November 2008

Having built a successful career in information technology, Tracy Cummings enrolled at Georgia Tech College of Management to strengthen her understanding of other business areas.

She is broadening her horizons and elevating her career potential through the College’s Executive MBA in Management of Technology (EMBA-MOT) program.

Now director of customer support for AirTran, Cummings supervises a team of 35 who provide IT assistance to the rest of the company. She sees herself eventually ascending to a CIO or CTO type position.

She appreciates the diversity and depth of experience that her EMBA-MOT classmates bring to the program. “They provide a lot of different perspectives beyond IT for me,” says Cummings, who earned her BS in computer science from Mount Allison University in Canada. “If everybody thought like me, it wouldn’t be a very interesting class.

“Seeing things from other points of view is helping me be more effective in my job,” she adds. “We get into some fascinating discussions.”

She greatly appreciates that her employer recognizes the win-win proposition of EMBA-MOT, being flexible about her schedule during the course of the 17-month program. “I see that as a huge amount of support,” says Cummings, who enrolled in May 2008.

Georgia Tech’s EMBA-MOT program appealed to her because of its focus on both business and technology. “The things I’m learning will help me tremendously over time,” she says.