NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011 - (Page 31)

Empowered by Vision Georgia Tech, Distinguished Chapter of the Year By Lynette Locke Johnson adds that the chapter made a point of encouraging leadership and commitment to the NSBE cause. Several rank and file members decided to give more time to the chapter by joining the Chapter Executive Board. This resulted in freshmen running for and winning nine of the 16 spots on the 2011–2012 executive board. GTSBE also tested new chapter pilot programs, such as the Office Hours competition, set to be fully rolled out this fall, which encouraged students to see their professors during office hours and offered scholarships to the competition winners. In addition, the chapter revamped its freshman leadership development component, called Lambda Delta Rho. All members of the GTSBE board were high-level performers who were encouraged to show-off their leadership qualities on campus and in the community. Each had a role and filled it, says 2010–11 Chapter Vice President Alexandria Vension, who is chapter president this year. “As the vice president, I was the manager of the board, and, as such, I was responsible for making sure they had access to all the resources they needed to successfully execute their programs, (that they) receive(d) any help if they needed it, and, most important, that our president’s vision for our chapter, as well as each CEB member’s goals, were accomplished,” she says. Continued on page 32 W hile others may endeavor to conquer the world, some have slightly smaller but no less admirable aspirations. This was the case for the Georgia Institute of Technology NSBE chapter — officially the Georgia Tech Society of Black Engineers (GTSBE) — the 2011 NSBE Distinguished Chapter of the Year. The honor was announced at NSBE’s 37th Annual Convention in St. Louis last March. It should come as no surprise that the chapter’s board leadership played a large part in gaining the recognition for the group. Terence Johnson, president of the chapter in 2010–11, says he had a clear view of the direction in which he wanted to steer the group. So, at the beginning of his term, he looked at the NSBE National Directives — “Academic Excellence” and “Pipeline Development” — and created a vision that incorporated those elements. “(Last) year was really about forging a more sustainable chapter, and I think we did that through fresh ideas and innovative programming,” Johnson says. “We weren’t content to just rest on our laurels of going to Georgia Tech. We really tried to break new ground.” Johnson is a graduating senior in biomedical engineering. He developed his passion for engineering as a child playing with LEGOs. “Living in the Bay Area, I’d always been surrounded by engineering feats and wondered how I could build something like the Golden Gate Bridge,” he recalls. Leaders Preferred In August 2010, still new to his job as president, Johnson took on the task of mobilizing the group to face a new challenge: being chosen as one of the 14 chapters in NSBE’s pilot Retention Program. “We wanted to encourage both academic excellence and leadership development, not just within NSBE but on Georgia Tech’s campus, as well,” he says. “We recognized early that we had to work with other organizations in order to make this big undertaking work. We held joint workshops with (Georgia Tech’s) Office of Minority Educational Development, African American Student Union and other groups, regarding academics, social life, professional etiquette and succeeding at Georgia Tech.” www.nsbe.org nsbe magazine • fall 2011 PhotograPhy: JohN LaND, For thE UNItED StatES NaVy • 31 http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011
Contents
The Next Level
Achievement Finds an Ally
Leadership, Your Way
The Programs Zone
Dr. Philicity Williams of the National Security Agency
Chapter News
Membership News
International News
NSBE Advisor Makes History
Pack Out Pittsburgh!
Empowered by Vision
Top Officers
St. Lucian Students Thrive at IIT
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
SEEKing Excitement for STEM
What’s New?
NSBE Calendar
The Professional’s Perspective
Shifting to Renewables for Electric Power
Alumni Officers
The Japan Effect
AE Members on the Move
Golden Torch Honoree
‘Brother Founder’ Donates $100K to NSBE
XL’ent!
Building Successful AE Chapters
Advertisers Index

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2011