“I always end my courses with a poem and students seem to like that…sometimes it’s a quote and it’s just a nice way of connecting,” said Dr. Robert Thomas, Professor of Practice at the Scheller College of Business and Director of Leadership Education at the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact.

Dr. Thomas had a fireside chat with us to discuss why he has always valued the idea of driving connection and empathy in educational settings via the use of quotes and poetry. When all coursework and educational experiences quickly shifted to being online in spring 2020, Dr. Thomas reflected…

A new initiative of the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact (ILSI) is connecting Georgia Tech students with community organizations (nonprofits and civic start-ups) for long-term engagements. ‘The collaboration is driven by the community partner: they bring us the project; are actively involved in the selection, onboarding, and mentoring of the student who then receives a stipend from ILSI in support of their work on the project.’ explains ILSI Managing Director, Dori Pap. ‘The pandemic left many of our students without internship plans, and at the same time, the non-profit sector offers a wide variety of amazing opportunities for learning…

Chris Abrams is a second-year MBA student at Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business who has a background in the healthcare IT sector in revenue cycle management for health systems. After hearing about Scheller’s unique Pro Bono Consulting program from peers, he knew he wanted to get involved and to do a practicum while completing his MBA. When he found out about the opportunity to work with he was thrilled. Here is why he said:

“Extra Good is an Atlanta-based nonprofit in the medical surplus recovery (MSRO) space. They create channels to deliver medical products from manufacturers and health systems…

How does a GT grad apply her United Nations internship experience to her current role as a Program Manager at Microsoft? A course on Servant Leadership taught by ILSI’s Dr. Bob Thomas helped Tammy VuPham make that connection.

Tammy VuPham, a current program manager at Microsoft, studied Service Design at the Georgia Tech College of Design from 2015–2019, which has really informed how she operates as a professional today. She started her collegiate journey as an International Affairs major and in the summer of 2017, Tammy earned a coveted internship experience at the United Nations (UN)!

With the ultimate dream…

Shaping the Vote in a Time of Uncertainty

By Jasmine Burton (Global Shapers Atlanta Hub Equity and Inclusion Lead) and Courtni Andrews (Global Shapers Atlanta Racial Equity Lead)

2020 continues to be a time of unprecedented challenge at the intersection of mass crises that span a public health pandemic, modern day civil rights and racial reckoning movements, and a fragile global economy. We can say without hesitation that this is a period of immense pain and darkness.

However, as generations before us have collectively risen above the challenges, tragedies and crises of their times to pave a “new normal” for us, now is our time to rise.

As proud members of the Atlanta Global Shapers hub, we are honored to be in community with fellow millennial thought-leaders that are passionate…

“What is Leadership?” Derivatives of this question have been the roots of much of Dr. James Lemoine’s research and career. In his latest he asks the audience “as a leader or someone who wants to be a leader — think about what your team or organization does. Is your cause noble and worth doing?”

He subsequently says in the talk that “there is an approach to leadership — one that shares power rather than hoarding it; one that puts others first, develops them and helps them to grow and succeed; and one that gets together with teammates to talk about…

Jasmine Burton sat down for a virtual fireside chat with Chuck Easley, who recently joined the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact.

“When people know you’re from Atlanta, you see hope in their eyes, because they can point to what’s going on [and what has happened in this city] as an example of the potential of what can happen [related to equity and inclusion]. And I think Georgia Tech, as a part of Atlanta, is positioned quite well for continued social impact — from a partnership, an allyship, and full engagement standpoint.”

As a Georgia native and Georgia Tech Alumnus…

Interviewed and Transcribed by Lilly Khorsand and Calbeth Alaribe on behalf of Women in Global Health.

Black History month recently passed, as a woman of color in the U.S. what does this month mean to you?

Jaz: My relationship with Black history plays a major role in my personal story and development. I grew up in a predominantly white community in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, often as one of a very small number of people of color and more specifically Black women. I viewed myself as mostly one dimensional and held myself to unrealistic, unhealthy, and unsustainable expectations in…