In Spring 2024, Kiera Tran and Donglai Yang were elected the president and executive vice president of the Graduate Student Government Association (Grad SGA).  

Kiera Tran is a Ph.D. student studying geophysical glaciology in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. She began her journey at Georgia Tech in her junior year of college. It was at Tech where Tran discovered her passion for earth sciences and the desire to make an impact on global issues. She has been involved in Grad SGA for the past two years.

Donglai Yang will be a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences studying the consequences of climate change to the polar regions with radar observations, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence. This is Yang’s first year serving in Grad SGA.

We followed up with them to get the scoop on their interests outside of academics.

Favorite Hobbies and Activities

• Donglai: I have been involved in music ensembles, playing some jazz music with fellow Georgia Tech students. It has been really fun. I also started a climbing group in our department to organize climbing activities.
• Kiera: I do small things to get my head out of research and Grad SGA work. I read a lot to make myself think about something else. I also really like journaling, so I journal while I read. Recently, I got into diamond painting. It’s like color by numbers, but you do it with diamonds. I spend hours on it, and I think that would be my new hobby right now.
   

Favorite Place on Campus

• Donglai: The hammocks on Tech Green.
• Kiera: The Eco Commons slide–that is where I go to destress, just slide down three times and then go back to my research.
   

Favorite Tradition or Event on Campus

• Donglai: I’m into music, so the ensemble events.
• Kiera: Recently, I got into campus sports, so I attend the football, basketball, and volleyball games.
   

Favorite Thing about Atlanta

• Donglai: I like the diversity–it’s like a melting pot. It feels energetic. That’s what drew me here–it’s a very energetic city and energetic campus.
• Kiera: I’ve been to a lot of other states, and I think the food in Atlanta is very diverse. One of the things I like to do around Atlanta is just try different cuisine and restaurants.
   

Favorite Restaurant in Atlanta

• Donglai: Yet Tuh–a charming little family-style Korean restaurant. The staff is always so friendly. 
  Kiera: Ponko Chicken–the hotdog is delicious!

Current Favorite Song

• Donglai: Witness Me by Jacob Collier
  Kiera: It’s OK by Imagine Dragons

Currently Reading

• Donglai: Electrify by Saul Griffith. It has an interesting take on our future path to carbon neutral. 
  Kiera: I started reading the Foundation book series by Isaac Asimov, and I am currently on the 3rd one.

Advice to Students

• Donglai: Go explore the campus or the world outside your department and lab. There’s a lot to see and a lot to gain–a lot of opportunities that you would not get otherwise, even money to support travels and other great things. Be open-minded and talk to people and reach out.
• Kiera: It can be a little bit scary when you come to Georgia Tech because we are all top students; however, everyone is a friend. The moment you start a conversation with someone, you learn a lot from them. That’s what I love about Georgia Tech. It’s a very supportive place. Just talk to anyone you meet on campus, get to know people, and make friends.