Testimonial

Harris Bergman

[ Ph.D. ME 2000]
President
Amigent, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

E-mail: hbergman@amigent.com

When I was still an undergraduate, I knew what I wanted to study and what kind of career I hoped to have. At Georgia Tech, I acquired the tools that have made those career goals a reality.

From my first day on campus, the faculty and staff at the Woodruff School took an interest in me personally and wanted to give me the opportunity to satisfy my intellectual curiosity. I felt that at most other programs I would be "just another grad student." In my program at the Woodruff School, we were not pre-assigned to work on a  particular grant-funded project; instead, new students had time to get  to know the faculty and their projects in order to find the best fit.

My experience at the Woodruff School not only let me study in my field of choice, but also gave me the opportunity to learn from dozens of   renowned experts. Whatever the question, there was a resource down the hall or in the building next door. There are always interesting seminars being given somewhere on campus. In fact, a technique I heard about at a lecture from another department became a critical component of my doctoral work.

The camaraderie among students made the Woodruff School a great place   to learn. Several faculty, students, and I met regularly over coffee   to discuss anything from TV to turbulence. When I started at Tech, I had a friend who became my mentor. When I graduated, I had become the mentor. And later, in the nonacademic world, my experience working with junior grad students translated into managerial skills post   graduation.

Shortly after I applied to Georgia Tech, Dr. Bill Wepfer, then the associate chair of the Woodruff School, managed to track me down while I was vacationing in a cabin in Vermont (I'm still not sure how he   found me) and sold me on Georgia Tech: Outstanding faculty, diverse fields of study and the opportunity to explore them, and great camaraderie among the students. Dr. Wepfer was right, and Georgia Tech exceeded my expectations on every level.