Dean May's Blog

Engineering in Atlanta and beyond

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Revealing ‘hidden figures’

Last year’s hit film, “Hidden Figures,” introduced millions of Americans to Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan – three brilliant African-American women who overcame obstacles to work as mathematicians and engineers at NASA in the 1960s. Their contributions were essential to launching astronaut John Glenn safely into orbit and ultimately securing America’s success in the space race.

The film received rave reviews from critics and grossed more than $200 million. But have we learned its lessons? Both rhetoric and actions of recent months would suggest otherwise. Just a couple of weeks ago, Congressman Steve King of Iowa proclaimed that the United States “can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies,” referring to immigrants seeking to come to our shores.

Throughout our history – and even today – we’ve had hidden figures among us who possess the capacity and potential to positively impact society. Only they often never get a chance to do so.

One example: Despite progress made in the past half-century, African-Americans are still woefully underrepresented in STEM fields. Why? Earnestine Easter, a program director with the National Science Foundation who has studied the issue, cites several reasons. Blacks are more likely to come from poor backgrounds and attend inadequate schools. White teachers often misinterpret black students’ responses and behavior or overlook their abilities. Some peers label their academic diligence as “acting white.” Role models are scarce.

But here’s what’s most troubling: We’ve identified several highly effective solutions to these obstacles, but our nation has lacked the will to implement them in a consistent and comprehensive way.

For students who enter college without some of the advantages of their peers, specialized programs can engage and support them in their pursuit of STEM degrees. Here at Georgia Institute of Technology, we’ve implemented a portfolio of initiatives to recruit, educate and empower generations of African-American engineers, and we’ve seen the results of those efforts. Over the last decade, Georgia Tech has graduated more black engineers than any other university in the nation.

2017 graduates of the Georgia Tech Peer 2 Peer mentoring program2017 graduates of the Georgia Tech Peer 2 Peer mentoring program

There is no shortage of similar strategies and tactics available for K-12 schools and two- and four-year colleges. We have a clear of idea of what works and what’s needed. Yet there is a “one-off” mindset in implementing such programs, rather than making them a pervasive national priority.

The extremism of a travel ban is another way of closing the U.S. off from ingenuity. Already, 2017 has brought waves of restrictions purported to protect us, but their inflexibility potentially deprives the U.S. of the talent and mind power of scientists and engineers from around the world.

An example is Samira Asgari, an Iranian national who recently completed her Ph.D. at a university in Switzerland. Asgari was headed to a lab at Harvard Medical School to conduct research on the genetics of tuberculosis — work that could lead to live-saving treatments. The travel ban took effect while Asgari was en route from Geneva to Boston, barring her from entering the U.S.

Or consider Rania Abdelhameed Mokhtar. This Sudanese electrical engineer was scheduled to attend the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), where she was to receive an award for her research. Despite the fact that the travel ban had already been overturned, Mokhtar opted not to attend, fearing new restrictions.

And let’s not forget some of our nation’s youngest scientists. The National Foundation for American Policy reports that in last year’s Intel Science Talent Search for U.S. high school students — sometimes referred to as the Junior Nobel Prize — 83 percent of finalists were the children of immigrants. We need these young innovators and inventors, just as we needed Johnson, Jackson, Vaughan and other “hidden figures” whose accomplishments were lost to history.

We already know the great engineering challenges of the 21st century: updated urban infrastructure, sustainable energy, next-generation medicines and artificial intelligence, to name just a few. What we don’t know is who, exactly, can solve them.

This is why we must widen the talent pipeline by taking steps to increase diversity at every stage. Various interventions and enrichment programs have been shown to be effective. What we need is a coordinated and comprehensive plan to implement them. If there were such a plan, combined with the necessary resources and national will to execute it, underrepresentation would be a thing of the past.

The challenges and opportunities of the 21st century are too great to risk narrowing the talent pipeline now. Let’s make sure the great engineers, innovators and problem-solvers of the next generation can succeed. Not because they need us, but because we need them.

We’re Leading by Example on the Global Stage

Dean Gary S. May speaking in Shenzen, China.

I recently returned from the Global Engineering Education Leadership Conference in China. The theme of the conference was “Engineering Education for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” and it brought together engineering deans from across the globe. Returning home, it struck me that all of my peers, no matter where they were from, were dealing with some of the same issues we do.

We are all trying to provide entrepreneurial experiences for our students, nurture innovation on our campuses, and incorporate improved methods in teaching engineering. Talking with other deans about these issues makes the world a little smaller and a lot more cohesive. We could all rally around a unifying theme with a common purpose.

Active learning was a large part of the discussion. It is gratifying to know that Georgia Tech is a leader in active learning, with such initiatives as CREATE-X, VIP, and our maker spaces. When you find that what we do does influences others, you know you are doing something right.

We were the first engineering college to adopt problem-based learning in our curriculum. It was interesting to discover that the Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia now has a Cooperative Problem Based Learning component, which also adds elements to develop groups into functional learning teams.

While CREATE-X has been one of the hallmarks of our entrepreneurial experiences for undergraduates, the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University in Toronto just opened its Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence in April 2016. The Centre’s mission is to serve as a hub for entrepreneurship, collaboration and creativity. Something we have been doing, and doing it very well, for a number of years.

How we teach and the way students want to learn are changing. I’m proud of the progress we’re making. One thing is for sure: Georgia Tech’s embrace of active learning bodes well for all our students. We are equipping them with the skills and experiences they need to succeed in 2017, and other universities around the world are taking notice.

Sometimes Failure Is an Option

This fall, I talked with some Georgia Tech undergraduate students about Peter Sims’ book: “Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries.” Sims defines a little bet as a low-risk action to test an idea, and he explains that small wins are ideal for building momentum and identifying problems and opportunities.

What really caught my attention, though, was Sims’ discussion of failure – and its upsides.

At Georgia Tech, we pride ourselves on our many successes, and the same goes for our students. Here in the College of Engineering, students worked hard to get where they are in fields that can be difficult, demanding and competitive. Many came to Georgia Tech accustomed to academic successes.

But with so much attention on the ultimate desired outcome – succeeding – I think we often lose sight of the importance of the proverbial journey. In talking with the students this year, I wanted them to shift their mindsets. To even become Tech students, they had to excel, and they did not fail at many things along the way. But that may not be helpful in the long run.

Failure has plenty of lessons to teach us. There are the obvious ones, of course – if you didn’t study enough for your test, you might do poorly, and (hopefully) you’ll know to work harder next time. But there’s usually more buried beneath the easy takeaway. When students fail at something, they are forced to reflect on themselves and their goals. And sometimes, their losses or mistakes can build resilience and offer perspective.

Even failures we are not directly responsible for can be valuable reminders that in life, we simply don’t always get everything we want. For young engineers used to academic achievements, this lesson can be powerful. Someday, even our brightest and most diligent students will miss out on awards, be passed over for promotions, or just make wrong decisions. Part of our job as educators is to prepare them for that and remind them that none of it means the end of the world.

With final exam season upon us, I want our students to understand that although failure may be disappointing, it’s almost always surmountable. Sometimes, the lessons it offers are exactly the tools we need to pave a new way forward. Fail fast, learn from it, and grow.

Students in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) study in the atrium of the Ford Environmental Science & Technology Building (ES&T). Students pictured (left to right) are Kathryn Black, Lester Li, Kurt Russell, Nicholas Burtch.