Members of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts community came from near and far to the Historic Academy of Medicine on the evening of April 12, 2017. Following a fabulous buffet and lively networking reception attended by more than 150 people, the ceremony began with opening remarks from Ivan Allen College Dean Jacqueline Royster, who described the event as an opportunity to “savor our truly distinct identity as ‘Ivan Allen Techies’ and ‘a force for good’.”
Georgia Tech Provost Rafael Bras gave remarks. Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson and executive leadership also attended.
Royster invited attendees to make the evening “the beginning of a conversation between you and our faculty, students, and staff, our schools, and my office. Let us hear your thoughts and experiences, and connect with your ever-evolving expertise. The goal, of course, is for all of us to work together to keep the trajectory for success high and to make the Ivan Allen College even more relevant, more impactful as a top tier innovator in liberal arts education, research, and public service.”
The Distinguished Alumni Awards honored a stellar cohort of graduates from each of the six academic schools in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, recipients of the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards, and the Dean’s Appreciation Award.
“Our honorees tonight are the embodiment of the power of connections enriched by interdisciplinary understanding, the ability to communicate across disciplines, and departments, and to lead holistic thinking,” said Royster. “I think their accomplishments reinforce our hope for ever more humane solutions to our world’s increasingly complex challenges wrought by the technology explosion. You are the possibility, you are progress, you are hope for new ways of doing things, new solutions, and the promise of our 21st century world.”
The evening culminated in the presentation of the Dean’s Appreciation Award to Col. Stephen C. Hall (Industrial Management 1967) and Pamela Hall, who were recognized for their multi-dimensional philanthropy and engagement in the College and for their commitment to helping Georgia Tech students through mentoring and teaching.
The Halls endow the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards and the Stephen C. Hall Scholarship Fund for students in active duty military families, and the Stephen C. Hall Building is home to the Ivan Allen College’s Writing and Communication Program. They remain active in the Ivan Allen College and Georgia Tech community through lectures and student mentorship, and Col. Hall is a member of the Ivan Allen College Advisory Board.
The Halls are the third and fourth recipients of the Dean’s Appreciation Award. Prior recipients are Berkshire Capital Securities founder H. Bruce McEver and legendary Georgia Tech football coach Homer Rice.
The ceremony also marked the 14th year of the Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy awards, which honor students and faculty whose lives and work embody the spirit of Georgia Tech alumnus (Commerce 1934) and former mayor of Atlanta Ivan Allen Jr. The recipients of the 2017 Legacy Awards were undergraduate Public Policy major Mahdi Al-Husseini, doctoral Digital Media student Mariam Asad, and German Professor Bettina Cothran.
Cothran, who joined Georgia Tech in 1991, developed and directed the nationally recognized immersion study abroad program Languages for Business and Technology for German. She has helped place many students in international academic and industry jobs, and her annual “German Day at Georgia Tech” celebration was recognized last year in a Proclamation by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.
Additionally, Royster recognized the Ivan Allen College Affinity Group, which was formally established last fall, for its leadership in fostering and sustaining alumni relations.
Thanks to all who attended for making the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Awards an evening of inspiration, laughter, remembrance, pride, and Georgia Tech spirit!
The Distinguished Alumni Awards honorees are as follows:
★ Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Awards ★
Faculty
Bettina Cothran
Professor, School of Modern Languages
Graduate Student
Mariam Asad
Doctoral Candidate, Digital Media Program
Undergraduate
Mahdi Al Husseini
Public Policy Major, Army ROTC
★ Distinguished Alumni Awards ★
School of Economics
Rawi Abdelal
(B.S. Economics 1993)
Herbert F. Johnson Professor of International Management at Harvard Business School
School of Public Policy
Austin Dickson
(M.S. Public Policy 2010)
Executive Director, Literacy Action, Inc.
The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
Jeremy Farris
(B.S. International Affairs 2004)
Clerk to the Honorable James O. Browning, U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico
School of Modern Languages
Parker Kemp
(B.S. Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies/Mechanical Engineering 2014)
Sales Program Development Specialist, Mercedes-Benz USA
School of Literature, Media, and Communication
Gwen Ottinger
(B.S. Science, Technology, and Culture/Aerospace Engineering 1997)
Associate Professor at Drexel University
School of History and Sociology
Laurence Ralph
(B.S. History, Technology, and Society 2004)
John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University
★ Dean’s Appreciation Award ★
Stephen C. Hall, (Industrial Management 1967) and Mrs. Pamela Hall
View photos from the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Awards here.
]]>