{"631863":{"#nid":"631863","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Focus Program Hosts Students and Postdocs From Over 90 Colleges and Universities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor almost three decades, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/focus.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Focus Program\u003C\/a\u003E has attracted top, diverse students from across the nation to its campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe annual graduate-recruitment weekend program provides participants an overview of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s graduate degree programs, including information on financial resources, and assistance with the application and decision-making processes involved in selecting a graduate school.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFocus Scholars \u0026ndash; undergraduate college and university students \u0026ndash; learned of the benefits of receiving an advanced degree, while Focus Fellows \u0026ndash; doctoral students who are one or two years away from graduation, and postdocs \u0026ndash; learned\u0026nbsp;the advantages of pursuing a career in academia.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I know Georgia Tech has a great track record of not only having some of the best engineering programs in the country, but it is also known for bringing in some of the best, most diverse students from all over the world.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 2020 program brought together 184 Scholar participants and 19 Focus Fellows (the largest Fellow cohort to date), from over 90 colleges and universities across the U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For me, it was important to visit the campus to learn first-hand about graduate opportunities here are Tech,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Cstrong\u003EAlexandria Hicks\u003C\/strong\u003E, a University of Chicago third-year undergraduate student. \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m interested in graduate programs that really look to help minority students find avenues to succeed.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFlorida International University undergraduate \u003Cstrong\u003EHeriberto Nieves\u003C\/strong\u003E shared Hicks\u0026rsquo; sentiment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m especially interested in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s biomedical engineering program,\u0026rdquo; Nieves said. \u0026ldquo;I was drawn to the Focus Program after taking on an internship here last summer. I want to know even more about what Tech has to offer, especially to someone like me.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;In the current era of high technological innovation, globalization, and interdisciplinary scholarship, any agenda towards progress and excellence must be inclusive, diverse, intentional, and dare I say, \u0026lsquo;focused,\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo; said \u003Cstrong\u003ESybrina Atwaters\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of the Focus Program and OMED: Educational Services, a unit of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/diversity.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EInstitute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.csdi.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Student Diversity and Inclusion\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Focus 2020 represented an Institute-wide commitment of over 40 faculty, staff, graduate students, and alumni dedicated to meeting this aim.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three-day program included opening and closing dinners; the annual President\u0026rsquo;s Dinner \u0026ndash; which included a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QFI8ubj0uZE\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\u0022\u003Efireside chat featuring \u003Cstrong\u003ECharles Isbell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, dean of the Georgia Tech College of Computing \u0026ndash; department and lab visits; workshops; and panel discussions on mentoring and graduate admissions led by Georgia Tech alumni and faculty members.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For 28 years now, Georgia Tech has offered the Focus graduate-recruitment program on the same weekend our nation celebrates the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr.,\u0026rdquo; opened \u003Cstrong\u003EArchie Ervin\u003C\/strong\u003E, vice president for Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, at the Friday President\u0026rsquo;s Dinner. \u0026ldquo;The Focus Program encourages the nation\u0026rsquo;s best and brightest diverse students to pursue graduate studies and careers in academia.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFive-year sponsor Intel Corporation also presented two Intel Fellowships worth $10,000 each to recipients at the conclusion of the President\u0026rsquo;s Dinner.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince its 1991 conception and opening weekend in January 1992, more than 3,200 students have participated in the program. Hundreds of former Focus Scholars are among Georgia Tech alumni who have earned master\u0026rsquo;s and doctoral degrees, while several Focus Fellows \u0026ndash; a program initiated in 2000 \u0026ndash; are current Georgia Tech faculty members.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute currently ranks third in the country in doctoral degrees in engineering awarded to all racial\/ethnic minority students and number one in doctoral degrees in engineering awarded to African Americans and Asian Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I know Georgia Tech has a great track record of not only having some of the best engineering programs in the country, but it is also known for bringing in some of the best, most diverse students from all over the world,\u0026rdquo; Nieves added. \u0026ldquo;That\u0026rsquo;s impressive to me.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the Focus Program, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.focus.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Efocus.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2020 Focus Program welcomed over 200 participants from more than 90 institutions across the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2020 Focus Program welcomed over 200 participants from more than 90 institutions across the country."}],"uid":"34932","created_gmt":"2020-01-29 21:57:47","changed_gmt":"2020-01-30 16:22:00","author":"Courtney Hill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"631864":{"id":"631864","type":"image","title":"2020 Focus Program Cohort","body":null,"created":"1580336571","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:22:51","changed":"1580336571","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:22:51","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240409","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (43).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2843%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2843%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":403202,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2843%29.jpg?itok=TlfGp23d"}},"631871":{"id":"631871","type":"image","title":"2020 Focus Fellows","body":null,"created":"1580338048","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:47:28","changed":"1580338048","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:47:28","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240419","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (50).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2850%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2850%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":297630,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2850%29.jpg?itok=jrLYPit2"}},"631866":{"id":"631866","type":"image","title":"Focus Program participants","body":null,"created":"1580336781","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:26:21","changed":"1580337835","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:43:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240412","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (44).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2844%29_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2844%29_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":287247,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2844%29_0.jpg?itok=I1R9gunH"}},"631865":{"id":"631865","type":"image","title":"Fireside chat featuring College of Computing Dean Charles Isbell at the 2020 Focus President\u0027s Dinner","body":null,"created":"1580336725","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:25:25","changed":"1580336725","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:25:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240411","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (45).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2845%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2845%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":230247,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2845%29.jpg?itok=ulK_lKJY"}},"631867":{"id":"631867","type":"image","title":"Focus participants took part in classroom visits across the campus","body":null,"created":"1580336891","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:28:11","changed":"1580336891","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:28:11","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240413","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (46).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2846%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2846%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":226564,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2846%29.jpg?itok=v87F9Dt6"}},"631870":{"id":"631870","type":"image","title":"Sponsor Intel Corp. presented two Focus Fellowships during the President\u0027s Dinner","body":null,"created":"1580337432","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:37:12","changed":"1580337432","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:37:12","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240417","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (49).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2849%29_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2849%29_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1044529,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2849%29_1.jpg?itok=_7do2BA8"}},"631868":{"id":"631868","type":"image","title":"2020 Focus Program","body":null,"created":"1580336983","gmt_created":"2020-01-29 22:29:43","changed":"1580337813","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 22:43:33","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240414","name":"Webp.net-resizeimage (47).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2847%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2847%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":325270,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Webp.net-resizeimage%20%2847%29.jpg?itok=P-cvtXbN"}}},"media_ids":["631864","631871","631866","631865","631867","631870","631868"],"groups":[{"id":"1313","name":"Institute Diversity"},{"id":"1307","name":"Office of Minority Education and Development (OMED)"},{"id":"322561","name":"Student Diversity Programs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"736","name":"diversity"},{"id":"366","name":"Graduate"},{"id":"120001","name":"postdoc"},{"id":"2336","name":"FOCUS"},{"id":"183766","name":"focus 2020"},{"id":"171646","name":"Focus Program"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECourtney Hill\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Manager\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nInstitue Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\ncourtney.hill@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["courtney.hill@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}