{"541061":{"#nid":"541061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Project ENGAGES Celebrates","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThere was President Barack Obama, larger than life, on the big screen of the Suddath Seminar Room in the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIt was a video of the president\u2019s recent commencement address at Howard University, but he might as well have been talking directly to the Project ENGAGES students that packed the room, along with their families, mentors, teachers, and other well wishers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cWe cannot sleepwalk through life,\u201d President Obama said. \u201cWe cannot be ignorant of history.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAnd so, mindfulness as well as high-minded science was on display in the Petit Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology as the Project ENGAGES community came together to recognize the past and honor the present, bidding farewell to 14 departing senior students at an end-of-year celebration on May 16.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThe video was Manu Platt\u2019s idea. The co-founder and co-director of Project ENGAGES (with Petit Institute founding director Bob Nerem), Platt was beginning his career as a college professor around the time Obama was beginning his career as leader of the free world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cThis will be our last Project ENGAGES class with President Obama as our president,\u201d Platt told the audience, before sharing the video. \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about that in a big way, because it\u2019s been an interesting journey.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EENGAGES (Engaging New Generations at Georgia Tech through Engineering and Science) was developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2012 partnership with several minority-serving public high schools in Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a year-round education and work program that brings top-performing high school students into Petit Institute labs, where they are exposed to concepts and ideas and equipped with the skills and knowledge to carry out their own independent research projects. It\u2019s part school, part job.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EAs Nerem explained in his opening remarks, the program\u2019s first cohort of high school students arrived in 2013 \u2013 five rising juniors, and five rising seniors that went off to college in 2014. The program added an engineering track to the biotechnology track, and in May 2015, 16 students graduated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThis year\u2019s group of 14 seniors presented their independent research projects at the end-of-year celebration, and were then recognized with certificates and a new emblem of their success, a special graduation cord, introduced by Lakeita Servance, the educational outreach manager who directs the day-to-day processes of Project ENGAGES and moderated the event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EEach of the seniors has big plans, built on their ENGAGES experience, following their graduation from the participating high schools (B.E.S.T. Academy, Coretta Scott King Young Women\u2019s Leadership Academy, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, and Benjamin E. Mays High School):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Taren Carter (CSK), mentored by Alexis Noel in the lab of David Hu, will attend Birmingham-Southern College in the fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Alexus Clark (CSK), mentored by Jessica Falcone in the lab of Ravi Bellamkonda, is staying close to home \u2013 she\u2019s attending Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Makala Faniel (KIPP), mentored by Diane England in the Heat Transfer, Combustion, and Energy Systems Lab, is going the Ivy League route when she starts attending the University of Pennsylvania this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022Taylor Garlington (Mays), mentored by Jessica Pater in the Georgia Tech Research Institute Information and Communications System Lab, will study at both Spellman College and Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Jaylyn Gordon (KIPP), an engineering track student mentored by Sheila Isbell, plans to attend Georgia Tech in the fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Nicole Gullatt (Mays), mentored by Stephen Schwaner in the lab of Ross Ethier, will study at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Kendreze Holland (B.E.S.T.), mentored by Andrew Shockey in Platt\u2019s lab, will attend Georgia State University this fall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Kristen Kelley (Mays), mentored by Melissa Alvarado-Velez in the Bellamkonda lab, is going to Wesleyan College.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Dezmanique Martin (KIPP), also mentored by Sheila Isbell at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, will study computer science at Duke University this fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Jada Maxwell (Mays), who worked in the Platt lab under the mentorship of Akia Parks, is choosing to serve in the United States Marine Corps before going to college.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Asha Scott (KIPP), mentored by Caitlin Sok in the lab of Ed Botchwey, plans to attend Middle Tennessee State.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Jessie Smith (B.E.S.T.), mentored by Colin Usher in the GTRI Aerospace Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory, will attend to Georgia Tech, which means six of this year\u2019s class of graduating ENGAGES scholars will return to familiar territory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u2022 Qwantayvious Stiggers (B.E.S.T.), who was mentored by Kristen Parratt-Gordon in the lab of Krishnendu Roy, will attend the University of Michigan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EToward the end of the evening, as part of his closing remarks, Platt played the video of the president\u2019s speech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cYes, you\u2019ve worked hard, but you\u2019ve also been lucky,\u201d Obama said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EThere was something Platt wanted to add, and it had to do with paying the luck forward, for future generations of ENGAGES scholars and their peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve heard luck defined as what happens when preparation meets opportunity,\u201d Platt said. \u201cIt\u2019s important not to forget that we have been lucky. Your parents, your families, your friends and we here at Project ENGAGES \u2013 we\u2019ve all helped prepare you. Now it\u2019s time for you to go out and make the most of the opportunities in front of you. Then, in a few years, turn around and make some luck for somebody else.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONTACT:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p2\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"End of year event honors graduating high school seniors"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EEnd of year event honors graduating high school seniors\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"End of year event honors graduating high school seniors"}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2016-05-31 14:52:53","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:49","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"541041":{"id":"541041","type":"image","title":"Stiggers shadow","body":null,"created":"1464804000","gmt_created":"2016-06-01 18:00:00","changed":"1475895331","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:31","alt":"Stiggers shadow","file":{"fid":"89756","name":"stiggers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stiggers.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/stiggers.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2019733,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/stiggers.jpg?itok=AWnC-umv"}},"541051":{"id":"541051","type":"image","title":"Weems","body":null,"created":"1464804000","gmt_created":"2016-06-01 18:00:00","changed":"1475895331","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:31","alt":"Weems","file":{"fid":"89757","name":"weems.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weems.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/weems.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1370797,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/weems.jpg?itok=yI5ZYMpp"}},"541031":{"id":"541031","type":"image","title":"Akia Parks","body":null,"created":"1464804000","gmt_created":"2016-06-01 18:00:00","changed":"1475895331","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:31","alt":"Akia Parks","file":{"fid":"89755","name":"mentor.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mentor.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mentor.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3469014,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mentor.jpg?itok=6JLe09Y6"}}},"media_ids":["541041","541051","541031"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"126581","name":"go-ProjectEngages"},{"id":"172090","name":"go_engages"},{"id":"114621","name":"Project ENGAGES"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003Cbr \/\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for\u003Cbr \/\u003EBioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}