The longtime ChBE professor was selected for her teaching, research, and advocacy that strives to ensure equal access to opportunity.
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School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) faculty member Martha Grover has been named the College’s Thomas A. Fanning Chair in Equity Centered Engineering. Grover was selected for her efforts to educate engineers who approach their work with an intent to close societal gaps of wealth, power, and privilege by ensuring equitable access to opportunity.
The endowed position was established via the Southern Company Foundation by Southern Company, which has been regularly recognized for its efforts to promote an organizational culture that ensures representation of all groups. Fanning recently retired as chairman, president, and CEO.
Grover is a systems engineer whose work addresses the complexity of molecular organization and how it can solve complicated grand challenges. For instance, she has worked with the Department of Energy for 10 years to create processes for separation and immobilization of millions of gallons of liquid nuclear waste at the Hanford Site in Washington and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. She’s developed real-time process monitoring of nuclear waste slurries to increase throughput and enhance safety.
Grover’s research also focuses on the origins of life and understanding the essential role of diversity and cooperation. Her other work includes modeling and engineering the self-assembly of atoms and small molecules to create larger scale structures and complex functionality.
“Martha is one of the College’s strongest advocates for inclusive excellence in research and instruction. Her efforts and advocacy over the years have certainly contributed to our success, and I look forward to collaborating with her on her future objectives and initiatives,” said Raheem Beyah, dean and Southern Company Chair. “I’m also thankful for the leadership shown by the Southern Company and Tom in this area, as well as their alignment with the shared values of the College and their investments to support them.”
Grover serves as the College’s ADVANCE Professor. She and peers in each of Georgia Tech’s six colleges seek to develop approaches that increase the representation, full participation, and advancement of women and underrepresented groups in STEM-focused academic careers. Grover has advocated for more equitable hiring practices, equitable salary structures, and representation in leadership. She organizes College faculty retreats to provide community, support, and dedicated time to identify priorities.
Grover is ChBE’s associate chair for graduate studies. By implementing new mechanisms for recruiting, she has helped the School significantly increase the number of women and students from underrepresented groups since assuming the role in 2019.
For example, she and ChBE Professor Carson Meredith co-founded GT-EQUAL (Graduate Training for Equality in Underrepresented Academic Leadership). The program, which is available to all students, enrolls two fellows each year. GT-EQUAL allows them to pursue a master's in chemical engineering while receiving funding, mentoring, and training to prepare for success in a Ph.D. program.
She also established Mentoring for the Professoriate, a program that focuses on recruiting graduate students interested in faculty careers who may not have much guidance about how to pursue that kind of career path.
As an instructor, Grover has broadened access to course materials. That includes a partnership with LearnChemE.com, where she has produced more than 20 free virtual courses with embedded quizzes on key concepts in undergraduate-level process control.
Grover also has become a recognized leader across campus and was recently named to Georgia Tech’s Faculty Executive Leadership Academy (FELA). The program is designed to identify and develop senior faculty members for leadership positions.
“With this new chair appointment, I plan to look for unmet needs and opportunities in the College and Georgia Tech, then create specific programs with metrics and targets,” Grover said. “I believe there will be great synergies with my roles as ADVANCE Professor and within FELA. I’m excited to work with Tom Fanning and leaders on campus to formulate our initial steps and goals.”
Fanning received his bachelor’s (1979) and master’s (1980) degrees from Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business. He was also presented an honorary doctorate in 2013.
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Tom Fanning
The Thomas A. Fanning Chair in Equity Centered Engineering is part of Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, a more than $2 billion comprehensive campaign designed to secure resources that will advance the Institute and its impact — on people’s lives, on the way we work together to create innovative solutions, and on our world — for decades to come.
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