Jordan Named Faculty Athletics Representative

President Ángel Cabrera has named Jenna Jordan, associate professor and associate chair in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, as the next faculty athletics representative (FAR) to the Georgia Tech Athletic Association (GTAA).

The FAR serves as the liaison between the Institute and the Athletic Association on issues regarding rules compliance activities, new developments at the NCAA, and activities related to Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) membership. This is a part-time administrative position appointed for a term of three years. Jordan will replace Mechanical Engineering Professor Baratunde Cola, who is taking a leave of absence from faculty and university responsibilities to lead Carbice, the Georgia Tech spin-off company he founded, through its next phase of growth.

"Professor Jordan is not just an accomplished scholar but an exemplary educator who cares deeply about the growth and well-being of our students,” said Cabrera. “She has made a difference these past years as a faculty guide with the Stamps President's  Scholars, and I have no doubt she will have a similar impact in supporting the academic experience of our student-athletes and serving as an effective liaison between our faculty and our athletic program."

Jordan has been a Georgia Tech faculty member since 2012. Her research focuses on terrorism and political violence, international security, cybersecurity, wargaming, organizational theory, and statecraft. Her work has been published by Stanford University Press and in International Security, Security Studies, Conflict Management and Peace Science, the Journal of Cybersecurity, and International Trends as well as The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Chicago Tribune, Foreign Policy, and The Washington Quarterly. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in political science from Stanford University, and a B.A. in international relations from Mills College. 

“Serving as faculty athletics representative is a unique opportunity to address the challenges facing student-athletes, and I am excited to be able to help guide their experience at Georgia Tech,” she said. “I recognize the importance of building bridges across the Institute, and I hope to create new opportunities to facilitate meaningful student-athlete interaction, continuing the efforts of my FAR predecessors who fiercely advocated for and mentored our student-athletes. And I will continue to foster a culture of mentorship and support among the faculty and our student-athletes.”

Jordan’s three-year term as FAR begins July 1.