Congratulations go to Gary May who has just been named Dean of the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech.
Gary and I go way back to undergrad days in the mid 80s. He was NSBE chair one of the years that I was on the National Board. I always knew that he was destined for something like this. Well I've known for about 6 or 7 years. It has been a while since we hung out and it was about 5 years ago when I had a barbecue over at his place. He's an incredibly level-headed guy and methodical as all get-out. What always struck me about Gary was his sense of humility and dedication to the cause. It was a cause he understood, because he always put in the work, the cause of getting people through their studies. You see Gary was the straight A student who never made a big deal about his brains. It seems like it just never occurred to him that he might be something special or entitled to take advantage. He impressed me as somebody who just had a good discipline and ability to get through the maze and he wanted others to do the same.
Obviously he has learned to play politics, and that is his greater and deeper strength, because he is eminently trustworthy, showing no signs of weakness to temptation, but knowing how to work the back end of everything. I can't say that I necessarily like the way he operates. Me, I guess I'm a sucker for someone who confesses an ulterior motive over bourbon, but you'd never get that kind of banter out of Gary. Or Dr. May as I gather he is called now.
I offer my heartiest congratulations. The good guy won. You won't believe where he will be in 10 years.
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