Manu Platt
Associate Professor
Biomedical Engineering

Why did you become an engineer?

My mother is a health and physical education teacher, so she always talked about our bodies and our health, and those sorts of things. Then at the same time I was really interested in how things worked. I liked technical things, and how TVs worked was a big one I really remember. I was great at math and science, but history and English weren't my thing. I didn't mind reading, but based on my interests I was thrust into science and math. When you combine technology with health and science, you get biomedical engineering, so when I found out in high school that it's an actual field I thought it was perfect for me.

Where did you grow up?

My dad was in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot. I was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey until I was about six, then they moved my dad to Little Rock, Arkansas. Then we went to Altus, Oklahoma, then he retired in Dover, Delaware. I did middle school and high school in Dover.

How did you end up in Atlanta?

I came to Atlanta to go to Morehouse College. I graduated from high school in 1997 and I did the dual degree program with Morehouse and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. At the time Georgia Tech didn't have a bioengineering undergrad program, so I came to Atlanta to go to Morehouse and I loved Atlanta. My senior year I started working in Bob Nerem's lab and that got me hooked on Tech. I did my PhD here and we were the second class of the joint PhD program with Emory University. I left for two and half years for a postdoc at MIT and I've been back at Tech ever since. 

What going you interested in doing research on cardiovascular disease, sickle cell, and HIV?

My PhD work at Tech was all about cardiovascular disease, with Hanjoong Jo, and how fluid and mechanical forces influence biology. I thought it was so cool. Our sickle cell disease work looks at the same types of mechanical properties that influence a disease, but it's a very understudied disease, or at least the mechanisms we're looking at are understudied. That all ties into HIV because HIV influences cardiovascular disease. Sickle cell and HIV both disproportionately effect minorities here in the United States, and sickle cell disease does globally. I think that's the importance of diversity in science, that not only do my experiences make me able to study these diseases, but the fact that they impact my community gives me the interest and motivation to tackle these problems.

You've been to Africa multiple times for research and conferences. How has that impacted you?

My first trip to South Africa was in 2009 and I think I've been there eight times now, plus one trip to Ethiopia. When I talk to young people about what I do, I tell them it's amazing the places science can take you. I never thought, when I was interested in science as a young kid, that it would take me to Africa several times, or to South Africa. And one of my times being there was right after Nelson Mandela passed away. We landed in Johannesburg the day after he passed away. The whole country was in mourning. It was such a historical time to be there, but science took me there. I was there for a conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa. It was incredible.

It's interesting to go there and be black, with black people all around you, but then go in the lab and there's still a different dynamic. It's still mostly white scientists, and the students there interact with me a bit differently. They say it's different because I'm American, and not South African. We would hope that in the scientific community race wouldn't be a factor, but we're not there yet.

Have you run into situations in which people were surprised you were a professor or researcher?

Absolutely. A few years ago I thought about starting a blog called "Yes, I'm the PI", because people would see me as a young black man with dreadlocks and earrings, and they would assume I was a student, not the principal investigator. One of my white male students went to South Africa for research purposes, and he was there for two months before I went to help him out. When he was there he was hanging out with the white grad students, and he told me before I went to visit that he had been prepping the people down there that I was coming, and telling them I was black. The majority of them had no issue with that, but there were a couple who he had to pull aside and say, some of the things you say aren't appropriate. He and I got to have some really interesting conversations about race, and that was interesting. We actually did a StoryCorps recording for NPR about him working in a lab as a white male and being in the minority. 

How important is it for you personally to recruit and support minority students?

It's incredibly important to me, and I have to give a shout out to Dean May on this. He sets a great example. He's super busy, and I think I'm busy but he's busier than I am, and he still finds time to recruit. If I go to a minority outreach event, whether it's a seminar, a lunch or whatever, I know that he's going to be there just about every time. If our dean isn't too busy for this then who am I to be too busy? If he can make time we can all make time. He's made some great strides, and he's one of the reasons I'm here at Georgia Tech. He's made this an appealing place for faculty to come work and he's been recruiting and supporting minority faculty members since day one of his career. Every once in a while you hear people downplay the importance of helping in recruiting, but Dean May does it and he strikes a balance between that and his other duties. I try to emulate what he's doing. It's something I love doing though, and I love being part of groups like NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers). I do it because the model has been set here through Dean May, and I'm glad my department values it. It's rewarding both personally and professionally. 
 

Angela Elleby,
Academic Advisor
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Where are you from and what brought you to Georgia Tech?

I was born and raised in South Carolina and went to school in South Carolina, and when I graduated from college in 1986 my sister was living in New York, so I went and lived with her for a year. Then I moved in here in 1987 and a friend of mine was working here. She said "Come apply at Georgia Tech" so I did, and I got a job working in the admissions office. So that was my first position, back in February of 1988.

What roles have you had on campus and how did you end up in the College of Engineering?

I worked in admissions for 10 years, and then a position came open in the registrar's office for an academic adviser, which was very similar to the work I was doing in the admissions office. I did transfer credit evaluations and advised students about transfer programs and things like that. The registrar's office position was for a re-admittance adviser. I stayed there for three years and then ECE needed an adviser so I came over here in 2001.

What is one of your favorite things about your job?

I love meeting different students. I get to meet students from all over the country and all over the world. I love to get to know them and hear their stories. And students keep me young! Talking to them and hearing about what's going on in their world is fun. I like being able to help them and make sure they stay on top of what they need to do to "Get out" as they like to say. I also work with a great group of people here in this office and I still have contact with friends and colleagues in other areas. Since I've been here for so long I've seen a lot of people come and go and move around. There are so many great people here.

Do you see students on their good days, their bad days, or both?

I see them on their good days and their bad days. Some students come in for advising before every registration period just to make sure they're signed up for the correct courses. They want that assurance. Then others follow the flow chart and we might not see them until just before graduation. Some are very independent and others want that guidance. Then there are students who find themselves in academic trouble and we help them get on the right track.

Have students changed much during your 26 years at Tech?

They've changed very much over the years. This generation of students requires more personal attention and assistance from us than they did 10 or 15 years ago. They're very smart, and they know they're very smart, but they aren't always confident when it comes to academic choices. They want to confirm that they're heading in the right direction with their academic career. There's nothing wrong with that- it's just different than in the past. 

Campus has changed a lot too. It has grown so much in the 26 years. I love the change, because our students have so many more resources available to them now, and that helps them to succeed. From the labs to learning centers and work rooms. It was needed so much.

A lot of our students coming in now struggle to socialize with other students, and those learning spaces make it easier for them. They're used to being the smartest student in their class in high school and when they get here suddenly they're being challenged academically. It's a tough adjustment sometimes, and common study areas make it easier for students to get together and help each other instead of isolating themselves. We really try to emphasize that it's good to ask questions to professors or peers. You might be able to help your friends, and they may be able to help you.

What is one of your favorite memories from working at Tech?

The Olympics were one of my favorite moments. We got to see athletes from all over the world who stayed on campus and competed here. I got to see President Clinton, and I even talked to some of the athletes. I talked to swimmers from Japan, and some hand ball players. I didn't even know that was a sport at the time. So that was a special thing to be a part of and it had a tremendous impact on the campus.