McGuire appointed Ivan Allen College Associate Dean

Peter McGuire, a professor in the School of Literature, Communication and Culture, was appointed to serve as the Associate Dean in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, effective Aug. 15.

McGuire joined the Tech faculty in 1975 and, along with teaching, has served in a variety of administrative positions over the course of his time here.

"I've been teaching here for 30 years and I've gotten to grow with the college," he said.

One of his most recent accomplishments was the creation of the Computational Media degree, a joint effort with the College of Computing. He said he is looking to apply the lessons he learned in that endeavor to his new position.

"A lot of my teaching has been on the more technical side, so a big part of what I'm doing is...trying to show if you are an engineer or scientist that your marketability and promotability are enhanced by the fact that you can understand how technology moves in the world," McGuire said.

McGuire hopes to get more students into liberal arts minors.

"You end up with a person with a bigger view and who can see the big picture. That goes on a transcript and recruiters can see that," he said.

"At some of our schools getting a minor is a default. You have to explain why you are not getting one versus why."

Because the Ivan Allen College produces unique graduates, McGuire said his efforts are all the more important. "There should be more stress on what makes us unique," he said.

"I get around to a lot of different schools and none produce students who are as unique."

According to McGuire this uniqueness is a result of the non-traditional technical style of the college.

"A 21st century liberal arts graduate understands computers, mathematical modeling and economics," he said. "Nobody is producing 21st century liberal arts graduates like Georgia Tech."

Despite the college's progress, McGuire said that a number of improvements can still be made.

"We need more professors. There is a growth plan. The key is finding the resources and finding the money," he said.

McGuire also plans to invest resources in undergraduate research. "As more resources become available, right along with that are ways to support the students who can work with them. We can start offering undergraduate scholarships and research," he said.

His major goal is to help Ivan Allen College gain recognition both inside and outside Tech. "There are still a lot of people who don't understand what we do. We have a terrific product. The key is to show it to people," he said.

Richard Barke, the former Associate Dean of the Ivan Allen College, will return to the Public Policy faculty.