The College of Sciences is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Stanzione as the new faculty director of Explore, Georgia Tech’s science-centered Living Learning Community (LLC) for first-year and transfer students. Stanzione currently serves as associate chair for Undergraduate Studies and principal academic professional in the School of Psychology.
“Chris is deeply committed to student success and consistently excels in teaching, service, and leadership,” says Cameron Tyson, principal academic professional and assistant dean for Academic Programs in the College of Sciences. “We look forward to his impact in this role.”
As faculty director, Stanzione will oversee co-curricular programming, teach Explore courses, and recruit new students. He will also manage the program’s budget, conduct annual assessments, and engage with key stakeholders to support student success, working closely with Program and Operations Manager Kimberly Blaise and Coordinator Zoe Meireles. Stanzione will continue to hold a 50 percent faculty appointment in the School of Psychology.
“I am excited to continue enhancing the unique and personalized curriculum designed to help Explore students understand and engage in research early in their careers, meet research-active faculty and healthcare professionals, and enjoy an active social community,” says Stanzione.
He adds that he’s honored to help acclimate freshmen and transfer students to Georgia Tech. “Finding your place at Tech can be overwhelming. From their first day on campus, I want to help Explore students understand and get engaged with the many opportunities available — and set them up with a great first impression to strengthen their connection with Georgia Tech.”
Stanzione has already begun planning new opportunities for Explore students. One of his goals is to design science-centered international experiences.
“With so many Explore students interested in healthcare careers, I’d love to create an alternative spring break trip combining healthcare shadowing, community service, and research abroad.”
He sees existing campus programs as another great way to expand the program:
“I’d like to work closely with other stakeholders to create programming that integrates academic, research, and well-being support,” he adds. “Georgia Tech’s new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Leaders in Progress and Service, is a great fit for our students. They would really benefit from being immersed in the QEP programming supporting Georgia Tech’s mission of developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.”
Meet Christopher Stanzione
A well-respected educator and administrator, Stanzione has received several awards for teaching excellence, including the Undergraduate Educator Award and the Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award from Georgia Tech's Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Eric R. Immel Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching from the College of Sciences. To reduce the financial burden of textbooks, Stanzione and his colleague, Academic Professional Meghan Babcock, led efforts to implement a grant-funded pilot program using Open Educational Resources in General Psychology. His research focus includes studying language and cognitive development in both at-risk and deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Notable administrative accomplishments include launching a new School of Psychology internship program, creating a five-year B.S./M.S. psychology career pathway, and adding minor programs in mental health and well-being and computation and cognition.
In his spare time, Stanzione loves to travel with his husband and walk on the Atlanta BeltLine with their new puppy, Chorizo.
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