Results from a career survey conducted by the Georgia Tech Career Center make one point incredibly clear: College of Sciences students want networking events.

College of Sciences Career Education Program Manager James Stringfellow is happy to oblige; he labels the twice-yearly Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner the premier networking event for College of Sciences students.

“Students want to connect with alumni who understand the Georgia Tech experience — and can provide advice about successfully navigating a career journey,” says Stringfellow.

Director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Engagement Leslie Roberts organizes the event with Stringfellow, recruiting alumni to return and offer their insights to students.

“Our College of Sciences alumni are a valuable student resource,” says Roberts. “It’s empowering for students to speak to alumni who are thriving in the workplace and willing to offer practical advice based on their experiences.”

A Night for Networking

Susan Lozier, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair,  kicked off the event with a special question and answer session during which she discussed the current state of the College and future goals, then led students and alumni in a candid discussion of AI in the workplace and on campus.

“I appreciated the transparency,” says Dalya Dunoff, a second-year neuroscience student. “As a student in a relatively new major, it was especially nice to hear about campus interdisciplinary research.”

After the session with Dean Lozier, students informally connected with alumni and then took part in speed networking, rotating between tables focused on topics such as making good career decisions, negotiating workplace conflicts, and getting hired in the real world.

“I attended to talk to alumni and find out how they leveraged their degree into a career. I also came to work on my networking skills in a no-pressure setting,” says Cate Doyle, a second-year student double majoring in biology and applied languages who recently secured an internship with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Graduating in May, fourth-year biology student Reniya Thompson appreciated the opportunity to speak with alumni.

“I enjoyed hearing about their career paths,” says Thompson. “It was interesting to learn how so many of them used their degree to get a job — and then pivoted in an entirely different direction.”

Alumni are equally enthusiastic about connecting with students.

“It’s my first experience with the Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner, and I greatly enjoyed the conversations and questions,” says Chief Executive of Zulu Airline Systems Gary Bush, (Ph.D. BCh 1981). “These bright and ambitious students give me encouragement about the future.” 

Applied biology alumna Lana Tracy, a science, medical, and health specialist at HealthHIV, also attended for the first time.

“It was a fun evening — today’s students are so prepared and ready to take on the world!” adds Tracy.

Alumni interested in sharing their career insights at the Fall 2025 Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner should reach out to Director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Engagement Leslie Roberts at leslie.roberts@cos.gatech.edu.