May ’24 DAR Star: Kate Lantz

by Rachael Andrews

We work with absolutely incredible people—and we all have varied interests and experiences, which adds to the unique makeup of the University of Georgia. We’ll be regularly spotlighting a few rock stars from around the division so that even if you don’t cross paths with them in the break room or Zoom with them on a weekly basis, you can get to know colleagues who can enhance your work life and productivity.

Without further ado, please enjoy our Q&A with Kate Lantz …

Name: Kate Lantz

Title: Assistant Director of Development, College of Engineering

  • I have the pleasure of leading the annual giving, leadership annual giving and alumni engagement efforts for the College of Engineering. Between managing our outstanding alumni board, cooking up various annual giving campaigns, creating (hopefully) enticing alumni programming, and engaging our alumni on and off-campus, my main goal is to make our alumni feel “in-the-know” of what’s going on with our college and students. In turn, our former Driftmier Dawgs feel compelled to give back to support future engineers, and can serve as the best advocates of all things UGA Engineering to the greater Bulldog family.

Acclaimed child star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas is pictured on the left, while our very own JTT-lookalike, Kate Lantz, can be found on the right!

Where can we find you?

  • Online: ude.agu@1betak
  • On Campus: Paul D. Coverdell Center
  • At Home: Athens, Georgia

Time in DAR: 10 years!

Where did you grow up: Midtown Atlanta

What is your favorite reason for working for UGA/DAR? It’s hard to beat working for a place that you earned your degree from; it’s also all I know – I started working with DAR three weeks after graduating undergrad.

What is your favorite spot in Athens to grab lunch? Taqueria Del Sol. I’m fairly certain I’ve seen 90% of DAR there over the years.

Outside of work, I’m passionate about… being outside. Spending time with my friends and family, and staying active (it really does help you sleep).

What are 3 things you wish others in DAR knew about your job? First, our alumni trend towards the younger side. The College of Engineering was established in 2012, so the majority of our alumni are under the age of 35, making my role very young-alumni focused. Second, our alumni presence is expanding across the Southeast and even nationwide, from San Francisco and Seattle, to Nashville and Miami. I am often on the road meeting our world’s problem-solvers. And finally, if you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that Engineering actually is all around.

Favorite book or podcast: Podcast: How I Built This with Guy Raz

Lately, I’ve been watching … (rewatching) The Hills

Something you might not know about me is… I was prom queen in high school, but only because the girl who won didn’t show up.

We hope you learned something new about Kate. We are lucky to have her on our DAR team! Feel free to reach out to her if you have questions about engaging young alumni or would like to chat about LC and Heidi’s falling out.

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