{"681454":{"#nid":"681454","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet CSE Profile: Grace Driskill","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGrace Driskill made Georgia Tech history when she arrived on campus in 2023. She is the first student-athlete to study computational science and engineering (CSE). While this is a notable benchmark, Driskill\u2019s achievements on the track and in the classroom defined her career at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a competitive runner, Driskill holds the fourth-fastest 3000-meter time in the history of Georgia Tech\u2019s women\u0027s indoor track program. Off the track, Driskill is a three-time All-ACC Academic team honoree on the women\u2019s cross-country and track teams, and in 2024, she received the College of Computing\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/college-computing-annual-awards-and-honors\u0022\u003EDonald V. Jackson Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe caught up with Driskill to learn more about her and how she balances academic and athletic responsibilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/computing-student-runs-history-books-athletic-and-academic-achievement\u0022\u003EComputing Student Runs into History Books for Athletic and Academic Achievement\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EGrace Driskill\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECurrent Degree Program:\u003C\/strong\u003E M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Interests\u003C\/strong\u003E: Computational biology, computing applications toward health\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHometown\u003C\/strong\u003E: Tucson, Arizona\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere are you from, and how did you get to Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI grew up in Tucson, Arizona. I attended the University of Arizona, earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science while running on the track and field team. When I finished my undergraduate, I still had two seasons of eligibility to run track. I looked into master\u2019s programs so that I could continue my athletic career and expand my horizons academically.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cards fell into place for me to come here. Georgia Tech has a great reputation as a school for computing and engineering. Additionally, the cross country and women\u2019s track coach,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/drosky-to-take-reins-of-cross-country-track-and-field-programs\/\u0022\u003EAlan Drosky\u003C\/a\u003E, is very experienced and knowledgeable in coaching distance runners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou are the first ever student-athlete in the School of CSE\u2019s history. What does this mean to you? What does it mean for the CSE program\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI didn\u2019t realize I was the first student-athlete in the School of CSE, but I think it\u2019s pretty cool. It is meaningful to me, and hopefully, others, because it goes against the thought that you need to fit into some typical mold to be a student-athlete or to study CSE.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECSE is a challenging degree for any student, let alone a student-athlete. What interested you about the program in the first place\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think the CSE program at Georgia Tech is unique; not many colleges in the U.S. offer a master\u2019s degree in the topic. I like the interdisciplinary nature of it. I enjoyed studying computer science during my undergraduate, but I thought leaning more into computing applications was an interesting opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECould you describe an average day for you as a CSE student-athlete\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter eating some breakfast and having a coffee, the first thing I typically do is go for an easy run that might be 3-8 miles. Then, I go to class or do homework for a few hours, making sure to take a break for lunch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt 3:30 p.m., I have practice with the team. This typically includes a higher-intensity run and exercises to practice form or help with strength and mobility. After practice, I usually stretch and take an ice bath for recovery. I typically get home around 6-6:30. Then, I\u2019ll eat dinner and maybe do some more work, but I try to get to bed at a decent hour.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat CSE research areas interest you most and why\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational biology and applications in healthcare. Health affects everyone throughout their lives, so it is an important topic. Additionally, there are many applications and different angles to use computing in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do you do to relax or for fun\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, I have been watching the TV show \u003Cem\u003ESeverance\u003C\/em\u003E. A new episode comes out weekly, so getting together with friends is something relaxing to look forward to. I also like to cook. When I have some free time, I enjoy taking a bit more time while cooking dinner to make something exciting or different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your proudest achievement at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast year, I qualified for the preliminary round of the track national championship. I love representing Georgia Tech at every competition throughout the season, but the opportunity to do it at a higher level and in a more prominent competition was extra special.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your plans after completing your M.S.\u003C\/strong\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduation, I will work at Sandia National Labs in their Technical Internships to Advance National Security (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sandia.gov\/careers\/career-possibilities-clone-2\/students-and-postdocs\/internships-co-ops\/institute-programs\/titans-technical-internships-to-advance-national-security\/\u0022\u003ETITANS\u003C\/a\u003E) program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGrace Driskill made Georgia Tech history when she arrived on campus in 2023. She is the first student-athlete to study computational science and engineering (CSE). While this is a notable benchmark, Driskill\u2019s achievements on the track and in the classroom defined her career at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a competitive runner, Driskill holds the fourth-fastest 3000-meter time in the history of Georgia Tech\u2019s women\u0027s indoor track program. Off the track, Driskill is a three-time All-ACC Academic team honoree on the women\u2019s cross-country and track teams, and in 2024, she received the College of Computing\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/college-computing-annual-awards-and-honors\u0022\u003EDonald V. Jackson Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe caught up with Driskill to learn more about her and how she balances academic and athletic responsibilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Meet Grace Driskill, the first-ever student-athlete in the School of Computational Science and Engineering who holds records in the history books of Georgia Tech\u0027s Cross Country and Track and Field teams and the College of Computing."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-03-31 13:23:39","changed_gmt":"2025-03-31 13:28:27","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676715":{"id":"676715","type":"image","title":"Meet-CSE-Grace-Driskill.jpg","body":null,"created":"1743427428","gmt_created":"2025-03-31 13:23:48","changed":"1743427428","gmt_changed":"2025-03-31 13:23:48","alt":"Meet CSE Profile: Grace Driskill","file":{"fid":"260538","name":"Meet-CSE-Grace-Driskill.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/31\/Meet-CSE-Grace-Driskill.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/31\/Meet-CSE-Grace-Driskill.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":131101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/31\/Meet-CSE-Grace-Driskill.jpg?itok=FRHz0Vln"}},"676716":{"id":"676716","type":"image","title":"Valentine-copy.PNG","body":null,"created":"1743427460","gmt_created":"2025-03-31 13:24:20","changed":"1743427460","gmt_changed":"2025-03-31 13:24:20","alt":"Grace Driskill Valentine Invitational","file":{"fid":"260539","name":"Valentine-copy.PNG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/31\/Valentine-copy.PNG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/31\/Valentine-copy.PNG","mime":"image\/png","size":708067,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/31\/Valentine-copy.PNG?itok=6iwCKgrT"}}},"media_ids":["676715","676716"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"172141","name":"GT athletics"},{"id":"188035","name":"cross country"},{"id":"174364","name":"track and field"},{"id":"191124","name":"women\u0027s athletics"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}