The CEISMC-hosted Division C regional tournament for the Science Olympiad on Feb. 10 went without a hitch. 

The regional tournament took place in the G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. Twenty teams of high school students competed in 23 age-related events emphasizing STEM applications.

The teams represented high schools from the Metro Atlanta area. They competed in events on a wide range of topics, including anatomy and physiology, herpetology, astronomy, thermodynamics, material science, forensics, Fermi questions, and experimental design. The top-three teams received trophies; The top two teams also received plaques.

All winning teams will advance from regional to state to national competitions:

• First place: Gwinnett School of Math, Science, and Technology Team 1
• Second place: Walton High School Team 1
• Third place: Gwinnett School of Math, Science, and Technology Team 2
• Fourth place: Walton High School Team 2
• Fifth place: Wheeler High School Team 1

“The competing teams were absolutely phenomenal," Tournament Director Tiarra Moore said. "I had a blast viewing the competition and watching the excitement on students' faces when they received their awards. I am very proud of all of the participants. Job well done!”

EDITOR'S NOTE: This item was adapted from a story published by CEISMC on Feb. 12, 2018.

February is Black History Month, a special time set aside to celebrate the contributions of African Americans. The College of Sciences joins the celebration by inviting the perspectives of African-American colleagues through a two-part Q&A.

Keith Oden is Director for Academic Diversity in the College of Sciences and Diversity Coordinator for the Center for Chemical Evolution, a Georgia Tech-based National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation.

To advance diversity and inclusive excellence at Georgia Tech, Oden designs and implements programs to prepare and recruit students from groups that are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). He also mentors students and is a frequent speaker about, and resource person for, recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented minority (URM) groups and enrolment of URM students into STEM programs, from K-12 to graduate school.

Oden is the adviser of the Georgia Tech student chapter of NOBCChE (the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers), Georgia Tech’s Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students, and Junior STEM.

What is the accomplishment you are proudest of so far?
God, family, and giving back embody what I am proudest of in my life.

I am proud of being a spiritual person and having God as the center of my life. My spirituality has been my guiding light in good times and bad times. My family provides me with my daily strength. My career at Georgia Tech and my work in the community have allowed me to give back by reaching the lives of others and helping them achieve their dreams.

What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is a reminder that African Americans today stand “on the shoulders of giants” – people who sacrificed and lost their lives, who fought for racial equality to pave a better tomorrow for people of color.

Black History Month is a time for rejoicing, celebrating, and thanking heroes and “sheroes” of color for giving African Americans hope, faith, and inspiration through their words, actions, and achievements. Hundreds of African Americans, living and dead, are heroes and sheroes. Some of my favorites include: 

• Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), who was born a slave but rose to become one of the most influential African-American intellectuals in the 19th century
• Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993), the first African-American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008), Katherine Johnson (born 1918), and Mary Jackson (1921-2005), the African-American mathematicians who made significant contributions to NASA during the early stages of the U.S. space program and inspired the 2016 movie “Hidden Figures”
• John William Coltrane (1926-1967), the saxophonist and composer who helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz
• Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), the civil rights leader and activist who espoused nonviolent protest during the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s
• Oprah Winfrey (born 1954), the pioneering African-American media personality and proprietor
• Barack Obama (born 1961), the first African American to be elected President of the United States

Black History Month is also a time to celebrate the resilience of African Americans. As the poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou (1928-2014) wrote in a poem – “But still, like dust, I’ll rise” – despite mistreatment, racism, prejudice, sexism, we all must strive to rise above injustice to improve our society.  

Black History month is a time for all Americans to recommit to making the world – and especially our own diverse nation – a better place by our words and actions. We should commit to understanding others by saying words and taking actions that heal, harmonize, unify, and bring about a common positive bond.

As a nation, we have accomplished much toward equality and equity, but we still have many mountains to climb together – and we will.

Chad Risko has been named a 2018 Cottrell Scholar. He is an assistant professor of chemistry in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences and a researcher with the Center for Applied Energy Research. Risko received his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2005, working with Jean-Luc Brédas in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Awarded by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA), Cottrell scholarships recognize early-career scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy. Risko is one of two dozen academic scientists to receive the honor this year, which comes with a $100,000 award for research and teaching.  

Cottrell Scholars focus on the dual role of the teacher-scholar. Through his Cottrell award, Risko will develop a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) focusing on the application of computing and data science in chemistry. Although the concept of big data seems to be everywhere, it is noticeably absent in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum, Risko said.

“The CURE will engage students in primary chemical research to build knowledge in scientific computing, big-data analysis, and visualization through team-based scientific inquiry,” Risko said. “The aim is for students to develop skills and knowledge that will enable them to prosper in careers, even those beyond traditional chemistry, that are evolving at a rapid pace.”

Risko’s research aims to discover fundamental connections among the chemical and physical phenomena that determine the performance of complex synthetic materials in various applications, including flexible electronics and power generation and storage. Specifically, his research project for the Cottrell scholarship – “High Energy Density Metal Oxides for Energy Storage: In Silico Electrochemistry to Control Interface Chemistry” – will allow his group to expand their theoretical and computational chemistry studies of chemical reactions in batteries.

“Advances in battery technologies have revolutionized how we communicate with each other, the information we have at our fingertips, the types of energy sources we use, and, increasingly, how we move from place to place," Risko said. "Our aim is to develop computational approaches that allow us to better understand aspects of the chemistry taking place in batteries so as to suggest new materials that may offer more power, longer lifetimes, and improved safety.”

Chemical biologists at Georgia Tech and peer institutions in the Greater Atlanta area are poised for a grand debut on April 21, 2018 – at the First Annual Greater Atlanta Chemical Biology Symposium, to be held at Emory University.

It is show time for the Southeast’s talent in chemical biology – the interdisciplinary field that uses chemistry tools and methods to understand and manipulate biological systems.

“Atlanta institutions are becoming a hotbed for research in chemical biology and related fields,” says Matthew Torres, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biological Sciences. “Institutional commitments and federal funding in the past five years,” he says, “have enhanced infrastructure to support world-class chemical biology research programs,” not only at Georgia Tech, but also at the symposium’s other host institutions: Emory University, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia.

Faculty hiring has expanded the breadth of chemical biology research in the host institutions. “New hires, myself included, have been attracted to the community that is developing here,” says William Wuest, who joined Emory University in 2017 and chairs the symposium’s organizing committee.

“A lot is going on,” says M.G. Finn, professor and chair of the School Chemistry and Biochemistry and a member of the symposium’s organizing committee. “Chemical biology underpins vast activity in Atlanta on immunology, drug development, diagnostics, and many other applications. The symposium’s host institutions boast an impressive number and quality of chemical biology investigators.”

“Atlanta institutions are becoming a hotbed for research in chemical biology and related fields.”

In Georgia Tech alone, Finn notes, chemical biology research spans at least seven schools in the Colleges of Sciences and Engineering: Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Physics.  Chemical biology is also one of the main research areas supported by the Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB), where the labs and offices of many Georgia Tech faculty doing chemical biology research are located. 

In planning the April 21 symposium, Wuest drew upon his experience at his previous institution. Temple University regularly participates in an annual symposium on the chemistry-biology interface that highlights local talent in the Mid-Atlantic region, focusing on early-career faculty and students and featuring some keynote speaker, Wuest says. “It was wildly successful. I believe the time is right to start one in Atlanta.”

“The idea,” Finn says, “is to give chemical biologists in Atlanta – including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty scientists – a venue to exchange results and ideas.”

“Chemical biology underpins vast activity in Atlanta on immunology, drug development, diagnostics, and many other applications."

The organizers have invited a diverse and interdisciplinary slate of nine keynote speakers, five of whom are from outside Georgia. Among the speakers from host institutions is Torres, who is also a member of IBB.

“My lab’s mission,” Torres says, “is to understand how post-translational modifications regulate the signaling of G proteins.” G proteins comprise a family of proteins mediating the transmission of myriad signals from outside the cell into the cell interior. They are major targets in the search for drugs to treat a variety of diseases. At the symposium, Torres will describe his lab’s work on the use of machine learning and neural networks to identify protein modifications involved in pharmacology and disease.

The symposium offers a way to liberate “chemical biology perspectives that are often maintained in isolation and rarely cross institutional boundaries,” Torres says. “A great deal can be gained by breaking these boundaries to create a more fluid and open community that is bigger and better than any one lab or any one institution alone.”

The symposium is free to all attendees, thanks to the generosity of the host institutions, the Georgia Research Alliance, and five journals: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, ChemBioChem, ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, ACS Infectious Diseases, and ACS Combinatorial Science, whose editor-in-chief is Finn. 

Registration, abstract submission, schedule, and other information are available at the symposium website, https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/gacbs/schedule/.

February is Black History Month, a special time set aside to celebrate the contributions of African Americans. The College of Sciences joins the celebration by inviting the perspectives of African-American colleagues through a two-part Q&A.

Emily Hokett is a second-year Ph.D. student in the School of Psychology Cognition and Brain Sciences Program. In the Memory and Aging Lab of Audrey Duarte, Hokett is investigating the relationship between habitual sleep patterns and associative memory in young and older adults.

Hokett was born in Dillon, a small town in South Carolina. Everyone in the neighborhood knew each other, and all the children played sports together. Tennis was Hokett’s favorite. Then the family moved to an even smaller town, Mullins, where she finished high school. Psychology grabbed her attention during her senior year.

For most of Hokett’s childhood, she lived with her mother, uncle, and grandmother. “My grandmother was my primary caretaker,” Hokett says. “But as I got older, the roles seemed to reverse.” 

Hokett’s grandmother began to lose her memory and slowly forgot the people around her. “It’s devastating to watch someone who raised you forget who you are,” Hokett says. “The difficulty of losing someone so close to me has defined my career choices and academic interests.”

As a freshman at Winthrop University, where she majored in Psychology and Spanish, Hokett began doing psychological research, with Sarah Reiland, an assistant professor of psychology. “We studied the relationship among stressful life events, cognitive flexibility, and depression,” Hokett says. As her research interests grew, Hokett joined the neurobiology lab of Eric Birgbauer, an associate professor of biology. She studied the development of the visual system in an animal model.

At Georgia Tech, Hokett is delving into memory and aging, which have long intrigued her. “My interest stems from a genuine curiosity about the mechanisms and neural correlates of the stages of memory,” she says. The pain she experienced witnessing her grandmother’s memory loss was also a powerful impetus.

What is the accomplishment that you are proudest of so far?
I’m proudest of being able to study in the area of my true interests – sleep, memory, and aging. I’m hoping to continue research in this area throughout my graduate career and likely my entire academic career. I think that lifestyle factors, particularly sleep, have important applications for preserving memory.

What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions of African Americans. Recognizing African-American creativity and strength is important for all African Americans, but especially for young people like me.

As a member of a minority group, I sometimes find it difficult to meet role models who look like me. Black History Month makes finding role models that much less difficult. Instead, I realize that although I may face many challenges as an African American woman, I come from a culture of incredible strength, intelligence, and creativity. Knowing that gives me courage, inspiration, and determination to actively pursue my goals.

Algebraic geometers in Georgia and neighboring southern states gather at the Georgia Tech School of Mathematics on Feb. 23-25, 2018, to strengthen their growing community. The goal is to support early-career mathematicians, especially those from groups that are underrepresented in mathematics. The gathering – the 2018 Georgia Algebraic Geometry Symposium (GAGS) – will provide attendees opportunities to network and be exposed to cutting-edge developments in the field.

Classical algebraic geometry studies questions about solutions sets of polynomial equations, according to Josephine Yu, an associate professor in the School of  Mathematics. Among the questions practitioners in the field ask are: What is the dimension of the solution space? What is its shape? Can we break up the solution space into simpler components? Modern algebraic geometry includes much more abstract objects, Yu says.. 

Algebraic geometry has connections to complex analysis, string theory, topology, number theory, and game theory. It has applications in statistics, robotics, phylogenetics, and geometric modeling.

The School of Mathematics is home to several experts in algebraic geometry: faculty members Matt Baker, Greg Blekherman, Anton Leykin, Joseph Rabinoff, Kirsten Wickelgren, and Yu; postdoctoral fellows Padmavathi Srinivasan and Philipp Jell; and senior academic professional Salvador Barone.

Baker is organizing 2018 GAGS, with assistance from Rabinoff and Yu. 

The 2018 symposium in Georgia Tech is the culmination of a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (DMS-1529573) to Georgia Tech, University of Georgia (UGA), and Emory University to organize and host GAGS in rotation over three years. The symposium was held at Emory University in 2016 and at UGA in 2017.

The 2018 GAGS features the following invited speakers, including one from Germany:

• Linda Chen (Swarthmore College)
• June Huh (Institute for Advanced Study)
• David Jensen (University of Kentucky)
• Jesse Kass (University of South Carolina)
• Lek-Heng Lim (University of Chicago)
• Kristin Shaw (Technischen Universität Berlin)
• Andrew Snowden (University of Michigan)
• Padmavathi Srinivasan (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Every two minutes in the U.S., a person dies of sudden cardiac arrest or fibrillation, the most common cause of death worldwide.

Doctors still do not fully understand exactly what goes on in the heart during a cardiac attack. Until now, it was impossible to visualize and characterize the dynamic processes in the fibrillating heart muscle. This week in Nature, an international team reports an imaging technique to observe the vortex-like, rotating contractions that underlie life-threatening ventricular fibrillation. The technique may enable early identification of heart rhythm disorders, better understanding of cardiac disease, and development of better treatments.

Led by Stefan Luther and Jan Christoph of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), in Germany, the research team includes Flavio Fenton and Ilija Uzelac from the School of Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Diagnostic breakthrough
When the heart muscle no longer contracts in a coordinated manner, but simply flutters or twitches – the condition referred to as “fibrillation” – it is a highly life-threatening situation. Medical intervention usually involves administering a strong electrical shock within a few minutes. High-energy defibrillation is excruciating and can be damaging to heart tissues.

“The key to a better understanding of fibrillation lies in a new, high-resolution imaging technique that allows processes inside the heart muscle to be observed,” Luther says.

“Until now, only surface recordings of complex fibrillation was possible,” Fenton says.

The team’s imaging method enables the fibrillating myocardium to be visually time-resolved in three dimensions. The imaging is much more accurate than previously possible and uses clinically available high-resolution ultrasound equipment.

Improved understanding of fibrillation enabled by the procedure could lead to alternative defibrillation techniques, also an area of research of Fenton’s and Luther’s. For example, researchers could improve the use of low-energy pulses to restore normal heart rhythm.

The technique could enable cardiologists to pinpoint the pathological foci of excitation. It may help in diagnosis and treatment of heart failure caused by fibrillation. It may allow doctors to detect heart failure earlier and treat it more effectively.

Electrical waves cause mechanical contractions of the heart
Every heartbeat is triggered by electrical waves of excitation that propagate through the myocardium at high speed, causing myocardial cells to contract. If these waves become turbulent, the result is cardiac arrhythmia.

In cardiac arrhythmias, rotational electrical waves of excitation swirl through the heart muscle. Investigations of cardiac arrhythmias have focused on such electrical vortices, but researchers have not been able to obtain a full picture of the dynamics.

The international team took a different approach. Instead of concentrating on electrical stimulation, they looked at the twitching contractions of the fibrillating myocardium. “Until now, little importance was attached to the analysis of muscle contractions and deformations during fibrillation,” Christoph says. “In our measurements, however, we saw that electric vortices are always accompanied by corresponding vortex-shaped mechanical deformations.”

Ventricular fibrillation in 3D
Using high-resolution measurements carried out with clinically available ultrasound equipment, the researchers visualized the trembling movements inside the heart muscle in three dimensions and correlated them with the electrical excitation of the heart.

By analyzing the image data of the muscle contractions, the researchers were able to observe exactly how areas of contracted and relaxed muscle cells move in a vortex through the myocardium during fibrillation.

They also observed filament-like structures that were previously known to physicists only in theory and from computer simulations. Such a filament-like structure resembles a thread and marks the eye of the whirlpool-like wave or cyclone moving through the myocardium. It is now possible for the first time to pinpoint these centers of the vortices inside the myocardium.

The researchers also used high-speed cameras and fluorescent markers to reveal the electrophysiological processes in the myocardium. The images confirmed that the mechanical vortices correspond very well with the electrical vortices. “In this study the correlation between electrical and mechanical vortex dynamics is assessed for the first time using a trimodal system that measures simultaneously and correlates the voltage and calcium waves with the contraction waves” Uzelac says.

From physics to medicine
The study is an example of successful interdisciplinary collaboration between physicists and doctors. "This revolutionary development will open up new treatment options for patients with cardiac arrhythmias,” says Gerd Hasenfuss, co-author of the study and chairman of the Göttingen Heart Research Center and the Heart Center at the University Medical Center Göttingen. “As early as 2018, we will use the new technology on our patients to better diagnose and treat cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial diseases.”

By Mallory Rosten, Student Communications Assistant, College of Sciences

On a tiny island off the coast of Australia, sea turtles go on the beach to lay eggs. The island is conserved; no city lights distract the turtles, only the moon over the water. The place is so removed from the organized chaos of Georgia Tech that it left an impression on Sophia Guldberg. The junior biochemistry major is one of two Georgia Tech winners of the 2017 Astronaut Scholarship.

“There’s something sacred about it that we witnessed,” Guldberg says. Her eyes light up when remembering the turtles, displaying the innate curiosity that steered her to science. As a child, she questioned everything, and science is the perfect field for someone who can’t help but inquire.

Now, she’s asking why some wounds heal faster than others. Her question began when she went through two spinal fusions as a teenager. The first didn’t work, shocking the medical team. She was young and healthy; she should’ve healed. She didn’t, and her doctors don’t know why. 

“Wound healing is a major problem for the immunocompromised, the elderly, and many people,” Guldberg says. “Then there are the mysteries like me, who should’ve healed.”  

Driven to prevent others from experiencing the pain she lived through as a teenager, she participated in the research of M.G. Finn, exploring polyvalent compounds and immunology, drug design, and delivery through virus-like particles. She also worked at MiMedx to test an existing membrane product for safe use on and near neuronal cells.

This experience made Guldberg a strong candidate for the Astronaut scholarship. Created by the Mercury 7 astronauts to support scholars in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the scholarship provides up to $10,000 in undergraduate funding and more. “I have all past and future scholars as a network now,” Guldberg says. “They come from all walks of life, all fields.”

One member of Guldberg’s network is close to home. Her dad, Robert Guldberg, is a biotechnology researcher at Tech. Guldberg laughs, remembering that when she was eight years old, she was curious about the thickness of people’s hair. So her dad took her to his lab and she measured hair. That experience ignited her passion for research.

“The more that I have been at Tech, the more I have fallen in love with research.”

Guldberg intends to take her research passion beyond a B.S. degree. Originally she planned to get an M.D. and a Ph.D., so she could treat patients and do research. Encouraged by her dad, she will concentrate on a Ph.D. “The more that I have been at Tech,” Guldberg says, “the more I have fallen in love with research.”

Why does a healthy person heal? How can you apply that information to someone who doesn’t heal well? Guldberg suspects that a solution to the pain she experienced may lie in the mechanisms of healthy healing. As a research scientist, Guldberg says, “I would be working on solutions behind the scenes, which I can share with the whole world.” 

At Tech, Guldberg also realized a profound appreciation for chemistry, eclipsing her high school preference for biology. “It’s hard to separate chemistry from other sciences,” she says. “You talk about processes in biology and you realize they all require chemistry to run.” Guldberg leans forward, her eyes sparkling with the same wonder she felt about the sea turtles, “Chemistry is as much about life as biology is life. Understanding chemistry gives you a better understanding of the world around you.”

As part of the Astronaut scholarship celebrations, Guldberg and fellow winners flew to Washington, D.C. to visit companies. At Lockheed, someone asked if she ever considered studying wound healing in space. “No,” she remembers answering. She remembers thinking: “What would a biochemistry major do in space? Nothing.”

Yet wound healing is infinitely harder in space, as Guldberg quickly learned. Now that she knows, she is applying for internships at NASA, something she wouldn’t have considered before. ­­­

Venturing into new territory makes Guldberg thrive. In her words, “Sometimes going off the beaten path allows you to learn more about yourself.”

February is Black History Month, a special time set aside to celebrate the contributions of African Americans. We join the celebration by inviting the perspectives of African-American colleagues through a two-part Q&A.

Stefan France is an associate professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In his research, he develops synthetic methods and applies them to natural products synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Numerous awards widely recognize his achievements in research, teaching, and mentoring.

Seven Ph.D. students have graduated under his supervision. France’s mentoring reaches far and wide, including more than 50 undergraduates from Georgia Tech and elsewhere. He is active in the American Chemical Society, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He is an avid movie buff, sports fan, and supporter of music and arts.

He has been married to his college sweetheart, Sara, for more than 12 years. They have two children. 

What is the achievement that you are proudest of so far?
Professionally, my Ph.D. graduates will always be my greatest accomplishments. I am always so proud to be part of each student’s growth and development in graduate school.

As an homage to my Ph.D. students’ contribution and importance to the lab, I created a tradition that has two parts: First, each graduate receives a plaque commemorating their completion of the Ph.D. requirements. Next, I mount a second plaque with the student's name, thesis title, and defense date on a wall in my lab. I’ve labeled this wall of plaques "The Family Tree." Right now, seven plaques are on the wall. Four more will go up by the end of 2019.

This wall is inspirational to my current students, prospective students, and me. It is a point of pride, an anchor to the lab, and – unintentionally – a great recruiting tool.

Current graduate students are excited about the day their plaque goes up. Former students enjoy seeing their name and plaque on the wall. Prospective students are amazed by the wall. 

What does Black History Month mean to you?
First, it serves as a reminder of the accomplishments, contributions, and impact of black Americans in this country. Second, it serves as a reminder that a lot of work remains to build true equity, inclusion, diversity, acceptance, and support across all communities.

While I appreciate Black History Month, I would be happier in a world where celebrating black culture is not relegated to one month of each year.

Black History Month encourages me – as a black American – to work harder to encourage and support other people of color while also promoting an environment of inclusiveness, respect, and the open and supportive sharing of ideas. I believe that it is through this environment that student, staff, and faculty can thrive and reach their utmost potential.

“Supporting women, especially the brilliant and courageous colleagues I met in this program, is one way to help Georgia Tech realize authentic inclusive excellence in its leadership ranks,” said Maureen Rouhi, director of communications for the College of Sciences.

The second cohort of 23 women leaders were recently honored at the Leading Women@Tech closing ceremony for completing the program. Honorees included Joeleen Akin, Donna Ashley, Marisa Atencio, Lori Brown, Dian Chung, Carla Gilson, Amy Herron, Jennifer Hirsch, Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, Maria Hunter, Cynthia Jennings, Keona Lewis, Connie Masters, Patrice Miles, Cynthia Moore, Susan Morrell, Pamela Rary, Mia Reini, Maureen Rouhi, Jana Stone, Kimberly Toatley, Michelle Tullier, and Kate Wasch.

With support from the Office of the President, Institute Diversity launched the Leading Women@Tech program to facilitate women’s professional development and academic and administrative leadership, and to build a community of leaders across the Institute that will advance a culture of inclusive excellence.

“Two of the major program goals include facilitating participants’ professional development and creating a larger community of women colleagues,” remarked Julie Ancis, associate vice president for Institute Diversity and co-director of the program. “Continuing to invest in programs like Leading Women@Tech is imperative to fostering equity and inclusion, and we are grateful for the Instititute’s commitment. It was gratifying to witness the two cohorts come together at different points last year and build stronger relationships with each other.”

Institute Diversity Vice President Archie Ervin concurred. “We have many opportunities to improve the gender balances among the leadership ranks at Georgia Tech, but the question is, ‘Do we have the courage and will to do that?’ Through this program, we’re saying that we can do better, and we’re committed to doing better.”

Over 10 months, 10 program faculty, comprised of national and international thought leaders and expert coaches, facilitated sessions or provided individual leadership coaching in the areas of efficacy, emotional intelligence, strengths-based leadership, intercultural communication, mindful leadership, multiple role management, career vision, and other aspects of navigating the complexities of work-life integration.

According to survey responses, 100 percent of participants thought the program was relevant, informative, and engaging. Ancis added, “We have taken under advisement the two years of data that we now have from women completing the program, and continue to refine Leading Women@Tech. We anticipate an even more powerful experience being delivered for our next cohort.”

“We appreciate the institutional support from the Office of the President and Institute Diversity, supervisors of the participants across the Institute, the excellence of our partners, and the stellar guidance of our advisory board members to proactively define the next generation of leaders at Georgia Tech,” said Pearl Alexander, executive director of diversity, inclusion, and engagement and co-director of the program.

Advisory board members included Maryam Alavi, dean and Stephen P. Zelnak Jr. Chair, Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business; Terry Blum, faculty director, Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship; Errika Moore, executive director, Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative; and John Stein, dean of students and vice president, Student Life. In addition to Alexander, Cheryl Cofield, director of inclusion and engagement, served as an executive coach.

The nomination period for the third cohort of the Leading Women@Tech program will open in April. More information will be available in the coming weeks.

“The privilege to actively work with the caliber of women in this program has been personally rewarding,” said Alexander. “We encourage women leaders to participate in this unique experience. Leading Women@Tech provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on who they are and who they want to be, and to network among like-minded women committed to positive culture change at Georgia Tech.”

To view the Leading Women@Tech video about the second cohort’s experience, visit https://youtu.be/Uk3xZOPthu8. For more information on Leading Women@Tech, visit www.diversity.gatech.edu/leadingwomenattech. 

Editor's Note: This item was adapted from the article published on Feb. 22, 2018, by Institute Diversity.