Each year GT 1000/2000 leadership hosts an award ceremony to show appreciation for their volunteer instructors and team leaders. Although this year's banquet, held on November 12th, was a virtual one, it still served as an opportunity to celebrate the dedication and hard work of many of the program's Instructors and Team Leaders. Also new to the format this year was the introduction of virtual games and prizes. (Click here to view the ceremony's program)
"The GT 1000 & 2000 programs couldn't exist without the Instructors and Team Leaders who volunteer their time to help our first-year students thrive during their transition to Georgia Tech," said Assistant Director for Academic Transition Programs, Dr. Lacy. Hodges.
The program, which typically has four main award categories (Instructor of the Year, Team Leader of the Year, Team Leader Group of the Year, and Friend of the First-Year Seminar) introduced a brand new award: the "GT 1000/2000 Instructor of Excellence Award".
"Our inaugural recipient of the GT 1000/2000 Instructor of Excellence Award is Sandi Bramblett. Sandi is one of the longest-running GT 1000 instructors, and she has taught the course every year since 2002," said Dr. Hodges. "Sandi has shown unparalleled commitment to our students in her work with GT 1000 and has been honored for her contributions both in 2009 when she and her office (Institutional Research and Planning) was awarded the Friend of the First-Year Seminar and in 2019 when Sandi was awarded GT 1000 Instructor of the Year."
Sandi was also nominated last fall for the prestigious “Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars Award”, a national award designed to celebrate and honor the best first-year seminar instructors in the country. For the past 18 years, Sandi has inspired students, faculty, and staff across the Georgia Tech community with her dedication to student learning and success. In honor of Sandi’s 18 years of invaluable service to the GT 1000/2000 program, the award will hereafter be called the “Sandi Bramblett GT 1000/2000 Instructor of Excellence” award.
2020 Award Winners:
GT 1000 TL of the Year:
Darshan Senthil, 5th-year Biomedical Engineering major
Darshan is a 4-time GT 1000 Team Leader and serves as a TL for GT 1000 INT, a section designed for international students and students who have been educated abroad. Darshan is a model student and a model TL; he steadfastly stays the course with resilience and grace, and in such a manner that one can plainly see he is bound for success. Darshan’s inspiration is not limited to just students -- it extends to other TLs and to instructors as well, and it spans across the globe, touching the many lives of the international students he has worked with.
GT 2000 TL of the Year:
Trevor Todd, a 3rd-year Psychology major
Trevor transferred to Georgia Tech in Fall 2019 from Georgia State University. After taking GT 2000 his first semester at Tech, Trevor decided to be a TL in order to help other transfer students acclimate to the GT community. As a transfer student himself, Trevor has experienced many of the same challenges our students are facing in their first semester, and he is open, honest, and compassionate when speaking to them about both his experiences as well as their own. Trevor is the ideal GT 2000 TL and a fantastic role model to all of our incoming transfer students.
GT 1000 Instructor of the Year:
De’Angelo Neely, Financial Administrator III, Office of the Provost/Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
De’Angelo has taught GT 1000 for 4 semesters, starting in summer 2019. According to the students who nominated him, De’Angelo “is just exactly the kind of GT 1000 teacher that every college freshman needs to have.” De’Angelo works to ensure his students know that he cares about them and their success, and he dedicates himself to making sure the students in his class have all the skills they need to succeed at Tech. Not only does De’Angelo create an environment of inclusion and welcoming in his classroom, but he also impresses his students with his keen fashion sense and his dazzling array of cool shirts.
GT 2000 Instructor of the Year:
Nina Climes, Human Resources Manager, CEISMC
An 8-time GT 1000/2000 instructor, Nina has taught both GT 1000 and GT 2000 numerous times, helping hundreds of students adapt to life at Georgia Tech. In her GT 2000 class this Fall, her students feel that Nina “has created a class environment in which students are free to share how they feel and they know she cares.” Nina’s class helps to build community among new GT transfer students, providing them space each week to learn more about each other and about Georgia Tech.
Friend of the First-Year Seminar:
Dr. Mary Lynn Realff (Associate Chair for Undergraduate Program, Materials Science and Engineering), Caroline Dotts (Associate Director, Healthy Lifestyle Programs, CRC), and Kerry Wallaert (Educational Outreach Manager, Materials Science and Engineering) from the Effective Team Dynamics Initiatives
This year’s recipients of the Friend of the First-Year Seminar are the leaders of the Effective Team Dynamics Initiative, a cross-departmental group dedicated to helping students across the Georgia Tech community improve their collaboration skills through the use of CliftonStrengths. For the past three years, the Effective Team Dynamics Initiative has hosted workshops for dozens of GT 1000/2000 classes each year, helping our incoming students learn how to work effectively in teams. Through their commitment to Strengths-based learning and helping our students understand the value of collaboration and communication, the Effective Team Dynamics initiative has improved the team dynamics skills of thousands of students.
GT 1000/2000 Instructor of Excellence:
Sandi Bramblett, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research & Enterprise Data Management
The GT 1000/2000 Instructor of Excellence Award was created this year to honor one GT 1000/2000 instructor each year who has demonstrated long-term commitment and service to the program, along with excellence in teaching and mentoring students and Team Leaders in GT 1000/2000. The criteria for the award include:
- Minimum of 5 semesters teaching GT 1000 or 2000
- Demonstrated excellence in teaching first-year or transfer students in these courses
- Demonstrated excellence in mentoring and developing Team Leaders
- Commitment to enhancing and promoting the value of GT 1000/2000 across the GT community and exceptional service to supporting and advancing the goals of GT 1000/2000