Sybrina Atwaters

Sybrina Y. Atwaters is an interdisciplinary sociologist, engineer, and educator whose work bridges the sociology of technology and engineering systems design into STEM and higher education student success initiatives. Her research interests are in the sociology of technology (exploring knowledge production through virtual world technologies); educational innovation and design (exploring emerging trends in STEM education and higher education student success program design, and social inequality (examining patterns of inequality within science, engineering and higher education).  Her broad experience includes collaborative research with the National Academies, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Iowa State University, the Fund for Theological Education, and the Association of Theological Schools. She has presented her work at both national and international professional conferences.  Her research has been published by Spring International and John Hopkins University Press. 

Dr. Atwaters currently serves as the Executive Director of Undergraduate Education Research and Innovation (UERI) within the vice-provost Office of Undergraduate Education and Student Success (OUESS). She leads a division-wide research and innovation agenda focused on advancing student success from enrollment through graduation. Previously, she was the inaugural executive director of the Office of Student Achievement (OSA), where she led efforts to establish the Office of Student Achievement to address Big Bets 1 and 2 from the Institute’s strategic plan and drive student success beyond first-year initiatives. She has also served as director of OMED:Educational Services. Across roles, she supervised several programs, initiatives, teams, and grants under her purview, including Challenge Summer Academic Intensive and ILARC Academic Enrichment services. She designed and led collaborative efforts to launch the WOCI City-wide Collaborative in Higher Education, Career Pathway and Exploration Program (advancing co-op, internship, and experiential learning opportunities), Peer-I-scope (advancing the success of Atlanta Public School students and HBCU transfer students at Georgia Tech), Tech 411 Transfer Summer Bridge program (a first of its kind), the Global Innovation and Immersion Program in South Africa and Namibia, and TILE (Technology and Innovation Experiential Learning) program with the city of Atlanta and ACES institutions.  Her work led to national and global recognition, culminating in selection as a finalist for the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) in 2024. She also serves as affiliated faculty with the School of History and Sociology where she has taught intro sociology and advance HTS seminar courses.

Prior to serving in various director roles at Georgia Tech, Dr. Atwaters held several faculty, research, engineering, and consulting roles. She served on the RF wireless design team for AT&T wireless (formerly Bellsouth Mobility) during the 1996 Olympic games. She was responsible for much of the cellular design infrastructure along the Georgia Tech 75/85 corridor and east Atlanta.  She has taught at Emory University, Morehouse, and Georgia Tech.

Sybrina is a 3-time graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, receiving her B.S. in electrical engineering and master’s and Ph.D. in sociology of technology and science. She also earned her master’s degrees from Emory University in Theological Studies and Georgia State University in Instructional Technology. Dr. Atwaters has over nine years of experience as a senior wireless design engineer, nine years in STEM diversity research and programming, and 15 years in higher education instruction.

Dr. Atwaters has been featured in the news, magazines, and podcasts, such as Celebrity Boss magazine-STEM issue, Voyage ATL, STEMming in Stilettos, Enrollment Management News and more. She has as received numerous awards including being named the Ivan Allen College Distinguish Alumni, Greek Hall of Fame Inductee, AASU Outstanding Faculty member, Faces of Inclusive Excellence, and most recently she is one of 70 inaugural alumnae featured in the historic Pathway to Progress Art Installation.

She has served on several boards, steering committees, taskforces, and strategic planning working groups; including Georgia Million Women Mentors, Complete College of Georgia, and Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees. She has received several honors and awards for her work in STEM, gender equity, and education.

She is a native of Atlanta, educated through the Atlanta Public School system, becoming the first salutatorian of Alonzo A. Crim High School.  She is the proud mother of a Georgia Tech biomedical engineering honors graduate, Milan Johnson.