Category: GT Events

The Endless Versatility of Washi: a talk with Nanci Jacobi about Japanese Paper

Washi combined

Virtual Talk: The endless versatility of Washi

Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Time: 7:30-8:30pm EST

Category: Lectures

Instructor: Nancy Jacobi

Speaker: Nancy Jacobi
Member Price: FREE
Non-Member Price: FREE
Registration Deadline: 

 

Program Description:

Join us for this virtual Lecture, Stitch, dye, sculpt, fly – the endless versatility of Washi,  with guest speaker Nanci Jacobi. Washi means Japanese paper – Wa = Japanese and shi = paper. Jacobi’s love of Washi and its history led her to establish the Japanese Paper Place, in Toronto Ontario. The Japanese Paper Place is a major distributor of washi. Jacobi has a vast knowledge of washi, and its use by Western artists. During her lecture she will be imparting her depth of knowledge about heritage and contemporary washi, as well as how artists use it today, including artist Cybèle Young. She will also share about the stunning decorative paper known as Chiyogami, its heritage and use by artists as well. Then there will be a show and tell section where Jacobi will shows examples of various types of washi and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking will share Chiyogami sample books and washi artifacts from the collection. This program is geared towards adult audiences.

How to Register for this event:
Register through Eventbrite! For more information contact Anna Doll at Anna.Doll@rbi.gatech.edu or 404-894-7840.

A Reflection on Organizing Gender Equality: Reimagining our Future through Art and Technology Exhibition

exhibit

A Reflection on Organizing Gender Equality: Reimagining our Future through Art and Technology Exhibition

The exhibit is open Monday – Friday, 7:00am to 10:00pm, now through December 9th

The Kendeda Building

Free and open to the public. Read more about the exhibit here.

Understanding Asian and Asian American Experiences and Perspectives An AAPI Heritage Month Town Hall

Understanding Asian and Asian American Experiences and PerspectivesAn AAPI Heritage Month Town Hall

Thursday, May 19, 202212 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.via Zoom

Join Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for its first annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month event.

Students, faculty, and staff will come together for a panel discussion about their experiences as members of the Asian and Asian American communities at Georgia Tech and explore ways that we all can contribute to a more inclusive and welcoming community.

Panelists will include:

Diana SunPh.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering,President of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association (MEGA)

May Dongmei Wang, Ph.D.Professor and Distinguished Faculty FellowWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering

Prasad Dasi, Ph.D.Rozelle Vanda Wesley Professor, Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies,Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering

Xiaoming Huo, Ph.D.A. Russell Chandler III ProfessorH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Moderator:Luoluo Hong, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Engagement and Well-Being

New Strategic Plan for DEI

New Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Provides Roadmap to a More Inclusive Georgia Tech

With the launch of its first ever strategic plan for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Georgia Tech is carving a path towards a more inclusive campus community.

Apr 4, 2022 | Atlanta, GA

Georgia Tech recently launched its first Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that outlines the steps the Institute will take to position itself as a leader in inclusive excellence.

It will serve as a framework that guides Institute, college, and unit leadership in the work needed to become a more equitable and inclusive campus community for all students, faculty, and staff.

The plan is the culmination of a two-year effort carried out by the Georgia Tech Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. Comprised of executive and senior leaders, the council is charged with monitoring the progress of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and is co-chaired by Archie W. Ervin, vice president for Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Pearl Alexander, executive director of Staff Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement. Through a collaborative effort, the council developed a plan that outlines five areas of impact, three goals, and 22 strategies that Georgia Tech will use to create a more inclusive campus community.

“Forty percent of the 2030 Institute strategic plan outcomes center on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Ervin said. “With such an emphasis on DEI efforts, creating a roadmap to guide our efforts is instrumental for success, and our success depends on the support and engagement of the entire Georgia Tech community.”

The DEI plan identifies 22 strategic actions, categorized into three areas of impact:

  • Creating a more equitable and inclusive community.
  • Recruiting, retaining, and developing a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff.
  • Supporting innovative and inclusive scholarship and teaching.

As part of the planning process, the council was able to revisit the definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion previously held by the Institute, and updated them to reflect current understandings. The council also created new definitions for Georgia Tech’s principles of community, highlighting a commitment to inclusive teaching, leadership, scholarship and research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

“We are excited and grateful to share this plan, where each and every one of us has a  role in making Georgia Tech a place where everyone can thrive, no matter who you are or where you come from,” Alexander said. “Ubuntu, a term that comes to mind as we unveil this plan, reminds us of all that our actions affect each other and society. We’ll be better and go farther together as we write this next chapter of who we will be.”

To view the plan in full, visit diversity.gatech.edu/deiplan.

Register for the DEI Town Hall on May 11th here: https://gatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DCJYVlHESQKJH_jC9MGwjA

You’re Invited! Latinos/Hispanics in STEM: A Career Path Series – April 26, 4pm

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Alfonso Cerna-Diaz, Ph.D., P.E., Geotechnical Engineer at AECOM Water Business Unit in Denver, Colorado as our next speaker in this year’s Latinos/Hispanics in STEM: A Career Path Series! This event will be hosted virtually on April 26th from 4 to 5 PM.

Learn more and get registered – see you there!
Register Here

This event is presented by LOGRAS, the GoSTEM Program,
and the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Resiliency to Empowerment: the Asian Amercan Journey

flyerPlease see the attached flyer for the event Resiliency to Empowerment: The Asian American Journey.

About this event

Asian Americans have demonstrated resiliency in the face of racism, violence, and targeted attacks. How do we move from resilience to empowering ourselves to improve the lives of Americans? Please join our esteemed panelists listed below for an informative discussion moderated by Georgia Tech’s Nazia Zakir (DEI Fellow), Hyen Sung, and Ajay Patel.

 Event details

Date: April 12th, 2022

Time: 5:30-7:30 pm

Location: Auditorium, Kendeda Building

Snacks and refreshments will be provided! To attend, please register here:

https://tinyurl.com/Resiliency-to-Empowerment

CEED Puts Down New Roots

The Center for Engineering Education and Diversity moves to a new, permanent location after 17 years of assisting students.
Zoe Elledge
Friday, 11 March 2022
CEED staff members in the office

Have you eaten today?

This is one of the first questions students are asked when they enter the College of Engineering’s Center for Engineering Education and Diversity’s (CEED), located in the Old Rich Research Building next to the Georgia Tech Library. Soft lighting and relaxing music create a comfortable atmosphere for students to visit and talk with one of the office’s many staff members and mentors.

Each year the center works with approximately 4,000 students, helping them with their academic goals and financial needs through a wide variety of programs. However, CEED also focuses on the health and well-being of individual students, asking all who enter their offices if they’ve eaten, how much sleep they’re getting, and if they need a mentor to talk to.

Now, after nearly two full decades, CEED has created a new, permanent space for its students to study, relax, chat, or simply call home.

The Space

CEED was established in 2004. In 2007, it evolved into two-person office with Felicia Benton-Johnson and Jacquline Cox in the College of Engineering’s Tech Tower. Since then, it has bounced around campus, in and out of six temporary spaces.

This past October, CEED finally moved into its new home in the Old Rich building. The space was created specifically for the program, allowing the center to better serve its students and act as a home to the many programs it directs. CEED staff members were heavily involved in the design process, from picking the colors to planning the flow of the rooms and placement of the furniture.

students visiting and working in the new CEED space

“Our goal for this new space is the same as it’s always been in our previous locations: we want to make the center feel like a student’s home away from home where they can get the support they need during their academic journey,” said Benton-Johnson, CEED’s director and an assistant dean in the College.

The space boasts several new amenities and integrates room concepts that existed in previous CEED offices. This includes the “Huddle Room,” a specialized breakout room where groups of students can work on projects while alumni working remotely can set up their workspaces.

CEED’s front desk and waiting room open into a spacious study area, with tables for group work and separate cubicles for more focused, solo studying. Additionally, each of the five staff members has their own office where students can chat with them about anything, whether it be a serious or lighthearted topic.

Felicia Benton-Johnson talking with CEED staff and students

CEED’s Felicia Benton-Johnson and Jackie Strickland talk with guests during the CEED Open House.

“There’s something to be said about walking into a room and seeing people who look and sound like you,” said Valentina De La Fé, CEED’s assistant director of undergraduate initiatives. “There are many study spaces around campus, some probably better than ours. But we want our study rooms to feel uniquely welcoming to underrepresented student groups, anyone looking for a mentor, or even just someone to have a conversation with.”

Naomi-Eliana Edouard

Naomi-Eliana Edouard

In addition to the study areas, the new space has a conference room where CEED can host events for some of their many programs. Students can also use the space for important calls, including job or internship interviews.

For Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering student Naomi-Eliana Edouard, CEED has been a perennial gathering spot since transferring to Tech in 2020. She usually stops by to study, socialize, sleep, or utilize the mentorship of the CEED staff.

“CEED is always one of the most comforting places to visit, and everyone in the office contributes to the welcoming atmosphere,” said Edouard, who will graduate this semester. “They have provided me with many diverse perspectives and introduced me to other minority engineers, helping me to grow my network.”

The Programs

Since its creation in 2004, CEED has expanded to house eight programs that support undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc students from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences. The programs include the NSF-funded Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and the GEM Fellowship, a national fellowship that supports underrepresented minority students pursuing their masters or a Ph.D. in engineering or physical sciences and technology.

“Across all programs, our goal is to help expand access for students so they can thrive during their time at Tech,” said Benton-Johnson, who also directs Tech’s engineering transfer partnership programs.

CEED partners with Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University, among others, for the Dual Degree Engineering Program, and other University System of Georgia schools for the Regents’ Engineering Pathway Program. These transfer opportunities enable students to diversify their academic journey by experiencing two unique study for two years in a specific Dual Degree institution and then transfer to Tech to complete an engineering degree. CEED supports students before and during their matriculation at the Institute.

In addition to their institutional programs, CEED also hosts the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, Grad REACH mentoring program, and the Retaining Inspirational Students in Technology and Engineering (RISE) Scholarship, which supports more than 200 students.

One of CEED’s largest undergraduate programs is the tiered Peer 2 Peer Mentoring. The program pairs groups of undergraduate students with upper-level undergraduate student aligned with their major and a graduate student.

“Our mentoring approach isn’t just top down, but instead creates a symbiotic relationship between students,” said De La Fé, director of the program. “You need those groups of people coming together and sharing knowledge, because Tech isn’t a place you can get through alone.”

Valentina De La Fé meets with a student.

Valentina De La Fé meets with a student.

In addition to directing the Peer 2 Peer Program, De La Fé also manages the College’s undergraduate recruitment efforts, partnering with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to create and host Engineering Information Sessions and all large scale recruitment events such as Gold Carpet Day.

“Across all programs, our goal is to help expand access for students so they can thrive during their time at Tech.”

Felicia Benton-Johnson

Nicholas Hines headshot

Nicholas Hines

Nicholas Hines, a graduate research assistant in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering’s Graham Lab, credits CEED’s programs with inspiring him to pursue a career in academia.

“Through my involvement in the dual degree partnership with Morehouse, LSAMP, RISE, GEM Fellowship, and GRAD Reach, CEED has become my community at Georgia Tech,” said Hines. “My goal as an educator is to be able to impact the lives of students the same way CEED has impacted mine.”

The Students, Past and Present

At CEED, everything begins and ends with the students.

“We don’t care who you are or where you come from. If you come in these doors, you’re going to receive love, support, guidance, and whatever you need to succeed,” said Benton-Johnson.

Benton-Johnson says 97% of the students who have participated in CEED programming have gone on to finish their Tech degrees. CEED’s goals, however, are deeper than academics. They also focus on developing self-confidence.

CEED students talking in the room's lounge area

“Working with students and seeing the potential they have is the most important part of my job,” said De La Fé. “When you’re at Tech and surrounded by excellence, sometimes you fail to see it within yourself. It’s my job to help students reflect on their academic journey and realize just how far they’ve come and how far they can go.”

Celine Irvene received three degrees from Tech. She participated in CEED from the time she was a freshman to the day she walked across the stage to receive her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering in 2021. Now she’s a research software development engineer at Microsoft.

“CEED didn’t just impact my college experience – they forged it,” Irvene said. “Without their support, action, and encouragement, I would have flunked out the first semester of my first year. Many of my fellow Black classmates have similar experiences with CEED.”

Maya Carrasquillo received her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Tech in 2015 before going on to pursue her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of South Florida. She’s now an assistant professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley. While at Tech, she participated in multiple CEED programs, including LSAMP, SURE, and Peer 2 Peer mentoring.

“As a graduate student, CEED helped me to navigate all the new educational spaces in which I found myself with the same experience and credentials as my peers,” said Carrasquillo. “I credit much of my success to the opportunities and experiences I had through CEED’s programs.”

As CEED continues to grow and expand its accessibility to students, it will be able to utilize its new space in the Old Rich Building to help diverse populations of students feel at home at Tech.

Celine Irvene headshot

Celine Irvene

Maya Carrasquillo