{"667010":{"#nid":"667010","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ivan Allen College Student to Serve on Atlanta LGBTQ Advisory Board","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVikas Madhav Nagarajan came to Georgia Tech to study public policy in hopes of eventually working in conservation or another environmental area. It turns out he\u2019s going to have an impact on LGBTQ policy in Atlanta, as well. \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENagarajan has been appointed to the LGBTQ Advisory Board for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The board makes recommendations for inclusive city policies and procedures, and ways the city can enhance engagement with LGBTQ residents, according to its website. \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENagarajan, who will serve on the Youth Affairs subcommittee, is excited to get working.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be approached to take on a position like this, and I\u2019m excited to contribute to making Atlanta as inclusive a place as possible,\u201d he said. \u201cI especially want to reach out to the trans community. I see them hurting, and it is my responsibility as a civilized human being and ally to step up and protect them.\u201d\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENagarajan arrived at Georgia Tech in 2021 after receiving a degree in chemical engineering in India, a subject the avid birdwatcher and environmentalist chose to gain insights into how industrial society can degrade the environment.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe is now studying for the Master of Science in Public Policy and expects to graduate in May. He said the opportunities he has been afforded as an Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts student, including U.S. House and Senate internships, have set him up well for this role, and his future.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been well-nurtured and well taken care of,\u201d he said. \u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduation, he hopes to land a job in Washington helping legislators make sound environmental policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENagarajan\u202fencouraged LGBTQ students seeking to make a difference like he is to get involved through organizations such as Georgia Tech\u0027s LGBTQIA Resource Center or Georgia Tech Pride Alliance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENagarajan also had a message for fellow LGBTQ students at Georgia Tech and beyond: \u201cI know there are a lot of queer people who especially right now are feeling unseen and who are scared. I want to assure them that there are people who are there for them.\u201d\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDo not let Twitter anxiety dictate your life,\u201d he said.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPublic Policy student Vikas Madhav Nagarajan has joined Atlanta\u0027s LGBTQ Advisory Board and hopes to help make the city a more inclusive place.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Public Policy student Vikas Madhav Nagarajan has joined Atlanta\u0027s LGBTQ Advisory Board and hopes to help make the city a more inclusive place."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2023-03-31 21:25:21","changed_gmt":"2023-04-11 13:20:42","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670411":{"id":"670411","type":"image","title":"Vikas Madhav Nagarajan, a master\u0027s student in the School of Public Policy, has been appointed to the LGBTQ Advisory Board for Atlanta Mayor\u00a0Andre Dickens.","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EVikas Madhav Nagarajan, a master\u0027s student in the School of Public Policy, has been appointed to the LGBTQ Advisory Board for Atlanta Mayor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EAndre Dickens.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1680298107","gmt_created":"2023-03-31 21:28:27","changed":"1680298107","gmt_changed":"2023-03-31 21:28:27","alt":"A student wearing a blue shirt and rainbow button stands on the rainbow steps outside Klaus Advanced Computing Building","file":{"fid":"253251","name":"vikas lgbtq advisory board.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/03\/31\/vikas%20lgbtq%20advisory%20board.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/03\/31\/vikas%20lgbtq%20advisory%20board.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1631416,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/03\/31\/vikas%20lgbtq%20advisory%20board.jpg?itok=z1AGaIgl"}}},"media_ids":["670411"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}