{"656692":{"#nid":"656692","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alumni Spotlight: Sybrina Atwaters","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESybrina\u0026nbsp;Atwaters is the 2022 recipient of the School of history and Sociology Distinguished Alumni Award. Learn more about the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/community\/distinguished-alumni-awards\u0022\u003Eannual Ivan Allen College Award Ceremony.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EName:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ESybrina Y. Atwaters, Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDegree(s):\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPh.D. in Sociology of Technology and Science, Georgia Institute of Technology,\u0026nbsp;2014\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EM.S.\u0026nbsp;in History, Technology, and Society (HTS), Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaster of Theological Studies, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, 2005\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EM.S. in Instructional Technology-College of Education, Georgia State University, 2002\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EB.S. in Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1994\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJob Title \/ Employer: \u003C\/strong\u003EDirector of the Office of Minority Educational Development at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E1. What do you do?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI currently lead the oldest diversity unit at Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;as Director of the Office of Minority Educational Development (OMED).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of Institute Diversity\u2019s Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, OMED is charged with retaining\u0026nbsp;and developing traditionally underrepresented students (URM): African-American\/Black, Hispanic\/Latinx, Native American, and Multiracial. I lead teams of professionals, faculty, students, researchers, and Institute level initiatives to meet this charge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Director of OMED, I have oversight of several programs and grant initiatives under OMED\u2019s purview, including, but not limited to:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe award-winning African American Male Initiative (AAMI)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChallenge, OMED\u2019s signature five-week summer academic intensive residential program\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEdge, a peer mentoring and student development program\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFocus, an annual institute-wide diversity graduate recruitment program\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnd the Women of Color Initiative (WOCI), a city-wide collaborative with Georgia Tech, Spelman, Emory, and STEM Atlanta Women non-profit.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have been intricate in the launch of three\u0026nbsp;new OMED initiatives in the past two years alone: Career Pathway\/Career Alliance (advancing equity in co-op, internship, research, and study abroad experiences), Peer-I-scope (advancing the success of Atlanta Public School and HBCU transfer student success at Georgia Tech), and Diversity Abroad and Global Innovation Program (expanding access to study abroad and global internship opportunities for students of color, as well as expanding Georgia Tech\u2019s global partnerships with universities and companies in South Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI lead Georgia Tech in serving more than 1,700 students directly impacted through OMED programs and services annually, and over 5,000 URM students enrolled.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently, I became an affiliated faculty with the School of History and Sociology (HSOC). I provide DEI consulting and support to HSOC and serve as mentor and committee support for Ivan Allen College graduate students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E2. What\u2019s the coolest part of your job?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe people and the work!!!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this role, I have the opportunity to work directly with undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty across the institute, alumni, corporate reps, funders, administrators, and community leaders. I encounter amazing people\u0026nbsp;all the time who operate with a standard of excellence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also get to apply data and research findings directly to creating and cultivating Institute-level initiatives and programs that impact student access, outcomes, equity, performance, and development. So, the people, the work, and being able to see the impact of my efforts are the coolest part of my job.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E3. Why are you passionate about this work?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt aligns with my purpose and calling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrowing up in inner-city East Atlanta during the \u002780s, I came to know the depth of systemic racism and oppression too well. I have witnessed intelligent, resilient, ambitious, and exceptional people have their opportunities significantly limited and their well-being diminished by the injustices embedded in economic, educational, political, judicial, and social practices across America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsequently, the desire to address these institutionalized inequities and expand\u0026nbsp;liberation practices has become a part of who I am. This faith in the power of liberation practices to address many of the ills that haunt and divide humanity has driven many of my career decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E4. How did you find your job\/what\u2019s the best resource for jobs or networking you\u2019ve found?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI was very familiar with OMED as an undergraduate and graduate student at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;It has been leading diversity and equity work for decades and was major in my own student success journey. However, I found out about the assistant director\u0026nbsp;job, which led to the director job,\u0026nbsp;in conversation with a close friend and fellow Georgia Tech alumna. I wasn\u2019t even considering Georgia Tech as a career option.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think the best resource for jobs is\u0026nbsp;the people that become a part of your network through the years. If you are intentional about the connections that you are privileged to make as a student or alum of this institution, you will discover that they are a rich resource and network in your future endeavors. Your peers, mentors, staff, professors, advisors, colleagues, supervisors, project teams, etc., can be a part of your network. They become a resource to expand your professional awareness and access.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second-best resources are the professional guilds, organizations, and cohorts you have been a part of, as well as alumni. I am still in contact with people I met at annual conferences, or who were a part of my FTE\/SREB Fellowship cohort, or who I sat on panels with. However, the alumni network is one of my strongest professional networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E5. What\u2019s the most surprising detour you\u2019ve taken from your career path? What did you learn from it?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EObtaining my master\u2019s in theological studies from Emory was the most surprising detour I have taken from my career path.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI recall standing in the bathroom at Cingular Wireless in tears, contemplating how I was going to resign from my senior RF engineering position at a pivotal point in my engineering achievements and on the brink of a promotion. I didn\u2019t plan to walk away from my engineering salary and start over as a full-time grad student.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAttending seminary was never in my career plans until I was presented with the opportunity and call to apply to the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.\u0026nbsp;Yet, it was paramount to my overall development as a teacher and researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe professors at Candler cultivated me as an academic. They created opportunities that allowed me to co-teach courses, lead research projects, co-author academic reports, and contribute to articles as a master\u0027s student. It exposed me to the none student side of academia (teaching, research, funding, and administration).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E5. What\u2019s the greatest challenge you\u2019ve faced since graduating, and how did you overcome it?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe greatest challenge that I have faced since graduating has been managing through professional and personal demands after suffering great loss.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe death of a loved one has emotional, mental, relational, financial, and material implications. I endured significant loss in my family (often within months of each other) since graduating from Georgia Tech. Yet three of them occurred at times when I was on a particular professional journey, and the impact of their death challenged me to abruptly shift my career trajectory and make difficult and daunting choices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne was the death of my niece, which shifted my pursuit of a post-doctoral and a tenure track position at well-known research institutions. The second\u0026nbsp;was the death of my father, which occurred while I was on one of the most rewarding assignments in Kenya that I have had the privilege of experiencing. The last was the suicidal death of my former partner as I was pursuing two major opportunities and initiatives at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe outcomes of all three were far better than I could imagine. Yet, the challenge at the time was daunting. In some ways almost suffocating. I honestly felt like I could not breathe.\u0026nbsp;I overcame these challenges through faith, family, a strong network (i.e., inner circle), and an unwavering work ethic (sometimes working, writing, and analyzing\u0026nbsp;late at night with tears in my eyes and a great soundtrack in the background).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E6. What\u2019s your #1 tip for students and alumni interested in your field?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMake sure you are as skilled in DEI assessment and problem-solving, data analysis, and DEI and higher education scholarship as you are passionate about the work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI don\u2019t believe anyone would attempt to, or be allowed to, become a professor, dean, or leader in a field that they were merely passionate about without pursuing the training and education necessary to acquire the appropriate level of skill and knowledge to employ that passion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudies have shown that this work is most effective when the skilled DEI professional is passionate about the work or shares in the backgrounds and experiences of the populations the work serves. Yet, it is important to note that it is the foundation rooted in DEI skills (knowledgeable about the theories, skills, methods, and tools to effectively assess DEI problems and develop the appropriate solutions) that enables them to inform and execute upon their passion and experiential knowledge in ways that distinguish their work and impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that programs like the history and sociology of technology and science Ph.D. track in HSOC could prepare one well for this kind of interdisciplinary work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E7. Do you recommend any events, conferences, groups, etc., for people interested in your field?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI recommend:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E4S (The Society for Social Studies of Science)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAmerican Educational Research Association\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENational Academic Advising Association\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiverse Issues in Higher Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiversity in Higher Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChronicles of Higher Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENational Society of Black Engineers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E8. Can students and alumni in the School of History and Sociology contact you if they\u2019re interested in following in your footsteps?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes, I can be reached via email at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sybrina.atwates@omed.gatech.edu\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esybrina.atwaters@omed.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMeet more \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/alumni\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Efeatured alumni\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E in the School of History and Sociology!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESybrina\u0026nbsp;Atwaters is the 2022 recipient of the School of history and Sociology Distinguished Alumni Award.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sybrina\u00a0Atwaters is the 2022 recipient of the School of history and Sociology Distinguished Alumni Award."}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2022-03-28 16:40:50","changed_gmt":"2025-01-14 18:06:33","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"656718":{"id":"656718","type":"image","title":"2022 History and Sociology Distinguished Alumni Award honoree Sybrina Atwaters","body":null,"created":"1648496913","gmt_created":"2022-03-28 19:48:33","changed":"1649080302","gmt_changed":"2022-04-04 13:51:42","alt":"Sybrina speaking on stage at an event","file":{"fid":"248938","name":"4.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/4_4.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/4_4.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3650938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/4_4.png?itok=1u_aqcgE"}}},"media_ids":["656718"],"groups":[{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDi Minardi\u003Cbr\u003Edi.minardi@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dminardi3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}