cabrera

Event Marks History While Embracing the Future

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:12:00 +0000

Event Marks History While Embracing the Future admin Fri, 01/27/2023 - 11:12

Georgia Tech students, administrators, and guests gathered yesterday to commemorate the transformation of a site once known as a haven for segregationists into an environmental restoration project now known as the EcoCommons.

The site, near the intersection of Hemphill Avenue and Ferst Drive, is the former location of the Pickrick Restaurant, which opened in 1948 and was owned by segregationist Lester Maddox, who later became the governor of Georgia. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act In 1964, three Black theology students from the Interdenominational Theological Center — George Willis Jr., Woodrow Lewis, and Albert Dunn — attempted to be served at the restaurant on three occasions. Each time they were forced out by Maddox and white patrons wielding a handgun and pickaxe handles.

The students hired Black attorney Constance Baker Motley, who filed the first federal lawsuit under the Civil Rights Act. The court ordered Maddox to desegregate the Pickrick. Instead of complying, he closed the restaurant. Georgia Tech purchased the building when campus expanded and used it as a job placement center for many years. The building was razed in 2008.

Archie W. Ervin, Georgia Tech’s vice president for Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, welcomed guests to the event.

“Today, we want to commemorate, celebrate, and honor the bravery of three young men, whose courage allowed them to alter the course of history by challenging racial segregation in the Deep South, our beloved city of Atlanta, and in the state of Georgia,” he said. “Their acts of courage helped to pave the way for progress addressing some of the many challenges to Black equality in America, which allowed for an eventual path toward healing the hurt and harm perpetrated on Black Americans under racial segregation laws and practices.”

Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, assistant professor of Africana studies at Morehouse College and a member of the committee that helped create the space, talked about the history behind the site, including the legal battle over desegregation. Matthew Wesley Williams, president of the Interdenominational Theological Center, spoke about the three students who participated in the sit-ins. And Jeanne Kerney, president of the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization, discussed Black student success at Georgia Tech.

Andre Dickens, Atlanta city council member who also serves on the Georgia Tech Alumni Association board of trustees, spoke about the historical significance of the events that took place here.

“It’s important to be able to put a marker down to say that something happened here that led to allowing people to gather together, integrated. I think this is the right thing to do, and this institution continues to get it right,” Dickens said. “Atlanta has always been at the height of the civil rights movement, and this place will be added to the legacy of Atlanta. We will make sure that people come see this place and know the story of what happened.”

Undergraduates Kemuel Russell and Shelbe Johnson spoke on behalf of the Georgia Tech African American Student Union.

“I hope that the evolution of this space, intended to inspire reflection and connection, is purposefully dedicated to the community that was previously harmed here years ago,” he said. “I also hope that Georgia Tech utilizes opportunities like this to remove barriers to success for minority students, in order to build a community where people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to learn and thrive.”

Johnson noted that the African American Student Union was founded after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

“Today, we carry on the legacy of legends such as Dr. King and the seminary students honored here this afternoon,” she said. “We encourage you to join us in taking up the mantle, helping to ensure that their legacies live on.”

Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera was the closing speaker.

"This beautiful element of the EcoCommons that we officially open today will help us remember our past, the struggle for civil rights in our city and our nation, and will inspire us to build a better future. It celebrates three courageous students who put themselves at risk to tear down walls and create opportunity for all of us," he said. "This garden, this unity garden, creates an opportunity for us to come together, to heal and to continue on our journey to build an inclusive community where everyone can thrive."

Summary sentence

EcoCommons space honors three young men who challenged racial segregation.

Dateline

Wed, 04/21/2021 - 12:00

Contact

Victor Rogers

Institute Communications

Location

Atlanta, GA

Associated importer

Keywords

ecocommons

Pickrick Restaurant

cabrera

Ervin

diversity

News room topics

Campus and Community

Society and Culture

Categories

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

646737

Source updated

Tue, 05/25/2021 - 16:12

Cabrera Delivers Institute Address

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 15:27:45 +0000

Cabrera Delivers Institute Address admin Fri, 09/02/2022 - 11:27

President Ángel Cabrera delivered the annual Institute Address on Thursday, Sept. 1, to an audience in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons and to another 550 viewers on YouTube.

He talked about the Institute as a high return on investment for academic degrees, a research powerhouse, and a driver of growth. He said that work done over the past decade to strengthen the student experience has paid off.

“Our six-year graduation rates, an industry standard, are now among the country’s best.” They are also key to a strong return on investment for students. Because of the Institute’s graduation rates, relatively low tuition, and great career outcomes, independent ratings of student ROI consistently place Tech near the top in the nation.

“I am delighted that over the last three years not only haven’t we increased tuition, but, thanks to state investments, enrollment growth, and fiscal prudence, we have been able to reduce it.”

With these outcomes, demand for a Georgia Tech education is at an all-time high. Amid a national decline in college enrollment, this year Tech broke a new record with more than 50,000 students applying for first-year admission.

“This year we just welcomed nearly 3,700 new first-year students. With another 1,400 students transferring in from other universities, this is our largest incoming class ever. Add to this the continuing expansion of our online graduate programs, and our overall enrollment now sits at more than 46,000 students. That is the largest number of students we have ever served,” he said.

On the research side, Cabrera said faculty have continued to deliver impressive growth in research awards and expenditures.

“In the latest Higher Education Research and Development Survey, Georgia Tech was one of only 21 universities in the country with research expenditures exceeding $1 billion — and the only one among them without a medical school. Since 2020, new research awards have kept growing, reaching nearly $1.3 billion this past fiscal year.”

More resources, Cabrera said, mean more scientific breakthroughs and technological advances, deeper influence on the thinking and decisions of policymakers and business leaders, and more innovative solutions to complex human problems. “They also allow us to attract some of the best researchers in the world and provide them with the facilities and equipment they need. In the innovation business, talent and ideas breed talent and ideas.”

Cabrera spent time this summer traveling through Europe and seeing firsthand the impact Georgia Tech has in other parts of the world. After returning to the U.S., he hit the road for the Georgia Summer Tour, visiting eight towns and attending more than 20 events. At each stop, he met current and incoming students and their families, as well as friends and alumni. He also visited with local lawmakers and businesses leaders to learn how Georgia Tech can support their local economies and drive innovation.

According to the annual report produced by the University of Georgia for the Board of Regents, last year Georgia Tech had an immediate statewide impact of nearly $4.2 billion, the highest in the state and about 22% of all public universities in Georgia.

“Nowhere is our impact more visible than right here in our neighborhood,” he said. “We are all very familiar with the work we’ve done with our affiliate organizations and other public and private organizations to transform our neighborhood into a thriving innovation hub appealing to both big companies and startups, and to a growing number of young professionals who choose to live here.”

Tech Square, West Midtown, and surrounding areas have become a destination for corporations like Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Micron, Airbnb, Norfolk Southern, Nike, and others who want to be close to the talent and research emerging from Georgia Tech. The announcements, one after another, show how this has become one of the hottest tech neighborhoods in America, and more work is underway.

“We are planning a two-tower complex in the heart of the neighborhood that will house the Scheller College of Business, the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, GTRI, and several other programs in support of the startup ecosystem,” Cabrera said. “On the south side, construction is underway for our new biomedical innovation district — Science Square. It will become a global biomedical research and technology hub. Just like Tech Square, we want Science Square to be an example of how a research university can support innovation and help transform its city.”

Cabrera concluded by highlighting the new fundraising effort that launched this summer — Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech. “This comprehensive campaign will raise more than $2 billion through various funding priorities centered around transforming lives, ideas, learning, our community, and our world. It will be the Institute’s biggest fundraising effort to date to support student access. More than one-quarter of the funds are expected to be earmarked toward student financial aid,” he said.

“We are currently building a strong campaign steering committee and will be hitting the road this fall to share the campaign goals with alumni and friends around the nation and beyond.”

The address was followed by a question and answer session. The event was recorded and is available here.

Summary sentence

Another Record Year for Georgia Tech

Dateline

Fri, 09/02/2022 - 12:00

victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu

Contact

Victor Rogers

Institute Communications

Keywords

cos-community

2022 Institute Address

cabrera

Campaign

enrollment

science square

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Campus and Community

Categories

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

660832

Source updated

Fri, 09/02/2022 - 09:31

Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative

bwaye3 — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 16:13:38 +0000

Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative bwaye3 Thu, 06/02/2022 - 12:13

President Ángel Cabrera has named Jenna Jordan, associate professor and associate chair in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, as the next faculty athletics representative (FAR) to the Georgia Tech Athletic Association (GTAA).

The FAR serves as the liaison between the Institute and the Athletic Association on issues regarding rules compliance activities, new developments at the NCAA, and activities related to Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) membership. This is a part-time administrative position appointed for a term of three years. Jordan will replace Mechanical Engineering Professor Baratunde Cola, who is taking a leave of absence from faculty and university responsibilities to lead Carbice, the Georgia Tech spin-off company he founded, through its next phase of growth.

"Professor Jordan is not just an accomplished scholar but an exemplary educator who cares deeply about the growth and well-being of our students,” said Cabrera. “She has made a difference these past years as a faculty guide with the Stamps President's Scholars, and I have no doubt she will have a similar impact in supporting the academic experience of our student-athletes and serving as an effective liaison between our faculty and our athletic program."

Jordan has been a Georgia Tech faculty member since 2012. Her research focuses on terrorism and political violence, international security, cybersecurity, wargaming, organizational theory, and statecraft. Her work has been published by Stanford University Press and in International Security, Security Studies, Conflict Management and Peace Science, the Journal of Cybersecurity, and International Trends as well as The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Chicago Tribune, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Quarterly. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in political science from Stanford University, and a B.A. in international relations from Mills College.

“Serving as faculty athletics representative is a unique opportunity to address the challenges facing student-athletes, and I am excited to be able to help guide their experience at Georgia Tech,” she said. “I recognize the importance of building bridges across the Institute, and I hope to create new opportunities to facilitate meaningful student-athlete interaction, continuing the efforts of my FAR predecessors who fiercely advocated for and mentored our student-athletes. And I will continue to foster a culture of mentorship and support among the faculty and our student-athletes.”

Jordan’s three-year term as FAR begins July 1.

Summary sentence

International Affairs professor to serve as the liaison between the Institute and the Athletic Association.

Dateline

Tue, 05/31/2022 - 12:00

victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu

Contact

Victor Rogers

Institute Communications

Sidebar

Primary responsibilities of the FAR include:

Representing the Institute with the ACC and the NCAA.
Serving as vice chair of the GTAA board of trustees and as vice chair of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund board of directors.
Serving as senior advisor outside of Georgia Tech Athletics to Tech’s president on matters related to intercollegiate athletics.
Recommending and formulating institutional positions, along with the athletics director, on NCAA legislation and other matters affecting or related to intercollegiate athletics on campus.
Serving as a member of the Institute admissions appeals committee and the GTAA academic committee.
Serving as chair of both the student-athlete grievance committee and the new transfer appeals committee.
Serving as a member of Tech’s NCAA eligibility certification team, primarily responsible for evaluating processes.

Location

Atlanta, GA

Associated importer

Keywords

Jenna Jordan

FAR

International Affairs

IAC

ivan allen college

cabrera

gtaa

News room topics

Campus and Community

Categories

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

658649

Source updated

Thu, 06/02/2022 - 09:53

Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative

bwaye3 — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:47:52 +0000

Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative bwaye3 Wed, 06/01/2022 - 15:47

Jordan’s three-year term as FAR begins July 1.

Summary sentence

International Affairs professor to serve as the liaison between the Institute and the Athletic Association.

Dateline

Tue, 05/31/2022 - 12:00

victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu

Contact

Victor Rogers

Institute Communications

Sidebar

Primary responsibilities of the FAR include:

Representing the Institute with the ACC and the NCAA.
Serving as vice chair of the GTAA board of trustees and as vice chair of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund board of directors.
Serving as senior advisor outside of Georgia Tech Athletics to Tech’s president on matters related to intercollegiate athletics.
Recommending and formulating institutional positions, along with the athletics director, on NCAA legislation and other matters affecting or related to intercollegiate athletics on campus.
Serving as a member of the Institute admissions appeals committee and the GTAA academic committee.
Serving as chair of both the student-athlete grievance committee and the new transfer appeals committee.
Serving as a member of Tech’s NCAA eligibility certification team, primarily responsible for evaluating processes.

Location

Atlanta, GA

Associated importer

Keywords

Jenna Jordan

FAR

International Affairs

IAC

ivan allen college

cabrera

gtaa

News room topics

Campus and Community

Categories

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

658625

Source updated

Wed, 06/01/2022 - 14:55

Week of Events Highlights Sustainable Development Goals

bwaye3 — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 15:21:04 +0000

Week of Events Highlights Sustainable Development Goals bwaye3 Thu, 02/24/2022 - 10:21

Sustainable Development Goals Action and Awareness Week 2022 is Feb. 28 – March 4. The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They address the world’s most monumental challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and peace and justice. Some of the objectives are improved industry, innovation, and infrastructure; affordable and clean energy; and sustainable cities and communities. The SDGs appear by name in the Institute’s strategic plan as long-term goals that should guide teaching, research, and operations.

SDG Action and Awareness Week 2022 will begin with an interactive campus discussion, titled Engaging With the SDGs Across Campus, focusing on how the goals are being realized across the Institute and ways to better work together across disciplines and departments to amplify our impact. President Ángel Cabrera will moderate the discussion with participants from the College of Sciences, Serve-Learn-Sustain, Interdisciplinary Research, and Engineers Without Borders.

Other events during the week include a Tech Dining Sustainability Showcase, a panel on Infrastructure and Sustainability, Changing Relationships: You and Your Aging Parents, Toilet Talk With Shan and Shannon, A Healthy Georgia: Exploring the Impact of the Energy Transition on Public Health, the Association for Sustainable Investment Podcast Club Kickoff, and Engaging With the SDGs to Advance Sustainability in Atlanta. View a full listing of the week’s events.

In Fall 2020, a panel discussion and keynote address by Cabrera introduced the Tech community to the 17 goals. The event covered their relevance to the Institute and emphasized how Georgia Tech can lead the region in implementing and advancing these goals.

“If we are committed to improving the human condition, then we should embrace the SDGs to guide our actions as a university,” Cabrera said when introducing the SDGs.

SDG Action and Awareness Week is part of a larger global effort through the University Global Coalition, whose partners are hosting a variety of online events that are open to all.

Summary sentence

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Summary

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Dateline

Thu, 02/24/2022 - 12:00

Contact

Victor Rogers

Institute Communications

Location

Atlanta, GA

Associated importer

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG

SDGs

cabrera

strategic plan

News room topics

Campus and Community

Earth and Environment

Science and Technology

Society and Culture

Categories

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

655740

Source updated

Thu, 02/24/2022 - 09:13

Week of Events Highlights Sustainable Development Goals

bwaye3 — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 15:21:04 +0000

Week of Events Highlights Sustainable Development Goals bwaye3 Thu, 02/24/2022 - 10:21

“If we are committed to improving the human condition, then we should embrace the SDGs to guide our actions as a university,” Cabrera said when introducing the SDGs.

SDG Action and Awareness Week is part of a larger global effort through the University Global Coalition, whose partners are hosting a variety of online events that are open to all.

Summary sentence

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Summary

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of events that increase awareness of and encourage actions that advance the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Dateline

Thu, 02/24/2022 - 12:00

Contact

Victor Rogers
Institute Communications

Location

Atlanta, GA

Associated importer

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG

SDGs

cabrera

strategic plan

School of Biological Sciences

News room topics

Campus and Community

Earth and Environment

Science and Technology

Society and Culture

Categories

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

655741

Source updated

Thu, 02/24/2022 - 09:24

cabrera

Event Marks History While Embracing the Future

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Cabrera Delivers Institute Address

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Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative

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Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative

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Week of Events Highlights Sustainable Development Goals

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Week of Events Highlights Sustainable Development Goals

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