{"407211":{"#nid":"407211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Wife\u2019s Legacy Inspires Veterans Center Director","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThough Dave Ross has been at Georgia Tech for less than two years, these years have been some of the more formative of his life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ERoss relocated from Valdosta in September 2013 to be the first director of Tech\u2019s new Veterans Resource Center. The following April, he lost his wife, Angel, who was still working in Valdosta at the time. She passed away unexpectedly following complications from surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThe experience, while traumatic, spurred a spiritual awakening in Ross. Today, he hopes to live in a way that honors his wife\u2019s legacy. Angel, who worked as a nurse in the NICU at South Georgia Medical Center, was known for volunteering with children with special needs and going above and beyond in her work at the hospital and in the community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cShe did so much I didn\u2019t even know about until after she was gone,\u201d Ross said. \u201cShe was always volunteering for people and making a difference. She truly was an angel.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EIn his own way, Ross is doing just that with Georgia Tech\u2019s student veteran population. In his former role at Valdosta State University, where he was director of the university\u2019s center at Moody Air Force Base, he made a point to meet students wherever they were to get them the resources they needed \u2014 whether that was on base or at a local coffee shop. Now, at Tech, he has a cozy resource center, outfitted with a mini-fridge and coffee, in the Smithgall Student Services Building. He\u2019s just as likely to meet with students in Tech Square, though.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ERoss works to support not only current student veterans, but also those who aspire to come to Tech. Many contact him while still serving in the military, in anticipation of one day applying. He works with Undergraduate Admission and departments across campus to help veterans understand the many complicated aspects of their enrollment and benefits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a journey getting into Tech for any student,\u201d says Ross.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EOne of Ross\u2019 favorite things about working with incoming students is getting to connect them with current Yellow Jackets when they first arrive on campus. He pairs those in the same major for informal mentoring and facilitates opportunities that let them get together socially. Sometimes that means hosting employers who are looking to hire veterans and future Tech alumni; other times, it\u2019s marching in a parade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Atlanta Veterans Day Parade is one of my favorite days of the year,\u201d Ross said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great chance to get off campus and connect.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThough the center operates out of the Division of Student Affairs, Ross hopes faculty and staff veterans on campus will also get involved with their activities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI want to be able to support them, too, and for them to know there\u2019s somewhere on campus where they can connect,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EThough he\u2019s quickly established himself in the Tech community, Ross maintains a strong presence in Valdosta as well. He frequently visits his two daughters and granddaughter, and has an annual commitment the entire city would miss were he to be absent: For 12 years, he\u2019s played the role of Clara\u2019s father in the Dance Arts Valdosta production of \u003Cem\u003EThe Nutcracker\u003C\/em\u003E. His youngest daughter and granddaughter also have roles in the cast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ERoss has also made a point to enjoy Atlanta\u2019s cultural attractions, including the city\u2019s many festivals and its budding craft brewery offerings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ETo learn more about veteran resources on campus, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.veterans.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.veterans.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Ross Serves Students by Making Connections"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Ross, director of the Veterans Resource Center, helps shape the experience of veteran students at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"David Ross, director of the Veterans Resource Center, helps shape the experience of veteran students at Georgia Tech."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2015-05-26 10:25:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:18:21","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-05-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"407191":{"id":"407191","type":"image","title":"Dave Ross with Students","body":null,"created":"1449254168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:08","changed":"1475895132","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:12","alt":"Dave Ross with Students","file":{"fid":"202137","name":"dross2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dross2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dross2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":634690,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dross2_0.jpg?itok=jGwfRUPh"}},"407201":{"id":"407201","type":"image","title":"Veterans Resource Center","body":null,"created":"1449254168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:08","changed":"1475895132","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:12","alt":"Veterans Resource Center","file":{"fid":"202138","name":"vrc.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vrc_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/vrc_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3483192,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/vrc_0.jpg?itok=9vi2TzGY"}}},"media_ids":["407191","407201"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/veterans.gatech.edu\/","title":"Veterans at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3423","name":"employees"},{"id":"525","name":"military"},{"id":"126921","name":"nontraditional students"},{"id":"3918","name":"profile"},{"id":"167018","name":"staff"},{"id":"167069","name":"student affairs"},{"id":"10681","name":"veterans"},{"id":"97661","name":"veterans resource center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}