McLaughlin chosen as first Vice Provost for International Initiatives

Steven McLaughlin, a professor from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has been chosen to serve as the first vice provost for International Initiatives. The new role was created out of the Office of the Provost's continuing efforts to focus Tech on improving its footprint on the global stage. McLaughlin's new position will take on the responsibility of ensuring the quality of Tech's global education, research and economic development initiatives.

"I'm a really strong proponent of international initiatives. I've spent a lot of time in a number of capacities abroad and [have] really seen the value to the students, to faculty [and] to the state," McLaughlin said.

Increasingly, Tech's international activities have been composed of elements of education, research and economic development.

"One of the prime motivators for this new position was to be able to focus on all three... because more and more of what [Tech does] internationally isn't just one of those pieces," McLaughlin said.

To his new position, McLaughlin brings with him experience in all three fields where Tech has placed its international focus. From 2006 to 2007, McLaughlin served as deputy director of GT Lorraine (GTL), Tech's campus located in Metz, France.

"I've seen the kinds of experiences the students [have gotten] and how those experiences have really changed them.... Midnight in a train station stuck somewhere in Germany, you can have an experience that changes how it is you think.... As deputy director of GTL, you get to see that a lot and you get to hear from students how much [these experiences] means to them," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin's experience in industry revolves around his involvement with several start-up companies. A company he was working with worked a lot in countries like Taiwan, China and Japan.

"[I've seen] the tremendous opportunities, and [I] really appreciate how business is done.... in different parts of the world," McLaughlin said.

As a professor within the School of ECE, McLaughlin has had longstanding collaborations with individuals abroad that span from personal relationships to research-oriented ones.

"I've been in the trenches, and I know what the opportunities and challenges are for doing something big abroad... and to run a successful program. Also having seen and worked in so many different cultures and collaborated with so many different kinds of people, it allows me to have a strategic approach to build new relationships... in different parts of the world," McLaughlin said.

The basis for all of Tech international initiatives deals with the establishment of partnerships. Many of the organizations that Tech involves itself are focused on areas like job creation within the science and technology fields, and Tech's previous experiences with economic development for the Georgia economy transfer over.

These partnerships are emphasized to be mutually beneficial. Not only can Tech impact development abroad, it also gains from partnering with organizations doing research on topics that are more thoroughly explored in other parts of the world.

As for initiatives at Tech, the International Plan and related programs, such as study abroad will fall under McLaughlin's purview.

"We've had a very good response [to the International Plan] since it was initiated.... We need to expand those opportunities and systematize some of the processes, and professor McLaughlin will have primary responsibility overseeing that," said Gary Schuster, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

"We're going to spend increased effort on [programs] like the International Plan, to make [it] as attractive to students as possible [and] to [provide], hopefully, the financial resources that will make it easier for students to do the International Plan. There will be a huge potential impact the more partners we can engage and the more we can bring down barriers for students to go abroad.... That's my job, to bring those barriers down and provide more opportunities to go abroad," McLaughlin said.

"All major US universities are in the process of sorting out what globalization mean for them.... The more we learn about what other universities are doing, we realize we're pretty far out ahead of the majority of them," McLaughlin said.