{"510161":{"#nid":"510161","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bobby Dodd Institute Honors Cassie Mitchell with Circle of Excellence Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOn March 2, Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI) honored Cassie S. Mitchell, Ph.D. for her role in BDI\u2019s mission of connecting people with disabilities to employment at their Breakfast with Champions event at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The annual event, sponsored by Autotrader, celebrates the accomplishments of people with disabilities in the workplace and the people and employers that support them. BDI recognized Mitchell with its Circle of Excellence Award, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as its Employer of the Year, and Gloria Richardson as its Employee of the Year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDr. Mitchell\u2019s determination to achieve her full potential and overcome every hurdle she faces has inspired everyone at Bobby Dodd Institute,\u201d said BDI\u2019s president and chief executive officer, Wayne McMillan. \u201cFrom her academic and athletic achievements to her volunteer work as a mentor and counselor for neurological patients, she sets a standard of excellence that we can all strive to emulate. Dr. Mitchell truly exemplifies BDI\u2019s mission and we are honored to present her with the 2016 Circle of Excellence award.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Circle of Excellence Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the lives of individuals with disabilities. This year\u2019s recipient, Cassie Mitchell, has not let the paralysis and vision impairment associated with her diagnoses of Devics Neuromyelitis Optica deter her from working to discover a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).\u0026nbsp; A research professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Mitchell\u2019s tireless dedication to her work as a scientist and a teacher has earned her the respect of her peers and her students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to her important work in the lab, Mitchell is also a world-class athlete who holds national and international records for wheelchair track and paracycling. Her resume of competitions includes the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, and she is currently training for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. She also serves as a mentor for newly paralyzed individuals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is critical for every person, including a person with a disability, to have a circle of support,\u201d said Mitchell. \u201cPeople with disabilities and disadvantages have many abilities and talents to contribute \u2014 if they have the opportunity to work. BDI\u2019s goal is to provide a circle of support for their clients so they can share their unique \u003Cem\u003Eabilities\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Eadvantages\u003C\/em\u003E in the workplace, maximize their potential, and help their employers thrive.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWork is a vital part of the human experience \u2013 it provides dignity, self-sufficiency, and a connection to our community \u2013 but only 31.5% of Georgians who have a disability are employed,\u201d said Wayne McMillan. \u201cBobby Dodd Institute is proud to honor individuals and institutions that break down barriers to employment for people with disabilities by providing job opportunities and by shattering stereotypes about people with disabilities in the workplace.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Bobby Dodd Institute began as a job training program of the organization now known as All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD), where the legendary Georgia Tech football coach Bobby Dodd was a dedicated program volunteer. Whether inspiring his student athletes to achieve both athletically and academically or supporting BDI clients as they prepared to enter the workforce, Coach Dodd had a gift for helping people identify and grow their strengths. BDI shares Coach Dodd\u2019s perspective that people are most likely to succeed when encouraged to build on their strengths. Because of these shared values, BDI\u2019s founders chose to name the organization in honor of Coach Dodd. \u0026nbsp;Today, they continue to celebrate Coach Dodd\u2019s legacy through both their name and their mission to help people with disabilities and disadvantages develop and prosper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:wrich@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Circle of Excellence Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the lives of people with disabilities"}],"field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bobby Dodd Institute Honors Cassie Mitchell with Circle of Excellence Award"}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2016-03-07 15:06:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:01","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-03-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"510131":{"id":"510131","type":"image","title":"Cassie Mitchell Accepting Her Award - Photo Credit:  Kat Goduco","body":null,"created":"1458923712","gmt_created":"2016-03-25 16:35:12","changed":"1475895273","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:33","alt":"Cassie Mitchell Accepting Her Award - Photo Credit:  Kat Goduco","file":{"fid":"204955","name":"breakfast2016-103.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breakfast2016-103_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breakfast2016-103_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":910548,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/breakfast2016-103_0.jpg?itok=rezfp1mE"}},"510141":{"id":"510141","type":"image","title":"Cassie Mitchell at Awards Event - Photo Credit:  Kat Goduco","body":null,"created":"1458923712","gmt_created":"2016-03-25 16:35:12","changed":"1475895273","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:33","alt":"Cassie Mitchell at Awards Event - Photo Credit:  Kat Goduco","file":{"fid":"204956","name":"breakfast2016-114.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breakfast2016-114_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breakfast2016-114_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1323170,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/breakfast2016-114_0.jpg?itok=FGrGxDQC"}},"510151":{"id":"510151","type":"image","title":"Cassie Mitchell at Awards Event - Photo Credit:  Kat Goduco","body":null,"created":"1458923712","gmt_created":"2016-03-25 16:35:12","changed":"1475895273","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:33","alt":"Cassie Mitchell at Awards Event - Photo Credit:  Kat Goduco","file":{"fid":"204957","name":"breakfast2016-116.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breakfast2016-116_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/breakfast2016-116_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1003199,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/breakfast2016-116_0.jpg?itok=Z3NKJDL1"}},"511011":{"id":"511011","type":"image","title":"Cassie Mitchell, Ph.D.","body":null,"created":"1458923712","gmt_created":"2016-03-25 16:35:12","changed":"1475895273","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:33","alt":"Cassie Mitchell, Ph.D.","file":{"fid":"204970","name":"cassiemitchell_2015_headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cassiemitchell_2015_headshot_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cassiemitchell_2015_headshot_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1661092,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cassiemitchell_2015_headshot_0.jpg?itok=j6rpmjeJ"}}},"media_ids":["510131","510141","510151","511011"],"groups":[{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170002","name":"BME-Cassie-Mitchell"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:wrich@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["wrich@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}