Attending Georgia Tech is often a family tradition. But few families can claim the business success of the Nash family: H. Ronald Nash, IE 1970, of InterWest Partners venture capital groups Dallas, Texas, office; Michael R. Nash, IE 1974, vice president of CT Communications in Concord, North Carolina; and Deborah Nash Willingham, IE '78, vice president of Windows Marketing at Microsoft.

The three siblings have joined together to fund an ISyE junior faculty endowment in honor of their parents, Mary Anne and the late Harold R. Nash, EE 1952. The fund will provide resources to recruit and retain some of the best young faculty in the industrial engineering field. The Nashes encourage the School to use the fund to attract and support female applicants to the faculty. "The growing presence of women at Tech was one of the seminal transitions during our time there, and we all identify with the need to accelerate that trend. Outstanding role models play an important part in that development," state the Nashes in their commitment letter.

The three Nash siblings aren't the only family members to attend Georgia Tech. Mike married Ellen Evatt, TEXT 1973. Another sister, Mary Alice, married Arthur Ivey, CE 1981 . Ron's son David is now a junior in ME, and Mike's daughter Jennifer is a sophomore in architecture.

Both Deborah and Ron are members of the ISyE Advisory Board. Chair John Jarvis is pleased with both the family's personal and financial commitment. "Many families send multiple generations to Georgia Tech, but only a select few choose industrial engineering as their 'family' major," he says. "I am proud to know them and especially appreciate their collective decision to create the Nash Family Endowment Fund."