
Marc Ebelhar
(he/him)
Graduate Student Success Specialist and Instructor of Record for GT6000
Ed.D., Student Affairs Leadership; University of Georgia
M.Ed., Higher Education and Student Affairs; University of South Carolina
B.A., Economics and Political Science; Bellarmine University
Email: marc.ebelhar@grad.gatech.edu
"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next." – Michael Gerber
Marc Ebelhar is an academic professional that serves as graduate student success specialist in the Office of Graduate Education and the instructor of record for GT6000. In this role, he leads the implementation of the GT6000 program along with supporting the assistant instructor and group leaders. Marc has 20 years experience as a higher education professional with a primary focus in graduate education, students in transition, LGBTQIA allyship, and campus housing. His dissertation focused on the lived experiences of volunteer LGBTQIA safe zone training facilitators in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Outside of work, he is a Memphis Grizzlies basketball fanatic, enjoys playing tabletop board games, and loves to explore the cuisine, culture, and community of Buford Highway with his partner, Christina.
Marc's advice for graduate students:
"You do you. Don't worry about comparing yourself to what others are doing. We are all on our paths in completing a graduate program, and in life, so figure out what works for you and do it!"

Empress Henry-Logan
(she/her)
Assistant Instructor for GT6000 and Master Student, City and Regional Planning
B.S., Psychology; University of Kentucky
Email: elogan32@gatech.edu
"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." – Proverbs 16:3
Empress Henry-Logan is a Master of City and Regional Planning student at Georgia Tech with a focus on real estate development, economic revitalization, and the neuroscience of spatial design. Rooted in Atlanta, she explores how cities shape behavior, opportunity, and belonging—especially for historically marginalized communities. Her interest in neuro-urbanism began while studying architecture in Florence, where she examined how the built environment affects emotional and cognitive well-being. Empress sees design as a driver of both healing and economic strategy, leveraging spatial intelligence, brain science, and community insight to reimagine cities as restorative systems that reflect healthy minds.
Empress' advice for graduate students:
"Don't just live the length of your life, live the width of it, too!"

James Black
(he/him)
Director of Student and Academic Affairs and Creator of GT6000
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering; Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S., Mechanical Engineering; Florida State University
Email: jblack@gatech.edu
"The goal is not to be perfect by the end, the goal is to be better today." – Simon Sinek
James Black, the creator of GT6000, is a senior academic professional and serves as the director of student and academic affairs in the Office of Graduate Education. In his role as director, he supports a team that manages student services and success programs for Tech's more than 7,000 on-campus master's and doctoral students. These services and programs include Institute-level orientation and onboarding, graduate student hiring, fellowships administration, and thesis and dissertation processing. Before joining the Office of Graduate Education, he completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech doing research on a novel droplet levitation technique utilizing a fluid property called thermocapillarity. Outside of Georgia Tech, he is a part-time CrossFit coach, amateur gardener, and sci-fi nerd.
Why James enjoys working with graduate students:
"As a former Tech graduate student, I know the power of great relationships between our graduate students and administrators. I have an incredible opportunity to be on the other side of that equation now, and I leverage that privilege to do everything I can to make life better for our students. Our graduate students are our partners, our future colleagues, and the source of tremendous energy to deliver on Georgia Tech's research and teaching missions."