The Home Depot recently became the eighth Corporate Affiliate of Georgia Tech's Denning Technology & Management Program.

The 22-credit program is a collaborative effort of the Colleges of Management, Engineering, Sciences, and Computing and offers a minor in Engineering and Management. It prepares a new generation of leaders to possess both managerial and technological know-how. Admission is very competitive and participating students form interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive solutions to actual problems from the corporate affiliates. Students enter the two-year program after having completed at least 30 undergraduate credits.    

Paul Wakim, The Home Depot’s director of Human Resources for Information Technology, says the Denning T&M Program is perfectly aligned with his company's need for professionals who are trained in both technical and business areas. "We see this as a two-way learning opportunity as T&M students gain experience with The Home Depot, while at the same time, we gain insight from their fresh perspectives on how we can leverage opportunities we see in our future," he says. Wakim will represent The Home Depot on the Denning T&M Corporate Advisory Panel, which provides strategic guidance while fostering strong student relationships.

"We are very pleased to have The Home Depot join the Denning Technology & Management Program," says Program Director Linda Oldham. "The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, and with their headquarters here in Atlanta, they are an ideal participant in this program. The Home Depot will provide excellent career opportunities for our students that will capitalize on their accelerated academic, leadership and problem-solving skills."

The Home Depot joins existing corporate affiliates The Boeing Company, Caterpillar, Cox Communications, Georgia-Pacific, Siemens Industry, Newell-Recycling, and Interface.