The Legacy Award is given to an undergraduate student, graduate student, and faculty member each year whose lives and work embody the spirit of Georgia Tech alumnus and former Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen Jr. (Commerce 1934).

Bianchini joined the School of History and Sociology as a Master's student in 2014 and went on to pursue his Ph.D. in History and Sociology of Technology and Science in 2016. He is a historian of technology, primarily interested in the East German ideal of technological utopianism. In March, Bianchini successfully defended his dissertation on "Real Existing Utopia: Creating a Technological Culture 1945-1989," and he will graduate with his doctorate this spring. Read more about Bianchini's research in our recent feature story: What can East Germany Teach us About Environmentalism and Mass Automation?

Beyond this work, "Mario has been a real leader in our program, in Ivan Allen College, and in the field in general," wrote Professor Kristie Macrakis in her nomination letter.

Throughout his academic career, Bianchini was awarded two German Academic Exchange Service research grants, a Linda Hall Library research fellowship, and a Fulbright research grant for Germany, where he acted as an ambassador for the United States. In the field of history and technology, he also served as an editor for the "Technology’s Stories" series put out by the flagship journal Technology and Culture.

In addition to his scholarly work, Mario has been an effective teaching assistant and instructor in the School of History and Sociology. He earned a Teaching Apprenticeship Program fellowship and received the HSOC Instructor of the Year award for teaching his own summer course on the history of Nazi Germany. 

Finally, Bianchini is an active member of the graduate community. As the graduate student representative in the School, he acted as the liaison between graduate students and faculty. He was also Chair of the Graduate Advisory Board and won the Homer Rice Award for Community Service as recognition for his leadership in the program.

"In short, Mario deserves this recognition because of his leadership in his research, teaching, scholarly discipline, and our community," Macrakis wrote.

Congratulations, Mario!

Bianchini will be honored at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on April 7, 2022. The eighth annual celebration honors exceptional alumni from each of the six academic schools and three Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Selected by the school from which they earned their degree or their respective ROTC unit, alumni are recognized for their significant contributions to the College, Institute, and the public welfare.