Smooth transitions

ChBE program for transfer students expands to Institute level

T

ransferring to Georgia Tech from a different institution brings challenges unlike those faced by freshmen. Until recently, transfer students didn’t have the sort of support systems that help freshmen acclimate to their new environment.

Students who successfully made the transition to Georgia Tech take an active role in transfer student orientation and offer the new students advice and mentoring based on their own experiences.

The TSA filled such an important need that, ChBE changed that in the when the group sought 2013-14 academic year by a charter, the Office of establishing the TransLeadership & Civic Enfer Student Association gagement suggested that (TSA). The student-led it become an Institutegroup helps transfer stuwide organization. In dents adjust to the Tech only its second year, the culture, rigorous curTSA is available to transriculum and demands on fer students throughout students’ time and energy Georgia Tech in the 2014— concerns that transfer 15 academic year. students tend to underestimate when they come to The five undergraduChBE, said Ami Wallerate students on the TSA Ivanecky, undergraduate executive board spent academic advisor. a year writing the conJoy Jordan (BS ’92) Title: New business development leader Employer: Kimberly-Clark Top priority for the EAB: I aim to help the School maintain its leadership position in producing the technological leaders who will make a difference in industry, academia and society. I want to offer my insights from industry experience to enable leadingedge curriculum and programming.

Yurancy Quinones (from left), Chris Schmitt, Karina Psareva, Nathan Echols and Chang Woo Park are the organization’s student leaders. stitution for and setting up the structure of the expanded organization. The TSA charter provides for a ChBE committee,

which can address the specific needs of ChBE students and hold separate, smaller events tailored to them.

Other ChBE student organizations ChBE Student Ambassadors — This organization, started and run by students, is a resource for prospective students and incoming freshmen. The organization, entering its third year, has grown from four ambassadors in spring 2013 to 36 ambassadors today. AIChE — ChBE has one of the largest, strongest and most active student chapters of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers.

Peter Long (Ph.D. ’98) Title: President Employer: Innovative Material and Devices Inc. Top priority for the EAB: As a proud member of the Georgia Tech alumni and a ChBE graduate, I would like to utilize all my experience and capacity to help better prepare ChBE graduates for the ever-changing business and technology environment.

ChBE Student Advisory Board — This group of undergraduates identifies areas to improve in ChBE and promotes communication between the School and undergraduates. Omega Chi Epsilon — The national honor society for chemical engineers meets several times each semester and holds weekly tutoring sessions.

Ed Maginn Title: Department chair, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Employer: University of Notre Dame Education: BS ’87, chemical engineering, Iowa State University; Ph.D. ’95, University of California-Berkeley Top priority for the EAB: To support the School chair and the faculty in developing programs and activities that lead to improved educational experiences for undergraduate students and a state-of-the-art research culture that enhances graduate education.

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