Whistle
Georgia Tech’s Faculty/Staff Newspaper • Vol. 35, No 15 • August 30, 2010
THE
GTENS
This is Only a Test
Georgia Tech’s Office of
Emergency Preparedness will
conduct a full-scale test of its
emergency systems at 11 a.m.
on Thursday, September 2.
www.gatech.edu/
emergency/notification
UPDATE
Orange Cone Network
Stay on top of the latest construction projects and their
associated impact on campus
operations:
www.facilities.gatech.edu/
notices.php
EVENTS
ARTS & CULTURE
September 11
The Ferst Center for the Arts opens
its 2010-11 season with an 8 p.m.
performance by Debbie Reynolds. For
tickets, call 404-894-9600.
www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu
September 17
The Ferst Center for the Arts welcomes the instrumental crossover
group Break of Reality for two free
performances. The concert will be
held outdoors, weather permitting, in
the amphitheater on the right side of
the Ferst Center twice: at noon and
again at 5 p.m.
www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu
___________________________________
CONFERENCES
AND LECTURES
September 1
The College of Management’s
IMPACT Speaker Series features
Donna Callejon, chief business officer
of GlobalGiving, at 4:30 p.m. in the
LeCraw Auditorium.
www.ile.gatech.edu
September 2
All faculty, staff and students are invited to hear Anthony Walesby, a finalist
for the position of vice president of
Institute Diversity, discuss his candidacy and qualifications at 11 a.m. in
room 222, Global Learning Center.
www.gatech.edu/president/VPID.
html
September 2
The School of Chemistry and
Biochemistry welcomes Columbia
University Professor Laura Kaufman
on “Vignettes on Crowding: Cells,
Gels, and Glasses” in room G011 of
the MSE Building.
Calendar continues on page 2
Engineering Dean Announces Plans to Retire
MICHAEL HAGEARTY
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Don Giddens, dean of the College
of Engineering, has announced his
intention to retire from Georgia
Tech, stepping down from his
leadership position effective July 1,
2011.
A three-time graduate of Georgia Tech,
Giddens has spent most of his more than
40-year career at his alma mater, interrupted only by a five-year tenure as dean
of engineering at The Johns Hopkins
University from 1992-1997.
Upon his return to Tech, Giddens led
the development of a new type of joint
education and research model, partnering with Emory University in the creation
of the Coulter Department of Biomedical
Engineering. The program built on each
institution’s respective strengths and was
one of the first of its kind in the nation.
Giddens served as the inaugural chair of
the fledgling department and was subsequently named dean of the college in 2002.
In announcing Giddens’ decision, Provost
Gary Schuster praised his leadership in
directing a college that enrolls nearly 60
percent of the student body.
“Don and I have worked together for
almost two decades, during which time
I have respected his leadership within
Biomedical Engineering, the College of
Giddens has been dean of the College of Engineering since 2002. He earned three
degrees in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech, and joined its faculty in 1968.
Engineering and his alma mater,” Schuster
said. “Don has played a key part in shaping
Georgia Tech’s reputation and has helped
build the groundwork for its continuing
and expanding preeminence.”
Giddens has also been active in helping
the general public gain a better understanding of both the engineering profession and
the engineer’s role in society. In 2008, he
chaired a National Academy of Engineering
committee that explored the ways in which
messaging and practical communication
could help change perceptions, engage
End of an Era
Provost Gary Schuster returns
to teaching, research
DAN TREADAWAY
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Grace under pressure, a
thoughtful and deliberate
approach, and a wry sense of
humor that tends to sneak up
on you. These are some of the
primary qualities that have
come to be associated with
Gary Schuster during his 16
years at Georgia Tech.
As he concludes his four-year term
as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs—which
also included nearly a year as interim
president—Schuster is reluctant to comment on what his legacy
of leadership will be, leaving that determination to be made by
others. He does, however, offer a facetious summation: “At least
we didn’t go broke!”
Anyone who’s worked at Georgia Tech for more than a couple
of years immediately gets the joke. When Schuster, the former
College of Sciences dean, was tapped by former President Wayne
Clough to become Institute provost in 2006, he had no way of
students and portray a more positive image
of engineering. Earlier this year, he was
selected as president-elect of the American
Society for Engineering Education.
Following his retirement, Giddens will
return to the faculty on a part-time basis
to continue his research in cardiovascular
fluid mechanics as well as his professional
activities.
“The impact that Don has had on this
GIDDENS, continued on page 2
President to Introduce New
Strategic Plan August 31
President G. P. “Bud”
Peterson will introduce
Georgia Tech’s new
Strategic Plan during his
Institute Address, set for
Tuesday, Aug. 31, at 11
a.m. in the Robert Ferst
Center for the Arts. Printed
copies of the plan will be distributed at the
event, which is open to students, faculty, staff
and other members of the Tech community.
Peterson will share the vision and provide an overview
of the Strategic Plan to take Georgia Tech to its 150th anniversary in 2035. Attendees are also invited to enjoy a light
“to-go” lunch following the event. The presentation will be
broadcast live to Georgia Tech Savannah, and an archived
recording will be available the following day.
Following the address, Peterson will answer questions from participants as well as those sent in advance. A
selected group of those questions will be posted online as a
follow-up to the event.
This fall various academic and administrative units
will be asked to identify the ways in which they will help
achieve the goals outlined in the plan.
www.gatech.edu/vision
SCHUSTER, continued on page 3
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EVENTS
September 7
All faculty, staff and students are
invited to hear Sallye McKee, a finalist for the position of vice president of
Institute Diversity, discuss her candidacy and qualifications at 11 a.m. in room
222, Global Learning Center.
www.gatech.edu/president/VPID.html
September 9
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Assistant Professor Jake Soper presents “Almost Alchemy: Radical Ligands
Facilitate Palladium-Like Coupling
Reactions at Manganese, Iron and
Cobalt” at 4 p.m. in room G011, MSE
Building.
September 14
All faculty, staff and students are invited to hear Archie Ervin, a finalist for the
position of vice president of Institute
Diversity, discuss his candidacy and
qualifications at 11 a.m. in room 222,
Global Learning Center.
Institute
National Academic Rankings Hold Steady
Annual U.S. News assessment gives Georgia Tech high marks
MATT NAGEL
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Georgia Tech ranks 7th among public universities in the 2011 edition of
America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News
& World Report. Georgia Tech has
ranked in the top 10 of public universities for more than a decade.
“The continued excellence and improvement in the U.S. News & World Report rankings is a testament to Georgia Tech’s commitment to providing our students with a worldclass education,” said Georgia Tech President
G.P. “Bud” Peterson.
Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering
moved up one spot in the undergraduate
rankings to fourth for engineering programs
at universities where the highest degree is a
Ph.D.
The Stewart School of Industrial and
Systems Engineering maintained its top ranking, and Aerospace Engineering ranked second in its discipline. Mechanical Engineering
moved up one spot to join Biomedical
Engineering and Civil Engineering with all
ranked third. Electrical and Environmental
Engineering both ranked 5th among their
peers. Georgia Tech’s College of Management
rose from 31st last year to 28th this year. For the first time, U.S. News & World
Report polled high school guidance counsel-
ors. Georgia Tech ranked 2nd among public
institutions, tied with the University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of
Michigan. In rankings including both public
and private universities, Georgia Tech tied for
22nd.
Tech was also highlighted in “Programs
to Look For” for its co-op, internship, senior
capstone, undergraduate research and study
abroad programs. “In addition to offering Tech students
top-ranked programs of study, many benefit
from real-world experiences in the U.S. and
abroad, as well as opportunities for innovation that better prepare them for leadership in
addressing some of society’s most challenging
issues,” said Peterson.
www.gatech.edu/president/VPID.html
September 16
The School of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering welcomes
Michael J. Dolan, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation, as
the featured speaker for its annual
ConocoPhillips/C. J. “Pete” Silas
Program in Ethics and Leadership.
www.chbe.gatech.edu
September 17
Dr. Ricardo Azziz, president of the
Medical College of Georgia, will be
the keynote speaker for Tech’s annual
Diversity Symposium.
www.diversitysymposium.gatech.
edu
____________________________________
FACULTY/STAFF
DEVELOPMENT
September 2
The Office of Sponsored Programs
offers a two-hour class on “Export
Control & TCP” at 10 a.m. in the
Research Administration Building.
Learn more on the federal laws governing Export Control (EAR /ITAR) as they
relate to Georgia Tech and its research
programs. This course will provide the
knowledge needed to ensure compliance with Technology Control Plans
(TCP).
www.osp.gatech.edu/workshops
September 9
The College of Management holds an
information session on its full-time and
evening MBA programs from 5:30 - 8
p.m. To register:
mgt.gatech.edu/mba/info
September 14
The Office of Information Technology
holds a training class in “Macintosh OS
X Security” from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
www.trainsweb.gatech.edu
____________________________________
Ongoing
The “Emergency Preparedness”
certificate program, which consists
of several smaller courses, such as
“Fire Safety” and “Facilities Hazard
Training,” provides faculty and staff
NSF award Focuses on Early Detection of Developmental Disorders
A team led by Georgia Tech has
received a $10 million “Expeditions
in Computing” award from the
National Science Foundation (NSF)
to develop novel computing techniques for measuring and analyzing
the behavior of children.
These technologies will be used to enable
new approaches for identifying children at
risk for autism and other developmental
delays. The award — one of only 10 given by
the NSF since 2008 — provides up to $2 million in funding each year for five years and
is designed to push boundaries in computer
science, catalyzing a new scientific discipline
called computational behavioral science.
Autism affects one of every 110 children
in the United States, and the long-term outcomes for a child who is at risk for autism
can be significantly improved if the child is
treated at an early age. As a result, it is widely
accepted that all children should be screened
for developmental delays as early in life as
possible.
For this project, researchers will design
vision, speech and wearable sensor technologies to analyze child behavior. Data will be
collected from interactions between caregivers and children, children playing and socializing in a daycare environment, and clinicians
interacting with children during individual
therapy sessions. Multiple sensing technologies are necessary to obtain a comprehensive
and integrated portrait of expressed behavior.
Cameras and microphones will provide an
inexpensive and noninvasive way to measure
eye gaze and facial and body expressions,
along with speech and non-speech utterances. Wearable sensors will measure physiological variables such as heart rate and skin
conductivity, which contain important clues
about levels of internal stress and arousal that
are linked to behavior.
The research team will also develop capabilities for synchronizing the signals from the
Next generation media to be explored
during FutureMedia Fest 2010
Caption here
microphones, cameras and on-body sensors.
By developing and using models of social
interactions, the researchers will analyze the
sensor data to quantify engagement.
In the future, the researchers hope to
expand their work beyond autism to other
developmental disorders and the general
study of child behavior.
GIDDENS, continued from page 1
“Digital, social, mobile and multimedia are fundamentally changing business models and transforming how we communicate,” said
Renu Kulkarni, executive director of FutureMedia. “We are in the
middle of a revolution — some will fail, some will survive, and some
will thrive. FutureMedia Fest is an incredible opportunity to challenge the norm, experience future possibilities and understand how
new media platforms will affect organizational change and growth.”
institution is immense, and we thank him for his tireless service on
behalf of Georgia Tech,” President G. P. “Bud” Peterson said. “His
enthusiasm for engineering cannot be overstated, and we will continue to look to him as a resource in assessing the future of engineering
education in the United States.”
“Georgia Tech has changed dramatically since I arrived as a freshman student in 1958, and I could never have dreamed then that I
would one day be dean of the largest, and I would argue the best,
engineering college in the country,” Giddens said. “This institutional
ascendancy in such a relatively short time is truly remarkable. But
upon reflection, I’m not surprised. We have the best people — faculty,
students, staff and alumni — one can imagine, and it is the people
who make Georgia Tech great. I’m happy to have been fortunate
enough to spend almost an entire career here.”
The Institute will form a search committee and initiate a search for
a successor in the coming weeks.
www.futuremediaglobal.com
www.coe.gatech.edu
From October 4-7, 2010, Georgia Tech will host the
first FutureMedia Fest, an interactive “mash-up” to
explore and enable new paradigms in how content is
created, distributed and consumed in a converging
media world. Attendees at FutureMedia Fest 2010 will
discuss the transformational impact of next generation
digital, social and mobile media across industries, societies and our daily lives.
Calendar continues on page 3
Whistle
THE
Published biweekly throughout the academic year and the summer by Georgia Tech
Communications & Marketing.
Georgia Tech’s
Faculty/Staff Newspaper
Editor: Michael Hagearty
Photos: Rob Felt, unless noted
w w w . w h i s t l e . g a t e c h . e d u
Calendar submissions e-mailed to
editor@comm.gatech.edu, or faxed to
404-894-7214 must be sent at least 10 days
prior to desired publication date. Classified
submissions are on a first-come, firstserved basis. For more information, call
404-385-4142.
Archived issues of The Whistle can be accessed
electronically through the Georgia Tech Web
page, or directly at www.whistle.gatech.edu.
Georgia Tech is a unit of the University System
of Georgia.
Georgia Tech
Communications & Marketing
Wardlaw Center
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Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0181
THE WHISTLE • AUGUST 30, 2010 • PAGE 2
Leadership
EVENTS
SCHUSTER, continued from page 1
knowing the ultimate enormity of the assignment he was accepting.
Eighteen months into Schuster’s term as
provost, Clough announced his plans to retire
from the presidency and accept the position
of secretary of The Smithsonian Institution.
Soon afterward, University System of Georgia
Chancellor Erroll Davis asked Schuster to
serve as interim president while the search for
a permanent successor was being conducted.
Schuster agreed and began serving as interim
president on July 1, 2008.
Serving simultaneously as both interim
president and provost would be a highly challenging task in the best of times. The 2008-09
academic year, however, turned out to be
anything but routine for Schuster and the rest
of the Institute’s leadership. A rapidly deteriorating economy led to state revenue decreases
that required significant budget reductions.
“Georgia Tech is a strong institution with
deep roots and a bright future,” Schuster said.
“These have been a challenging four or five
years, and Georgia Tech has come through
it pretty strong. It’s a challenge for any organization to manage during times of contraction. This was especially true at Georgia Tech
because we’d been on a continuous growth
curve for a decade or more. When the economic crisis hit, we had to pull back and slow
down. There’s a story that says it’s not the fall
that hurts, it’s the sudden stop at the end. So
I think the objective was to try and avoid that
sudden stop. Tech was successful in managing that crisis—and that includes administrators, faculty, staff and students—and we’ll be
successful into the future.”
The most difficult decision he made as
interim president, Schuster said, was to
implement a hiring freeze. “The lifeblood
of any organization, especially a research
university, is the influx of new ideas, new
concepts, and new techniques,” he explained.
“Universities are future focused. We are
educating future leaders and we’re trying to
discover the technology of the future and
make a difference, and that requires a constant stream of new ideas. So cutting back on
bringing in new people was the most painful
decision for me.”
“I want to thank Gary Schuster for his tireless and superb service to Georgia Tech as
Schuster, presiding over the 2008 fall
commencement ceremony.
provost and interim president,” said President
Bud Peterson. “Thanks to Gary’s steady
hand and cool head, the Institute has been
able to preserve its core mission in the face
of a severe economic crisis. The entire Tech
community owes him a tremendous debt of
gratitude for helping to position us for even
greater preeminence in the years to come.”
When Schuster concludes his term as provost
on Aug. 31, he will return to full-time teaching and research. At this time of transition,
Schuster’s colleagues are offering high praise
for his leadership in advancing the Institute’s
academic agenda and reputation.
Since his term as provost began four
years ago, Schuster has led the expansion of
Georgia Tech’s global initiatives and aspirations to become a worldwide leader of strategic globalization in higher education. He has
also focused on improving the undergraduate
experience through a curriculum that offers
the breadth and depth necessary to prepare
the next generation of innovators and leaders.
“During Gary’s tenure as provost and
interim president, Georgia Tech received a
National Science Foundation award for the
Center on the Origins of Life, the Marcus
Nanotechnology Building was constructed
and the Food Processing Technology Building
was opened,” said Executive Vice President
for Research Steve Cross. “Gary hired three of
the Institute’s six current deans and he navigated Tech through one of its most challenging and uncertain financial periods with mini-
Gary Schuster (seated, center) and other representatives of Georgia Tech sign a research
agreement with France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) to create a
joint international research unit (unité mixte internationale — UMI) based at Tech’s Lorraine
campus in Metz, France.
THE WHISTLE • AUGUST 30, 2010 • PAGE 3
mal impact and consistent grace and humor.
And he did all of this while conducting an
impressive research program that continues
to receive international acclaim.”
“Gary has played a critical and substantial role in the successes of the College of
Management as provost and interim president,” said Management Dean Steve Salbu. “I
couldn’t have asked for greater support, or for
more help in finding ways for the College to
get things done, than we received from Gary.
Without his support, guidance and creative
ideas for pursuing opportunities, the College
of Management’s recent progress would not
have been possible.”
Prior to being named provost, Schuster
served for a dozen years as dean of the
College of Sciences, a period of robust growth
in the size and quality of the faculty and
increasing recognition within academia.
“The most impressive result of Gary’s
term as dean of the College of Sciences is the
large number of very highly qualified young
researchers who were hired, promoted and
tenured,” said current Dean Paul Houston.
“Many of them, and an increasing percentage over the years, won National Science
Foundation CAREER awards. Research
awards to the College steadily increased as
well, no doubt due to the hiring of more and
more research-active faculty. From the outside, particularly from those of us in chemistry, his biggest coup was bringing a team
of four (Center for Organic Photonics and
Electronics) to Tech from the University of
Arizona. That got attention.”
“Gary was very active in research during
his tenure as dean, provost and interim president,” said Kent Barefield, recently retired
associate dean of the College of Sciences.
“By my count he has published more than
90 journal articles since his arrival at Tech
in 1994, including three already in 2010. He
was actively involved in teaching and training
graduate students, and a significant fraction
of them were underrepresented minorities
and/or females. I think it is also worth pointing out that Gary was one of the visionaries behind the concept of creating the Life
Sciences complex of buildings.”
As impressive and extensive as his list of
academic and administrative accomplishments is, what stands out in the minds of
Schuster’s closest colleagues is his exceptionally strong sense of duty.
“I often sensed and was sometimes told by
Gary that he enjoyed being dean more than
he enjoyed his subsequent jobs at Tech,”
Houston recalled. “But he was willing both
to stand for the position of provost and to
step in as interim president when needed.
Having done more than he bargained for, I’m
sure that he will enjoy this next phase of his
career.”
One of the things Schuster anticipates
most about this next phase is teaching
Introduction to Organic Chemistry, the first
course he taught 35 years ago when he began
his faculty career. He also looks forward to
devoting more time to his research program,
which focuses on oxidative damage to DNA
and learning to more skillfully control and
manipulate the structure of DNA.
That said, Schuster is keenly aware of how
much he will miss his friends and colleagues
in Carnegie come September 1.
“I’ve told them that I’m not going all that
far and they’ll have to come and visit me,”
he said, “and I’ve got a lab bench waiting for
them.”
with valuable information in case of a
campus emergency.
www.training.gatech.edu
The “Defining Customer Service”
certificate program provides campus
groups and employees with the foundation for offering exemplary service
to those both on and off the campus.
Four required courses and two electives are offered.
www.training.gatech.edu
____________________________________
MISCELLANEOUS
September 6
Campus closed in observance of Labor
Day.
September 22
First Lady Val Peterson and the
Georgia Tech Faculty Women’s Club
Board host a garden party for the
annual GTFWC Open House and buffet lunch, 11 a.m. at the President’s
Residence. All women faculty, wives
of GT faculty, and newcomers to these
groups are invited for lunch and to
learn about this year’s programs and
interest groups.
www.gtfwc.gatech.edu
For a more comprehensive listing of
events updated daily, visit
www.gatech.edu/calendar.
CLASSIFIEDS
AUTOMOBILES/
MOTORCYCLES
2006 Honda Civic LX. One owner, auto,
100,000 miles, good cond. $7,250,
(under KBB value). E-mail joy.lupo@legal.
gatech.edu.
1998 Pontiac Grand PRIX GT 3.8, 2
door, black, 136,000. Title. $1,700. Call
Angie, on Friday after noon. 678-8266406.
2006 Acura TSX (red w/tan interior).
Purchased new in 2007. One owner.
Excellent condition, only 34,500 miles.
Moving overseas. Asking $20K. Email liz.
hanlon@gatech.edu for pics.
1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GT. black,
2-door, 3.8 engine, 136K miles. Car fully
paid for; owner has title. $1,700. Call
Angie at 678-826-6406.
1992 Honda Civic SI, selling for parts.
Wrecked on passenger side but good
transmission and motor as well as other
misc. parts. E-mail vicki.speights@physics.gatech.edu.
2010 Mazdaspeed 3. Perfect condition,
still under factory warranty, 11,800 miles.
Silver on black. 263hp turbocharged
4cyl. GPS + many options. $22,800
negotiable. Call Adam Black at 404-7350994.
REAL ESTATE/
ROOMMATES
Seeking roommate to share large 3BR/
2.5BA in Reynoldstown/Cabbagetown.
Porches, balcony, washer/dryer. Short
walk to Carroll St. cafes, shops. 4 miles
SE of Tech. House occupied by Tech
instructor. Rent: $650/month plus half
utilities. Please contact jennifer.brown@
esl.gatech.edu.
For sale: 4BR/3BA home in East Cobb.
5 min. from freeway, 16 mi. from Tech.
Classifieds continue on page 4
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Community
CLASSIFIEDS
Bend, Don’t Break: Mastering the Art of Guitar Building
Hardwood floors downstairs, new carpeting upstairs, granite counter, finished
basement, sun room, bonus room and
deck. $350,000. Call 404-626-8181.
DAVID ARNOLD
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
3BR/2.5BA home for sale in Marietta.
Easy access to I-75 and I-285. 20 minutes to Tech. Spacious master suite
with huge walk-in closet and spa-like
master bath. Large patio in level, private
back yard. $225,000. Visit web.me.com/
boxbournecourt2541.
It’s hard to say whether Glenda
Skinner wanted to keep her husband
Sam from being lonely or keep him
out of trouble when she gave him a
guitar building kit five years ago. Sam
Skinner was just starting a position
at Georgia Tech Savannah, which
included a 300-mile commute back
and forth to Acworth, Georgia, every
two weeks or so. Little did either one
of them know how this do-it-yourself
venture would change their lives.
When he started building his first guitar,
Skinner was extremely apprehensive about
how to bend wood without breaking it. Since
the kit was for a Martin guitar—one of the
finest and most famous names in acoustic
guitars—Skinner sought out a certified Martin
dealer. He happened upon one near Savannah
in Pooler, Georgia.
Skinner walked into the guitar shop with
his kit in hand and met owner Randy Wood, a
master luthier, who looked at the kit and told
Skinner he wouldn’t build his guitar for him.
When Skinner replied he just wanted to ask a
few questions, Wood changed his tune.
“Great,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
So began a five-year friendship that grew
until Wood invited Skinner to bring his project to the guitar shop to work on it. As their
relationship grew, Skinner began helping
around the shop to “pay” for his tutoring,
doing everything from painting the shop to
computer repairs.
Along the way Skinner found out that
Wood learned to be a luthier from Tut Taylor,
one of the most famous Dobro players in
bluegrass music. The Tut Taylor connection
led to Wood working for such renowned
musicians as Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and
Keith Richards. As Skinner continued his
project working in Wood’s shop, he too met a
number of famous musicians: Chris Hillman
of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers,
Australian guitar wizard Tommy Emanuel and
multi-instrumentalist John McEuen of Nitty
Gritty Dirt Band fame.
Five years and 20 guitars later, Skinner is
back working on the main Tech campus in
system support for the School of Chemical
and Biomolecular Engineering, making space
for his hobby in the basement of his Acworth
home. It is crowded with exotic woods, wood-
Brick ranch style 3BR/2BA in East
Point. More than 2,000 sq. ft. for rent.
Eat-in kitchen, pantry, w/d hookups up
and down, formal DR w/ bay window
seat, large living room w/ gas fireplace,
closet space, screened porch, fenced
backyard, 2-car carport. $1,100/month.
Dogs and cats OK. E-mail Denis at
dknwhy@aol.com.
1BR fully furnished Midtown condo,
$1,700/month. Balcony over Piedmont
Park, fitness center, pool, home entertainment system, 24-hour concierge,
covered parking, one block to MARTA or
Tech Trolley. Call 708-373-7943.
Tech employee interested in renting a
4BR/5BR home for 2 years in Marietta.
Call 678-717-9251.
Sam Skinner, who works as a systems support specialist within the School of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, displays some of his finished work.
working tools and guitars in various phases of
construction, all stashed about in a plethora
of guitar cases and Rubbermaid containers. Skinner has enough fat, reddish-brown
mahogany boards lying around to build guitars for the next 20 years. He will carefully
slice it into thin sheets, bending them into a
mold to produce some of the sweetest sounding instruments imaginable.
Meanwhile he has definitely gotten the
hang of this guitar-building thing. In fact, he
now tutors other aspiring luthiers in guitar
building. One such aspirant is neighbor Gene
Camp. “When you work with Sam you have
to be meticulous,” he said. No doubt a lesson
learned from Wood’s own instruction.
Overall, Skinner says that in some ways
guitar building is harder than working with
electronics. It is a labor of prep work—building molds, patterns and jigs with close tolerances and virtually no margin for error—all
before he even touches a piece of the wood for
the guitar.
So has Skinner overcome his fear of bending wood? Pretty much, though he does
admit, “when you pay $1,500 for a piece of
Koa or Rosewood, you are a little more antsy.”
Among those guitars he has completed,
Skinner has sold a few and donated a few
more. He recently built a guitar that was
a Georgia Tech special: featuring all of his
unique touches and attention to detail, includ-
FURNITURE/APPLIANCES
Large solid pine entertainment center for
sale. $300. Pics available upon request.
E-mail nromero@gatech.edu.
Beige leather couch w/pull-out bed.
$200 or best offer. Pick up in Midtown.
Email liz.hanlon@gatech.edu for pictures.
Skinner, who has been building guitars for
about five years, works on his hobby in his
Acworth home. Here, several new models are
suspended in various phases of construction.
ing mother-of-pearl inlaid interlocking GT
and Buzz on the pick guard and headstock.
(As he does with all his creations, he gave the
Tech guitar a name: George.) He donated the
instrument to the Alumni Association for its
silent auction in June, selling for more than
$2,000.
Glenda Skinner no longer worries about
her husband being lonely. Maybe some day
soon the Skinners’ home will become a destination for famous musicians searching for that
perfect sound. No doubt Sam has enough in
the works to keep him around the house for a
long time.
New Program Offers Faculty an Alternative to Cancelling Class
Professors negotiating a scheduling
conflict now have another option; a
new program developed by the Office
of the Dean of Students (ODOS)
offers professors an educational alternative to canceling class.
The program, “Don’t Cancel That Class:
A Lecture Alternative Program,” dispatches
qualified staff to the classroom when the
instructor has a professional or personal conflict. ODOS staff can cover a class by presenting workshops on myriad topics relevant to all
students — leadership, communication, social
justice/diversity, conflict resolution, personal/
professional development, ethical decision
making, global citizenship, legal issues, and
student integrity.
Don’t Cancel That Class is a concept
that is utilized successfully by several leading universities including the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Rutgers
University, and is in line with an ODOS goal
to enhance faculty interaction in the spirit of
collaboration.
“I am very excited about this new initiative,” said Dean of Students John Stein. “Our
hope is that faculty will collaborate with us by
w w w . w h i s t l e . g a t e c h . e d u
2BR/2.5BA townhouse, end unit, hardwood floors, new appliances, granite
countertops. Great roommate plan. Over
1,200 square feet. Courtyard patio, very
private. Great area, near everything!
$1,300/month. Call 678-637-5527.
offering students the opportunity to explore
some interesting and relevant topics to both
their Tech experience and beyond.”
In addition to students receiving an educational and thought-provoking lecture, ODOS
staff will take attendance and provide faculty
with a copy of the attendance record and all
handouts. The program also offers faculty the
flexibility to create a presentation that will fit
specific needs.
More information is available on the ODOS
website.
Cherry wood dining room table and
matching china cabinet for sale, $250;
Trailer water tank, 250-gallon capacity, $125. Must pick up. Email Kim at
kpaige@sprint.blackberry.net.
Queen mattress + box spring made
by Sealy Mattress Company [a Sealy
Posturepedic Plus Signature]; Date of
manufacture: 2008; Model: 504422;
Price: $350 [was above $1,000]; Pics
available. E-mail parvaneh.t.m@gmail.
com.
MISCELLANEOUS
Our nanny has been with our family for
six years. She is kind, loving, conscientious, and reliable. We would like to arrange a nanny share with another family.
Preference would be a GT employee or
someone who works and/or lives in the
Midtown area. Please contact
KimWilsonMNA@aol.com.
Dell Alienware M17x-R2. Intel Core
i7-620M Processor, Dual 500GB drives,
4GB RAM, 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD
5870, 17-inch Wide UXGA. Delivered
June 2010. $2,700 value, sell for $2,000.
Call 404-610-9090 or e-mail chuck@
myloopyfamily.com.
Evenflo/Aura infant carseat/stroller
combo, like new, for boy or girl, $65 and
set of nine Born Free glass baby bottles
with extra parts and accessories, $35.
Call 404-407-7848 or damon.nix@gtri.
gatech.edu.
Authentic African masks from western
and southern Africa. $45-$50 each. Call
678-992-9142 for more information.
Ads appear and run for three weeks in
the order in which they are received.
E-mail submissions to
editor@comm.gatech.edu.
www.deanofstudents.gatech.edu
THE WHISTLE • AUGUST 30, 2010 • PAGE 4