between nature and nurture,” Jordan says. Epi genetic changes alter how genes are expressed but can also be reversed, making them a modifiable risk fac tor—the gold standard for changing a person’s risk of cancer.

Fatih Sarioglu, an associate pro fessor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, employs the precise nanofabrication tech nologies traditionally used for building computer chips to construct “cancer cell traps.” These biochips find tumor cells based on their physical and chemical differ ences from regular blood cells. The devices don’t require sample prepara tion and can process blood samples as they’re withdrawn from patients. They can be applied on a variety of cancers and even identify cells with a high pro pensity to metastasize. “One really doesn’t need extra motivation to work on a problem like cancer,” Sarioglu says. “It’s a disease that impacts every one one way or the other.”

The search for new treatments is unending and far-reaching. While he’s diving the coral reefs of Fiji to study the chemical ecology of marine organisms, Mark Hay, Regents’ pro fessor and Harry and Anna Teasley Chair in Environmental Biology, also looks for potential new and novel anticancer compounds. Julia Kubanek, professor and vice president of in terdisciplinary research, runs the chemical assays on Hay’s samples to identify promising drug candidates.

“There are people in labs working on cancer research, what we call the glove people,” Hay says. “We are the wetsuit people. It’s really important to have all those different approaches, because each of us has tools, opportu nities, and expertise the other doesn’t have.”

Julie Champion, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecu lar Engineering, is developing tools to solve the problem of “delivery, deliv ery, delivery.”

“You can have all the cancer drugs in the world, but if you can’t get them where they need to go, then what good are they?” she says. Champion is en gineering proteins with anti-cancer potential to form nanocarriers that enable both their transport and activ ity inside cancer cells. “As a chemical engineer, I make things,” Champion says. “A cancer biologist might know the best cancer targets to go after. The ICRC brings together people who have different expertise so we can imag ine how to apply our skills together. It connects problems and solutions.”

LESSONS IN...

CUTTING THROUGH BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE FROM SOMEONE WHO DOES IT FOR A LIVING

Always go to the source document and read it. Everyone has an angle, not just in a political context. When someone tells you “No,” you need to understand, “Why are they saying no? Is there a law? Is there a pol icy?” By finding the source docu ment—whether it’s a statute, rule, regulation, or statement of purpose document that an agency follows— you can respond, “This is what it says. I can do this,” or “There is a way to solve this problem.” Reading the source document is better than accepting an opinion at face value.

AMIRA CHOUEIKI

BOLAND, EIA 11

GAMERS AT THE CENTER.

You might assume Senior Director of Xbox Engineering ANDRES HERNANDEZ, EE 07, MS ECE 08, is only focused on creating the best gaming console on the market. Not so, he says. “It comes down to being player-centric versus device-centric,” Hernandez explains. “We want to put the player at the center instead of the device to em power everyone to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want.”

LESSONS IN...

COMPLETING YOUR FIRST TRIATHLON

ANDRES HERNANDEZ, EE 07, MS ECE 08, has three reasons why he loves competing in triathlons. First, his training sessions enable him to clear his mind so new ideas can percolate. Second, he and his wife appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community by raising funds for the races. Third, “it has

taught me perseverance,” he says. Here are his tips for finishing and enjoying your first triathlon.

HAVE FUN People can get pretty serious about the sport. Make sure to have fun.

POSITIVITY IS A PERFORMANCE ENHANCER. If you stay positive, things will go better.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. With the experience from training, you can always look back and say, “I have gone through this before; I know I can do this!” Once you have a challenge and overcome it, you can

build on that.

MANAGE YOUR NUTRITION AND HYDRATION. They’re super critical. It feels so easy the first few miles, but it won’t the last few miles, so throughout the race you need to stay on top of: Where is your salt? Your water? Your carbs?

REMAIN CALM UNDER CHAOS. If you feel overwhelmed—(i.e. when you’re in a large crowd of swimmers or if your bike has a mechanical issue)—just remember that it’s all part of the process of the race. You got this!

HOW TO MAKE A PB&J SANDWICH… LIKE A CYBERSECURITY EXPERT

BY ANDREW HOWARD, CS 06, MS IS 08, MBA 13

STEP 1: QUESTION THE BASICS.

So where did the ingredients come from? How did they get there? Who harvested the ingredients? Who planted the ingredients’ seeds?

STEP 2: QUESTION THE USER.

Who is eating the sandwich? Do we trust them? Do we really know them? How do we know they will eat the sandwich? Are they who they say they are? Check their ID.

STEP 3: UNDERSTAND THE RISK.

What happens if the sandwich is made incorrectly? What is the worst case scenario? Can the sandwich be used for evil? Can we get sued if something goes wrong?

STEP 4: TELL MANAGEMENT TO START OVER.

Decide the sandwich is too insecure and argue that security needs to be designed in from the beginning.

STEP 5: ASK FOR A LARGER PB&J SECURITY BUDGET.

Let us know how YOU make a PB&J sandwich. Tag us @gtalumni on Instagram and Facebook, and we might print your instructions in our next issue.

Hear Andrew Howard speak about career opportunities in cybersecurity. Visit Georgia Tech Connect for a recording of his Oct. 12 panel discussion. connect.gtalumni.org

CASE STUDY

A BRIGHT IDEA

FOR SAMANTHA BECKER, CE 16, an actual lightbulb moment saved a season of criti cal field research in remote India.

A few months earlier, in March 2016, Becker and fellow Tech graduate Shannon Evanchec, EnvE 16, had won the InVenture Prize People’s Choice Award for a copper antimicrobial device that killed dangerous microbes like E. coli and reduced the amount of water contamination in rural Indian households.

After graduation in May, Becker and Evanchec refined

their device through the 12-week Create-X startup incubator program. In November, they arrived in India to conduct two months of water quality sampling.

Their plan was to test water samples using Petrifilm, a card coated with dehydrated agar that serves as food for coliform and bacteria. By placing a few drops of water on the Petrifilm and then letting it incubate at room temperature for a day, Becker would then count the coliforms that grew.

But things didn’t go according to plan. The tiny village where they’d be based for the next two months, Kozhimala, was located high in the western Ghat Mountains in Kerala Province. Overnight temperatures were too low for coliform to incubate properly on the Petrifilm.

“We had to take a breath, realize we were equipped to problem-solve, and think things through,” Becker says. They couldn’t take their results to a lab; they were five hours from the nearest large city and without transportation. They couldn’t ship their samples; Petrifilm needs to be tested within 24 hours of sampling. Canceling their fieldwork

“WE HAD TO THINK ON OUR FEET,” BECKER SAYS. “FORTUNATELY, GEORGIA TECH PREPARED US FOR IT.”

was out of the question.

Their solution: Cobble together an incubator.

“We had to work with the materials we could find,” she says. They started with a salvaged Styrofoam container. They got a ride on a motorized rickshaw to the nearest town and scoured a tiny corner store for supplies that would do the job: wiring, a body thermometer, and a lightbulb. Through trial and error, they found the Goldilocks distance between the lightbulb and Petrifilm, so that the heat generated would activate the Petrifilm but not melt it— or explode the thermometer. Kozhimala residents eagerly

helped out, too. No wire strippers? No problem. A local boy bit the wire and pulled it between his teeth.

Their improvised incubator empowered them to perse vere in their research. “We had to think on our feet,” Becker says. “Fortunately, Georgia Tech prepared us for it.”

Becker is cofounder and data manager of TruePani Inc, which has helped local and state agencies develop and manage programs for detecting and mitigating lead in drinking water for more than 26,000 schools and childcare facilities.

AMIRA CHOUEIKI

ANNEMARIE

AARON ENTEN,

JEREMY FEASTER,

ADITYA GARG,

AUTOMATION INC

GRETCHEN GOLDMAN, MS ENVE 08, PHD ENVE 11

Director for Environmental Science, Engineering, Policy, and

The White House

AHMAD HAIDER,

ARSHIYA

ANDRES HERNANDEZ,

ANDREW HOWARD,

ANDY MILLER,

BIOE

DAVID A. JOYNER,

of

OMSCS

TARA

GRAHAM

MEHDI NOURBAKHSH,

ROXANNE MOORE,

ANU PARVATIYAR,

DAVID PHAM, MGT 10 Aide-de-Camp (Senior Executive Assistant) | Rebellion Defense

AMY PHUONG, IA 05, MBA 14 Vice President, Government Relations | Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena

SOPHIA

PRATER, ID 06

Founder | ObjectOriented UX

SONIA

SARDANA, IE 12 Senior Vice President | ACS Solutions

SHREYAS SEN, MS ECE 09, PHD ECE 11 Elmore Associate Professor & Cofounder, Chairman & CTO | Purdue University & 10xAR (VC-backed stealth startup)

HENRY SHI, MS CS 18 Cofounder and COO | Snapcommerce

CASEY SWAILS, MGT 07 Deputy Associate Administrator | NASA

ADITYA

VISHWANATH, CS 18

Cofounder and CEO | Inspirit

WALTER VOIT, PHD MSE 09 CEO, Adaptive3D | Desktop Metal

SARAH WALKER, AE 09, MS AE 11 Director, Dragon Mission Management | SpaceX

VALERIE WILLIAMS, IE 06

Founder & Managing Partner | Converge Firm

SHENG XU, PHD MSE 10

Associate Professor | University of California, San Diego

CRITERIA & SELECTION:

Those nominated must have completed at least one semester at Georgia Tech, be under the age of 40 as of June 30, and have made an impact in their profession or community, spanning all industries and sectors. A committee of faculty, staff, and volunteer leaders, who collectively represented all Georgia Tech colleges, scored each nominee using a 25-point rubric.

MICHELLE RAMIREZ, MS DM 22, IS THE CURATOR OF A NEW EXHIBIT AT GEORGIA TECH ON GENDER EQUALITY.

1952 2022 From to

Art Exhibits Celebrate Past + Present Pioneers of Gender Equality

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT DINERMAN, STC 03

IN 1952, Elizabeth Herndon and Di ane Michel, IE 56, made history as the first two women to enroll as full-time students at Georgia Tech.

Almost 70 years later, Michelle Ramirez was deciding on a subject for her Digital Media master’s project and realized that aside from knowing Herndon and Michel were Tech icons, she didn’t know much about the two women.

She didn’t know what their lives were like as students. Or about those who came later, such as Tawana Mill er, IM 76, the first Black woman to

graduate in the four-year program at Tech in 1976, more than 20 years lat er. Being first-generation American, Ramirez didn’t know who the first in ternational students were, either. And another thought kept nagging at her: Why has it only been 70 years?

“I had so many questions. The more I learned, the more I realized there’s more to these stories,” Ramirez says. “We think of progress as being lin ear, but it’s not always the case. When Herndon and Michel enrolled at Tech, that wasn’t the end of the story.”

Ramirez created not one, but two

projects to celebrate the 70th anni versary of women at Tech as well as recognize those working to achieve gender equality in technology today.

Her first project, an interactive oral history exhibit for her Digital Media master’s, was on display for two days this spring at The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Her exhibit, Gender Equality: Reimagining Our Future Through Art and Technolo gy, is on display through December at The Kendeda Building.

On the next few pages, see selected pieces from both exhibits.

JOIN THE GEORGIA TECH WOMEN ALUMNAE NETWORK THIS NOVEMBER FOR A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH THE CURATOR AND ARTISTS AT THE KENDEDA BUILDING FOR INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER, VISIT GTALUMNI.ORG/ARTEVENT.

BRINGING JUSTICE TO STORIES

For her master’s project, Digital Ghost Stories, Ramirez applied storytell ing principles that she learned at Tech from her Digital Media advisor, Asso ciate Professor Nassim Parvin, who writes about the use of digital storytell ing to empower marginalized groups in her 2018 journal article “Doing Jus tice to Stories.”

The idea for the exhibit, Gender Equality, came last fall while Ramirez was working as a graduate research assistant in Georgia Tech’s Center

for Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS), an academic initiative that provides op portunities for students to collaborate with diverse partners on key sustain ability challenges.

After learning of the 70th anniver sary and starting her master’s project, Ramirez went to her SLS advisor, Re becca A. Watts Hull, MS HSTS 15, PhD HSTS 18, who suggested she curate an exhibit connected to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) on achieving gender equality.

All the pieces in the exhibit, which

were submitted by faculty and stu dents, are tied to SDG 5. Apart from this, they are diverse, including collages and collections, research papers, and artificial intelligencegenerated artworks.

Together, these exhibits are a cele bration of past and present pioneers of gender equality and a challenge of the unfinished work that remains.

“I think it’s important to not only celebrate women but to share their real experiences and to realize that this work isn’t done,” Ramirez says.

Digital ghost stories

“GHOSTS, RATHER THAN A SUPERSTITIOUS LEGACY OF A PAST, ARE A HAUNTING REMINDER OF AN IGNORED PAST. RENDERING GHOSTS VISIBLE AND LEARNING TO LISTEN TO THEM ATTENTIVELY IS A LESSON ABOUT THE UNACKNOWLEDGED AND UNRESOLVED INJUSTICES OF HISTORY.” –BANU SUBRAMANIAM, GHOST STORIES FOR DARWIN (2014)

THIS INTERACTIVE oral history exhibit, which borrows its name from the quote above, shared the stories of women’s early experi ences at Tech.

Using interviews from the Geor gia Tech Living History Program, Ramirez attached conductive tape to artifacts so that when the ob jects were handled, they played a recording of an alumna speaking about her life as a student.

Digital Media Associate Profes sor Nassim Parvin was Ramirez’s

advisor on the year-long project. Parvin’s research on the importance of place in storytelling contributed to how Ramirez dis played the artifacts. “I thought about where we hear intimate sto ries with family and friends and thought about sitting in a living room.” She created a space resem bling a living room, where viewers could move about, picking up artifacts to hear each story.

One artifact in the exhibit was an image of students waiting in long

lines to register for class es. When the image was touched, a clip played of Elizabeth Herndon, who talked about waiting outside with her infant child in the long line for registra tion. Herndon said it was raining that day and later, they both be came ill. Soon after, she made the decision to leave Tech. When Ramirez first heard the interview, she remembers thinking, “Here’s this icon of Tech and that story hasn’t really been told.”

RAMIREZ USED CONDUCTIVE TAPE, LIKE ON THIS RAT CAP, TO PLAY INTERVIEWS FROM ALUMNAE.

Gender Representation in the Post-Anthropocene World

WITH HER PIECE, Anne Sullivan wanted to draw attention to the ways that artificial intelligence systems represent a society’s biases, particularly around gender. She used a text-to-image AI sys tem called Disco Diffusion to create artworks generated using words classified as feminine and mas culine. Finding a prompt for the AI proved challenging. Sullivan ex pected some bias in the artwork generated, but she didn’t expect

the extent that the male gaze would play in the resulting images. “It took days of prompt-engineering to find a prompt using the feminine terms that would generate images that didn’t contain random nude fe male body parts placed around the image,” she says. Eventually, she found the two sentences that gen erated the two images.

The prompt that used words classified as feminine includes curvy and organic shapes with

warm colors, while the prompt with words classi fied as masculine is more rugged and desolate.

“The AI system would almost always include a heart somewhere in the image when using feminine terms, even though ‘heart’ was nowhere in the prompt,” Sullivan says. “I thought this was a fasci nating artifact of our society’s stereotype of women as being nurturing and caring!”

PROMPT SENTENCE: “A beautiful painting of an Adventurous Ambitious Confident Courageous Independent Self-sufficient building in a future landscape, featured on artstation.”

“I THINK IT’S POWERFUL TO SHOW THE IMPACT WORD CHOICE CAN HAVE WITHIN OUR AI SYSTEMS. IF AI REFLECTS SOCIETY, THE IMPACT SHOWS JUST HOW MUCH POWER WORDS HAVE IN OUR OWN CULTURE.” –ANNE SULLIVAN

ANNE SULLIVAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA AND HEAD OF THE STORYCRAFT LAB AT GEORGIA TECH

PROMPT SENTENCE: “A beautiful painting of a Cheerful Gentle Empathetic Nurturing Sensitive Warm building in a future landscape, featured on artstation.”

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Nuestra Hermandad (our sisterhood) Latina Women in Georgia Tech History

ALEXANDRA RODRIGUEZ DALMAU

FOR A CLASS PROJECT, Al exandra Rodriguez Dalmau, an Environmental Engineering student from the Dominican Republic, set out to find the first woman from Latin America to at tend Georgia Tech.

Information was hard to find. She searched through international

student records from the ’50s and ’60s before, finally, seeing not one, but nine women appear in 1976. She created a blog and this poster display to tell the stories of these nine women.

Incomplete and missing records make it difficult to find informa tion about international students in

Georgia Tech’s history.

These women are part of a legacy started by Rocio Lancaster, who is believed to have been the first Hispanic woman to attend Georgia Tech. Lancaster was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1933 and attended Georgia Tech in 1954.

Incomplete records make it difficult to research Tech’s first female students from Latin America. If you know of an alumna from Latin America who attended Tech before 1976, please let us know at editor@alumni.gatech.edu

HOW CAN biodata be feminist? One concept is Heart Sense.

“Instead of thinking about bio data as a number or an objective measure, we’re thinking of it in a more intimate and relational way,” explains PhD candidate Sylvia Janicki, a student collaborator on Heart Sense.

In the art installation, three par ticipants sit around a table where a projection displays a floral visualization of each person’s heart

heart sense

SYLVIA JANICKI

rate as well as the group’s collec tive biodata.

The participants listen to mu sic, responding to changes in their shared environment. Petals on the projection shift with their heart rates. A fast heart rate, for example, is displayed with a long, narrow petal. When the rate slows, the petal gets shorter and wider. Beyond individual biodata, the projection also displays the group’s collective data. When

their heart rates are in sync, the projection changes colors and rays light up around the table.

“This gives us a different starting point at how we look at medical data and personalized health, and how we understand our bodies,” Janicki says.

Heart Sense is led by Georgia Tech Associate Professor of Digital Media Nassim Parvin, Anne Pollock of King’s College London, and Associate Professor Lewis Wheaton in Georgia Tech’s School of Biological Sciences.

The Named Pioneers by Kelly Lin, a second-year Computational Media student at Georgia Tech.

RAMBLE ON THE GREEN

The Student Alumni Association reached thousands of students Aug. 26 during “Ramble on the Green,” a new event to welcome students back to campus and introduce the lifelong resources the Alumni Association can offer them, even before graduation.

PEACH STATE RAMBLE

THIS SUMMER, INSTITUTE AND ALUMNI LEADERS MET WITH YELLOW JACKETS ACROSS THE STATE FOR THE 2022 GEORGIA TOUR.

BY JENNIFER HERSEIM

OVER THE COURSE OF THREE DAYS, Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabre ra, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95, met with students and their families as well as alumni and friends of Tech across the state.

By the end of the 2022 Georgia Tour,

which covered nearly 550 miles, he had rambled through Greensboro, Augusta, Athens, Gainesville, Dalton, Rome, Cartersville, and Cobb County, with a final stop at The Battery.

The Georgia Tour is an Institute tra dition started by President G.P. “Bud”

Peterson. In addition to meeting with local students and alumni, the Presi dent stopped to meet with local civic and business leaders to discuss how to support their communities and learn what they’re doing to drive innovation. Ahooga!

The tour wrapped up at The Battery in Cobb County, Ga., with more than 400 members of the GT community in attendance.

Yellow Jackets connected with Institute and Alumni Association leaders at more than 20 events during the three-day tour.

The Ramblin’ Wreck in Gainesville, Ga., on day two of the 2022 Georgia Tour.

Former “Buzz” and Vice President of Insti tute Relations Bert Reeves, Mgt 00 (right), leads a swarm of Yellow Jackets in the Fight Song. Go Jackets, Fight, Win!

A CONSPIRACY OF SHAKESPEAREAN PROPORTIONS

THOUGH SHE’S NEVER EXPERIENCED A HAUNTING, Georgia Tech alumna Cristina Easterbrook has her fair share of ghost stories; namely, being the owner of a “ghost degree,” a term coined for majors that are no longer offered.

“I was a December grad in 2011 with a bachelor’s in Science, Technology, and Culture. It no longer exists,” she says. The degree focused on the history of technology and

BY MATT SOWELL

how new technologies have changed the world, which led to another ghostly encounter. “My thesis was about film adaptations of Macbeth. And I had a great time with that,” she says.

If you need a refresher on Shakespearean drama, Macbeth is a haunting story of revenge, murder, and the lengths to which one goes for power. “We saw it at The Globe Theatre in 2016

Meet Cristina Easterbrook, STC 11, who serves as director of digital strategy & insights for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.

HOW TO WRITE AN EMAIL WORTH READING

BY CRISTINA EASTERBROOK

While not as stressful as a Diff EQ final [Differential Equa tions], hitting send to 90,000 Georgia Tech alumni every week can be intense. It’s easier when the email is some thing that I personally like and that uses lots of fun Georgia Tech buzzwords in the subject line.

Our goal is to send delightful content that makes alumni smile as they scroll past ads, bills, headlines, and spam in their inboxes. Using email testing, scientific intuition, and a bit of eavesdropping on alumni around campus, I’ve de vised a five-step formula that makes emails worth reading:

1/ Share stories that give you chills. Check out our story “The Scholars of Dellwood Drive,” as an example, at gtalumni.org/dellwood

2/ Speak “Yellow Jacket.” Our vernacular includes Drownproofing, Klaus Naps, and Archi-torture Freezer.

3/ Transport alumni back to their college days with The Varsity, waffles, and Junior’s.

4/ Pair our outstanding rankings with beautiful campus photos. We like to win in style.

5/ Play trivia. Georgia Tech grads love a challenge.

in London when Tech was playing Boston [College] in Ire land,” says Easterbrook. “It was a great full-circle moment.”

She adds that her favorite adaptation of “the Scottish play” is Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood

Currently, Easterbrook serves as the director of dig ital strategy & insights for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. A major part of her work is managing the weekly alumni newsletter. “I love when I share something incredible that our alumni or staff did and it reaches a lot of people,” she says.

And while Easterbrook says positive feedback tends to be the norm, she notices everything, especially when the newsletter goes viral on Georgia Tech Reddit pages. She’s alluding, of course, to “Waffle-gate,” a conspiracy on a Shakespearean scale. According to Easterbrook, the setup was simple: a quick photo shoot to celebrate Internation al Waffle Day. Scott Dinerman, STC 03, creative director at the Alumni Association, made a pat of butter in the shape of a “GT” and placed it on a warm, freshly made waffle. Photos were taken, and the trap was set.

To add a bit more fluff to the plan, a decision was made to include a short recipe card for the perfect waffle. Diner man volunteered a recipe that sounded good to Easterbrook. After much anticipation, the spread was included in the weekly email and sent to alumni.

“He thought it was, like, his sister’s special recipe,” she says. “We didn’t know that the recipe was something that was on the internet.”

Easterbrook remembers getting the email from the Alumni Association chief of staff that explained Reddit was abuzz with conspiracy stories about the waffle email.

“People were talking about it, and how we posted a recipe from Google and somebody on the thread said that probably we weren’t really alumni,” Easterbrook says.

She insists she can’t take the blame for Waffle-gate. Both she and Dinerman attended Georgia Tech when it was “fundamentally a French toast school and not a waffle school.” She blames the paradigm shift on the closure of Junior’s.

Waffles aren’t haunting Easterbrook, though. She laughs about the ordeal and takes it in stride.

“It’s kind of sad. I’ve never encountered a real ghost. May be that’s a new goal.”

TRAVEL TREASURES

YELLOW JACKETS SHARE MEMENTOS FROM UNFORGETTABLE EXCURSIONS.

BY MATT SOWELL

FOR 60 YEARS, the Georgia Tech Alumni Association has offered an extensive list of travel tours. These trips invite adventurous alumni to create lasting memories, forge meaningful connections, and see the world. As we cel ebrate a new season of travel opportunities, we are eager to showcase past travelers’ keepsakes and stories from their unique journeys.

We invite members of the Georgia Tech Alumni Travel community to share a trinket from a past trip and the story it represents. Whether pine cones from Sicily that reflect a cultural tradition or pottery from Spain that encapsulates the country’s unique art, these trinkets spark memories that exemplify the reasons we travel. Share your Travel Treasure at gtalumni.org/treasure.

Sicilian ceramic pine cones signify good fortune and hospitality.

PINE CONE FROM TAORMINA, SICILY

Martin Ludwig, senior direc tor of travel at the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, brought home this pine cone from the Sicily in Depth tour.

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR TRAVEL TREASURE?

According to an ancient Sicilian folk tradition, every house must have a ceramic pine cone ornament as a wish for good health, good luck, and prosperity. For this reason, it’s cus tomary to decorate the entrance of a house with Sicilian artistic, ceramic pine cones, which communicate to guests that your home is welcoming and hospitable.

WHY IS IT MEANINGFUL TO YOU? I grew up in an area outside of New Orleans that had a large Sicilian community. The pine cone reminds me of both my trip to Sicily and back home.

HAVE YOU TAKEN A TRIP WITH GEORGIA TECH ALUMNI TRAVEL?

ABORIGINAL PAINTING FROM ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA

In 2018, while traveling on the tour Exploring Australia and New Zealand, Georgia Tech traveler Sharlene Smith’s group met Aboriginal artists near Alice Springs, Australia. She bought this painting by artist Linda Gibson Nungala.

WHY IS IT MEANINGFUL TO YOU? It was so in teresting to visit with the community. I try to collect some local artwork wherever I visit because it tells a story about the place and the people and gives me fond memo ries of my travels and those I have met.

DO YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OR CULTURAL SIG NIFICANCE OF THE OBJECT? It is the story of two men hunting for kangaroos using spears and boomerangs. This picture uses the tra ditional Aboriginal symbols. One of our guides translated these for us. This pic ture now hangs in our home alongside another Aboriginal picture of the famous monolith Uluru/Ayers Rock.

“THE GENERAL” FROM XI’AN, CHINA

John Smith, CE 68, visited the site of the Terracotta warriors, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as part of the tour Treasures of China and Yangtze River in 2007. “The General” is a replica of a terracotta soldier that was made using the same techniques and materials as the original pieces.

WHY IS IT MEANINGFUL TO YOU?

It reminds me that there are many parts of this world with treasures and cultures yet to be discovered. Additionally, it underscores the massive Chinese civilization that ruled that part of the world for centuries while Europe and others were struggling through dark ages, religious wars, and gen eral strife.

This replica was made using the same techniques as the 2,200-year-old terracotta soldiers.

a picture of your Travel Treasure and the story behind it for your chance to be featured on our social media platforms. Visit gtalumni.org/treasure.

This salt cellar that Donovan brought back from a trip was made in Piran, Slovenia, where fleur de sel has been produced since A.D. 804.

POTTERY FROM ÚBEDA, SPAIN

Vallee Donovan, Mgt 93, chief of staff at the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, purchased this traditional Spanish bowl from Úbeda, Spain, during an Alumni College Abroad trip Sept. 3–11, 2001. Her tour visited Alfarería Paco Tito y Hijos, a pottery studio and museum, to learn about the history and techniques of traditional Spanish pottery and sculpture. There, she met Paco Tito and his family, who come from a long line of clay artisans.

WHY IS THIS BOWL MEANINGFUL TO YOU? It’s meaningful for a couple of different reasons. First, I was inspired by the beauty of Paco Tito’s work and the rich traditions of pottery making in his studio. I bought this bowl and a few smaller pieces as gifts for family. For the flight home, I packed it all in my carryon bag, with tins of olive oil, cushioned with pajamas and sweats. Our flight was on September 11, and when the World Trade Center was attacked, we had to divert to land in the Azores. After a night there, we returned to Madrid until the airports opened on September 14. So, the bowl went on quite a journey with me! It reminds me of how our alumni travel ers were so steadfast and bonded together through the sad and frightening experience, holding each other up along the way when our immediate future—how and when we were getting home—was so uncertain. It also reminds me of how precious home and family are.

This bowl was made by Paco Tito, who comes from a long line of traditional Spanish clay artisans.

Exotic

you want

you plan to play the course,

book

Georgia Tech

RAMBLIN’ ROLL

NOTES & ALUMNI UPDATES

Georgia Tech leaders were greeted by sev eral Yellow Jackets on a tour of the space center this summer.

NASA’s newest rock et will launch missions to the moon as part of the Artemis Program.

GEORGIA TECH GETS ONE-OF-A-KIND SPACE TOUR

WHEN GEORGIA TECH leaders visited Kennedy Space Center this summer, NASA didn’t just roll out the whiteand-gold carpet. They did one better, clearing a 15,000-foot landing strip— one of the longest runways in the world—for a special landing.

Michael E. Tennenbaum’s, IE 58, HON PhD 16, Gulfstream landed at the Launch and Landing Facility (for merly, the Shuttle Landing Facility) this June, carrying President Ángel Cabre ra, Alumni Association President Dene Sheheane, President Emeritus G.P. “Bud” Peterson, and Provost and Ex ecutive Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven McLaughlin. The famous landing strip was used for many years by NASA in the Space Shuttle Program and, in 1984, for the first landing of a spacecraft from its launch site.

Helping provide clearance for the Tech group’s landing was alumna Robyn Gatens, ChE 85, the director of the Inter national Space Station and a member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees.

The group toured NASA’s “rocket ranch,” where they saw the agency’s newest rocket, which will ultimately launch crewed missions to the moon through the Artemis program. Several alumni working at NASA and SpaceX welcomed the group.

The Institute is a longtime partner of NASA, with Tech’s colleges and re search units contributing significantly

to joint research projects. Recent col laborations include assembling and testing a satellite cube to search for ice on the moon through the Lunar Flashlight proj ect and helping the agency prepare for future crewed missions through space suit and habitat design with the REVEALS project. Still, Tech’s most valu able contribution to the space agency comes in the form of human capital. The Institute continues to produce toplevel leaders like ISS Director Gatens, retired astronaut Shane Kimbrough, MS OR 98, and many more Yellow Jackets working throughout NASA and the space industry. Go Jackets!

—JENNIFER HERSEIM

WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS?

You can submit your personal news, birth and wedding announcements (with photos!), and out-and-about snapshots online at gtalumni.org/life

CLASS NOTES

TAYLOR BENNETT, IA 08,  was named the vice president of non traditional development at Subway restaurants. In this role, Bennett will lead growth of Subway’s nontraditional dining locations such as airports and convenience stores.

COURTNEY BURTON, BA 17,  was named part of the 2022 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University, where she will pursue her MBA. She was selected as one of 70 scholars out of thousands of applicants. During her time at Tech, Bur ton was a Stamps President’s Scholar. She aspires to bring the world closer to eradicat ing health inequities through her passion for health trans formation and community co-creation.

DR. STEPHEN CLEMENTS JR., CHE 62, received the Distinguished Alumnus for Professional Achievement award from the Medical College of Georgia. Clements is a cardiologist in At lanta and a faculty member at Emory University. He’s been teaching at Emory since 1973.

JOHN CRADDOCK, MS MGT 99, joined Baird Trust as director of fixed income. As senior vice president and director of fixed income, he man ages taxable and tax-exempt bond portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, and fixed-income assets for institution al clients.

ARNAB DAS, IA 04, IE 04, was appointed deputy commissioner of administration for the Office of Admin istrative Trials and Hearings for New York City.

DR. RACHEL R. ENGLE, IA 15, completed residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita Family Medicine Ascension Via Christi.

BREWER NAMED NASA FLIGHT DIRECTOR

HEIDI BREWER, AE 05, was among sev en new additions to NASA’s team of flight directors to oversee operations of the International Space Station, com mercial crew, and Artemis missions to the moon. Brewer supported 19 shut tle missions and was a lead for the final shuttle flight, STS-135.

At the conclusion of the shuttle pro gram in 2011, Brewer transitioned to the Space Station Integration and Systems Engineer group, where she worked as a specialist in integrating operations and training with SpaceX. She supported more than 20 Dragon missions for NA SA’s Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Programs, serving as a lead for multiple SpaceX resup ply missions to the station for NASA, and Axiom Mission 1, the first private

astronaut mission to the space station.

Brewer also served as a lead op erations integrator for the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, the Com mon Communication for Visiting Vehicles ship-to-ship radio system, and most re cently, the Artemis human landing system.

LAL APPOINTED UNIVERSAL HEALTH COMMISSIONER AT CHATHAM HOUSE

ARUSH LAL, BA 17, has been appoint ed to serve as a commissioner on the Chatham House Commission for Univer sal Health, co-chaired by Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, and Jakaya Kikwete, former president of Tanzania. The commission will work at the highest levels of government, encouraging and inspiring political leaders to launch universal health reforms emerg ing from the Covid-19 crisis. Lal was included in the Georgia Tech Alumni As sociation’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020.

ALUMNUS OPENS HISTORIC B&B

TOM WEITNAUER, M CRP 90, and his wife, Virginia, opened a historic Bed & Breakfast, “The Inn at Mount Pleasant B&B,” just outside of Charlotte, N.C. Built circa 1920, the inn offers a historic

CATLIN WINS BATTELLE’S PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

LINDSAY CATLIN, BIO 07, won Publi cation of the Year at Battelle Memorial Institute with her co-authors for Feasibility of Neighborhood and Building Scale Wastewater-based Genomic Epidemi ology for Pathogen Surveillance. The paper examines how sampling sewage at the neighborhood, hospital, and nurs ing home level for pathogens, including the virus that causes Covid-19, could identify new outbreaks or emerging

feel. There are four bedrooms, each with a private bath, plus three acres of grounds to explore, a beautiful front porch, two living rooms, and plenty of room to spread out.

CLASS NOTES

DOUG HOOKER, ME 78, MS TSP 85, was appointed to the board of directors for Barge Design Solutions, Inc., an engineering and architecture firm.

CHRIS LINDENAU, MBA 11, is the founder and CEO of Fusus, a public safety technology organization that di rectly supports real-time crime mitigation efforts. Fusus was highlighted in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for helping law enforcement solve recent cases.

MARCELA MORENO, HTS 13

MS CRP 17, was promoted to senior program associate, planning and tech nology at the Community Transportation Association of America in Washington, D.C.

SUZANNE OLDWEILER, MGT 03, has completed the training curric ulum of Atlanta CASA and is a certified Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA volunteers provide advocacy for children in foster care that have experi enced abuse and neglect.

pathogens. Catlin (pictured above right) is a forensic genomics research scientist at Battelle in Columbus, Ohio.

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY RECOGNIZES YELLOW JACKET

JOE STONER, CHE 66, received the 2021/2022 Henry Hill Award from the Division of Professional Relations of

the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award recognizes those who have served the profession in the area of professional relations in a unique and distinguished manner. Stoner was honored at ACS’s nation al meeting in Chicago this fall for all that he’s done to advance professionalism within the society.

CURTIS O’MALLEY, MS CE 07, PHD CE 11, received the Dis tinguished Service Award from New Mexico Tech, where he is an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

DAN PASCHAL, CHEM 69, PHD CHEM 74, was promoted to professor of chemistry at the Perimeter College of Geor gia State University (formerly known as Georgia Perimeter College). Paschal has taught at the university since 1969.

RAY HOWARD PETTIT, EE 54, MS EE 60, has been inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who biographi cal registry for his expertise in electrical engineering.

CLASS NOTES

PETE QUINONES, MBA 08, was appointed to the Healthcare Workforce Com mission by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Quinones was among 15 appointments to the com mission, which will focus on challenges facing the health care industry in hiring and retaining workers. Quinones is president and chief executive officer for the Metro Atlanta Ambulance Services.

KEITH RABIN, IE 97, joined Volato, Inc., as chief financial officer. He will oversee the financial operations of the private jet company, including scaling financial processes, overseeing external audits, identifying growth op portunities, and facilitating aircraft and base acquisitions.

RUSSELL RALSTON, ME 12, MS AE 14, was promoted to Axiom Space’s EVA deputy program manager. In this role, Ralston leads the engineering team that is de signing new space suits that will be used for commercial space stations, for replacing an aging fleet of suits cur rently used on the ISS, and that will be used in NASA’s return to the moon later this decade.

FRANK SHULER JR., IM 77, was recognized by South Carolina Super Lawyers for 2022. Shuler current ly works with Turner Padget, where he has worked in employment law for nearly 30 years.

ADAM WADE, EE 94, was appointed to the Alexander City (Alabama) Schools Board of Education in May. Wade began his 5-year term in June and will continue through 2027.

M c CORD NAMED PRESIDENT OF NORTHEAST STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

JEFF M c CORD, MGT 89, was named president of Northeast State Com munity College in Tennessee. He assumed the new role on Septem ber 30 after the Tennessee Board of Regents voted unanimously for his appointment to the position. In 2019, McCord was appointed com missioner of Tennessee’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Pri or, he was Northeast State Community College’s vice president for economic and workforce development.

OUT & ABOUT

KATIE SHARMA, MGT 10, and her mom, Karen Robinson, hiked to the peak of Mt. Washington (6,288 feet in elevation) to spread awareness and raise money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. They did this in honor of JIMMY ROBINSON, IM 75, Katie’s dad, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015. They raised over $12,500.

BIRTHS

1. ERIC JOHNSTON, BA 16, and his wife, Bree, welcomed their second daugh ter, Adelaide, on May 27. Grandmother Stephanie Johnston is director of presiden tial operations in Georgia Tech’s Office of the President and grandfather Wade John ston is facilities manager for the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology at Tech.

2. MICHAEL KOLODZY, ARCH 01, M ARCH 03, and wife, Katie, welcomed their eighth child on July 2. Eliza Clare joins two brothers and five sisters at the family’s home in Austell, Ga.

3. JETT MARKS, EE 83, has been promoted to grandfather. Noa Shir Raz was born Feb. 3 to proud parents KALA (MARKS) RAZ, BIO 13, and GUY RAZ, EE 12, MS ECE 13.

4. ERIC MEIHOFER, EE 92, and his wife, Amber, welcomed the birth of their daughter Alina Meihofer in August 2020. The family lives in Austin, Texas.

5. SAUMYA SAHU, MS CS 21, and his wife, Monalisha Behera, have been re cently blessed with twins. The birth of the twins has changed their lives in many ways and brought them more happiness as they watch their twins grow every day.

6. “After enduring three sweaty, stinky boys,” RENE SIMON, MBA 18, and his wife, Jazmine, were blessed with a perfect, beautiful baby girl on April 14.

WEDDINGS

1. DANIEL BURAPAVONG, IE 05, and Rebecca Li were married at the Swan House at the Atlanta History Center on April 15. It was Daniel’s dream to have the one and only Ramblin’ Wreck as their get away car, and thanks to the Ramblin’ Reck Club, his wish came true.

2. MEGHAN GREEN, MGT 13, and TAYLOR LARUE, MGT 11, were mar ried in Ireland on June 25. Meghan is a trustee of the Georgia Tech Alumni Associa tion. Meghan and Taylor met in 2009 while attending the annual GT-UGA baseball game.

3. SARAH JANE LOWENTRITT, CE 19, and TROY KLEBER, BME 17, were married on March 5 in New Orleans. They had their first kiss at Bobby Dodd Stadium! Sarah Jane is a traffic operations analyst at Kimley-Horn and Troy is in his medical resi dency as a radiation oncologist.

4. STEPHEN MANN, IE 12, and Sarah (Lee) Mann were married in Johns Creek, Ga., on Jan. 22. Stephen is a Georgia Tech football letterman.

5. AMELIA RANDALL, BIO 08, and Justin Karch were married on Feb. 12 at Frost Memorial Chapel at Berry College. They met online and quickly found out they were connected via mutual friends that went to Georgia Tech with Amelia. The cou ple lives in Decatur, Ga.

6. DANIELA GALVEZ SGHIATTI, ALIS 16, and Mark Sghiatti were married on June 25 in Acworth, Ga.

IN MEMORIAM

WE REMEMBER & HONOR THE FOLLOWING

JOHN CURTIS STATON JR.: DEVOTED YELLOW JACKET

JOHN CURTIS STATON JR., IM 60, OF AT LANTA, ON JUNE 26.

Staton loved to travel and was a voracious reader, a lifelong sailor, and an avid skier and fly fisherman. In addi tion, he loved Colorado, Alaska, cream soda, Key lime pie, and a good cup of coffee, and was a qualified Southern barbeque connoisseur.

Staton was born in Sydney, Australia, on December 1, 1938. He grew up in Atlanta with his three sisters. He earned his bachelor’s from Georgia Tech in 1960 and graduated from Emory Uni versity School of Law in 1963. While a student at Tech, Staton joined Phi Delta Theta and the debate team. He was in the Naval ROTC and spent six months on active duty in the Coast Guard and eight years in the reserves.

A proud Yellow Jacket, Staton was a lifelong champion of Georgia Tech. He worked tirelessly for the Institute from his graduation until the end of his life. He served as chair of the board of the Georgia Tech Foundation and became a trustee emeritus. Like his father, alum nus John C. Staton Sr. (EE 1924), who was president of the Georgia Tech Alum ni Association Board, Staton also served as president from 1991 to 1992.

He and his wife, Sue Glenn Staton, supported Georgia Tech in many ways,

including philanthropically with the es tablishment of the Sue and John Staton Professorship of Business Law and Eth ics Endowment. Staton demonstrated a strong commitment to his community. He contributed his time and energy to many Atlanta organizations, including Chil dren’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Historical Society, Leadership Atlanta, and Emory Univer sity School of Law.

Staton clerked for Judge Griffin Bell before joining King & Spalding LLP. He became partner after six years and founded the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. After 37 years with King & Spalding, Staton retired in 2000.

He received many honors, including the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award, the Geor gia Tech College of Management Hall of Fame Leader Award, and the Emory

School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award. He was a member of Northside United Methodist Church and a lifetime member of the Piedmont Driving Club.

Staton is survived by his great love and wife of 58 years, Sue Glenn Sta ton. He is survived by his children, John Curtis Staton, III (Maggie) and Wendy Staton Burge (Bill), and his six grand children: John Staton, IV, Hailey Staton, Catherine Staton, Sadie Burge, Hunter Burge, and Holt Burge. He is also sur vived by his sisters Mary Staton and Louise Staton Gunn and his nephews Curtis Gunn and Harry Gunn.

He was preceded in death by his par ents, John Curtis Staton, Sr., and Jocelyn Botterell Staton, and his sister, Marga ret Staton. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations can be made in his memory to the Georgia Tech Foundation.

1940 s

BURL “JACK” BANDY, TE 47, of Dalton, Ga., on March 29, 2020.

WILLIAM A. “BILL” GRANBERRY, IE 49, of Sarasota, Fla., on June 24.

RICHARD D. HERR, AE 46, of New Orleans, La., on April 25.

FREDERICK H. MATTESON, AE 46, of Hollister, Calif., on June 22.

CHARLES P. “CHARLIE” McCANLESS, IE 49, EE 56, of Orlando, Fla., on July 3.

WILLIAM C. RICH, ME 45, of Hen dersonville, Tenn., on May 21.

REED E. SHIPLEY, CHE 42, of Lacey, Wash., on April 17.

DAVID S. SOWELL, EE 46, of Hamp ton, Ga., on July 13.

ROBERT H. STEPHENS, ARCH 48, ARCH 48, of New Bern, N.C., on May 11.

WILLIAM “BILL” WESTBROOK, TE 40, of Suffolk, Va., on May 20.

1950 s

HARRY J. ABELN, IM 53, of Wash ington, Mo., on May 21.

JOHN R. ADAMS, IM 58, of Macon, Ga., on May 13.

EDITOR’S NOTE

HOMER E. “GENE” ANGLIN, ME 50, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on July 3.

CHARLES E. “CHARLIE” BAILES JR., CE 53, of Orlando, Fla., on May 4.

ANTHONY W. “TONY” BATTAGLIA, ME 59, MS ME 61, of Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 12.

EWIN L. “RED” BRANDON, ARCH 58, of Anniston, Ala., on June 16.

FRANK W. BURRELL JR., IE 57, of Southern Pines, N.C., on May 21.

JOHN K. BUTCHER, ARCH 59, of Shreveport, La., on May 24.

WILLIAM “BILL” CAMPBELL JR., CERE 58, MS CERE 60, of Knoxville, Tenn., on April 24.

JAMES C. “JIMMY” CLARK SR., EE 51, of Columbus, Ga., on July 1.

COY W. COLQUITT, ME 59, of Bridge water, Va., on April 30.

LESTER ALONZO CROUCH, CERE 58, of Augusta, Ga., on Nov. 1, 2020.

FRED R. DEJARNETTE, AE 57, MS AE 58, of Cary, N.C., on May 2.

ERMAN “RAY” DOTSON JR., CERE 51, of Sandersville, Ga., on April 20.

CHARLES H. DYKES, IM 58, of Earleton, Fla., on June 18.

RICHARD B. EDWARDS, TE 55, of Augusta, Ga., on March 8.

ROBERT L. EISENBACH JR., CHE 56, of Baton Rouge, La., on July 4.

ROBERT L. “BOB” ENGLISH, EE 57, of Savannah, Ga., on May 18.

GERALD F. “JERRY” ERICKSON, ME 58, of Clermont, Fla., on July 5.

JACK C. GASKINS, ME 51, of Lanett, Ala., on Nov. 7, 2021.

RONALD L. “RON” GEER, ME 51, of Houston, Texas, on April 16.

JOHN W. GOAN, IM 53, of Knox ville, Tenn., on April 28.

JULIAN J. GRAY III, IM 59, of Jack sonville, Fla., on July 14.

ARCHIBALD L. “ARCHIE” GRIFFIN, TE 55, of Valdosta, Ga., on July 6.

DAVID L. HARRISON, TE 54, of Boone, N.C., on July 23.

RICHARD “TOM” HAYES, EE 55, of Havertown, Pa., on Oct. 24, 2021.

ROBERT D. “BOB” HAZEN, CE 54, of Easley, S.C., on April 27.

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.

GEORGE “REGGIE” HEINE II, ME 58, of Lexington, Mass., on May 11.

EDWARD M. JONES, CLS 50, of Palm Coast, Fla., on June 29.

GEORGE KASEOTE, IM 56, of Vir ginia Beach, Va., in May.

WILLIAM D. LANIER, CE 51, of Al bany, Ga., on April 29.

WILBUR L. LONG JR., ME 57, of Macon, Ga., on May 11, 2021.

HERSCHEL MAXEY, ARCH 51, of Decatur, Ga., on June 28.

JOHN J. McMANUS JR., CHE 50, MS CHE 52, of Baton Rouge, La., on April 19.

MARTYN CLARKE MERCER JR., CE 57, of Blue Ridge, Ga., on May 29.

RODNEY L. “ROD” MOAK, IM 55, of Huntsville, Ala., on May 23.

FREDERICK “FRED” MOORE JR., MS IM 54, of Montgomery, Ala., on April 8.

PAUL J. MOORE JR., IE 58, of Mon roe, La., on May 26.

ROY A. NANCE, ME 54, of La Vergne, Tenn., on April 22.

DONALD A. NORDAL, ME 56, of Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 13.

RICHARD C. PARTRIDGE, IE 52, of Sarasota, Fla., on April 25.

EUGENE T. “GENE” PATRONIS JR., PHYS 53, PHD PHYS 61, of Atlanta, on April 29.

CLAUDE A. PETTY JR., EE 50, of Ros well, Ga., on June 3.

AUGUSTUS C. ROGERS, TE 59, of Canton, Ga., on June 23.

CHARLES L. “CHARLIE” RUHLIN, AE 50, of Hampton, Va., on July 20.

JOSEPH B. “J.B.” SAMPLES, CE 55, of Douglasville, Ga., on May 1.

STANFORD J. SATER, AE 53, of Co coa Beach, Fla., on April 22.

THURMAN B. SAULS, CE 58, MS CE 62, of Columbia, S.C., on June 22.

DONALD P. SCHLUETER, MS CHEM 56, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., on Nov. 20, 2018.

SCOTT A. SHAW, IM 54, of New Canaan, Conn., on July 4.

RAYMOND L. “RAY” SHIVES, ARCH 56, ARCH 57, of Greensboro, N.C., on July 23.

WILFRED B. SMITH JR., IM 57, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on April 22.

SUMNER B. SOCHRIN, IM 57, of Shelton, Conn., on May 31.

STEPHEN M. “PETER” SOLOMON IV, IE 58, of Macon, Ga., on June 20.

JOHN H. SPERRY, CE 50, of Albany, Ga., on July 2.

MARTHA MOSS QUO: FIRST WOMAN TO ATTEND ON G.I. BILL

MARTHA MOSS QUO, TE 58, MS TE 60, OF FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF., ON MAY 7.

After serving in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955, Quo was the first wom an to enroll at Georgia Tech on the G.I. Bill. She also became the first woman to graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Georgia Tech.

While at Tech, Quo was president and secretary of the sorority Alpha Xi Delta. She was also involved with the Women’s Student Association, the American Association of Textile Chem ists and Colorists, and the Society of Women Engineers.

After graduating, Quo led a success ful career in many different industries. The highlight of her professional career was at Douglas Aircraft (now Boeing) in Santa Monica, Calif., where she was a rocket scientist and aerospace engi neer, working on re-entry systems. It was there that she met her husband of nearly 60 years. She also worked in the Los An geles County Toxicology Laboratory as a toxicologist and at GlaxoSmithKline, where she tested blood.

Quo is survived by her husband, Ed Quo, three daughters, Konni, Tina, and Karen, and five grandchildren.

SLATER MARSHALL JR.: VICE PRESIDENT, CLASS OF 1956

JOHN B. SPRING JR., ME 58, of Madera, Calif., on Dec. 23, 2021.

DONALD C. SWARTWOUT, IE 54, of San Antonio, Texas, on July 5.

NORMAN H. THOMAS, CLS 56, of Chapin, S.C., on May 19.

EDSEL F. ANDERSON, IM 60, of Brookhaven, Ga., on May 18.

ROBERT S. ARMSTRONG, IM 60, of Atlanta, on June 5.

JACK J. BARNHARDT, TE 62, of Winston-Salem, N.C., on June 1.

SLATER MARSHALL JR., IM 56, OF CUMMING, GA., ON JUNE 1.

Marshall graduated from Marist High School before attending Georgia Tech. He was very active in many organiza tions, and his love for “anything Tech,” and particularly Georgia Tech sports, only grew stronger over the years. He was vice president of the Class of 1956, president of the Ramblin Reck Club, president of the journalism honorary fra ternity, Pi Delta Epsilon, and a member of Koseme and the Sigma Chi fraterni ty. He was also managing editor of the campus humor magazine, The Yellow Jacket.

Marshall loved sports, coaching foot ball, baseball, and softball. He worked at IBM as a salesman, then owned and operated a network of McConnel Gen eral Stores. He spent the last 20 years of his career leading sales organizations for AMSCO and Steris corporations before retiring in 1998. He was preced ed in death by his first wife, Margaret Schilling, and his second wife, Marie Marshall. He is survived by his children: Slater Marshall, III (Angela), Carolyn Bolling (Calvin), Barbara Smith (Bill), Greg Filardi (Kim), Kimin Filardi, Dan Filardi (Kelli), and his grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and sister-in-law, Millie Fellin (Jack). Marshall’s family has established an endowment to provide scholarship funding for student-athletes. Donations can be made to the “Slater E. Marshall, Jr. Memorial Scholarship.”

DEAN E. TROXELL II, IM 55, of Cen terville, Mass., on July 19.

ROBERT H. WATKINS, EE 56, MS IM 62, of Marietta, Ga., on July 5.

WILLARD “CHANDLER” WHITE JR., IE 59, of Cumming, Ga., on June 30.

JACKSON K. “JACK” WIDENER JR., IE 59, of Augusta, Ga., on May 30.

WILLIAM B. WILDER, CLS 59, of Kingsport, Tenn., on Sept. 15, 2021.

JACK L. WILLIAMSON, EE 54, of Atlanta, on June 14.

THOMAS L. “TOM” WORTHINGTON, IM 57, of Marietta, Ga., on July 2.

WILLIAM L. WYRICK, IE 56, of Os sian, Ind., on April 29.

WILLIAM T. YEARTY, IM 56, of Indi an Harbor Beach, Fla., on May 29.

1960 s

ERNEST “MAXEY” ABERNATHY, CHE 61, of Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 25.

THOMPSON C. ALLDAY, EE 64, of Milton, Fla., on May 2.

JOHN R. BELCHER, ME 68, of Pana ma City, Fla., on June 21.

ARNOLD BERLIN, EE 60, of Poto mac, Md., on May 26.

JOSEPH W. BERRY, IM 63, of Athens, Ga., on April 26.

COE A. BLOOMBERG, ME 66, of Santa Monica, Calif., on May 26.

THOMAS W. BOOKHART, MS MATH 64, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., on May 22.

LAWRENCE E. BROWDER, MS CE 67, of Atlanta, on May 31.

ROGER J. BUDKE, M CP 69, of Port land, Ore., on May 14.

KENNETH B. BURNHAM, CHE 61, of Tampa, Fla., on March 13.

BRIAN “DUANE” BUSTLE, IE 60, of Palmetto, Fla., on April 23.

JOSEPH E. CALLAHAN, MS IS 69, of Boyce, Va., on March 18.

THEODORE F. “TED” CANNELLA, IM 67, of Temple Terrace, Fla., on July 15.

JAMES R. CHAMBERS, CE 68, MS CE 70, of Tucker, Ga., on Nov. 29, 2021.

J. TOM DICKENS III, CE 67, MS CE 68, of Clarkesville, Ga., on June 2.

J. T. DOTSON, MS IE 67, of College Station, Texas, on June 13.

CLARENCE “DORSEY” DYER JR., IE 68, MS CE 70, of Winston-Salem, N.C., on May 12.

BENJAMIN C. “BEN” DYSART III, PHD CE 69, of Brentwood, Tenn., on July 9.

WILLIAM R. EDMISTON, AE 69, of St. Louis, Mo., on May 8.

FRANKLIN R. “FRANK” FASS, MS IS 66, of Beavercreek, Ohio, on June 8.

JAMES B. “JIMMY” FRANKLIN, IE 62, of Statesboro, Ga., on July 9.

HOWARD L. GARDNER III, IM 65, of St. Augustine, Fla., on April 29.

FRANKLIN C. GEORGE JR., IM 60, of Merritt Island, Fla., on June 27.

TERRY F. GREENWOOD, ME 62, of Huntsville, Ala., on July 14.

THOMAS M. GRIFFIN III, MS TE 60, of Tega Cay, S.C., on July 14.

PHILIP L. HESS, IE 65, of Atlanta, on June 29.

ANDREW “ED” JACKSON JR., CE 68, MS CE 69, of Vicksburg, Miss., on April 26.

JAMES A. “JIM” LARKIN, BC 67, of Atlanta, on May 7.

THEODORE D. LINDGREN, PHD EE 64, of Atlanta, on May 16.

THOMAS M. LIVINGSTON, EE 63, of St. Petersburg, Fla., on June 7.

JAMES E. “JIM” LONG, PHYS 64, of Holly Springs, Ga., on April 23.

ROBERT J. “BOB” LORD JR., PHYS 65, MS NRE 67, PHD NRE 72, of New London, Conn., on June 20.

STEWART F. LYMAN, IM 60, of Dac ula, Ga., on July 8.

THOMAS J. “TOM” MALONE, CHE 63, PHD CHE 66, of LaGrange, Ga., on June 5.

PAUL R. MANDE, PHYS 69, of Mari etta, Ga., on May 3.

CARL H. McNAIR JR., AE 63, MS AE 63, of Fairfax, Va., on May 2.

CHARLES D. McWHORTER, EE 62, of Huntsville, Ala., on June 19.

DEWEY C. MEADOWS, IE 61, of Warner Robins, Ga., on June 26.

JERRY L. MILLER, ARCH 67, of Sa vannah, Ga., on April 12.

JOHN E. MIMS JR., IM 63, of Perry, Ga., on May 10.

RICHARD G. MINOR, EE 66, of Wake Forest, N.C., on July 7.

ROBERT G. “BOB” MORRIS, IE 67, of Smyrna, Ga., on July 4.

NEAL NELSEN JR., IM 63, of Keller, Texas, on July 1.

MAURICE “SANDY” NELSON JR., IE 60, of Houston, Texas, on July 17.

JOHN “EDWARD” NUTTING JR., IM 62, of Atlanta, on May 20.

JAMES L. PADGETT, ARCH 60, ARCH 61, of Hayesville, N.C., on April 29.

KEN L. PARKER, IM 68, of Alpharet ta, Ga., on July 23.

CLAUDE R. PHILLIPS, IE 68, of Kailua, Hawaii, on March 28.

RICHARD E. “DICK” PLATT, CE 64, of Gainesville, Ga., on May 4.

MICHAEL D. PORTER, MS CE 69, of Houston, Texas, on July 15.

JOHN M. REAGAN, EE 67, of Houston, Texas, on June 21.

HUGH M. RIDDLE JR., IM 68, of Robinson, Texas, on May 25.

JACKSON B. “JACK” SAMPSELLE, IM 69, of Gainesville, Fla., on May 21.

ANDERSON Q. SMITH JR., IE 69, of Yulee, Fla., on July 6.

BARBARA C. STINE, CLS 60, of Waleska, Ga., on June 1.

JOEL F. STONE JR., CE 63, MS CE 64, of Canton, Ga., on June 24.

CECIL WELCH: WORLD-RENOWNED TRUMPET PLAYER

CECIL WELCH, IM 58, OF ATLANTA, ON APRIL 25.

Growing up in Atlanta under musical ly inclined parents, Cooper Cecil Welch and Wanslie Sargent Welch, Welch joined the Atlanta Pops during his teen years and gained early experience as a freelance trumpeter in Atlanta’s emerging musical community. After graduating from Georgia Tech, he pur sued a lifelong career as an independent insurance agent, but furthered his skill as a professional musician, joining the At lanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO). In 1976, after having guest-conducted the ASO and having heard Welch’s rous ing jazz performance of “Peter Gunn,” Henry Mancini, Academy Award–winning film composer, invited Welch to join him as his lead trumpeter and solo ist. Until Mancini’s death in 1994, they traveled the world performing with or chestras such as the London Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

During his 18 years with Mancini, Welch formed his own music production company that developed as a division of Company Welch, LLC. Company Welch provided orchestras for numerous Atlan ta stage events, including the production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Fox Theatre. At Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Welch orchestras regularly worked with headliner groups such as The Moody Blues, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Earth, Wind & Fire.

ROBERT H. SWEET, EE 64, of Lakeside, Calif., on April 25.

DONALD P. “DON” TRAVISS, ME 68, MS ME 70, of The Villages, Fla., on June 24.

It was Company Welch that collab orated with Olympics entertainment planners on the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for the flag arrival in Savannah, and for full orchestra performance on Centenni al Park’s main stage.

As a solo trumpet artist, Welch graced the stages in hundreds of venues, from the quaint theatres of America to the greatest concert halls the world has to offer. He personally entertained Pres ident Jimmy Carter for two birthday celebrations and appeared as a guest performer on the Jeff Foxworthy come dy TV show, Blue Collar Comedy

In 2015, Welch and his wife coauthored the autobiography, Two for the Road: The Trumpet and Me.

To his alma mater, Georgia Tech, he has donated his library of musical scores gifted to him by Henry Mancini, and his personal library of big band charts, thus establishing the Henry Mancini–Cecil Welch Collection in the Georgia Tech Li brary Archives.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Barbara; his five children, Christopher (and Dr. Cherrie) Welch, Carey Welch, Juliet (and William) Shadle, Coo per Welch, and Cullen Welch; his six grandchildren; and his brother George Richard Welch.

WOODWARD L. VOGT, EM 69, MS CE 73, of Houston, Texas, on June 3.

WILLIAM J. “BILL” WHEELER, IM 61, of Lake City, Fla., on June 27.

HENRY E. WILLIAMS JR., ME 68, of St. Marys, Ga., on June 8.

OWEN D. WILSON JR., TE 66, of Chapin, S.C., on April 15.

JACK F. “FREDDIE” WITCHER, IM 65, of Bremen, Ga., on May 16.

1970 s

JOHN L. “LEE” BETHUNE III, ME 70, of Cumming, Ga., on April 9.

LYDIA (PERSINSKI) BOYE, MS PHYS 79, of Albuquerque, N.M., on May 1.

BRUCE E. BYINGTON, ME 75, of Colorado Springs, Colo., on May 21.

GEORGE “TERRY” CHAPMAN, CE 72, of Fairburn, Ga., on May 13.

HOWELL L. COUCH, IE 77, of Cov ington, Ga., on July 7.

JAMES M. DANIEL, CE 73, of Grove town, Ga., on July 14.

CAROL (BURTZ) DAVIS, IM 76, of Marietta, Ga., on June 9.

CLINTON A. TUCKER, CE 68, of Dacula, Ga., on May 16.

THOMAS L. VINES, EE 63, of Abilene, Texas, on June 27.

ROCKY A. DAVIS, IM 75, of Griffin, Ga., on June 21.

PHILIP E. EUBANKS, EE 71, of War ner Robins, Ga., on June 28.

ALAN D. FLURY, IM 72, of Marietta, Ga., on May 19.

DAVID C. FULLERTON, PHD CHEM 71, of San Jose, Calif., on April 25.

JAMES D. GARNER, EE 73, of Tallapoosa, Ga., on April 26.

WALTER “BEN” GRIMES III, IM 70, of Chapin, S.C., on April 16.

WILLIAM T. HARVEY, MS CE 72, of Alexandria, Va., on June 7.

WILLIAM C. JOHNSTON, MS ME 70, of Cleveland, Ga., on June 26.

ALLAN E. KEAN JR., MS GEOS 79, of Houston, Texas, on June 28.

MICHAEL R. “MIKE” KELLEY, MATH 73, MS ESM 77, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on April 28.

BILLY F. LINDLER, CE 76, of McDonough, Ga., on May 30.

DAN S. LITTLEFIELD, IM 75, of Way cross, Ga., on May 2.

ROBERT S. LOCKHART, AE 72, of Snellville, Ga., on June 14.

SUZANNE (DUNHAM) MASON, MATH 78, of Byron, Ga., on May 28.

JEFFREY A. MINKOFF, IM 79, of Avoca, Pa., on May 10.

RONALD A. “RONNY” NICHO LAS, TE 71, of Villa Rica, Ga., on April 28.

JACK JACOBS ZBAR: DISTINGUISHED CHEMICAL ENGINEER

JACK JACOBS ZBAR, CHE 56, OF MARIETTA, GA., ON JULY 1.

While a student at Georgia Tech, Zbar discovered a passion for racing cars, was an accomplished swimmer on the Tech swim team, and enjoyed be ing a member of AEPi Fraternity, where he met some of his lifelong friends. His constantly curious mind expanded his interests in scuba diving, underwater cinematography, and amassing an ex tensive shell collection. As a young adult, he founded his own chemical engineering company—Arrow Engineer ing—in 1970 in Dalton, Ga. He held many patents that established him as a leader in the chemical, manufacturing, and textile industries.

Zbar was named a College of Engi neering Distinguished Alumnus in 1996, elected to Tech’s Engineering Hall of Fame in 2003, and was a member of The Hill Society. As he was happy to be in a position to give back, Zbar, along with his wife, Leda, established the Leda L. and Jack J. Zbar Scholarships at Georgia Tech, and were contributing

PHILIP M. PENNINGTON, EE 78, of Ooltewah, Tenn., on June 21.

GEORGE REEVES JR., MS ICS 79, of Avondale Estates, Ga., on June 5.

MURRY L. SALBY, AE 73, PHD AE 78, of Reno, Nev., on April 29.

MARK M. SANDIFER, IE 78, MS IM 80, of Norman, Okla., on May 27.

ROBERT N. “BOB” SNOW, CLS 70, of Vashon, Wash., on July 18.

members to the Jewish National Fund and the Naples Florida Senior Center.

He is survived by his loving wife, Leda Zbar; his son, Clay Zbar (Shari); his daughters, Beth Marks (Michael) and Stephanie Footer (Luke Warren); and his five grandchildren. He is also sur vived by his in-laws, Susie and Bruce Golubock, Joel and Mindy Loshak; and many adored nieces and nephews.

In memory of Zbar, donations may be sent to the Georgia Tech Founda tion at 760 Spring St. NW, Suite 400, Atlanta, Ga., 30308, in support of the Leda L. and Jack J. Zbar Scholarship in the School of Materials Science & Engi neering or in support of the Leda L. and Jack J. Zbar Scholarship in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.

MICHAEL JOHN SULLIVAN, ME 79, of Simpsonville, S.C., on Nov. 15, 2021.

JOE GORDON TIGNER, MS ME 72, of Spring, Texas, on June 16.

JAMES “EDDIE” TURNER, IM 75, of Calhoun, Ga., on Sept. 26, 2021.

EDWIN A. WAHLEN JR., IM 70, of Atlanta, on July 9.

JOHN A. WEATHERS JR., CLS 71, of Augusta, Ga., on March 27.

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

1980 s

MARGARET D. ALEXANDER, TEXT 80, of Hartwell, Ga., on Jan. 25.

JACQUELYNN K. “JACKY” BOSLEY, IE 81, of Castle Pines, Colo., on April 12.

MICHAEL J. “MIKE” CZERNI AWSKI, ICS 83, of Decatur, Ga., on July 4.

JAMES M. DARCHUK, IE 80, of Saratoga, Calif., on May 27.

WILLIAM V. HEADLEY JR., EE 84, of Jesup, Ga., on May 6.

BRADLEY G. ISLEY, ICS 85, of Dulu th, Ga., on March 5, 2017.

JAMES W. LOCKWOOD, MS PHYS 82, of Amherst, N.H., on July 9.

DOUGLAS P. MARTIN, ME 87, of Lacey, Wash., on July 8.

PETER J. “PETE” MOUNTS, IM 80, of Atlanta, on June 18.

WILLIAM M. NASH, IM 83, of Har rison Township, Mich., on July 22.

KAY T. PARKER, IE 81, of Athens, Ga., on June 14.

MARK G. SAMUELIAN, IE 85, of Miami Beach, Fla., on June 22.

PHILLIP D. SANFORD, ARCH 81, of Marietta, Ga., on April 9.

GARY S. STARNES, IM 87, of Thompson’s Station, Tenn., on May 31.

MICHAEL P. “MIKE” WALSH, ME 80, of Canton, Ga., on June 9.

GEORGE P. WHEATLEY, CE 81, of Mableton, Ga., on Jan. 17.

KENNETH M. WITTE, IM 86, of Ros well, Ga., on July 5.

1990 s

EMADEDDIN J. FRAITEKH, M CRP 94, of Albuquerque, N.M., on March 22.

SCOTT A. LEWIS, CS 99, MS HCI 01, of Owings Mill, Md., on May 17.

CHRISTOPHER R. PELUSO, MS CE 98, of Wayne, Pa., on April 27.

JAMES E. ROBERTS, EE 92, of Aus tin, Texas, on May 2.

ROBERT “KEVIN” SHERRER, EE 94, of Dacula, Ga., on July 4.

JAMES S. “JIM” SOUHRADA, ESM 95, of Hudson, Iowa, on July 14.

2000 s

HEATHER L. ALHADEFF, M CRP 00, of Atlanta, on May 28.

JOSEPH W. COOKE, MS MGT 02, of Midlothian, Va., on May 3.

STEPHEN HAGEDORN, EE 06, of Clearwater, Fla., on Dec. 31, 2021.

STACEY D. JORDAN, MS CRP 04, of Jackson, Ga., on June 26.

JONATHAN SCHWEIGER, EE 08, of Breckenridge, Colo., on April 25.

2010 s

JOSHUA C. “JOSH” CANZONERI, PHD CHEM 12, of Daphne, Ala., on June 10.

LYNNE W. NEWTON, MBA 16, of Johns Creek, Ga., on June 19.

JOHN A. CLARY UMBERGER, HTS 15, of Washington, D.C., on June 1.

LOGAN T. WOODS, EE 11, of Cary, N.C., on June 12.

FRIENDS

NELSON D. ABELL III, of Monroe, La., on Oct. 22, 2021.

JULIAN R. BELL, of Canton, Ga., on May 3.

NATHANIEL “NAT” CHAFEE, of At lanta, on June 23.

JOSEPH D. CLEMENT, of Lawrencev ille, Ga., on May 30.

DELORES S. GADDIS, of Dacula, Ga., on April 26.

ROBERT F. “BOB” HOCHMAN, of Duluth, Ga., on June 24.

JONATHAN W. LEVIN, of New York, N.Y., on April 21.

CLEOPATRA “JONI” OWENS, of Tucson, Ariz., on June 14, 2020.

JUDE T. SOMMERFELD, of Watkins ville, Ga., on April 15.

HENRY S. VALK, of Tucker, Ga., on April 12.

Life 2.0

Unlock Your Dream Job with an Advanced Degree in Analytics

NASA Sr. Data Scientist and Triple-Jacket, Douglas Trent, leads NASA’s Langley Research Center teams in accelerating the adoption of AI technologies in support of NASA’s digital transformation strategy.

You were already a Double-Jacket, with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Science. What led you to return for your Online Master of Science in Analytics?

After retiring from 26 years with IBM, I traveled the world but always remained interested in business intelligence and decision sciences. When Georgia Tech launched its Online Master of Science in Analytics program, I realized I could pursue my passion for data science while living wherever I chose.

How did you land at NASA?

OMS Analytics requires a practicum internship, so I applied to 35+ firms including NASA. I was the space-nerd kid, watching every launch and moon landing. So, when I got offered a Data Scientist internship with NASA’s Langley Research Center, it was a dream come true.

My team was tasked with solving several challenges that involved digital transformation. We adapted neural networks designed for facial recognition to recognize non-facial objects. This garnered attention, and I received an offer to join NASA full-time.

What projects are you working on now?

Everything from studying methane clouds on Titan and the oceans beneath Europa’s frozen crust to monitoring the health of Earth’s coral reefs. Last fall, we worked with OMS Analytics students to use deep learning models to study the reefs using imagery from NASA satellites.

Read more from GT alum Doug Trent, including NASA’s Geophysical Observations Toolkit for Evaluating Coral Health (GOTECH!) project at pe.gatech.edu/blog/DougTrentNASA

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BUILDINGS

THESE BUILDINGS may no longer exist on cam pus, but their memories remain, haunting generations of Yellow Jackets like ghosts of good times past. Some of these spaces disap peared long ago, while others feel spine-tingling close, as if you might still catch a glimpse of an ephemeral structure as you scurry home from Midnight Breakfast.

Beware of lingering too long on the next few pages or you might raise some memories you’d rather not awaken— nightmares of missed finals or chilling thoughts of never “getting out.” Now that we’ve given you real goosebumps, read on if you dare.

THE OLD SHOP BUILDING

Did you know that TECH TOWER had a twin? Built in 1888, the SHOP BUILDING, where students made wares that helped finance the school, burned down three times before disappearing —or finally being demolished—in 1968. Today, you might still feel the hot air from the old foundries that were housed in the shop building as you walk through Harrison Square in the space where the former building once stood.

PLAZA NOW

HEISMAN GYM AND POOL

1936–1994

THE HEISMAN GYM , designed by Tech’s architectural department, wasn’t exactly a selling point during Todd Stans bury’s high school visit to campus. “In retrospect, I realize why I didn’t see a lot of facilities on my recruiting visit,” says Georgia Tech’s Athletic Director, who first visited campus as a potential student-athlete in the late ’70s. Despite the old, austere-looking gym, Stansbury, IM 84, was drawn to Tech. The Canadian na tive moved to Atlanta, joining Tech’s football and track teams.

Stansbury took drownproofing in the swimming pool in Heisman Gym, learning how to blow air into his pants and use them as a flotation device and hold a bubble of air in his hands to read letters on the bottom of the pool. Decades later, in 2018, construction workers found remnants of the swimming pool during a renovation of Georgia Tech’s locker room. “They were surprised to find it there. They could have asked me, and I would have told them all about it!” Stansbury says.

HEISMAN GYM THEN >>

student, THE EDGE CENTER, which occupies a portion of the space where the old gym once stood, holds many mem ories for him, both collegiate and personal. He and his wife, Karen, were married in the Edge Center in 1995, just a few yards from where the Heisman Gym would have been.

Stansbury also remembers running on the old track that cir cled Grant Field. An odd design feature kept Stansbury and his teammates on their toes.

“Part of the track went underneath the north stands. So, when you went into the curve, you would disappear for 100 yards before you came out the other side,” he remembers.

“You were always dodging people who walked across the track, and you took your life into your own hands when you came out of the weight room under the north stands because you didn’t know who was barreling around the corner.”

SKILES BRIDGE

When the SKILES CLASSROOM BUILDING was first built, a pedestrian bridge connected the second-floor classrooms to the Library. It was an everyday part of campus and one of the best spots to catch the sunset after class. Underneath, students heading toward the former Student Center might spot stick ers for clubs and other student organizations attached to the bridge’s supporting columns, and even, on occasion, a pizza slice stuck to the underside of the bridge by a mischievous pass erby.

SKILES BRIDGE was well-known to a group of disc golf players who would show up late at night to play a clandestine game through campus. Ben Siple, Cls 04, learned of the impro vised course from friends who passed down their knowledge to the next generation of Jackets.

“Skiles Bridge was our tee-off. We would throw our first shot off the bridge and try to hit a patch of trees on the left side of the walkway toward the Student Center,” says Siple. From there, the golfers would aim for the Kessler Campanile, and so on, hitting predetermined marks throughout campus. “You always needed a lot of people watching when you threw off Skiles Bridge because you could easily lose a disc from there,” says Siple, who hopes the course lives on with current students, albeit modified for new campus spots.

HIGHTOWER TEXTILE ENGINEERING BUILDING

GREEN

HIGHTOWER TEXTILE ENGINEERING BUILDING

When Georgia Tech’s President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95, was a student, Tech Green was the HIGHTOWER TEXTILE ENGINEERING BUILDING. Biking through cam pus today versus then is a different experience, says Cabrera, who often commutes on bike from his home to his office in the Carnegie Building.

“Today, you ride through campus and think, ‘What a beau tiful campus,’ but those weren’t the words that came to mind

when you first saw campus in the early ’90s,” Cabrera says.

The Hightower Textile Engineering Building was finished in 1949 and housed the School of Textile Engineering—its own “ghost” of sorts—that is now part of the School of Materials Sci ence and Engineering. The building, which often flooded when it rained, was demolished in 2002 during a period of campus beautification, which saw the creation of several green spaces, including Tech Green.

Halloween, get a nostalgic scare with Ghost Buildings of Georgia Tech. Enjoy spooky animations of these and more ghost buildings on our social channels @gtalumni

PHOTOGRAPH

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Scheller offers Full-time, Evening, and Executive MBA programs with STEM-designated concentrations and practicums in emerging business areas like analytics, product innovation, sustainability, and more. We also provide career services ranked top five in the world, positioning our graduates to lead and excel in a tech-driven world.

Which Georgia Tech Scheller MBA program is right for you?

HOW TO BE A LIFELONG YELLOW JACKET

CAN YOU COMPLETE THESE STEPS TO BECOMING A TRUE ALUM?

BY JESS BARBER, CHBE 22

1/ KNOW MORE ABOUT ENTOMOLOGY THAN MOST. Hold firm in knowing that yel low jackets and bumblebees are very, very different. Make sure your friends know it, too.

2/ PLANT AN OAK TREE IN YOUR BACK YARD. As a student, you hid from the Atlanta sun (and sometimes from finals) underneath Tech’s oaks. Now enjoy some homework-free shade of your own.

3/ OUTSMART THE SCI-FI MOVIES.

Realize that the intricate “new the ories” shown on screen are actually integrals you solved in Physics II. Nice try, Hollywood.

4/ SPREAD THE GOOD WORD. Name your kids, pets, or houseplants so that their initials spell THWg or GT. (Did you know 0.01% of living alumni have the initials GT?)

5/ WAKE UP TO THE WHISTLE. Set your morning alarm to play the Whistle and relive the stress of realizing you slept through your 8 a.m. classes.

6/ LOSE GEORGE P. BURDELL AT THE AIR PORT. Page Burdell and see if you can spot grads joining the search. Bonus points if you’re at an overseas airport.

7/ REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COLOR RED. In fact, it can’t even be found in your proximity.

8/ BECOME A HOCO PRO. Join other Yel low Jackets every fall as you watch tricycle crashes, homemade Wrecks, and a great game of football during Homecoming festivities with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.

9/ PARTNER UP WITH THE NEXT GENER ATION. Participate in Mentor Jackets

and pass along your advice and experi ences to Tech’s newest students as they make their journey toward saying, “I got out!”

10/ ALWAYS REMEMBER HOME. Wheth er you called it North Avenue Trade School, The Institute, or Georgia Tech, always know you’re welcome home!

HOW MANY HAVE YOU CROSSED OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST?

Share your score with us on Twitter. Tag @gtalumni and let us know what else should be added to our list.

What does Roll Call mean to you?

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

Some give to help students achieve their fullest potential as engineers and leaders.

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

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

For leaders like Zach McGee, CS 22, who benefited from many life-changing opportunities and learned invaluable lessons outside the classroom about leadership and team building thanks to programs that connected him with alumni mentors and like-minded students.

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

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

Scan to see a special video message about what Roll Call means to Georgia Tech

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

Building legacies that last.

YOUR LEGACY IS YOUR SIGNATURE. WE PUT OURS ON EVERYTHING WE DO.

Led by a team of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Galerie Living is disrupting the senior living industry and transforming the lives of older adults and those who care for them. From concept to development to management, our communities and technology are sealed with the Galerie standard of excellence.

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