School of Psychology Professor Randall W. Engle has been elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He joins the 2018 class of 177 fellows, which includes President Barack Obama, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor, author Ta-Nehisi Coates, and actor Tom Hanks. 

Founded in 1780, the American Academy honors exceptional scholars, leaders, artists, and innovators and engages them in sharing knowledge and addressing challenges facing the world. 

In the past 30 years of his research, Engle explored the nature of working memory and executive attention, the nature and causes of limitations in working-memory capacity, the role of those differences in real-world cognitive tasks, and the association of working-memory capacity and cognitive control with fluid intelligence

Engle is “a leader in the study of individual differences among people in working memory ability and controlled attention,” says Henry “Roddy” Roediger, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.

Roediger has known Engle for decades. “I have always greatly admired his research,” Roediger says. “To greatly oversimplify, Randy studies how people differ in their basic capacity to concentrate on a task – to hold one task in mind and work on it while ignoring other demands. This basic ability is fundamental to our understanding of how and why people differ in cognitive performance.”

Engle’s research has been influential across a wide array of areas – including social psychology, emotion, psychopathology, developmental psychology, and psychological testing – and has contributed to modern theory of cognitive and emotional control. “Election to the American Academy reflects Randy’s premier achievements,” Roediger says.

Engle attended West Virginia State College, a public all-black college. He says it was the only college he could afford to attend, but being educated by outstanding black scholars was one of the transforming experiences of his life. The black professors who taught him, from psychology to French, “were impressive people to a hillbilly kid with no idea why you would ever have two forks beside your plate,” Engle says.

For doctoral study, Engle was admitted to the Ohio State University experimental psychology program to work with Delos D. Wickens. “Wick was a wonderful mentor and was exceedingly patient with a student who wanted to do everything but did not focus on anything long enough to do it well,” Engle says.

In the tough job market of 1972, Engle landed a job at King College in Tennessee. His two years there, with 10 classes per year, made him a teacher. Fortunately, two of his classes each year were senior research seminars and he used them to conduct experiments. He was limited in equipment to a tape recorder and slide projector so he did research on modality effects in short-term memory. At the end of two years, he had two publications, enough to land him a job at the University of South Carolina where he spent the next 21 years.

In 1995, Engle joined the Georgia Tech School of Psychology as chair, a position he held for 13 years.  He stepped down as chair to found the Georgia State University/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging on the Georgia Tech campus. 

He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Society of Experimental Psychology, and the Memory Disorders Research Society.  Among numerous awards, Engle received the 2017 Mentor Award from the Association for Psychological Science.

Also elected in the 2018 class of fellows was Arkadi Nemirovski, a professor in the H. Milton Stuart School of Industrial and System Engineering and an adjunct professor in the School of Mathematics.  

The election of Engle and Nemirovski bring to nine the number of current American Academy fellows affiliated with Georgia Tech:

• G. Wayne Clough, President Emeritus
• Mostafa Amr El-Sayed, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Randall W. Engle, Professor of Psychology
• Zvi Galil, Dean of the College of Computing
• Paul Lyon Houston, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Richard Jay Lipton, Professor of Computer Science
• James Donald Meindl, Joseph M. Pettit Chair Professor of Microelectronics
• Arkadi Nemirovski, Professor of Engineering
• Robert Michael Nerem, Parker H. Petit Distinguished Chair for Engineering in Medicine

On March 22 and 23, leaders in Georgia K-12 STEAM education gathered at Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons for the Second Annual CEISMC @ Georgia Tech STEAM Leadership Conference.

The STEAM Leadership Conference aims to help STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) decision makers – including superintendents, curriculum coordinators, principals, academic coaches, content specialists, teacher leaders, and artists lead their districts and schools in becoming more STEAM-focused.

 This year’s event was almost twice the size of the first conference, with around 240 attendees. A big reason for this growth was the focus on the arts, which offer creative ways for students to interact with difficult or abstract concepts. “I was proud to see every type of art involved. Music, drama, and visual arts are being used to teach mathematics, engineering, science, and computer science,” said Casey Bethel, Program Director for Campus and Community Coordination at CEISMC.

Georgia Tech is rich with examples of research and instruction that combine STEM and art and is uniquely equipped to help advance STEAM education. Ten Georgia Tech faculty members presented their work and contributed their ideas, examples, and expertise in effective STEAM implementation.

For example, Jennifer Leavey, Integrated Science Curriculum Coordinator for the College of Sciences, conducted a workshop about incorporating creative writing into science and mathematics classes. Leavey’s rock band, Leucine Zipper and the Zinc Fingers, performed several science-themed songs.

At the conference, CEISMC’s partners showcased their work. Students and teachers from Drew Charter School hosted a workshop demonstrating how they learned to code robotic puppets while simultaneously developing writing and drama skills. A STEM teacher from Hollis Innovation Academy also spoke on a panel during a keynote address.

The conference gave participants guidance for effective STEAM implementation and meaningful arts integration in their schools and districts. Participants also had plenty of opportunities for networking, both during breaks in the conference and afterwards at the STEAM Networking Mixer.

“At the conference, we had a group of schools that were just starting the process of STEAM certification,” Bethel said. “They could hear from each other about obstacles they were facing. We also had some STEAM-certified schools trying to move to the next level. The conference creates a network of support for schools that are trying to implement STEAM education.”

STEAM leadership “is an area where – as district personnel – we are always trying to see what other districts are doing,” said Cherokee County School District K-12 Curriculum Coordinator Shannon Carroll, who attended the conference. “The ability to hear from other districts and collaborate with them – especially with an institution like Georgia Tech and CEISMC – really carries a lot of clout.”

Ganel Adams, a site coordinator from Communities in Schools Atlanta, attended the conference to hear from schools that face obstacles similar to those of her own school. “I came to help get my kids more engaged in STEM-related fields. My kids come from lower-income communities, so I am trying to figure out ways to bridge that gap,” Adams said.

The conference also addressed equity and access in STEAM education. CEISMC staff hosted a panel discussion that examined innovative STEAM education, professional development for educators, and sustainable community partnerships.

“Research has shown that out-of-school experiences are important to students pursuing STEAM subjects and careers. CEISMC works hard through numerous programs such as Horizons, KIDS Club, Summer PEAKS, First Lego League, and InVenture to make sure all students have an opportunity to participate in these experiences,” said Chris Thompson, Associate Director of Technology and Student Activities at CEISMC. “In particular, we focus on underrepresented groups and work hard to close the opportunity gap for these students.”

Panel members outlined strategies, curricula, and programs that provide underrepresented minorities and girls with opportunities to participate in STEAM.

The conference asserted CEISMC’s mission to advocate for and lead systemic changes to make STEAM more accessible for underrepresented students by drawing upon the expertise of the Georgia Tech community.

By Rosemary Pitrone - CEISMC Communications

Julia M. Fraser had always known that she wanted a career in mathematics and science. These were always her favorite classes, but she was unsure in which one she would major. Math? Science? If so, what kind of science?

She settled on chemistry, knowing that at Tech, there would be no shortage of options if she decided to change. Her first instinct turned out to be right, and now Fraser is graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry with an International Plan Designation and a Minor in Spanish.

The Bethesda, Maryland, native was always heavily involved in school. At Walt Whitman High School, Fraser was an avid athlete, playing water polo and track and field. In the summers, she served as a counselor in an aquatics camp.

Sports and science weren’t her only interests. She was also a reporter for her high school’s television show and volunteered with Manos Unidas, a club that helps the Spanish-speaking community.

How did Georgia Tech meet your expectations?

My cousin, an Emory University graduate, told me, “Georgia Tech prepares you to get a job.”

Georgia Tech exceeded my already high expectations. It challenged me to be the best student I could be. I learned about preparing professionally for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), such as how to present myself as a strong candidate.

I did not always feel academically respected as a scientist in an environment that’s touted as an engineer’s world, but I found respect and community in my water polo team, my dorm community, and friends.

“In addition to gaining skills, I learned that research is driven by passion, and I experienced the excitement of contributing new knowledge to the scientific community.”

What are your proudest achievements at Georgia Tech?

My proudest achievements include studying abroad as an exchange student for a year, becoming the first chemistry student to graduate with the International Plan designation, playing for the Women’s Water Polo Club at Georgia Tech for four years and growing the program, contributing to my research group, and balancing these things while being a student.

I went to Spain by myself and navigated a new city, school, language, and culture. I figured out how to do life on my own. Living in Spain was a quarter of my college career, but it feels like more because it was a pivotal point in my life. It is one of, if not the, proudest achievements of my life thus far.

Which professors or classes made a big impact on you?

Synthesis Lab II, considered the most difficult laboratory class for chemistry majors, was one of the most challenging and useful classes I took. I learned skills that can be applied in any laboratory. The difficulty is heightened by the high level of independence required of students. I was forced to think critically and pull all my chemistry knowledge together.

I would not be graduating from Georgia Tech without my advisor, Carrie Shepler. She helped me through everything, academically and otherwise, always without hesitation. Her care for students is unmatched.

What is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech for me was a compilation of – corny as it sounds – experiences that shaped me into my current self.

How did Georgia Tech transform your life?

Georgia Tech pushed me academically, introduced me to inspiring people, and showed me exciting opportunities. Georgia Tech pushed me to constantly improve. Even when I think I have something down, another challenge comes. The accumulation of skill and knowledge through this constant push to improve made me the best student I can be.

When asked about Georgia Tech, I tell people about the boundless ambition of people here. Nobody is here to slide though life. Everyone wants to do something big. The available opportunities, when met by that ambition, are incredibly exciting.

What unique learning activities did you undertake?

I studied abroad for a year as an exchange student at the University of Granada, in Granada, Spain. I studied chemistry, genetics, and Spanish history, all in Spanish. It was difficult to keep up in class and hard to do well on tests. Luckily, my professors gave me advice, and my friends helped me fill the blanks in my lecture notes.

In my second semester in Spain, I joined the College of Sciences club volleyball team. I made great friends, played tournaments, and returned to a sport I loved.

I had the best host family, who are now my family. They cared for me unconditionally. I miss them and hope that they visit me soon. Or that I go back!

In Amanda Stockton’s lab, I worked on the development of the “iChip” device, a small plate containing chambers built to culture microbes in extreme environments. I also helped characterize samples of Icelandic tephra, which are rock fragments from volcanic eruptions, as a part of the Field Exploration and Life Detection Sampling for Planetary Analogue Research (FELDSPAR) team.

I loved doing chemistry outside of class and working on a long-term project-based goal. I am inspired by those around me. I aspire to have the same passion and drive they have for research. In addition to gaining skills, I learned that research is driven by passion, and I experienced the excitement of contributing new knowledge to the scientific community.

What advice would you give to incoming undergraduate students at Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech offers endless opportunities, through classes, clubs, services, programs, facilities, conferences, talks, and more. Take advantage of as much as you can. Use these resources to find what makes you happy and excited.

Although it may take time, you will find the right community somewhere. As someone who once did not feel welcome here, I assure you that Georgia Tech has lots of good people.

Where are you headed after graduation?

I will be working as a member of the FELDSPAR team in Amanda Stockton’s lab analyzing tephra samples, performing managerial tasks, and participating in a field expedition to Iceland.

Not long after Dar-Wei Chen had accomplished something when his younger brother would often come along and do it better. But Chen has no hard feelings. On the contrary, he credits his success to his brother. “He inspired me to always reach higher,” Chen says. Reaching high has led him to receiving from Georgia Tech an M.S. in Psychology in 2015 and now a Ph.D. in Psychology. He received his B.S. in Engineering, major in Industrial and Operations Engineering, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

You could say that a Ph.D. is in Chen’s blood. His father is a professor at New Mexico State University, and his mother is a researcher for the Army Research Laboratory. Still, graduate school was “an unpredictable adventure,” Chen says, although he considers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Winter Park High School still the most difficult challenge he has faced.

The rigor of the IB program prepared Chen well for Georgia Tech, which he liked for its prestige and cutting-edge reputation. “I’ve been fortunate in terms of family and educational experiences through my whole life,” Chen says. “I try to be consciously thankful of those blessings, especially now that I’ve completed my Ph.D., the most important accomplishment of my career so far.”

What is the most important thing you learned at Georgia Tech?

When you go through something as long and difficult as a Ph.D. at Georgia Tech – it was as hard as I thought it would be – you learn how people cope with stress. I’ve learned that students run their own race through graduate school and have different experiences. It’s no use to always compare yourself with others and often feel inadequate in the process.

"It’s very exciting to land a job that gives me freedom to influence projects intellectually and the opportunity to work in various fields.... I know that my Georgia Tech Ph.D. was a major factor in getting this job." 

What are your proudest achievements at Georgia Tech?

My dissertation defense, but that’s too obvious. I’ll instead go with a sappy answer: Who I’ve become while at Tech. Aside from my immediate family, Tech has been the single largest factor in shaping who I am today.

Being surrounded by supportive people and getting through the rigors of a Tech education gave me confidence about my place in the world. I suffered from many insecurities all the way through college. I was never sure if I’d ever turn into someone I could be proud of professionally and personally.

Which professors or classes made a big impact on you?

The foundational courses – statistics, research methods, and introduction to engineering psychology – gave me the basic skills and information I needed to succeed in this field.

Courses in my Human-Computer Interaction doctoral minor expanded what I knew to be possible and emphasized how important technology design is to people from all walks of life. Chris Langston’s “Web Usability and Access” class opened my eyes to the struggles of vision- and hearing-impaired people. Because of that class, I can forever be an advocate for those people.

What is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?

Watching a Tech football game from the sidelines.

It was incredible to experience the physicality and passion of the game from close up, combined with the pageantry that accompanies every Tech football game. I’ve never had such a fun opportunity to feel the game that I’ve always loved watching from afar. I gained a new appreciation for football that I can carry with me for the rest of my life.

What unique learning activities did you undertake?

I greatly enjoyed opportunities to apply theories I learned throughout graduate school.

While working at the Army Research Laboratory, I applied learning principles to the development of a simulated shooting range that would be used to train cadets on the fundamentals of marksmanship.

The Georgia Tech chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society provided opportunities for me to apply design theory to many areas of life such as the American voting process, online work collaboration tools, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s pamphlet for immunization schedules. These applied experiences are important because I want to be versatile in industry work.

What advice would you give to incoming graduate students at Georgia Tech?

Never apologize for doing what’s best for you.

If you’re struggling and need to take a break from things, take a break – even though it seems like everyone else is working harder than you. Your life and health aren’t on hold just because you’re in graduate school. Everyone else is struggling, too, in some way.

If you’re not sure about your current graduate school path, discuss the matter with as many people as you need and determine whether you need to change course. A tough decision might be necessary, but ultimately, you have to decide what’s best for you, because you will live most directly with the consequences of that decision.

If you’re not sure whether you should ask about an opportunity that might help your career, err on the side of asking too many times and possibly being bothersome. The worst that people can say is “no.” Often they’ll be flattered that you asked and might keep you in mind for future opportunities.

There are many opportunities for meaningful work, even though the path might not be straightforward and the odds seem to be against you.

Where are you headed after graduation?

I have accepted a job offer from Soar Technologies, in Orlando, Florida, to be a principal investigator in their Intelligent Training business area.

It’s very exciting to land a job that gives me freedom to influence projects intellectually and the opportunity to work in various fields, such as defense, transportation, and medical service. I know that my Georgia Tech Ph.D. was a major factor in getting this job. My Tech degree will continue to be an asset in my professional career.

A team of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers will head to West Antarctica next winter as part of an international collaboration to explore a melting glacier that could significantly affect global sea levels. The Thwaites Glacier drains the ice from an area roughly the size of Florida, accounting for around 4 percent of current global sea-level rise — an amount that has doubled since the mid-1990s and looks to be accelerating.

The Georgia Tech team will send Icefin, its home-built autonomous vehicle, through a borehole near the grounding line of the glacier to explore underneath the ice. This will allow it to map, for the first time ever, how the geology beneath the surface and the interactions between the ice and ocean water are affecting how the glacier is changing.

The mission is part of a $25 million international research collaboration led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United Kingdom’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

This will be the fourth Antarctic voyage for Icefin, but the first to the remote glacier. In fact, only a few dozen people have ever stepped foot on Thwaites.

“Thwaites Glacier is one of the fastest changing regions in the Antarctic,” said Britney Schmidt, an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences who leads the Icefin project. “With individual research programs, we can only investigate small parts of the system at a time. So much of West Antarctica may depend on the stability of Thwaites —  it’s a critical time to come together to explore the whole system to reveal whether it’s reached a tipping point. We’re thrilled to be a part of this incredible effort.”

The research program is called the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC). It includes   nine projects that will help scientists understand whether the glacier’s collapse could begin in the next few decades or centuries.

Icefin is one part of the MELT project, which is overseen by Keith Nicholls of the British Antarctic Survey and New York University’s David Holland. Investigators from Penn State, University of California Irvine and the University of Kansas are also involved. According to a joint press release from the NSF and NERC, MELT “will measure the melting at the ice-ocean interface of the glacier, to understand the processes involved and its potential for triggering increased sea-level rise.”

Icefin will use sonar to map the ice and sea floor and explore how the two are interacting. Its onboard cameras will also provide images of both areas. Icefin’s sensors will measure the temperature, depth and salinity of the water underneath the glacier to learn how and where the glacier is melting.

“The grounding line of a glacier is the place where it goes from sliding along the continent to floating in the ocean. This is where the glacier can become unstable,” said Schmidt. “Melt water from upstream under the glacier escapes out into the ocean across the grounding line, and warm ocean water can melt it back from below. Icefin was designed with this kind of a project in mind —measuring the properties of the ice, ocean and seafloor where other vehicles and instruments cannot reach to map these changes in the underbelly of the glacier.”

Antarctica’s glaciers contribute to sea-level rise when more ice is lost to the ocean than is replaced by snow. To fully understand the causes of changes in ice flow requires research on the ice itself, the nearby ocean and the Antarctic climate in the region. In addition to Icefin, the program will deploy the most up-to-date instruments and techniques available, from drills that can make access holes 1,500 meters into the ice with jets of hot water to autonomous submarines like the Autobsub Long Range affectionately known around the world as Boaty McBoatface.

The nearest permanently occupied research station to the Thwaites Glacier is more than 1,000 miles away. Researchers on the ice will rely on aircraft support from American and British research stations. Oceanographers and geophysicists will approach the glacier from the sea in icebreaker ships. In addition to the United States and United Kingdom, the ITGC collaboration includes researchers from South Korea, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand and Finland.

Portions of this article were taken from the full NSF-NERC press release.

Mary Elizabeth deVaux Lee fell in love with physics in high school. An early influence may have been her parents, both of whom had backgrounds in science and higher education. But it was the incredible AP Physics teacher in Dunwoody High School, Bradley Hendrickson, who cemented physics as her career choice.

Hailing from Dunwoody, Georgia, Lee says “choosing Tech seemed like a no-brainer.” She loved that she’d be able to visit her family regularly and that she could qualify for a Hope or Zell Miller Scholarship. Because she had set her sights on astrophysics, the School of Physics’ Center for Relativistic Astrophysics was icing on the Georgia Tech cake.

Lee is graduating with a B.S. in Physics, just the first milestone in the career path that began in that AP Physics class years ago. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in soft-matter physics.

What is the most important thing you learned at Georgia Tech?

I learned an incredible amount, from the huge body of knowledge in my field, to how to be a good leader, to how to manage my time, to where the best places to sleep in are in Howey Physics Building. Tech far exceeded the expectations I had as a freshman in every way.

"Tech's physics undergraduate program is fantastic. My undergraduate course work prepared me for graduate classes. The research I did prepared me to jump into research of my own."

What are your proudest achievements at Georgia Tech?

On a personal level, one of my proudest achievements is when Steven Strogatz tweeted about a talk I gave at the 2015 SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems, in Snowbird, Utah. Still only a freshman, I talked about experimental nonlinear dynamics research I was performing with Flavio Fenton. Strogatz is a leader in nonlinear dynamics and has written the definitive textbook on it. So I was more than slightly apprehensive when I realized he was in the room, but thrilled when he tweeted that he had enjoyed my presentation.

On a larger scale, I'm incredibly proud of all I've accomplished with the Society of Women in Physics as treasurer and as president. In 2016, we hosted the first Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics to be held at Georgia Tech, which was a large success.

On a less grand scale, it has been great to watch the club and the number of women in the School of Physics grow.

Which professors or classes made a big impact on you?

Flavio Fenton made the largest impact on me. I did research in his lab for two years, beginning in my freshman year. He helped me not only with my research, but also with my presentation and writing skills. He pushed me to present at several major physics and mathematics conferences. With his help I applied for and was awarded both President’s Undergraduate Research Award (PURA) Salary and Travel Awards.

Another great research mentor is Sabetta Matsumoto. I worked with her in the past year on a topological soft-matter project. With her help, I again received funding from PURA. Based partly on research I did with her and the example she set, I've decided to pursue soft-matter physics in graduate school.

I’ve also been inspired by Deirdre Shoemaker, the advisor for the Society of Women in Physics. I interacted with her in my capacity as officer of the club for the past three years, two as treasurer and currently as president. As the club’s advisor, Shoemaker has been invaluable as an interface with the school.  

The most impactful class I took at Tech is one on soft-matter physics taught by Alberto Fernandez-Nieves. The class not only cemented my interest to continue graduate studies in soft-matter physics, but also allowed me to further explore my future field. The class is just fantastic. Fernandez loves his subject, and he gets so excited while teaching that it’s hard not to share his joy.

What is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?

When my now-fiancé proposed!

He graduated from Tech several years ago. We met during my first year at Tech. One of our favorite things to do while he was here and whenever he visits (he’s currently in graduate school in Massachusetts) is walk around campus together. Last semester, he surprised me with a visit and then proposed in front of the Campanile.

How did Georgia Tech transform your life?

In high school I was a very nerdy, very quiet person, and now I am still very nerdy, but slightly louder person.

Joking aside, Tech helped me break out of my comfort zone and feel comfortable to keep doing so. I would never have held so many leadership positions before Tech or had the confidence in both myself and my knowledge that I do now.

What unique learning activities did you undertake?

I did undergraduate research, beginning in my first year. I worked with Flavio Fenton for two years on a tabletop nonlinear dynamics experiment. In my final year, I worked with Sabetta Matsumoto on a topological soft-matter project involving knitting.

Both experiences expanded my scientific presentation and writing skills, in addition to teaching me how to do good research.

What advice would you give to incoming undergraduate students at Georgia Tech?

I have a younger brother at Tech, so I'll give the same advice I gave him.

• Build a support structure.
• Make friends in your classes so you can help each other.
• Join clubs or have hobbies to take a break from school work and have friends that do those things with you.
• Don't forget you can have professors as part of your support structure.
• Don't be afraid to talk to professors – they are there to help you even if you are no longer taking their class.
• Don't forget to make use of academic advisors in your school.

Where are you headed after graduation? How did your Georgia Tech education prepare you for this next step?

I will be getting a Ph.D. in physics! I’ve committed to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and will be starting my Ph.D. studies there in the fall.

Tech's physics undergraduate program is fantastic. My undergraduate course work prepared me for graduate classes. The research I did prepared me to jump into research of my own.

Before going to college, Akinade A. Ojemakinde spent his entire life in Southwest Georgia with his father, mother, and older sister. “From my very first day of school to my very last, I was continuously surrounded by high-achieving classmates and friends, as well as supportive teachers and family,” Ojemakinde says of his high school days, in Lee County High School, in Leesburg, Georgia, where he also played trombone in the band and fullback in the soccer team.

Because he wanted to go to medical school, finding a college with a highly rated biology department and research opportunities was his top priority. “Being one of the most rigorous, top-tier research institutions in the nation, Georgia Tech quickly caught my interest,” Ojemakinde says. In addition to Tech neither being too far nor too close to his family, receiving a full-ride merit scholarship from the Stamps President’s Scholarship Program sealed the deal for him to attend Georgia Tech.

Now, Ojemakinde is graduating with a B.S. in Biology, one step closer to his dream of becoming a surgeon.

How did Georgia Tech meet your expectations?

Georgia Tech provided excellent opportunities to conduct high-quality, stimulating research, as a part of courses and in the lab of Patrick McGrath in the School of Biological Sciences.

Tech lived up to the hype and repeatedly challenged me academically; thanks, organic chemistry!

Not only did my research and tougher courses force me to recognize and understand my personal strengths and weaknesses, but they also taught me to ask for assistance more quickly and to work more collaboratively.

"I believe that the science foundation I obtained at Georgia Tech is much stronger than those of my graduate-school peers. Georgia Tech has prepared me well for medical school and my career as a physician."

What are your proudest achievements at Georgia Tech?

In addition to consistently making the Dean’s List and receiving Faculty Honors, I am proud to have served the American Red Cross Club at Georgia Tech as the chair of campus blood drives for three years.

This position combined my passion for donating with the responsibility of ensuring that my peers could donate as well. It was challenging to organize blood drives and reach high donation goals, but I enjoyed planning and facilitating many successful blood drives.

I had great success in the McGrath lab, helping with directed-evolution experiments, analyzing experimental results, and conducting next-generation sequencing to identify the genetic changes responsible for differences in the fitness of the experimental worms C. elegans. My work will lead to a publication and insight into how genetic variation contributes to fitness and the basic rules of metazoan evolution.

Which professors or classes made a big impact on you?

I had Shana Kerr as an instructor nearly every semester. She challenged me in the classroom, presented me numerous opportunities and supported me outside the classroom, and clearly demonstrated her desire for me and others to succeed. She is a significant factor in my success at Georgia Tech.

Courses like Organic Chemistry I and II showed me that I would not enjoy being like Walter Whitman from Breaking Bad. Others like Human Anatomy and Human Physiology significantly influenced my decision to go to medical school and gave me a glimpse of what I can look forward to.

What is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?

I’ll never forget playing indoor soccer during my freshman year! I was so happy to play indoor for the first time and join Tech’s soccer community. While playing, however, I collided with an opposing player, tore my left ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), and needed orthopedic surgery to repair it. Nevertheless, this accident couldn’t keep me off the pitch for long!

How did Georgia Tech transform your life?

I used to feel as if I was memorizing facts just to pass exams, and I did not see how certain classes were applicable to my future. Being involved in research changed my perception about the classroom. I now view it as a resource to help me in the lab. This attitude has improved my comprehension and retention of what is taught in class.

My years of work in the McGrath Lab led not only to intellectual, but also to personal, growth. Having to effectively communicate experimental plans and results improved my speaking skills and ability to converse with others about science.

I developed genuine passion for service and medicine. My involvement with the American Red Cross Club at Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Excel Program, and the School of Biological Sciences strengthened my belief in the importance of service and love for biological sciences.

Georgia Tech solidified my decision to pursue medicine and dedicate my life to the well-being and health of my community.

What unique learning activities did you undertake?

I was exposed to medicine in practice by working as a medical scribe in the Emergency Department of Atlanta Medical Center. Working two 10-hour night shifts a week in a fast-paced environment transformed my life. With guidance from skilled physicians, I became fluent in medical terminology and confident in my ability to perform in a professional, medical environment.

Doing research in the McGrath Lab for two years was one of my most meaningful and impactful experiences. I had to learn by observing or following the careful instructions of a graduate student in the lab. When I acquired enough expertise, I eventually taught my lab peers what I learned. The ability to apply and teach what I learn will be of great use in medical school and beyond.

What advice would you give to incoming undergraduate students at Georgia Tech?

Be intentional with your time, and learn how to balance your obligations as quickly as possible. There is so much class work to do and so much fun to be had that it is impossible to do everything.

If one makes a conscious effort to balance academic, social, and sleep (please get some sleep!) obligations, everything else will fall into place.

Where are you headed after graduation?  

I am headed to Emory University School of Medicine. I wish to specialize in either orthopedic or cardiothoracic surgery.

I believe that the science foundation I obtained at Georgia Tech is much stronger than those of my graduate-school peers. Georgia Tech has prepared me well for medical school and my career as a physician.

Editor's Note: This story by Melissa Fralick originally appeared as part of the special feature "Campus Without Borders," in the Spring 2018 Issue of Georgia Tech's Alumni Magazine.

IF THERE IS LIFE ANYWHERE ELSE IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, Britney Schmidt knows it’s likely to be found on Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons.

Europa has a lot in common with our planet. Like the Earth, it has an iron core, a rocky mantle, and a salt water ocean—though Europa’s ocean is encased under an ice shell up to 15 miles thick. 

But as of yet, no spacecraft has explored beneath the icy surface.

Schmidt, who is an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, hopes to change that. She and her team of Tech students and researchers are testing a modular autonomous vehicle, called Icefin, which they hope will one day lead to driving vehicles under Europa’s ice. 

But before they’re able to launch Icefin into space and land on Europa, they’re working here on Earth’s iciest region: Antarctica. Antarctica provides the perfect environment for testing, because it mimics many of the conditions expected to be found on Europa. 

Vast ice shelves? Check. A deep, salty ocean below? Check. Challenging to navigate? Check.

“Astronauts go out and learn geology on Earth before they go to the moon or before they’ll go operate on Mars,” Schmidt says. “So that’s kind of what we’re doing here— a spacecraft mission under the ice before we go and attempt that on Europa.” 

Schmidt and a team of researchers, including graduate students Justin Lawrence, Dan Dichek, Ben Hurwitz and Chad Ramey, along with research engineer Matt Meister, ME 15,  returned to campus this January following a three-month field season, during which they successfully operated a new version of Icefin under Antarctica’s McMurdo Ice Shelf for the first time. The missile-shaped vehicle, which is 12 feet in length and 9 inches in diameter, was designed to be small and modular enough to transport onto remote ice shelves, but sophisticated enough to carry a variety of scientific instruments and sensors. It can be driven under the ice remotely, like a remote-controlled car, or programmed to drive autonomously. 

The team includes students from various disciplines who bring their expertise to the project. For example, Lawrence is working toward a PhD in planetary science, while Hurwitz is part of a new PhD program at Tech in ocean sciences and engineering. 

“The engineers and scientists work really closely, which is fantastic for field work,” Lawrence says. 

Before their recent fieldwork with Icefin, all scientific data from the massive Ross Ice Shelf, which is roughly the size of France, came from just three drill holes.

“We know more about the surface of Mars than we do about under the Ross Ice Shelf,” Hurwitz says. 

Schmidt says that over the course of this Icefin project—a collaboration with a New Zealand research team—exploring through three additional holes drilled into the Ross Ice Shelf will more than double the data previously available. 

“And with the vehicle, it’s a type of data that we’ve never been able to get, which is driving around and mapping what’s going on under there for a few kilometers on either side of the access point,” Schmidt says. 

While their field work in Antarctica serves as a dry run for a future mission to Europa, Schmidt and her students are also advancing science here on Earth by exploring uncharted territory deep under the ice. 

“Antarctica is the most beautiful, most inspiring, and hardest place to work that I have ever been. You just feel so small and insignificant and like you’re so lucky to be there in that minute. And I imagine that’s what it would be like if you were standing on the surface of Europa.”

“This field season was spectacularly successful from an engineering standpoint,” Hurwitz says. “But we also got much more science data than we could have expected.”

During their recent trip, Icefin’s footage revealed a surprising diversity of life deep under the ice , Schmidt says. A seal bumped into the vehicle at a depth of 200 to 250 meters. The craft also encountered a rare, giant Antarctic fish called a toothfish. 

Icefin was able to travel to the sea floor at a depth of almost 800 meters. Plus, the team was able to navigate the vehicle under a rift in the ice shelf and discovered ice caves that were likely formed by cold water flowing down the rift. 

“Much of what we saw this time around no one has ever seen before,” Schmidt says. “It’s cool because the vehicle has gone deeper than, as far as we know, any other vehicle in the area has ever gone and way deeper than divers can go. So all this work is really, really new.”

Lawrence, who’s been working with Schmidt since 2015, was excited to view the ocean floor.

“It was incredible to see it for the first time with a vehicle that we built,” he says. 

This was Schmidt’s fifth season in Antarctica, and she’s already planning next year’s trip, when the team will focus on Icefin’s automated process and gathering much more science data. She refers to the trips as seasons, because the team typically spends around three months each year in the field during the Antarctic spring and summer.

“It’s a weird way to live,” she says. “You’re spending a quarter of your life down there, and then you’re spending the other three quarters of it planning to be down there. I’m always in the field, whether it’s physical or mental.”

Schmidt’s graduate students say they feel fortunate to be part of such groundbreaking research.

“It’s not a common thing and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m thankful that there is so much support for this kind of work,” Lawrence says.

Humans may never step foot on the surface of Europa, and an unmanned mission to the icy moon likely won’t happen for another few decades. But until then, Schmidt says she feels lucky to be able to spend her time working in Antarctica to advance the search for life in the cosmos.

“Antarctica is the most beautiful, most inspiring, and hardest place to work that I have ever been,” Schmidt says. “You just feel so small and insignificant and like you’re so lucky to be there in that minute. That is how I feel every day that I walk out there. And I imagine that’s what it would be like if you were standing on the surface of Europa.”

Will A. Overholt spent the first 11 years of his life in Kenya, one of the malaria hotspots of the world, rife with mosquitoes.

When he was eight he heard a rumor that pinching the skin around the area where a mosquito was biting would make the mosquito explode. So, he tested his hypothesis. After enduring several hundred bites (without taking malaria prophylaxis), he concluded the rumor was false. He couldn’t make a single mosquito blow up.

Overholt had always been curious about the natural world. Growing up in Kenya allowed him to go on countless safaris and spend many nights camping in the wild, immersed in nature. At age five, he voraciously memorized field guide books to identify the birds of Kenya.

This curiosity drew Overholt to Florida State University, where he graduated with a B.S. in Biology; to Malawi, where he taught mathematics and science as a member of the Peace Corps; and then to Georgia Tech, where he is graduating with a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics.

He chose Tech for two reasons. First, he had realized that to specialize in microbial ecology he would have to learn bioinformatics, a field upon which microbial ecology increasingly relied. Second, he had started working in the lab of Joel Kostka at Florida State on manipulating bacteria to assist in uranium containment at a nuclear waste site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

“I was hooked,” Overholt says, “During my last two years as an undergraduate, I spent much of my free time in the lab.”

When Kostka transferred to Tech in 2012, Overholt followed. That was two years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Overholt was drawn to a project to investigate the ecological consequences and fate of the oil discharged in the Gulf.

As Overholt heads to Germany to continue studying nature, memories from teaching in Malawi – far from running water and electricity – stay vivid. He remembers staying up late one night, struggling under weak candle light to finish grading exams. It had been a trying day, and he felt he was failing in his goal to teach students to apply knowledge to solve a problem.

As he prepared for bed, he heard a knock on his door. It was a student, excitedly waving a piece of paper covered with scribbles. The student had continued working on the problem through the night, finally solved it, and couldn’t wait to tell the teacher.

“I was as exuberant as he was,” Overholt says. “In that moment I felt the reward of teaching, the joy of seeing the spark of understanding shining in another’s eye.”

What is the most important thing you learned at Georgia Tech?

I gained a better understanding of the scientific process, which has encouraged me to continue working in science.

Georgia Tech has exceeded my expectations, from state-of-the-art courses to the excellent guidance and support from my thesis adviser, committee members, faculty, postdocs, and fellow students. It has been wonderful to be a part of this supportive and collegial community. Everyone has gone out of their way to help when I have encountered problems in my classes and my research. 

“Georgia Tech has exceeded my expectations, from state-of-the-art courses to the excellent guidance and support from my thesis adviser, committee members, faculty, postdocs, and fellow students.”

What are your proudest achievements at Georgia Tech?

My proudest moment was right after I defended my dissertation. The outpouring of congratulations and support from friends and colleagues was humbling.

A very close second was when I heard back from a journal that my first first-author publication was accepted!

Which professors or classes made a big impact on you?

Joel Kostka, my advisor, has been an incredible mentor. His guidance, advice, and help on my research were boundless. His background and experience in biogeochemistry and microbiology provided the foundation for my work.

It hasn’t just been professional though. His guidance on health, happiness, fulfillment, and handling stress has been invaluable. He has encouraged, supported, and challenged me at every step. I am fortunate to have worked so closely with him all these years.

In my first year, I took two bioinformatics courses with King Jordan. I’ve never learned so much in such a short time. Jordan and his students always helped me when I was stuck. Jordan went above and beyond his professional duties to support me through unexpected challenges, for which I am extremely grateful.

What is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?

The times I spent at my desk talking with my lab mates and advisor about various topics – cultural differences, politics, newest scientific findings, successes, failures, etc.

I also have fond memories of spending time with other students at biology social hours and the Cherry Emerson coffee hour.

How did Georgia Tech transform your life?

Georgia Tech has shaped me personally and professionally. I’ve learned to keep working when nothing seems to be working. I’ve made connections with colleagues and friends that will last for life. I’ve been inspired by science and comforted by the knowledge that the skills I’ve learned will help make the world a better and more understandable place.

What unique learning activities did you undertake?

I participated on four oceanic expeditions in the Gulf of Mexico, collecting samples of seafloor sediments. These trips were exhausting as we tried to collect as many samples and conduct as many experiments as possible. I regularly pulled 36-hour shifts and took only catnaps between multicore deployments, sleeping only while we motored from one location to the next. What was great about these trips was the close contacts with others and how we pulled together during stressful times.

What advice would you give to incoming graduate students at Georgia Tech?

Take time for yourself outside of Georgia Tech. It is easy to be overwhelmed while trying to balance classes, research, and teaching. Having a hobby and making free time for myself was critical to my mental health.

Many resources are available to students – intermural sports, clubs and student-run organizations, amazing health care at Stamps Health Services, and mental health resources. Reach out to faculty or other students for guidance or help.

Do not lose sight of the big picture. It is easy to get bogged down on small details. Spend a few hours a week to put efforts into perspective. Focus your time on high-priority projects.

Recognize that graduate school is a long process. It’s okay to feel as if nothing is working. I’ve learned as much from failed experiments as from those that succeeded.

Where are you headed after graduation?  

I’m starting a postdoctoral research position at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. I’ll be part of the AquaDiva collaborative research center under Kirsten Küsel, studying microorganisms in the terrestrial subsurface and their roles in governing carbon transformations and flow within aquifers.

Georgia Tech provided the qualifications I needed to be a strong candidate for this position. I’m so excited to move overseas to experience a new scientific culture and to transition to new research questions.

Calvin Runnels always loved to learn, no matter the subject. This intellectual appetite drew the Louisiana native to Latin, cello, theater, art, writing, and finally, the sciences. At Baton Rouge Magnet High School, in Louisiana, he became very involved in the Science Bowl and Science Olympiad.

The year that Runnels began looking at colleges, his older sister started attending the University of Georgia. He decided to follow her to Georgia, choosing Georgia Tech for the opportunities it offered.

“I could tell that students here accomplish amazing things and fiercely love the Institute, as hard as it may be,” Runnels says.

Runnels is graduating with a B.S. in Biochemistry, completing his degree in three years. He is heading to Oxford University, in England, as a Rhodes Scholar.

What is the most important thing you learned at Georgia Tech?

How to prioritize and manage my time. We are all so impossibly busy here that it becomes necessary to learn how to put the important things first.

I expected that studying at Georgia Tech would be hard, but the caliber of people here exceeded my expectations. I have met some truly incredible people at Tech.

“The rigor of a Georgia Tech education has more than prepared me for study at Oxford University, one of the premier universities in the world.”

What are your proudest achievements at Georgia Tech?

I am proudest of the contributions I made to student life through my work in the Student Government Association, the Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, and the President’s LGBTQIA Community Support Action Team. I helped organize the first-ever Undergraduate Research Fair, in spring 2017, and Inclusive Leadership Conference, in spring 2018. I have advocated for better accommodations and resources for queer and trans students on campus.

Which professors or classes made a big impact on you?

Loren Williams.

He inspired me to want to make a career in science and has always believed in and been supportive of me. I have been conducting research in his lab since the first semester of my freshman year.

What is your most vivid memory of Georgia Tech?

One of my most vivid memories of Georgia Tech is the Student Solidarity Rally in 2017, my sophomore year, in support of international students.

It was incredible to see over a thousand Yellow Jackets, students, faculty, and staff gathered at the Campanile to stand in solidarity with fellow members of the Georgia Tech community whose safety and security had been threatened by the executive actions of January 2017.

How did Georgia Tech transform your life?

If I had not come to Georgia Tech, I may never have considered becoming a scientist/professor. I don’t think I would have developed the resilience and fundamental capability that the Georgia Tech “We can do that” attitude has instilled in me.

Georgia Tech has made me feel confident enough in my abilities to pursue opportunities that I might have ignored otherwise, such as applying for the Rhodes Scholarship.

What unique learning activities did you undertake?

I participated in undergraduate research in the Williams Lab during all six semesters I have been on campus, including as a 2017 Petit Undergraduate Research Scholar. My research has inspired me to pursue a career in academia and has sharpened my critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills more than any class ever could.

I studied abroad in Lyon, France, with the BEST study-abroad program of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Studying abroad was an opportunity to practice my French and opened my mind to the distinct experiences that international travel can offer, making me all the more excited for my next step of living abroad in England.

What advice would you give to incoming undergraduate students at Georgia Tech?
Never be afraid to take the opportunities that you see and that are offered you. There is too much available for you to do it all, but you never know what might be the organization or activity that becomes the defining involvement of your college career. You are not too inexperienced or too untalented to try anything that this campus has to offer.

Where are you headed after graduation?

In October I will start pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree – in Philosophy, Politics and Economics – at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. The rigor of a Georgia Tech education has more than prepared me for study at one of the premier universities in the world. Tech has also helped me to explore and understand my areas of intellectual interest and given me the drive to pursue every opportunity that comes my way.