Dean of Libraries
Leslie Sharp
The Early Years:
“I started at Tech as a graduate student in 1999 and earned a Ph.D. in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science in 2004. I joined the faculty in 2006 of what was then the College of Architecture as the director of Special Projects.
As a graduate student, I was very fortunate to work closely with two women faculty members – Mary Frank Fox and Andrea Tone – and several supportive men, including Greg Nobles and Steve Usselman. Because of the nature of History and Sociology, I was insulated within a very female and race-friendly department. We had a diverse faculty and diverse students; however, there was definitely a big difference outside of the department. I remember attending a teaching awards ceremony and noticing the lack of women.”
Proudest Achievements:
“In my previous role as associate vice provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development, I am most proud of working to make sure there was a promotion path for non-tenure track faculty and academic professionals. And I am proud of helping to restructure the Regents’ Professor selection process to increase the diversity of discipline, gender, and race of the nominees.
When I came to the Library, my goal was to make it the scholarly heart of the community, a place where everyone can thrive, and that includes people who work here. Every decision I have made is to invest in the Library as a place where people from all over campus want to be and that we are relevant to the community.”
Advice for Women:
“Stay true to yourself and make a point to seek out things that interest you. Define the path you want to follow. We all have passions, so try to ensure that your career supports that passion. We are fortunate that Tech is a place that supports good ideas and initiatives of its employees. As women at Georgia Tech, we have many opportunities, and we need to nurture those opportunities in ourselves and our colleagues the way we would for our students.”
