{"689215":{"#nid":"689215","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Built for the Long Run ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs vice provost for Enrollment Management, Rick Clark develops strategies to expand access to Georgia Tech and help students find their path here. As an ultra trail runner, Clark understands that, while there may be twists and turns along the way, perseverance and a steady approach are vital when the path ahead seems daunting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe started running as conditioning for soccer, but as he looked for new challenges, he discovered ultra trail running \u2014 any course longer than a traditional marathon. The longest race he\u2019s completed was a 60-mile trek in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, in a torrential downpour. Not concerned with the leaderboards, Clark says he runs to test his limits and reach new personal highs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSometimes you find yourself far from the finish line, wondering if you can keep going, but that\u2019s when you know you really have to dig deep. In those moments, I put my hands on my knees, look at the ground, count to three, and go again. Eventually, you\u2019ll have this moment where one second you\u2019re wondering \u2018Why am I doing this?\u2019 or thinking you won\u2019t do it again, and then a day later you\u2019re looking at what races are coming up and asking yourself, \u2018What can I do next?\u2019\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether it\u2019s training for his next race or working toward Institute-wide goals \u2014 becoming a top university for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/25\/georgia-tech-tops-princeton-reviews-best-value-list\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereturn on investment\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.em.gatech.edu\/2025\/08\/18\/over-5400-undergraduates-join-georgia-tech\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eenrolling students\u003C\/a\u003E from all 159 Georgia counties, or expanding access through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/29\/georgia-tech-has-historic-fundraising-year\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eneed-based scholarships\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 Clark is energized by the work that precedes the payoff and sees that mindset on the trail and at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I love about being at Georgia Tech is that nobody\u2019s satisfied with the status quo. Nobody is satisfied with what we\u2019ve done. There\u2019s always this ambition among our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to ask how we can get better.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClark has worked in various roles during his 25 years in higher education, including more than 20 years at Tech. Noting the parallel between his work and his hobby, Clark says that neither running 60 miles nor paying off a \u2018\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/04\/georgia-techs-big-bets-delivering-record-results\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebig bet\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019 happens all at once, and that it\u2019s important to celebrate small victories along the way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHigher education is an ultramarathon,\u201d he said. \u201cIn trail running, there are aid stations along the course. You might go miles between them, but when you reach an intersection, and there\u2019s a group willing to share a snack and a drink by the fire, that\u2019s a point to celebrate that you\u2019ve made it that far. And that\u2019s higher education, too. We keep the end goals in mind, but it\u2019s a long course, and you\u2019re never going to just sprint to the end.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClark also stresses that both on the trail and on campus, nothing is achieved alone. He says that his support system \u2014 family, friends, and fellow trail runners \u2014 is with him every step of the way during races, and that same level of support and collaboration is also critical to shared success at Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinding time to train can be challenging, but having learned from his experience co-authoring a book\u0026nbsp; \u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.press.jhu.edu\/books\/title\/53665\/truth-about-college-admission?srsltid=AfmBOormi34Lhxq0gtLxa2o04E7WUuNPc8yFCokvcQ4IOsIAEdLzDJgF\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u2014 Clark takes any opportunity to fit a \u201ctherapeutic\u201d run into his daily schedule, even if it\u2019s at 4 a.m. or 11 p.m. Training and planning for any hurdle that may arise are what Clark says keeps him calm, even when adversity hits.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven success can create new challenges, and with that comes some long days and tough decisions where you don\u2019t know if you\u2019re taking the right path. With trail running, you may end up a mile off course sometimes, and while that can be discouraging, you know it\u2019s a chance to trust your training, not lose your composure, stay resilient, and keep going until the end,\u201d Clark said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcceptance to Georgia Tech can feel like the beginning of a race, and Clark and the enrollment management team want to ensure that every student has the opportunity to run it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe strongly in the idea that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not, and that\u0027s what we\u0027re focused on: expanding that opportunity. For a student who has the ability, we need to be a place that gives them the chance to come here, and then support them when they are here, to ensure they can take advantage of all the resources Tech has to offer.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":" With the mindset of an ultra trail runner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark approaches his goals one step at a time.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith the mindset of an ultra trail runner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark approaches his goals one step at a time.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" With the mindset of an ultra trail runner, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark approaches his goals one step at a time.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-03-27 13:58:36","changed_gmt":"2026-03-30 14:21:16","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679769":{"id":"679769","type":"video","title":"The Long Run \u2014 Jackets of All Trades: Rick Clark","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of Jackets of All Trades, we meet Rick Clark, Georgia Tech\u2019s Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and an ultra\u2011trail marathon runner. From navigating grueling endurance races to guiding students through one of the most consequential decisions of their lives, Rick reflects on how perseverance, discipline, and long\u2011term vision inform both his personal passions and his professional purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774807533","gmt_created":"2026-03-29 18:05:33","changed":"1774807533","gmt_changed":"2026-03-29 18:05:33","video":{"youtube_id":"A9-yAdoc6qY","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/A9-yAdoc6qY?si=6bSL4YZl-Sxi8eJn"}},"679755":{"id":"679755","type":"image","title":"Rick Clark","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVice Provost for Enrollment Management Rick Clark participates in an ultramarathon. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774620056","gmt_created":"2026-03-27 14:00:56","changed":"1774620056","gmt_changed":"2026-03-27 14:00:56","alt":"Rick Clark","file":{"fid":"263954","name":"Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/27\/Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/27\/Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1304898,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/27\/Screenshot-2026-03-25-at-6.02.24-PM.png?itok=f01lHREk"}}},"media_ids":["679769","679755"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194316","name":"enrollment management"},{"id":"27271","name":"Rick Clark"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStory Produced by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:meavenson@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicah Eavenson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:julian.hills@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJulian Hills\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}