Marc Ebelhar
(he/him)
Graduate Student Success Specialist and Instructor of Record for GT6000
Ed.D., Student Affairs Leadership; University of Georgia
M.Ed., Higher Education and Student Affairs; University of South Carolina
B.A., Economics and Political Science; Bellarmine University
Email: marc.ebelhar@grad.gatech.edu
"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next." – Michael Gerber
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 group leaders. Marc has 20 years experience as a higher education professional with a primary focus in graduate education, students in transition, LGBTQIA allyship, and campus housing. His dissertation focused on the lived experiences of volunteer LGBTQIA safe zone training facilitators in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Outside of work, he is a Memphis Grizzlies basketball fanatic, enjoys playing tabletop board games, and loves to explore the cuisine, culture, and community of Buford Highway with his partner, Christina.
Marc's advice for graduate students:
"You do you. Don't worry about comparing yourself to what others are doing. We are all on our paths in completing a graduate program, and in life, so figure out what works for you and do it!"
Anant Girdhar
(he/him)
Assistant Instructor for GT6000 and Ph.D. Student, Aerospace Engineering
M.S., Aerospace Engineering; Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S., Aerospace Engineering; Indian Institute of Technology
Email: anantg@gatech.edu
"See I got GPS on my phone." – Jon Bellion, Human | "But if you don't, look for 'the pencil.'" – Georgia Tech community
Anant Girdhar has been involved in GT6000 since Fall 2017. He was a group leader for four years and has been assistant instructor since Summer 2021. His role as assistant instructor involved ensuring that the program runs smoothly, training group leaders, and advising on the general direction of the program. He enjoys being involved with GT6000 because it allows him to meet incoming graduate students and not only share his experiences to help acclimate them to campus life but also learn from them and their diverse experiences. He likes to solve puzzles (not the jigsaw variety), explore natural and urban habitats, go for walks, play racquetball, and ingest copious amounts of food and bubble tea. Anant says that even though he may not be directly involved in group meetings, "You're more than welcome to reach out to me absolutely whenever to chat about whatever!"
Anant's advice for graduate students:
"Grad school is a unique experience for everyone. Try to enjoy the journey while you're here and know that your time will come at the right time for you!"
James Black
(he/him)
Director of Student and Academic Affairs and Creator of GT6000
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering; Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S., Mechanical Engineering; Florida State University
Email: jblack@gatech.edu
"The goal is not to be perfect by the end, the goal is to be better today." – Simon Sinek
James Black, the creator of GT6000, is a senior academic professional and serves as the director of student and academic affairs in the Office of Graduate Education. In his role as director, he supports a team that manages student services and success programs for Tech's more than 7,000 on-campus master's and doctoral students. These services and programs include Institute-level orientation and onboarding, graduate student hiring, fellowships administration, and thesis and dissertation processing. 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. Outside of Georgia Tech, he is a part-time CrossFit coach, amateur gardener, and sci-fi nerd.
Why James enjoys working with graduate students:
"As a former Tech graduate student, I know the power of great relationships between our graduate students and administrators. I have an incredible opportunity to be on the other side of that equation now, and I leverage that privilege to do everything I can to make life better for our students. Our graduate students are our partners, our future colleagues, and the source of tremendous energy to deliver on Georgia Tech's research and teaching missions."