Emily Howell is the Director of Finance and Administration for the College of Engineering​ and has had an interesting career working in various roles both on and off campus. In this profile she shares mistakes she's made, things she would have done differently, and dishes on her love of Star Wars (which explains the picture below, where she's posing with her staff at a CoE Halloween party).

Where are you originally from and where did you go to school?

I grew up in Dahlonega, Georgia in Lumpkin County. I went through the county schools system there, then I went to Auburn University and got an undergraduate degree in management. I finished during a recession and there was nothing but bad jobs available in management at the time. I got offers for jobs in retail management and in a banking trainee program, but those weren't good fits for me, so I went back to school at North Georgia College, which is in Dahlonega. I got my accounting degree there in three quarters and I got a job from there.

How did you end up at Tech and what roles have you had here?

After I graduated I went to work for the state audit department. We audited colleges and universities and local boards of education and some other state agencies. It was located in Athens, and that was fun. I was there for about five years, and then there was an opportunity with the state audit department here in Atlanta. I applied on a recommendation of a friend who knew Bruce Spratt who used to be the director of financial accounting here at Tech. He had a job opening and my friend recommended I apply. I did, but I didn't get. However, I did get a job at the internal audit department here. I did that for six months, then Bruce had another job that opened up and I transferred into his office in central accounting. I did that for a long time, then I moved to affiliate accounting, which handles some of the smaller units. That was really interesting. Then I went to the budget office for five years. Accounting and budgeting are extremely different, so that was an adjustment. I did that for about five years and over the last few of those years I started working more with the academic side, and I just saw how truly different it is from central administration. I came over to the dean's office about two years ago. So altogether I've been at Tech 16 or 17 years and I've had multiple finance-related roles.

What do you like about working at Georgia Tech?

I love the people here, and I love the campus. It's exciting, especially on the academic side. I like being involved with the research. It used to be something I read about in the Daily Digest and now I get to help make it happen, even if it's in a little way. I'm certainly not a researcher, but just to be a part of it makes it so much more real. It's an exciting, fun environment filled with a lot of very smart people.

Have you encountered any challenges as a woman in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field?

Absolutely. When I was at internal audit there were some issues. The main reason I left is because it was definitely a good old boy system. It was hard being a female in internal audit. It was dominated by men and you were not promoted. You were treated as a second class citizen. It was really hard. I had a personal experience that caused me to leave, and it was an individual who simply didn't treat women the same way he treated men. It just wasn't something I wanted to deal with on a daily basis. That was almost 20 years ago, and back then it never really registered with me that it was wrong or that he could be punished for that. It was just take it or leave, so I left. Looking back it's a woulda, coulda, shoulda moment. But I was 24 at the time, and now that I'm 45 I have a totally different perspective. It's hard, and it all depends on the individuals you're dealing with. People are people, and some of them have views of women in the workplace that others don't. At Tech it's much different. When I came here it got a lot better, and as you get older you get better at reading people, and you gain more confidence in yourself, so you take a lot less crap. 

Fortunately times have changed over the years, and I appreciate programs that raise awareness of these sorts of issues.

Have you had anyone in your career that acted as a mentor?

I would consider Jim Fortner, who works in central accounting, a mentor of sorts. I worked under him briefly and he was a really great boss. He's very even keeled. He never got too high or too low and he kept the whole office very steady. I can also say that since being here in the dean's office, that Pete Dawkins has been a huge mentor. Even though he's still here working in a retired capacity and I'm actually in his job, having him here has been a tremendous asset. I wouldn't say he's taught me how to do things, because he's not trying to mold me into what he was, but he's a good resource to talk to. He knows how things have been done in the past and has a great understanding of what works and what doesn't. From a knowledge transfer standpoint he's been a great help.

If you go back and talk to yourself when you were in college or beginning your career what advice would you give yourself?

Don't take any crap from that guy in my first job! Stand up for yourself. Be confident in what you believe. Just because someone has more experience than you doesn't necessarily mean that they're right. Trust your gut when it comes to how you should react to things and trust your instincts. I'd also tell myself to get my accounting degree while I was at Auburn instead of doing that extra year. Accounting has really paid off for me. When I was in high school I wanted to be an artist and do children's books, and my dad said "That's great, but you're going to get a degree you can get a job with." Looking back that was very good advice.

How have you managed to balance your work life and your family life?

It's a challenge sometimes, but I have a great support system. I have family in town, and I've got great friends and neighbors. I have a wonderful place to work that helps me balance it all out. It is hard though. When you really care about your work, but also, obviously, care about your family, it can be hard to balance it. It's all about setting priorities. Family comes first, but the job is right up there too, so you have to prioritize and keep a good calendar. Not overextending yourself is a big part of it. I've tried to do everything and I ended up not doing a very good job on a lot of things. You have to focus and be selective so you can do a good job on the things you do. I don't do every bake sale and I don't go to every school party. Another big part is not feeling guilty about making those choices. 

When my son first started school I was working extra hours doing flex time during the week so I could volunteer a half day at the school, then we'd do sports on the weekend. I just felt so guilty, but you have to get over that and do what's right for your family, and it's up to you to figure out what that is. I have a lot of friends who are stay at home moms, and I've wondered if that would be better for me. On the other hand, you have to think about what you want to do, and your personality type. I enjoy the challenge and structure of work. It's not just about the money. People are wired differently and you have to find what's right for you. 

Fortunately I have a great kid with a great sense of humor, and he rolls with everything. We kind of get through it together. It's hard, and there's days I wish I could not go to work and he could not go to school, and we could just play hooky together.

Rumor has it you're a huge Star Wars fan. Is it true?

It is, but when you say I'm a Star Wars fan I need to clarify- I am a New Hope and Empire Strikes Back fan, and maybe the first 10 or 15 minutes of Return of the Jedi. The Ewoks weren't my thing, and I'm a Darth Vader fan (See photo, where Emily is posing with her staff at a CoE Halloween party), so I don't like how Return of the Jedi ended. It wasn't supposed to go down like that. The newer ones were just so over the top with Jar Jar Binks and the special effects. They were terrible. I remember being in the movie theater when I was seven to see A New Hope, and I was so excited. I loved it so much. Now my son is a huge Star Wars fan and he even loves Episode 1-3.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the new movies. I saw the trailer for the first one and it looked good. Disney is involved, and they do everything right, so I'm excited about it. We're really into Lego, and when new movies come out they tend to re-release some of the limited edition sets, so we're hoping to get some of the ones we missed. 

So yes, I'm a big fan and I feel like I fit right in personality wise at Tech. I feel like I'm just as weird or quirky as anyone else that's here.