Gee-Pinn James Too

[Ph.D. September 1991]
Professor
Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering
National Cheng Kung University
Tainan, Taiwan
Republic of China

E-mail: z8008070@email.ncku.edu.tw

In the spring of 1986, I finished my master's degree in the United States. I knew I needed to find a top 20 engineering school in which to study because it would be easy for me to find a teaching position or a research job when I finished the degree. Georgia Tech is a famous school in Taiwan. I applied to several other schools as well, such as MIT and Berkeley. However, considering the living costs and tuition, I chose to come to Georgia Tech.

I expected to study controls at Georgia Tech. I didn't think about acoustics because in Taiwan at that time there were no acoustics courses in mechanical engineering schools. Because of its popularity, I could not find a professor to accept me as a graduate student. So, my next choice was vibrations. I knocked on Dr. Jerry Ginsberg's door and introduced myself. He introduced me to acoustics and we became advisor and student and friends ever since.

The graduate program at the Woodruff School helped prepare me for my career. I took almost ten different acoustics-related graduate courses. These courses are the basis of the various acoustics research areas which allow me to handle different acoustics projects without any difficulties. The projects that I have worked on since I graduated from GT are related to industrial noise control, microphone design, underwater acoustics, and structural acoustics.

Today, I teach classes related to acoustics, such as dynamics, vibrations, noise control, active noise control, ocean acoustics, nonlinear acoustics and structural acoustics. The notes I took in Woodruff School classes helped prepare me for the classes I teach in Taiwan. When I think about all this, from not knowing acoustics at all and doing five years of graduate work at the Woodruff School to right now, I would say that I know quite a bit about acoustics. This is all thanks to the Woodruff School.

I was at Georgia Tech from 1986 to 1991. I would rank the acoustics program in the Woodruff School in the top three in the United States. There was also an excellent program in tribology. The biomechanics group was becoming very strong. The major strength of the graduate program in the Woodruff School is that it is one of the most varied mechanical engineering programs in the world, and it also adjusts very quickly to new trends in engineering, such as nanotechnology and MEMS.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Woodruff School's graduate program is among the top ten engineering graduate programs in the United States. My time as a foreign student at Georgia Tech is the most memorable in my life. I thank my advisor and my teachers. I learned acoustics from them and I had a great time doing it at Georgia Tech.

The major strengths of the graduate program at Georgia Tech from what I saw when I was there from 1986~1991. At the Woodruff school, there was very good programs in acoustic and control as I just mentioned which I rank it top 3 in the United State . I also noticed that CAD/CAM program had very active program also. Tribology field was excellent under the conduct of the previous department head Dr. Winner. Finally, the bio-mechanics group was become very strong program in Tech in the beginning of 1990. Of course, there are very good programs in other fields and departments. I would said the major strengths of the graduate program at Georgia Tech that in GT, the Woodruff school not only provides top variety engineering graduate programs in the world but also adjust very fast to the new trends in the engineering program. I heard that nano technology and MEMS program has been very active recently also.

There are no doubts in my mind that the Woodruff School 's graduate program is among the top 10 engineering graduate program in the United State.

To me, the years in Tech was full of wonderful memories, our basketball team went to final 4, 1991 and the football team is undefeated (11-0-1) ranked No. 1,1991. In my research, my advisor Jerry Ginsberg offered us the opportunities of attending acoustical society meeting overall the country. I still remembered one time when we (students in acoustic labs) drove from Atlanta to Penn State university for ASA (Acoustical Society of America) Meeting. It is a great experience for us ( a group of foreign students) to see different states cultures and cenaries. We were so excited that we drove overnight to Atlantic city for fun during meeting date, and came back late in the earlier morning. Of course, we all exhausted and did not show up in the morning section meeting which is the section for structural acoustics. I believed Jerry was very angry for our irresponsible behaviors, but he did not say anything. It was so generous of him that he still paid for the trip we spent. Even though, we were punished by God as we drove back from Penn state to Atlanta . Our car broke down in the late midnight on the highway somewhere in Kentucky or Tennesee. There was no cell phone at that time, we walked a mile to get to highway phone to call the rental company for help. It is a precious experience for us. Jerry and I still laugh about it when we meet. There is the other interesting story when one of Jerry student Pei-Tai Chen first went to ASA meeting in Purdue university with Jerry. They drove from Atlanta to Purdue, and stopped by McDonald for lunch. Since it was Chen first year in United State , Chen was so happy and excited that he ordered Happy Meal to just show his happiness. To this year, we still laugh about it.

The time as a student is so precious in everybody life, the time as a foreign student in GT is the most memorable in my life. I would like to thank my advisor Jerry, and my teachers Dr. Ferri, Dr. Berthelot, Dr. Jarzenski, Dr. Pierce, Dr.Rogers and Dr. Zhou. I learned a lot acoustics from them and I had a great time in Tech.