- Home
- Programs
- Details
- Sign-Up
- Calendar
6 New Housing Choices: ThinkBig@Tech!
This year, 6 living-learning options will be available to continuing students in housing. Each community is faculty-led on a particular theme.
These exciting ThinkBig programs are designed to give a small group of residents a great opportunity to interact closely with a faculty member and live with students who share a similar interest.
Click the program titles to the left for details about each community.
Click the PROGRAMS tab above for complete program descriptions and suggested activities.
Questions? Check out the facebook group.
ThinkBig Programs
Click to jump to program details below:
Technology and Urban Outdoor Adventures
LEGO Robotics and Outreach Community
Human Alteration: How far is too far?
Technology and Urban Outdoor Adventures @ Center Street South, 3rd Floor
Dr. Robert Butera, ECE
The intersection of technology, an urban environment, and living/working/playing in the outdoors
- Hike along the Chattahoochee River and explore an “urban tributary” (Rotenwood Creek)
- On-campus geocaching
- Information Technology and outdoor rec. GPSs, online data monitoring resources (weather, water, ocean, mapping), discuss utility of such infrastructure
Modern technology brings ease, comfort, and convenience to daily life. It also brings impacts on our environment, our society and our humanity. Taking advantage of Atlanta resources (CDC, Carter Center) and Tech experts, Technology and Urban Adventures ThinkBig community will focus on three major themes: biological/environmental technologies, neurotechnology and electrical/computer technology explored through personal, ethical, regulatory and policy lenses.
LEGO Robotics and Outreach Community @ North Ave South, 3rd Floor
Dr. Jeff Davis, ECE
Build autonomous robotics using LEGO Mindstorm, and mentor middle school students in robotics
- Design using LEGO Robotic NXT System Robotic Bluetooth
- Outreach to K-12 students
- Demonstration of robotic creations
This ThinkBig community will combine a popular engineering hobby with outreach activities to the community. Specifically, members will learn how to build and program autonomous robots. This is a great platform for learning about robotics, programming, and general engineering principles. Because the LEGO Mindstorm NXT system is so dynamic, it has tremendous flexibility and is engaging to a wide range of students, interests and majors. In addition, community members will learn to integrate their engineering interests and expertise to help their surrounding community.
Human Alteration: How far is too far? @ Center Street North, 5th Floor
Dr. Steve DeWeerth, BME
Address the societal, intellectual, and ethical aspects of integration of human and machine
- A monthly movie night beginning with a viewing of Boris Karloff’s 1931 rendition of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, and then moving on to more modern fare (e.g. Blade Runner, The Matrix)
- Visit sites where augmentation is being used to improve the human condition (example: The Shepherd Center)
- Develop a Community outreach project based upon one or more of the planned field trips
One of the most pervasive themes in science-fiction literature and film involves the integration of human and machine. From the cyborgs of Blade Runner, Robocop, and The Terminator to the artificial realities of Tron, The Lawnmower Man, and the Matrix series, there are numerous examples exploring this intriguing link between person and technology. Does the theme really have anything to do with reality, or is it but the purview of creative writers?
This ThinkBig community will explore both the science fiction and the science (such as brain/machine interfacing and neural prostheses) associated with human augmentation. We will watch movies, read books, have lively discussions, visit off-campus sites, and develop a Community outreach project. Each member of the community will have the opportunity to participate in the activities that (s)he finds most interesting. The ultimate goal is to generate an enjoyable atmosphere in which we can address the societal, intellectual, and ethical aspects of this challenging and thought-provoking topic.
Humor and Innovation @ Woodruff South, 4th Floor
Dr. Pete Ludovice, CHBE
Performances and workshops in a variety of humor formats both fun and educational
- Presentation of the theory of humor from Plato and Aristotle to de Bono & Koestler by LLC instructor
- Stand-up comedy show by national touring comedian (Scotty K., Dan Mengi, etc.) followed by Q & A session
- Student-Run Open Mic Event
Humor has long been used to improve communication, education and innovation in predominantly non-technical areas such as business and marketing. What about us geeks?? While humor has long been recognized as valuable in presentations, it is actually not recommended for technical presentations (but that’s all I make??). Improvisational comedy has helped with business innovation; it is not applied to technical innovation (that counts me out!!). Times may be a-changin’ however. The journalism community recognizes the value of humor in engaging audiences given the recent popularity of comedians on news shows including D.L.Hughley on CNN (John Stewart and Stephen Colbert are Comedy Central...get it?). Even more recently, the use of humor to address technical topics is seen in television and radio programs such as “Myth Busters” on the Discovery Channel and “The Car Talk Guys” on NPR. So, there may be a role for Tech students after all!
Members of this ThinkBig community will be exposed to stand-up comedy, improvisational comedy, sketch comedy, written humor, cartoons and non-verbal humor in a manner to engage both out-going students experienced in comedy and more reserved students who are just interested in comedy. Students will explore the application of these humor formats to improve their own ability to communicate, educate and innovate.
International House @ Hayes House and Fourth Street E
Dr. Kirk Bowman, INTA
US and international students with a shared commitment to promote cultural exchange and explore global issues
- I-Film: the screening of international films or attending a film festival in Atlanta
- I-Culture night: which includes such activities as salsa lessons, cooking classes, food tasting, and attending local performances by touring entertainers
- I-Sunday dinners: Group meal featuring the cuisine and culture of a particular country or region
The I-House ThinkBig community is an energetic and vibrant place to live, filled with world music, international news and magazines, and the aromas of Asian teas. Best of all, it is full of students who are enthusiastic about our world and open to ideas and conversations about how the world works. The mission of this community goes beyond the building of a living community, by extending horizontally to build networks with other international organizations and clubs on campus and by enhancing the international activities, lectures, and film festivals that take place at Georgia Tech. A new course, I-House: Globalization has been added to more closely link the community to the academic mission. Additionally, the I-House reaches out to participate in and enhance the vast offering of international activities at other local universities and throughout the vibrant city of Atlanta.
Women, Science and Technology @ Stein and Goldin Houses
Dr. Carol Colatrella, LCC
WST offers programs addressing personal and professional issues for women students entering scientific and technological fields
- Dinners with speakers
- "Brand yourself and stand out from the crowd."
- "Internships, Law School and beyond."
This ThinkBig community offers members a wonderful chance to live and bond with other female students at Georgia Tech. WST enhances the academic and professional development of members and participants by creating networks for students and for student-faculty interaction. The overall experience is designed to enhance the academic and professional development of residents. The WST ThinkBig programs presented to the community address personal and professional issues for women students entering scientific and technological fields.
Details
Sponsored by Georgia Tech Undergraduate Studies and the Department of Housing-Residence Life, ThinkBig@Tech communities are designed to increase academic performance and improve student retention by bringing faculty and students together to pursue further conversation around topics beyond those in the classroom. This interaction is created to be fun and engaging, and not more "homework!"
- Each community will have 20-50 members
- Faculty will visit the hall once per week for either a "coffee hour" visit or a program/activity
- Some activities will be off campus - transportation provided
- Fall and Spring semester
- Residents will form "Advisory Board" to work with faculty member to tailor the topic to growing and changing interests
- Designed to appeal to many types of residents, including different majors and interests, and genders
- Cost: $150 each semester to compensate faculty time, food and transportation costs, etc. This is an academic fee and not a Housing charge. (I-House and WST fee is $25 per semester.)
Questions? Go to facebook.
How to Sign-Up Online
Current students - If you have already applied for fall 2009 housing (the deadline was March 3, 2009) and now wish to transfer to one of the ThinkBig
programs, send an email to Vicki.Hill@housing.gatech.edu and write ThinkBig in the subject line. Please list which program you wish to room transfer to. Housing will work all
summer long to make this change occur but cannot guarantee it.
Transfer students - Once you are eligible to apply for housing, please make your preferred ThinkBig program's residence hall your first choice. Also, please send an email to Vicki.Hill@housing.gatech.edu and write ThinkBig in the subject line. Please list which program you wish to join. Housing will work all summer long to make this your fall assignment but cannot guarantee it.