Office Hours with John Gardner
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Office Hours with John Gardner
Episode 159- Graduate Student Orientation with James Black and Marc Ebelhar
James Black, Ph.D.
James Black is an administrative faculty member currently serving as the Director of Student and Academic Affairs in the Office of Graduate Education at Georgia Tech. He reports to the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and is a member of her leadership team. In his role as director, he supports a team of faculty and staff that manages student services and success programs for Tech's more than 8,000 on-campus master's and doctoral students. These services and programs address all phases of the graduate student life cycle and graduate student experience. He is the creator of GT6000, an Institute-level, 8-week graduate student first-year experience and extended orientation program. His team oversees graduate student hiring policy compliance for over 4,500 graduate assistants, the administration of over $10M in annual fellowship funding including 120 on-tenure students supported on the NSF GRFP, and thesis and dissertation processing. He is active in shared governance at Georgia Tech chairing and serving on multiple Institute committees and advisory boards. Before joining the Office of Graduate Education, he completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech doing research on a novel droplet levitation technique utilizing a fluid property called thermocapillarity. While a graduate student, he served as Graduate Student Body President in the Student Government Association. Outside of Georgia Tech, he recently served as the President of the Georgia Council of Graduate Schools, a state-level professional organization that advocates for graduate education in Georgia and currently serves on the national board of directors for Theta Chi Fraternity. He’s also a part-time CrossFit coach, amateur gardener, sci-fi nerd, and father of two young children.
Marc Ebelhar, Ed.D.
Marc Ebelhar is an academic professional that serves as graduate student success specialist in the Office of Graduate Education and the instructor of record for GT6000. In this role, he leads the implementation of the GT6000 program along with supporting the assistant instructor and 45 student leaders. Marc has over 20 years’ experience as a higher education professional with a primary focus in graduate education, students in transition, LGBTQIA allyship, and campus housing. Marc earned a bachelor of arts in economics and political science from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY, a master of education in higher education and student affairs from the University of South Carolina, and a doctorate in student affairs leadership from the University of Georgia. Outside of work Marc enjoys playing tabletop board games, is a proud supporter of Memphis Grizzlies basketball and Leeds United football and loves to explore the cuisine, culture, and community of Buford Highway with his partner, Christina.
