Invention Studio Allows Eisenberg to Leave His Mark
Justin Eisenberg earned his degree in materials science and engineering.
Seven days after President G.P. “Bud” Peterson hands Justin Eisenberg his diploma, he will light the candle of Hanukkah 2017 on a machined aluminum menorah designed and built by Eisenberg. The artistic ceremonial artifact is just one of Eisenberg’s legacies at his alma mater.
Eisenberg’s menorah design won a campus competition sponsored by Chabad, the Jewish student group at Georgia Tech. Rather than keep his winning design, Eisenberg donated it back to Chabad, which in turn presented it to Peterson. It is now displayed every year during the holiday season in the President’s Office in the Carnegie Building.
“It definitely meant a lot because I knew him pretty well,” Eisenberg said of leaving the menorah with the president. “I had interacted with him a lot through Student Government and other projects down the road. I knew that I was leaving a legacy on campus for other Jewish students when they come to visit, and that it’s there more than just the eight days but throughout the holiday season. It’s also cool to know that something I made is going to be left behind in a prestigious and honorable place.”
Built in the Invention Studio, Georgia Tech’s maker space for students, the menorah may be the most tangible mark Eisenberg made at Tech, but it’s far from the only one. A materials science and engineering major from Roswell, Eisenberg started at Tech even before finishing high school. When he began as a freshman, he wanted to plug into the community and give back while having activities to take his mind off the stress of academics. He settled on the Student Government Association (SGA) where he rose to the level of vice president.
During his years of service, he played a role in several significant changes: altering the finals week schedule, creation of the org sync online portal for tracking student activities, allocating more than $20 million for various organizations and activities, and helping to charter new clubs each year.
He also participated in the Georgia Tech Sailing Club, traveling to New Orleans in 2013 to compete in the Sugar Bowl Intersectional race.
But perhaps his greatest passion was for his work as laser master in the Invention Studio. He worked on projects for his classes as well as items just for the thrill of exercising his creativity.
“We have the largest maker space run by students anywhere in the country,” Eisenberg said. “We have well over a million and a half dollars in equipment here, and we’re constantly getting more. I’ve spent four and a half years here, and I still haven’t been able to touch everything. There’s way more stuff you can get involved in and try. Whether it’s making stained glass or wooden pens, you can do anything here.
“This is one of the best parts about the culture at Tech. You have the freedom to express yourself in either really really nerdy ways or in artistic ways. A lot of times we’re combining the two together.”
He parlayed his degree and experiences into a job starting in January at Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut. Without having to worry about what’s next, he has been reflective on his final days on campus.
“My best advice to students is if you want to do it, make it happen,” Eisenberg said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s never been done before or there’s a hundred rules against it… Come up with an idea and be passionate about it whether it’s your research or your club or whatever that mark you want to make. This is your chance to do it.”