Thomas M. Akins

Executive Director

Tom Akins currently serves as the Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Division of Professional Practice, home of the nation's largest optional cooperative education program. Current participation in the co-op program includes over 2,500 students and more than 700 employers.	Tom Akins
Cooperative Education at Georgia Tech has a rich tradition in its 90-year history, with over 150 years of cumulative experience in the field of co-op among the present staff members. The Division of Professional Practice also has responsibility for the growing Undergraduate Professional Internship Program. This new initiative gives students who either cannot or choose not to co-op, an opportunity to gain relevant work experience in a structured manner. Mr. Akins earned his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia Tech through the cooperative plan and worked for two years as an engineer with First National Bank of Atlanta, providing internal management consulting for all subsidiaries of the First National Holding Corporation. In 1976, Tom returned to his alma mater as Assistant Director of the Cooperative Division, with responsibilities for counseling and advising students, orientation of new co-ops and all admissions to the program. In 1977, he completed the Master of Business Administration degree at Georgia State University. Mr. Akins was named Director of the Cooperative Division in August 1990, and in the fall of 2002, he was named Executive Director of the Division of Professional Practice, charged with overseeing co-op and undergraduate professional internships. He also has had other responsibilities at Georgia Tech, having been elected to multiple terms to the Institute's Faculty Assembly, Academic Senate and Executive Board as well as serving on search committees and standing committees of the faculty. In Cooperative Education, Tom has made numerous presentations and conducted workshops on the state, regional, national, and international level. Very active in the Cooperative Education Division (CED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), he served two years as Secretary-Treasurer, a one-year term as Chair-Elect and a term as Chairman of this national professional co-op organization. He is presently on the Executive Board and is Chairman of the Awards Committee. In addition to his involvement in ASEE, he holds memberships in the World Association for Co-operative Education (WACE), the Cooperative Education Internship Association (CEIA) and the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA). He is the recipient of the 1998 Borman Award from CED for outstanding service to the field of Cooperative Education and currently serves as president of the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education. Tom Akins Executive Director Division of Professional Practice Georgia Institute of Technology Savant Building, Room 103 Atlanta, GA 30332-0260 Phone: (404) 894-3320 FAX: (404) 894-7308 tom.akins@dopp.gatech.edu

Tom Akins currently serves as the Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Division of Professional Practice, home of the nation's largest optional cooperative education program. Current participation in the co-op program includes over 2,500 students and more than 700 employers.

Tom Akins

Cooperative Education at Georgia Tech has a rich tradition in its 90-year history, with over 150 years of cumulative experience in the field of co-op among the present staff members.

The Division of Professional Practice also has responsibility for the growing Undergraduate Professional Internship Program. This new initiative gives students who either cannot or choose not to co-op, an opportunity to gain relevant work experience in a structured manner.

Mr. Akins earned his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia Tech through the cooperative plan and worked for two years as an engineer with First National Bank of Atlanta, providing internal management consulting for all subsidiaries of the First National Holding Corporation.

In 1976, Tom returned to his alma mater as Assistant Director of the Cooperative Division, with responsibilities for counseling and advising students, orientation of new co-ops and all admissions to the program. In 1977, he completed the Master of Business Administration degree at Georgia State University.

Mr. Akins was named Director of the Cooperative Division in August 1990, and in the fall of 2002, he was named Executive Director of the Division of Professional Practice, charged with overseeing co-op and undergraduate professional internships. He also has had other responsibilities at Georgia Tech, having been elected to multiple terms to the Institute's Faculty Assembly, Academic Senate and Executive Board as well as serving on search committees and standing committees of the faculty.

In Cooperative Education, Tom has made numerous presentations and conducted workshops on the state, regional, national, and international level. Very active in the Cooperative Education Division (CED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), he served two years as Secretary-Treasurer, a one-year term as Chair-Elect and a term as Chairman of this national professional co-op organization. He is presently on the Executive Board and is Chairman of the Awards Committee. In addition to his involvement in ASEE, he holds memberships in the World Association for Co-operative Education (WACE), the Cooperative Education Internship Association (CEIA) and the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA). He is the recipient of the 1998 Borman Award from CED for outstanding service to the field of Cooperative Education and currently serves as president of the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education.

Tom Akins
Executive Director

Division of Professional Practice
Georgia Institute of Technology
Savant Building, Room 103
Atlanta, GA 30332-0260

Phone: (404) 894-3320
FAX: (404) 894-7308
tom.akins@dopp.gatech.edu