IN THIS ISSUE  Valentine's Day • Black History Month • Professional Development with SOAR
Keep It In the Family Day • Trivia Contest • Service Anniversaries

Valentine’s Day Redux: Share the Love

We asked you to share your appreciations and praises for your colleagues and coworkers, and did you ever deliver. Thanks for everything each of you does to make the College a fulfilling place to work.

From Dawn Franklin, Director of HR, Dean’s Office

I would like to thank our amazing College of Engineering HR Team for all they do to keep HR processes running smoothly in our CoE Schools.

Your hard work and dedication to all faculty, research faculty, staff, and students is greatly appreciated. Vickie Brian and Marva White in AE; Athena Jones, Valencia Cantrell, and Ornella Ingram in BME; Nicole Thompson and Imogene Baker in ChBE; Aeryal Herrod in CEE; Linda Dillon, Lucretia Allen, and Shalonda Williams in ECE; Lisa Cox and Brittany Lawler in ISYE; Dracy Blackwell and Cindy Pickett in MSE; and Lula Baker, Shinae Cho, and Johnieda Merritt in ME – Thank you for all that you do!

The College of Engineering HR Contacts gathered for their annual appreciation luncheon, accompanied this year by a cookie exchange, at HOBNOB in Atlantic Station. It was a great time, filled with delicious food and engaging conversation! 

From David Ku, Regents’ Professor, ME
I would like to shout out that Joi Outlaw is an outstanding administrative assistant. She is responsive, timely, and accurate over all her tasks. I appreciate her dedication to excellence.

From Segried Winfrey, Administrative Supervisor, ME
Colleagues 
like you all 
are special & few 
I just want to say a big 
THANK YOU for all you do!

From Shana Hefferon, Program and Operations Manager, ME

I want to thank Jessica for helping her shorter colleague out by always pulling my mail down for me from my high mailbox! 😊

From Lenna Applebee, Academic Advisor II, ME

I am so thankful for my Undergraduate Advising team, but especially the guidance and leadership of Kristi Mehaffey. She is an amazing boss! She finds just the right combination of support, encouragement, and challenge that pushes us to be the best team possible and do the best work we can for our students.

From Chris Aldridge, Systems Support Engineer Senior, ME

Thank you to Tayllor Hastings, who brought in cupcakes to the IT team.

From LaJauna Ellis, Director of Strategic Operations, Dean’s Office

Thank you, Buddy, Jill, Kirsten, Lynnae, and Markyta for all you do to help the dean’s office run smoothly. Your support of each other is to be celebrated. I hope you find joy in what you do. You are appreciated!

African Americans and the Arts: A Black History Celebration

By: Courtney Sykes, Senior Development Assistant, ME

I’m thrilled to provide a recap of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.’s (NCNW) Black History Month Celebration, themed "African Americans and the Arts," which took place on Sunday, February 18, 2024, at Greenbriar Mall.

As the First Vice President of Programs sitting on the Executive Board, it brings me great joy to have organized an event that brought together over 70 attendees; it truly was a day filled with inspiration, education, and celebration!

The event featured a diverse array of activities and performances, showcasing the profound impact of African Americans on the world of the arts. Highlights included captivating live performances, a vibrant “Parade of Fashions” featuring designs from Suakoko Betty, and an electrifying performance by the Sankonscious Percussion Ensemble. We were honored to have Sister Omelika Kuumba deliver a dynamic keynote address and performance, accompanied by student dancers from Spelman and Morehouse.

Additionally, we had the pleasure of featuring Georgia Tech student talent during our program.

Courtney Sykes and BME student Tatyana Cook (Vice President of AASU at Georgia Tech)

Lauren Hester, a psychology major, delivered two beautiful performances, sharing her talent through song. And Tatyana Cook, a biomedical engineering major, served as a greeter for the event and assisted with our technology setup. Tatyana currently serves as the vice president of the African American Student Union at Georgia Tech.

Our Vendor Showcase spotlighted eight local Black-owned businesses, providing a fantastic opportunity to network, enjoy refreshments, and support our community while celebrating Black excellence and creativity.

BHM: Further Reading (and Watching)

Keep Black History Month Going

Black History Month is nearing an end, but it’s never a bad time to explore the impact and inspiration of Black Americans here in our city and beyond.

Walking Tour of Historical Locations on Campus

Where: Georgia Tech Campus

Stroll through campus and visit the numerous locations that tell the story of Black history at Georgia Tech, including The Three Pioneers statue honoring the Institute’s first Black students in Harrison Square, The First Graduate statue inside Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons depicting Ronald Yancey, the former site of the Pickrick Restaurant, and more.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Where: 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30313

Explore the immersive exhibits throughout the museum detailing the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the papers and artifacts of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park

Where: 450 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta GA 30312 

Hear the story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, visit his home, and hear his voice in the church where he preached. The National Historic Park includes a visitor center, the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Fire Station No. 6, and Freedom Hall. King’s birth home is temporarily closed for repairs, but all other buildings at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park remain open during regular park operating hours.

College DEI Council Updates

Thanks to all who participated in the MLK Day of Service!

Faculty, postdocs, graduate students, research scientists: 
We encourage you to participate in the Atlanta Science Festival Visit-a-Classroom program. 

If you have any questions, or would like a slide deck template, feel free to reach out to Iris Tien, DEI Council chair, at itien@ce.gatech.edu.

DEI Council Members 2023-24

FACULTY
AE: Joe Oefelein 
BME: Ed Botchwey 
CEE: Iris Tien, 2023-24 Chair
ChBE: Lily Cheung 
ECE: Bruno Frazier 
ISyE: Tuba Ketenci 
ME: Raghu Pucha 
MSE: Mark Losego

ADVANCE Professor: Martha Grover 
Postdoc: Stella Kampezidou, AE 
Research Engineer: Olivia Fischer, AE 
Graduate Student: Ivanska Báez, AE 
Undergraduate Student: Chloe Weed, CEE
Academic Advisor: Chirag Patel, AE 
COESCAC Chair: Chordae Lauderdale, BME

EX-OFFICIO
Damon Williams, Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence
LaJauna Ellis, Director of Strategic Operations

Happy Anniversary

Congratulations to our colleagues celebrating service anniversaries in January and February. We have 80 folks who’ve worked with us from one to 35 years! Thanks for all each of you brings to our community. 💛

Keep SOARing

The College of Engineering’s Staff Opportunities to Accelerate Readiness (SOAR) program will launch its second cohort in April for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
SOAR is focused on enhancing the professional development of the College’s staff through enrichment, education, and empowerment. The program will help you obtain the skills you need for your desired career path. We want to promote growth from entry-level to senior-leader positions and value longevity among the College’s staff.

Capstone Judges Needed

At the Expo, more than 1,200 students in engineering, sciences, public policy, and industrial design will showcase their innovative projects designed and built during their Senior/Capstone Design course. Projects range from solutions for real-world problems for industry partners and developing communities to ideas with real commercialization potential. 

If you have industry or academic work experience, we would be thrilled to have you judge student teams at the Expo and help us decide who wins thousands of dollars in cash prizes. Register by April 15 to attend as a judge, which includes a chance to tour the Invention Studio makerspace.

Save the Date: Keep It In The Family Day

Have a student in 7th through 11th grade in your family? Be sure to join us for our special recruitment day just for CoE staff members’ children and grandchildren!

Keep It In The Family Day is CoE’s annual day for your middle and high schoolers to (1) learn about the College of Engineering; (2) receive important admissions information; and (3) experience interactive activities that will showcase why we want them to become Yellow Jackets. Students who attended last year are encouraged to return this year.

Be on the lookout for a registration email hitting your inbox the first week of March!

Connect: CoE Staff Culture Advisory Council

The College of Engineering’s Staff Culture Advisory Council (COESCAC) serves the College by advocating for the staff and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in its culture. The council serves as an advisory committee to college leadership on action steps resulting from staff engagement day collaborative sessions, as well as School discussions and initiatives.

• AE: Xavier Cammon, Academic Advisor
• BME: Chordae Lauderdale, Financial Administrator
• CEE: LaShone Simmons, Admin Professional
• ChBE: Jacqueline Mercadal, Faculty Support Coordinator
• ECE: Dante Christmas, Unit Administrative Officer
• ISyE: Monike Welch, Senior Events Coordinator
• ME: Darryl Williams, Building Coordinator
• MSE: Jonathan Jones, Financial Administrator
• Dean’s Office: LaJauna Ellis, Director of Strategic Operations
• Faculty Liaison: Robert Simon, CEE
• Advisor: Byron Fitch, Strategic Consulting

If you have suggestions or questions, please feel free to reach out to your school representative or send an email to coescac@coe.gatech.edu.

Who Said It? Trivia Contest

This month’s trivia contest brings us the voices of some of our nation’s important Black leaders. Correctly identify who said each of these statements and win a swag bag and lunch with Dean Beyah!

1. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
2. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
3. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
4. “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
5. “Truth is powerful and it prevails.”

COE CARES COMMITTEE

Alexis Brown, BME

Sudie Davis, ISyE

LaJauna Ellis, Dean’s Office

Sarah Flake, ChBE & MSE

Melody Foster, ME

Dawn Franklin, Dean’s Office

Michael Gooden, CEE

Marva White, AE
Shalonda Williams, ECE

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