On June 4, Undergraduate Transition Seminars (UTS) welcomed 106 GT 1000 and GT 2000 instructors, plus supporting campus partners, to the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center for its annual professional development conference. This full day event focused on community-building, resource awareness, and pedagogical preparation for the upcoming academic year. 

Dr. Chris Reaves, assistant vice provost for the Office of Undergraduate Education and Student Success (OUESS) and executive director of Experiential and Engaged Learning (E2L), kicked off the conference with opening remarks. Dr. Catherine Thomas, interim director of Academic Transition and Learning Communities, Jacquée Williams, program and operations manager for UTS, and Brian Garsh, transfer success manager followed with program updates and information about upcoming involvement opportunities in the program. Dr. Christie Stewart, director of Health and Wellness Education in the School of Biological Sciences, provided an energizing keynote address, “Shared Strength: Fostering Resilience in Ourselves and Our Students”, that highlighted resilience strategies and practices. The rest of the day featured nine breakout sessions and a campus resource fair.

The Undergraduate Transition Seminars program annually serves over 2100 incoming first-year and transfer students at Georgia Tech. Its instructional team consists of 130+ faculty, staff, and administrators from all over campus, as well as 140+ volunteer peer facilitators—Team Leaders. With a focus on promoting sense of belonging and making connections with people, programs, and opportunities, the seminars help students make a successful academic and social transition to Georgia Tech.