Jonathan Jones
A 2013 graduate of UGA with a degree in biochemical engineering, Jonathan is the Director of Materials Development at Global Nike Sportswear Footwear (NSW FW) & Energy.
What led you to UGA as an undergrad?
Though I wanted to go out of state for school, I attended an admitted student event and I feel in love with UGA. That day and never looked back. Going to UGA was the best decision I could have made.
Tell us about some of your favorite memories of your time at UGA.
I was a member of Engineers Without Borders and our team planned a water resources trip to El Salvador and we climbed a volcano with a beautiful lake atop. There, I reimagined what doors my engineering degree could unlock.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing today’s engineers, and how did your time at UGA Engineering prepare you to tackle those challenges?
Based on my experience and conversations with colleagues, some of the biggest challenges facing engineers are resilient infrastructure, food insecurity, assess to water, and affordable healthcare. Earlier in my career, I worked in various roles across manufacturing and R&D supporting fermentation products for broad range insect and fungus control. UGA taught me the fundamentals of being a biochemical engineer while marrying that with effective communication.
What initially inspired you to start giving back to the College of Engineering?
It’s always been a value of mine to help others with the resources I have been blessed with. Our future depends on the current investment of our students. I am product of giving.
Your first major gift was to endow the Black Legacy Scholarship? What was your motivation behind this gift?
Programs like the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) really aid in closing the gap for underrepresented STEM students while at UGA. Many students who attend public schools in Georgia have a gap of a few thousand dollars after HOPE and other sources of financial aid. ValaRae and I started the Black Legacy Scholarship to ensure students have the resources to continue their studies at the university.
What are your hopes for the recipients of this scholarship?
I hope that these funds help the recipients further their scholastic endeavors, explore new spaces, and build brighter futures. I hope that in receiving these funds, they find ways to give back to others and pay it forward.
Your second major gift was to endow the National Society of Black Engineers. What did you hope to accomplish with this gift?
The vision of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a world in which engineering is a mainstream word in homes and communities of color, and all Black students can envision themselves as engineers. The vibrant campus brought me to UGA but my community kept me there. Communities like those built in NSBE are the reinforcements students need strengthen their resolve and help them understand that they do indeed belong.
What has been the most gratifying part of being a donor to Engineering?
The letters from students. I love coming home, opening my mailbox, and reading a note from a student on how the scholarship impacts them. This approach shifts from giving from a transaction and to personal impact.
50 years from now, what do you hope will be the legacy you left with Engineering?
Jonathan was a young black boy from DeKalb County who helped pave the way for students by creating spaces where they thrive and showing investment in their future through philanthropy and time.
