Home to the liberal arts at Georgia Tech, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts (IAC) is one of the nation’s leaders in the deliberate integration of the humanities, arts, and social sciences with STEM disciplines. We design transformative learning opportunities and champion impactful research and scholarship while redefining what engagement in the liberal arts means in the 21st century.
We invite you to reexamine the foundational role of the liberal arts in society, in higher education, and at Georgia Tech. Understanding humanity is a principal aspect of what we do in the liberal arts. As technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly influence our lives and society, our College’s work to reinforce the importance of humanity from within a technology-focused research university has never been more needed.
Nationally known speakers will illustrate the impact of the areas represented in our college in TEDx-style presentations, followed by IAC unit leaders, who will relate how their areas boost belonging, learning, and research our campus. The event will offer a panoramic view of the massive influence of the liberal arts at Georgia Tech and beyond.
Please contact Kimberley Cartier, executive assistant to the dean, at
kcartier6@gatech.edu with any questions relating to this event.
Speakers 🗣️
Linda Adler-Kassner
Linda Adler-Kassner is the associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning and professor of writing studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. Author, co-author, or co-editor of 14 books and over 60 articles and book chapters and recipient of more than $2M in grant funding, Adler-Kassner’s current research and practice focuses on creating structures and strategies for supporting equity in learning and teaching.
Paige Alexander
Paige Alexander serves as chief executive officer of The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to advance peace and health worldwide. Before joining The Carter Center, Alexander had a distinguished global development career, with more than two decades of experience in the government and nonprofit sectors.
Gen. (RET) Philip Breedlove
Gen. Philip M. Breedlove retired from the U.S. Air Force as NATO’s Commander, Supreme Allied Command, Europe, “SACEUR” and Commander U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. He currently is a Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and serves on the Board of Directors at the Atlantic Council.
Jim Grossman
James Grossman is the executive director of the American Historical Association. Formerly Vice-President for Research and Education at the Newberry Library, he has taught at the University of Chicago and the University of California, San Diego. Author of Land of Hope: Chicago, Black Southerners, and the Great Migration and A Chance to Make Good: African-Americans, 1900-1929, Grossman was project director and coeditor of the Encyclopedia of Chicago and is editor emeritus of the series “Historical Studies of Urban America.”
Doug Hooker
Douglas Hooker is a visiting senior fellow and professor of practice at the Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University. He is the former executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the agency that facilitates community and development strategies to enhance the Atlanta region’s growth and competitiveness. Doug has worked for public and private sector organizations, including Georgia Power Co., BioLab Inc., the City of Atlanta’s Department of Public Works, HDR, the State Road & Tollway Authority, and Atkins Global.
Tina Lu
Tina Lu was elected second vice president of the MLA in December 2022. Her term as first vice president runs from January 2024 through January 2025. Lu is the Colonel John Trumbull Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures and the head of Pauli Murray College at Yale University. Her research focuses on the literature of the Chinese late imperial period, from around 1550 to around 1750, including novels, plays, and belletristic writing.
Paula Tkac
Paula Tkac is an executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and is a member of the executive leadership committee. Tkac also serves as primary monetary policy adviser to Atlanta Fed president Bostic and is actively involved in strategic leadership at both the Division and organizational levels. Tkac has conducted research on various financial market topics including the asset management industry, financial regulation, the municipal bond market and policy responses to financial crises.
Schedule 🗓️
Friday, Sept. 20
The event will be held at The Historic Academy of Medicine Theater.
| 8 – 9 a.m. | Continental Breakfast and Meet & Greet |
| 9 – 9:15 a.m. | Opening Remarks by Richard Utz, Interim Dean, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Welcome by Paul Kohn, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Georgia Tech Purpose and Introduction by Richard Utz, Interim Dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts |
| 9:15 — 9:50 a.m. | Speaker I: Linda Adler-Kassner, Associate Vice Chancellor of Teaching and Learning, University of California, Santa Barbara With Response from Kelly Ritter, School Chair and Professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication |
| 9:50 – 10:25 a.m. | Speaker II: Paige Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, The Carter Center With Response from Adam Stulberg, Sam Nunn School Chair and Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs |
| 10:25 – 11 a.m. | Speaker III: General Philip Breedlove, Professor of the Practice, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs; Former Commander, U.S. European Command; Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe; Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force With Response from Capt. J.A. Tony Rodriguez, Commanding Officer and ROTC Professor of the Practice |
| 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Rejuvenation Break with Heavy Hors d’oeuvres |
| 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. | Speaker IV: James Grossman, Executive Director, American Historical Association With Response from Victoria Thompson, School Chair and Professor, School of History & Sociology |
| 12:20 – 12:55 p.m. | Speaker V: Tina Lu, First Vice President, Modern Language Association of America With Response from John Lyon, School Chair, Charles Smithgall Jr. Institute Chair, and Professor, School of Modern Languages |
| 12:55 – 1:30 p.m. | Speaker VI: Paula Tkac, Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta With Response from Laura Taylor, School Chair and Professor, School of Economics |
| 1:30 – 2:05 p.m. | Speaker VII: Doug Hooker, ME 78, MS TSP 85, Chief Executive Officer at Midtown Connector Park Foundation With Response from Cassidy Sugimoto, School Chair, Tom and Marie Patton Chair, and Professor, School of Public Policy |
| 2:05 – 2:15 p.m. | Thank You and Closing Remarks by Richard Utz, Interim Dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts |