{"188001":{"#nid":"188001","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students, Faculty Come Together in ThinkBig Communities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETaking backstage tours of the Fox Theatre, attending Braves legend Chipper Jones\u2019 farewell game and getting to know a professor\u2019s family are just a few things Kelly Allen has experienced through ThinkBig that she might not have otherwise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey actually offer tours of the Fox all the time, but I never would have known were it not for ThinkBig,\u201d said Allen, a third-year biochemistry major from Acworth. Allen is part of ThinkBig\u2019s community known as ATL: the 411 on the 404, one of nine living-learning communities being offered to students for the 2013-14 academic year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThinkBig communities give students the chance to pursue a topic throughout the year under the leadership of a dedicated faculty member. ThinkBig students live in designated areas of residence halls, meet weekly with faculty leaders for informal discussions and participate in outings related to the topic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s unlike any other way to get to know a professor,\u201d Allen said. \u201cIt\u2019s refreshing that they want to spend time with students, and it makes you realize some faculty really do care about students.\u201d The ATL community wasn\u2019t originally her and her roommate\u2019s first choice for ThinkBig, but they enjoyed it and Doug Flamming\u2019s leadership so much the first year that they signed up for a second year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew this year is Center Stage: The Performing Arts and Georgia Tech, a community \u0026nbsp;led by DramaTech\u2019s artistic director Melissa Foulger, and the Applied Humor community is \u0026nbsp;a variation of the humor-themed program of years past, this time focusing on how to use humor in a practical way, such as injecting it into presentations. But, no matter the community or topic, students have the opportunity to get to know faculty outside of the school setting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThinkBig is a great way to bring faculty and students together in an informal environment where they\u2019re still learning, but it\u2019s not in the classroom,\u201d said Sally Hammock, ThinkBig program manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost professors work with students at the beginning of the program and then throughout the year to get ideas for outings, as well as to ensure that the ThinkBig experience is shaped by student preferences. This approach is in keeping with Georgia Tech\u2019s 25-year strategic plan to enrich the student experience through increased student-faculty interaction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThinkBig alumni still look back fondly on the program and appreciate the social community that came from the experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLiving in IHouse defined my college experience,\u201d said Craig Miller (MGT 2009). \u201cI now have a global community of friends, and it gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities outside of the U.S.\u201d Miller now lives in Seoul, South Korea, and found the first people to welcome him to the city were former IHouse residents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA $150 fee per semester covers ThinkBig participation, including costs associated with outings, food or programming. Other funding comes from the Center for Academic Enrichment and Department of Housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELearn more, including how to sign up, at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/thinkbig.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ethinkbig.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E. The deadline for all communities is Thursday, Feb. 28, unless otherwise noted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe following are the 2013-14 ThinkBig communities:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApplied Humor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ludovice\u0022\u003EPeter Ludovice\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EATL:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;The 411 on the 404\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.hts.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/flamming\u0022\u003EDouglas Flamming\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter Stage: The Performing Arts and Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/staff.php\u0022\u003EMelissa Foulger\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational House (IHouse) \u2014\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/faculty-and-staff\/faculty\/bio\/comfort\u0022\u003EKelly Comfort\u003C\/a\u003E (deadline Feb. 8)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKids@Nature\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/people\/al-merrill\u0022\u003EAlfred Merrill\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELife in Art and Imagination\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.arch.gatech.edu\/people\/w-jude-leblanc\u0022\u003EJude LeBlanc\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.coa.gatech.edu\/people\/sonit-bafna\u0022\u003ESonit Bafna\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainability and Outdoor Leadership\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/aboutus\/faculty\/danielmatisoff\u0022\u003EDaniel Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThought for Food\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/faculty\/thio\u0022\u003EYonathan Thio\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWomen, Science, and Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2014 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/faculty-and-staff\/faculty\/bio\/colatrella\u0022\u003ECarol Colatrella\u003C\/a\u003E (deadline Feb. 1)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESince 2008, ThinkBig has been Tech\u2019s program for living-learning communities in on-campus housing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Since 2008, ThinkBig has been Tech\u2019s program for living-learning communities in on-campus housing."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2013-01-30 12:10:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:33","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-01-31T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"188721":{"id":"188721","type":"image","title":"ThinkBig Group Attends Braves Game","body":null,"created":"1449179101","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:45:01","changed":"1475894835","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:15","alt":"ThinkBig Group Attends Braves 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Housing\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}