July 25, 2023
By Ashley Ritchie

Two alumni of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering have been selected to lead the Woodruff School Advisory Board. Rebeccah Brown, M.S. ME 2001, Ph.D. ME 2003, will move into the role of Board Chair, and Barry Powell, B.S. ME 1989, M.S. ME 1991, will serve as Vice Chair.

The role of the Woodruff School Advisory Board is to recommend strategic directions for the School, suggest broad-based curriculum changes, and consult with the School Chair and the faculty on important issues.

“Rebeccah and Barry bring a wealth of experience and an unwavering commitment to Georgia Tech. I am confident that under their leadership, the Woodruff School will continue to flourish and make remarkable strides toward empowering our students, transforming their lives, and fostering a culture of Inclusive Excellence,” said Devesh Ranjan, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair.

Brown is the Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs for MiMedx Group, Inc. MiMedx is a biopharmaceutical company developing, manufacturing, and marketing regenerative biologics utilizing human placental allografts for multiple sectors of healthcare. Brown is currently responsible for executing regulatory strategy and advancing regulatory approvals for healthcare products worldwide. During her career at MiMedx, she has been responsible for the company’s product development, intellectual property, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs. She holds numerous U.S. and international patents.

Earlier this year, Brown entered the Georgia Tech College of Engineering’s Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni for her significant and distinguished contributions as a senior leader in the field.

Brown previously served as vice chair of the Woodruff School’s Advisory Board and is co-founder and past chair of the new Women of Woodruff (WoW) organization. WoW is committed to ensuring women students and faculty have the tools they need to thrive at Tech through recruitment, retention, and rewards.

“It’s exciting to be able to give back to Georgia Tech and the Woodruff School after everything both have done for me,” said Brown.

Powell is the Head of Siemens Electrical Products for North America, a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. Siemens Electrical Products for North America reports over $2 billion in revenue annually, has nine manufacturing sites, and employs 7000 associates.

Powell has over 25 years of experience in the electrical products industry. Before holding several general management roles at Siemens, he led R&D, product management, and operations organizations. In addition, he has held various industry leadership roles including membership on the NEMA Board of Governors and Secretary of the Electrical Safety Foundation non-profit.

Powell has been a member of the Woodruff School Advisory Board for the past eight years. Last fall, he worked with John DeBoer, Head of Siemens Future Grid and eMobility Solutions, to sponsor the new Electric Vehicles & the Grid course on behalf of Siemens, sparking a partnership between his company and alma mater. 

“My goal in my new board role is to actively engage interested board members between bi-annual meetings to support key initiatives for the Woodruff School,” said Powell.