{"670379":{"#nid":"670379","#data":{"type":"news","title":"\u0027Diversity Champion\u0027 Credits Passion for DEI to Her Family\u0027s Immigrant Experience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDiversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is much more than a job for Ana Rusch. It\u2019s who she is.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERusch is Associate Director of DEI and Student Life in the College of Computing. She was recognized recently as a Diversity Champion at Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th Annual Diversity Champion Awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is an honor and a privilege to receive this award. As a first-generation Cuban immigrant, first-generation college graduate, and as a woman, this award is very personal to me,\u201d said Rusch. \u201cBeing nominated by my colleagues for this award makes me, as a Latina, feel incredibly supported and celebrated, which speaks volumes to how committed Georgia Tech is to DEI.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERusch grew up in Miami with her mom and maternal grandparents. She recalls being passionate about DEI before really understanding what it meant. She credits this to her family, who always taught her to value and respect every person as an individual.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy journey allowed me to feel a deep sense of empathy for others that strengthened the example my family set for me growing up,\u201d said Rusch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe disadvantaged position she and her family were in as immigrants in the U.S. also fueled her passion. Like most when they first arrived, the family lacked institutional knowledge, social capital, and generational wealth.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHow can you not support DEI when you have experienced what it means not to have it in your life,\u201d said Rusch. \u201cDiversity, equity, and inclusion inspires achievement, drives excellence, and motivates innovation. When we champion DEI, we champion greatness and the ability to improve the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith her passion for DEI shining brightly, Rusch began her quest to improve the world at Florida International University (FIU). She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in international relations with second majors in political science and geography, a master\u2019s degree in geography, and a Ph.D. in sociology, all from FIU.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHer experience at FIU deeply impacted Rusch. The faculty she met, the courses she took, and the books she read changed her. Her view of the world began to change as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of the things I was introduced to really painted the world in brighter colors and allowed me to see DEI through different lenses, which fully developed my passion for DEI,\u201d said Rusch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter earning her Ph.D. in 2018, Rusch joined the College of Computing in 2021. She primarily supports the College\u2019s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) program. As associate director of DEI and student life, Rusch helped create the\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/inclusion-and-community-top-priorities-omscs-women-tech-seminar\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOMSCS Women in Tech Seminar\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fand\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/buzz-delivers-jolt-school-pride-part-inaugural-omscs-welcome-week\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOMSCS Welcome Week\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Georgia tech College of Computing Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 graphic\u0022 height=\u0022299\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/general\/2023\/Hispanic%20Heritage%20Month_0.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022500\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy goal is to ensure that all of our students feel cared for, heard, seen, and respected,\u201d said Rusch. \u201cFor me, this is a basic human right.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the OMSCS program, Rusch has a broader goal of recruiting and retaining Hispanic, Latina, and other diverse students in computing and other STEM fields. She says only about 2% of workers in computing were Hispanic or Latina in 2022.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis tells us something. We need to introduce STEM fields to young Hispanics and Latinas from an early age, grow equitable access to these fields, increase representation, and fund more educational opportunities,\u201d said Rusch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have to give a huge shout-out to Georgia Tech, the College of Computing, and OMSCS for their commitment to increasing and retaining diverse students, faculty, and staff.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAna Rusch, Associate Director of DEI and Student Life in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, drawing inspiration from her personal journey as a first-generation Cuban immigrant and working passionately to create a more inclusive world, particularly in STEM fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ana Rusch, Associate Director of DEI and Student Life in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, drawing inspiration from her personal journey as a first-generation Cuban immigrant and working pas"}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2023-10-12 01:51:19","changed_gmt":"2023-10-12 02:03:39","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672018":{"id":"672018","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech College of Computing associate director of DEI, Ana Rusch speaking at the Spring 2023 OMSCS Conference.","body":null,"created":"1697076058","gmt_created":"2023-10-12 02:00:58","changed":"1697076058","gmt_changed":"2023-10-12 02:00:58","alt":"Georgia Tech College of Computing associate director of DEI, Ana Rusch speaking at the Spring 2023 OMSCS Conference.","file":{"fid":"255196","name":"ana-rusch-omscs-conference-spring2023.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/11\/ana-rusch-omscs-conference-spring2023.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/11\/ana-rusch-omscs-conference-spring2023.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":83494,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/11\/ana-rusch-omscs-conference-spring2023.jpg?itok=aC1hA-Hk"}}},"media_ids":["672018"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"431631","name":"OMS"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"127031","name":"Diversity Champion Awards"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker, Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}