{"689761":{"#nid":"689761","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Career Conversations Take Center Stage at Annual Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe College of Sciences honored\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.boehringer-ingelheim.com\/us\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Boehringer Ingelheim\u003C\/a\u003E as its 2026 Internship Employer of the Year during the Students and Alumni Leadership Dinner, an annual event designed to foster meaningful connections between alumni and students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is incredible power in alumni stories,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESusan Lozier\u003C\/strong\u003E, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair. \u201cIt\u2019s inspiring for students to speak with alumni in the workforce, hear how they landed their first jobs, and learn from their successes\u0026nbsp;\u2014\u0026nbsp;and their setbacks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClaire Haskell\u003C\/strong\u003E (Mathematics 2025) recently obtained her first job with Deloitte and\u0026nbsp;attended the dinner to offer perspective to current students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI want to reassure students still in school that, even in today\u2019s uncertain times, getting a job is still really doable and not as out of reach as it seems. Meeting Tech alumni is a great first step.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Night of Networking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences Career Educator Program Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stringfellow\u003C\/strong\u003E and Director of Alumni Relations\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELeslie Roberts\u003C\/strong\u003E organized the annual signature career event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe put on events like this because we want all of our students ready for their next opportunity,\u201d says Stringfellow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESecond-year psychology major\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAleena Sange\u003C\/strong\u003E attended the event for the first time, and says she will be back next year. \u201cThe alumni were really helpful and reassuring,\u201d says Sange. \u201cI learned what employers look for in a resume and even received advice about contract negotiations and retirement.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFirst-year astrophysics student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShannon Callahan\u003C\/strong\u003E agrees. \u201cWhat struck me the most was hearing how well Georgia Tech prepares you for the workforce. It gave me a lot of confidence to hear that Tech alumni\u0026nbsp;hit the ground running because they\u2019re used to learning quickly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe evening included casual and more structured networking, with students rotating between tables on topics such as \u201cUsing AI in the Workplace,\u201d \u201cHandling Conflict,\u201d and \u201cHow to Get Hired in the Real World.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJanessa Rowland\u003C\/strong\u003E (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2014) works as an operations program manager for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. She\u0026nbsp;encouraged students to think beyond their major\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cSometimes an internship or class outside your major can open up the door for what you can do after Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMorgan Foreman\u003C\/strong\u003E (Psychology 2017), a technical product manager at IBM, offered encouraging insight: \u201cPeople often tell you college is the best years of your life. Georgia Tech also sets you up for your dream life after college.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Internship Employer of the Year\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDuring the festivities, Stringfellow announced\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBoehringer Ingelheim\u003C\/strong\u003E as the Internship Employer of the Year. The award honors a company that provides a high-quality learning environment for student interns.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArya Akbarshahi\u003C\/strong\u003E, a biochemistry major who spent a semester doing a co-op job at the company, presented the award, thanking the\u0026nbsp;biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health\u0026nbsp;for the learning experience provided.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cCo-oping at Boehringer Ingelheim was one of the most formative experiences in my training. From day one, I was trusted as a scientist, which allowed me to formulate hypotheses and execute experiments with direct implications for drug development strategy and decisions,\u201d\u0026nbsp; says\u0026nbsp;Akbarshahi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter presenting the award to\u0026nbsp;Boehringer Ingelheim\u0026nbsp;Senior Scientist\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Marc Sprouse\u003C\/strong\u003E, Akbarshahi also presented a surprise mentorship award to Sprouse.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMarc was an exceptional mentor,\u201d says Akbarshahi. \u201cHe challenged me to think critically about the biology, not just the assay, and consistently created space for me to take ownership and operate at a higher level.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESprouse accepted both awards and spoke of the benefits of working while still in school: \u201cGetting real-world work experience while in school sets students up for success. I encourage all College of Science students to check out our website and apply for future co-ops and internships.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe event provided an opportunity for students and alumni to network and engage in career-focused discussions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The event provided an opportunity for students and alumni to network and engage in career-focused discussions."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-04-15 15:16:31","changed_gmt":"2026-04-15 18:18:56","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679954":{"id":"679954","type":"image","title":"Leslie Roberts, David Gaston, Susan Lozier, Marc Sprouse, Arya Akbarshahi, Andrea Comsa, and James Stringfellow","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELeslie Roberts, David Gaston, Susan Lozier, Marc Sprouse, Arya Akbarshahi, Andrea Comsa, and James Stringfellow\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776266242","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 15:17:22","changed":"1776266242","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 15:17:22","alt":"7 people standing in a line","file":{"fid":"264180","name":"IMG_2039.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2039.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2039.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3282162,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2039.jpg?itok=U6KYSVZ7"}},"679960":{"id":"679960","type":"image","title":"Chris Kwan (Mathematics 2019) leads a discussion about optimizing a science degree in the job search.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Kwan (Mathematics 2019) leads a discussion about optimizing a science degree in the job search.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776268996","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 16:03:16","changed":"1776268996","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 16:03:16","alt":"A group sits around a round table","file":{"fid":"264187","name":"IMG_2052.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2052_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2052_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2111678,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2052_0.jpg?itok=JkSIkozq"}},"679961":{"id":"679961","type":"image","title":" Mark Sprouse and Arya Akbarshahi","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Mark Sprouse and Arya Akbarshahi\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776269553","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 16:12:33","changed":"1776270011","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 16:20:11","alt":"A man and a male college student shake hands and hold up an award.","file":{"fid":"264188","name":"IMG_2048.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2048.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2048.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3072561,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/IMG_2048.jpg?itok=8L_C_f5l"}}},"media_ids":["679954","679960","679961"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/students-and-alumni-connect-networking-event","title":"Students and Alumni Connect at Networking Event"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-hosts-first-ever-student-employer-networking-expo","title":"College of Sciences Hosts First-Ever Student-Employer Networking Expo"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}