Testimonial

Ashley James

[Ph.D. ME 2000]
Vice President
Guideline Inc.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

There are several reasons. First and foremost, Georgia Tech and the Woodruff School have great reputations, so I knew I'd get a great education. Plus, reputation matters to potential employers, especially in academics.

During the application and admissions process the Woodruff School invited me to visit campus and meet some faculty. No other school I applied to did this, so it made a big difference in how I expected I would be treated as a student. Tech offered me a financial aid package that was competive with other schools. Finally, I knew Atlanta would have ample opportunities for my significant other to pursue his career.

I learned an incredible amount about my field, fluid mechanics, while I was at Tech. When I think back to how little I knew when I started I'm amazed at the difference. I gained not only technical knowledge, but also a broader understanding of how various disciplines fit together and where the limits of knowledge currently are. Additionally, I learned a lot about the process of doing scholarly research, so that as a faculty member I've been able to confidently begin my own research program. My education at Tech provided me with both the tools and the knowledge I need.

All aspects of the program are clearly first-rate. My interactions with other students were particularly rewarding. It was enriching to be part of a research group in which the students were continually teaching each other in many ways -- from quizzing each other in preparation for qualifying exams to explaining an experimental or numerical technique to brainstorming a solution to a research problem to discussing current events. The faculty are excellent both at teaching and research. My thesis advisor, Marc Smith, provided me with a lot of freedom to make my own mistakes and my own breakthroughs, but when I needed his help he was almost always available and always gave insightful advice. On the rare occasions when we reached the limit of his expertise there was always someone on the faculty with the ability and willingness to help. Finally, the administrators of the graduate program are very pro-active and they do an incredible job.