A few years ago, Gina Adams was visiting campus and found herself standing in front of the Marcus Nanotechnology Building construction site.          

“I remember looking at the structure and getting a feeling that I was going to work in that building one day,” said Adams, who is program manager for the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Shortly after, Adams applied for a job at Tech and learned during the interview that whoever was selected for the position would be working in the new Nanotechnology Building. Since 2009, Adams has worked in the building that she once admired.

“I really enjoy my job and am fascinated by the work we’re doing,” she said. “For example, I recently bought Stephen Hawking’s book ‘A Briefer History of Time,’ because I want to better understand physics, which is at the heart of MRSEC’s research.”

Recently, The Whistle had a chance to learn more about Adams and her time at Georgia Tech.

Tell us about your position.         
In my current role, I am responsible for tasks such as managing the budget, compiling information for the annual report, planning special events and symposia, and coordinating MRSEC’s communications needs. My days are spent doing everything from reaching out to faculty who receive MRSEC funding and assisting them with expenditures; to figuring out ways to simply state the highly technical information that we share on our website; to advising the management team on various Institute and National Science Foundation policies.

What do you enjoy most about working at Tech?      
It’s not my first time working at Tech. Actually, I came to Tech in 1981 and stayed until 2001, working in various administrative roles for units including Accounts Payable, the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the Manufacturing Research Center. When I left for a few years, I realized how much I missed the Institute. Tech is home. Both my middle daughter and her husband have degrees
from Tech, and I’ve spent much of my life supporting the various sports teams. The culture here is just so supportive.

What piece of technology could you not live without?    
My phone. The primary way I communicate with my three daughters is by text, so without my phone, I’d never be able to reach them.  

Where is your favorite spot on campus?
I love the area around the Campanile — sitting there watching the water is just so calming, and it’s a place where you can see what the students are up to.

What are three things that every faculty and staff member should do while working at Tech?
Go to a DramaTech production and at least one sporting event (doesn’t matter which team), and eat in the food court of the Student Center (the meat and three sides section is my favorite, as well as the salad bar), which provides insight into student life at Tech.  

Where is your favorite place to have lunch, and what do you order?
Little Azio, and I usually order one of the salads.

Tell us something that most people probably wouldn’t know about you.
I am an astronomy buff. Also, I love to travel. I’ve been all over Europe, but the one location I’m eager to return to is Rome. It is such an intriguing place. Historical spots such as the Colosseum aren’t located off in the distance — they are right there, integrated into the city.