We are pleased to announce that David Torello will be joining the Office of Undergraduate Education & Student Success (OUESS) as the executive director of the John H. Martinson Honors Program.
In this role, Torello will provide strategic oversight and direction for the John H. Martinson Honors Program as it assumes a new strategic role at Georgia Tech as a premier national honors program with a distinctive institutional identity.
“The executive director of the John H. Martinson Honors Program will play a critical role in shaping the next chapter of honors education at Georgia Tech,” said Steven Girardot, vice provost for Undergraduate Education and Student Success. “With a strong background in engineering and STEM education, a proven record of academic leadership and program-building, and demonstrated success partnering with major donors, Torello brings the experience and perspective needed to advance the program’s growth, deepen its impact, and position it among the nation’s premier honors programs.”
Torello has over a decade of experience designing and leading high-impact, student-centered educational initiatives at Georgia Tech. As a faculty member in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, he has combined teaching, mentorship, and program leadership to advance undergraduate success. Beyond the classroom, Torello has led large-scale, donor-funded scholarship and enrichment programs, including the A. James Clark Scholars Program and the College of Engineering Dean’s Scholars Program, that integrate financial support with holistic student development, academic achievement, leadership formation, and sustained investments in student mental well-being and belonging.
Torello holds doctoral and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His doctoral research focused on nonlinear acoustics and nondestructive evaluation, with technical specializations in dynamics, vibrations, experimental mechanics, and computational methods.
The assumption of the executive director role was enabled by a transformative gift from philanthropist and venture capitalist John H. Martinson and comes ahead of the program celebrating its 20th anniversary next year.
Further expansion of the program will include automatic admission offers for all Stamps President’s Scholars and Gold Scholars in support of a goal to grow the program by 5% to 10% over the next several years. The curriculum itself will also be revised to incorporate more enriched classes, abundant educational and community-building events and activities, as well as required completion of the campus-wide, mission-driven Leaders in Progress & Service initiative beginning with the next incoming class.
In addition to his role as executive director of the John H. Martinson Honors Program, Torello will continue to hold a faculty appointment in the School of Mechanical Engineering where he will teach and contribute to the school’s educational mission.
Please join us in welcoming David Torello to OUESS and the John H. Martinson Honors Program.