{"691929":{"#nid":"691929","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet Me in Metz: Family Legacy Links Georgia Tech-Europe\u0027s Past and Present","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the fall of 2002, Guilhem, a Georgia Tech mechanical engineering student from a small village north of Paris, stood in line at the CROUS student cafeteria in Metz, France. He was there as part of GTE\u2019s dual degree program with Arts et M\u00e9tiers (ENSAM), one of France\u2019s elite engineering schools. His days followed a familiar rhythm at Georgia Tech-Europe in Metz: focused mornings in class, afternoons in the lab, and evenings at the caf\u00e9s around the picturesque Place Saint-Jacques. Guilhem was determined to finish his studies in Atlanta and had resolved not to let a new romance distract him. Then he met Annie.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnnie came to Metz through a different route. A French major from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, she was assigned to Lyc\u00e9e Robert Schuman, a high school near the Technopole. Her days were spent in the classroom teaching English to children, and her evenings were spent grading papers and occasionally visiting local friends. That night, she planned to meet a friend at the CROUS cafeteria, never imagining she would meet her future husband.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor most, it was just another Tuesday at the CROUS. For Guilhem and Annie Denozi\u00e8re, it was the beginning of a decades-long international love story that started that fateful day in a cafeteria in Metz. After several years of dating in France and then in the United States, the couple married in a 12th-century church near Guilhem\u2019s village (population 150). The international wedding was such a novelty that it made the front page of three local papers. The couple honeymooned in Metz, revisiting the city that had brought them together. It was their last trip there until now.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwenty-four years later, their son, Owen, is about to enter the same doors at Georgia Tech-Europe as a student participating in Georgia Tech\u2019s First-Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EReturning to Metz\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOwen Denozi\u00e8re chose Georgia Tech over rival UGA after campus tours convinced him it was the right fit. When he learned about the First-Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) program at GTE, the decision to return to Metz, the site where his family\u2019s story began, was straightforward. Georgia Tech\u2019s FYSA program offers students the opportunity to begin their degree programs in a living-learning cohort abroad. This curated learning experience is focused on encouraging independent living while supporting first-year learning and resource needs in an immersive, international environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have always dreamed of traveling the world. When I heard that I could spend this very first semester abroad, it was just a no-brainer,\u201d Owen says. \u201cIt was the same place they found love. I feel like it\u2019s going to be an amazing travel experience. I like the idea of independence, being able to jump around every weekend and let the spontaneity take me where I want to go.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOwen\u2019s parents share his excitement. \u201cThe expression in French is \u0027les voyages forment la jeunesse,\u0027 which translates roughly to \u2018travel shapes young minds.\u2019 From my perspective, this is a unique opportunity for him to become an independent young man, to experience different cultures and to seize every chance to explore,\u201d says Guilhem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnnie\u2019s hopes are in the transformative potential of the learning experience:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe\u2019s already a wonderful young man, but I\u2019m excited to see the growth that will come. When I studied abroad and came home, I felt like I was a new person. I can\u2019t wait to see who that person is going to be when he comes back and get to know him all over again.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond personal growth, Owen has his eye on Georgia Tech\u2019s International Plan, a degree designation that demonstrates a graduate has participated in a series of international studies designed to support the development of the intercultural competencies essential for success in a global workplace. Owen is eager to build the kind of international professional network that the intimate GTE environment uniquely enables through smaller class sizes and proximity to European engineering students in the Technopole and student housing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis fall, Owen begins his own Metz chapter: his first semester at Georgia Tech, his first time living alone and abroad, and his first chance to explore the city where his family\u0027s story started. The family plans to visit Owen in Metz, perhaps even squeezing in a Christmas ski trip in the Grand Est mountains. Annie and Guilhem already know their first stop: the CROUS caf\u00e9. It\u2019s been more than two decades since they first stood in line together, but some moments in life are meant to be lived and enjoyed again, across generations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn the fall of 2002, Georgia Tech mechanical engineering student Guilhem Denozi\u00e8re met Annie, a University of Tennessee French major teaching English in Metz, France, while both stood in line at a student cafeteria. The chance meeting grew into a decades-long international romance. The couple married in a 12th-century church near Guilhem\u0027s village, made local headlines, and honeymooned in the city that brought them together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETwenty-four years later, their son, Owen, is returning to Metz to begin his own Georgia Tech journey through the First-Year Semester Abroad program at Georgia Tech-Europe. Drawn by the chance to live independently, travel widely and build an international network, Owen is stepping through the same doors that shaped his parents\u0027 lives. For the Denozi\u00e8res, the return is both a new chapter and a homecoming, and their first stop is already planned: the cafeteria caf\u00e9 where it all began.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Twenty-four years after an alumnus met his wife in a Metz cafeteria, his son returns to Georgia Tech-Europe to begin his own semester abroad."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-08-24 19:14:16","changed_gmt":"2026-08-24 19:26:48","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680970":{"id":"680970","type":"image","title":"Guilhem and Annie in Metz","body":null,"created":"1787598881","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 19:14:41","changed":"1787598881","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 19:14:41","alt":"A man and woman couple stand together in a photo smiling ","file":{"fid":"265311","name":"Denoziere.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Denoziere.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Denoziere.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":291979,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/Denoziere.jpg?itok=3eFo2xQP"}},"680971":{"id":"680971","type":"image","title":"Denoziere Family","body":null,"created":"1787598968","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 19:16:08","changed":"1787598968","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 19:16:08","alt":"A man, a woman, and their two male teenage children smile for the camera in Midtown Atlanta","file":{"fid":"265312","name":"Denoziere-family-in-Atlanta.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Denoziere-family-in-Atlanta.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Denoziere-family-in-Atlanta.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1527058,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/Denoziere-family-in-Atlanta.jpg?itok=d7f6yxSS"}}},"media_ids":["680970","680971"],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"},{"id":"4148","name":"legacy"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["trdsc@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691263":{"#nid":"691263","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe and University of North Georgia Partnership Connects Students to Personal and Shared Histories of World Wars I and II","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe and University of North Georgia Partnership Connects Students to Personal and Shared Histories of World Wars I and II\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESAINT-AVOLD, France. On a June afternoon at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, 250 Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE) students stand looking over a field of 14,246 white marble headstones, one for each U.S. service member buried beneath. Silence surrounds the group as Matthew Ramsey, a Georgia Tech undergraduate, leans a wreath against the tombstone of his great-grandfather, Staff Sergeant Russell Wilson, an Army infantryman killed in the Battle of the Bulge. Ramsey performs the familial ceremony, rubbing sand from Omaha Beach and planting a flag in front of the headstone. \u0022I am the first person in my family to ever get the chance to do so,\u0022 he shares. Other GTE students witness the moment, connecting to a history that has shaped the world as they know it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExploring personal and shared world histories is central to a Georgia Tech-Europe education. Situated in one of the most contested landscapes in modern Western history, GTE offers students direct access to the trenches, forts, and cemeteries of two world wars. Courses such as Professor Timothy Stoneman\u2019s HTS 2037: 20th-Century Europe, and portions of Professor Jennifer Orth-Veillon\u2019s LMC 3234: Travel Writing, incorporate these sites into their curriculum. This summer, GTE partnered with the University of North Georgia on an immersive military history program featuring Professor Jon Beall\u2019s HTS 3803: War \u0026amp; Leadership, Middle Ages to Present. Across these courses, students move beyond dates and statistics to engage with the human stories of history and reflect on their connections to the past.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike Matthew Ramsey, Cadet Kyle Gallentine, a UNG cybersecurity major, reported standing in the Lorraine Cemetery brought him closer to his great-grandfather, a WWII soldier. \u0022When I left the cemetery, I felt a strong desire to learn my family\u0027s story,\u0022 Gallentine said. \u0022We still have his uniform, campaign map, photographs, and other keepsakes, but I never truly knew the story behind them.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter the Lorraine Cemetery visit, Orth-Veillon, Stoneman, and Beall led an overnight trip to the Meuse region. Nicolas Czubak, official historian of the Verdun Memorial Museum, guided the group through the Meuse-Argonne cemetery, the Butte de Vauquois, and the Montsec Memorial before reaching Verdun itself, France\u0027s most symbolic WWI battlefield. For Peter Kobes, a mechanical engineering major, the cemetery reframed how he thought about war\u2019s cost. \u0022By resting at the place they fell, these soldiers let strangers like me stop and reckon with their loss,\u0022 he wrote in a photo essay assigned for the trip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe students\u2019 second trip to Belgium carried a different weight, as it was inspired by Orth-Veillon\u2019s own family history. Her grandfather, Dr. William J. Hagood Jr., served as a battalion surgeon with the 335th Infantry Regiment, 84th Division, during the Battle of the Bulge. Orth-Veillon interviewed him before his death in 2009 and has since drawn on an archive of over 500 of his wartime letters. That research led her to Jacques Bourguignon, 104, a former Belgian resistance fighter who sheltered Hagood\u0027s medical unit in his family\u0027s cellar in Marche-en-Famenne over Christmas 1944. \u0022On Christmas Eve, they sheltered there with about fifty others, including neighbors, other soldiers, and even German prisoners,\u0022 Orth-Veillon shares. The two men remained friends by letter until the 1960s.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe highlight of the trip came when thirteen students from Orth-Veillon\u0027s, Stoneman\u0027s, and Beall\u0027s classes spent the morning with Jacques Bourgignon at his retirement home. Bourguignon, an active member of the Lion\u2019s Club and current president of Marche-en-Famenne\u2019s motorcycle club, told them the story of his life, focusing on the resistance, which he joined at age 17.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWere you afraid during your missions?\u201d asked the students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe weren\u2019t scared,\u201d he replied, chuckling. \u201cWe were crazy. I joined the resistance because I wanted to do something to fight back. It felt like the only human way to respond.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat do you want to say to people today?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTry to do as much good as possible in life. I am grateful to the Americans for the liberation of Belgium. After years of occupation and suffering, seeing them arrive was unforgettable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also visited Bastogne War Museum to commemorate the Ardennes Offensive, during which \u0026nbsp;89,000 American soldiers were killed or wounded between December 1944 and January 1945. For Tucker Messer, a rising second-year business administration major, the visit brought a family story to life: his great-grandfather, Oscar Messer, fought there with the 10th Armored Division\u0027s 61st Armored Infantry Battalion. \u0022Walking around the scene of the heavy fighting, I realized how fragile human life is and how one small thing changes history,\u0022 Messer said. \u0022If a random German teenager fighting in the battle had aimed better and killed my great-grandfather, I would not be here.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Few academic programs place students directly inside the geography of the history they study,\u0022 said Beall, who guided the group through Stavelot, a resistance stronghold during the Ardennes Offensive. Learning deepens when students stand where history happened and connect their identities to the people and events that shaped it. As Orth-Veillon, Stoneman, and Beall suggest, they leave with more than a photograph or final assignment; they carry a lasting relationship with the past that shapes how they see the world and their place within it.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt the Lorraine American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, a Georgia Tech undergraduate laid a wreath at the headstone of the great-grandfather he never met, one of 14,246 U.S. service members buried there. \u0026nbsp;Across courses led by professors Jennifer Orth-Veillon, Timothy Stoneman and Jon Beall, Georgia Tech-Europe Summer 2026 students moved beyond dates and statistics to connect with the human stories of two world wars, often uncovering their own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech-Europe connects students to local sites and personal and shared histories of World Wars I and II."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 17:49:49","changed_gmt":"2026-08-06 19:35:28","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680680":{"id":"680680","type":"image","title":"Matthew Ramsey at the family memorial ceremony ","body":null,"created":"1785173478","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 17:31:18","changed":"1785173584","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 17:33:04","alt":"Matthew Ramsey squats next to a white tombstone with a US American flag and French flag on either side. In the background there are many other white cross tombstones. ","file":{"fid":"264980","name":"Matthew-Ramsey-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Matthew-Ramsey-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Matthew-Ramsey-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5012225,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Matthew-Ramsey-2.jpg?itok=4NYn-z5X"}},"680679":{"id":"680679","type":"image","title":"Kyle Gallentine UNG Cadet","body":null,"created":"1785173392","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 17:29:52","changed":"1785173463","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 17:31:03","alt":"UNG Cadet Kyle Gallentine pictured in front of many rows of white crosses atop memorial gravesites covered by bright green grass","file":{"fid":"264979","name":"Kyle-Gallentine-2.PNG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Kyle-Gallentine-2.PNG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Kyle-Gallentine-2.PNG","mime":"image\/png","size":4692667,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Kyle-Gallentine-2.PNG?itok=LR0VSknN"}},"680683":{"id":"680683","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe Summer 2026 Students Celebrate D-Day","body":null,"created":"1785173931","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 17:38:51","changed":"1785173979","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 17:39:39","alt":"Georgia Tech-Europe students hold US American and French flags outside ","file":{"fid":"264984","name":"France-and-US-alliance.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/France-and-US-alliance.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/France-and-US-alliance.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6586368,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/France-and-US-alliance.JPG?itok=oYGJabLi"}},"680682":{"id":"680682","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Orth-Veillon at Georgia Tech alumni memorial in Metz, France","body":null,"created":"1785173685","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 17:34:45","changed":"1785173855","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 17:37:35","alt":"Jennifer Orth-Veillon stands next to a large marble memorial stone that honors Georgia Tech alumni lost in World Wars I and II","file":{"fid":"264982","name":"Jennifer-near-Georgia-Tech-alumni-memorial-at-Metz-memorial_0.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Jennifer-near-Georgia-Tech-alumni-memorial-at-Metz-memorial_0.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Jennifer-near-Georgia-Tech-alumni-memorial-at-Metz-memorial_0.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":12091392,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Jennifer-near-Georgia-Tech-alumni-memorial-at-Metz-memorial_0.JPG?itok=jwpJX9Ci"}},"680678":{"id":"680678","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe Summer 2026 Military History Experience","body":null,"created":"1785173076","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 17:24:36","changed":"1785173188","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 17:26:28","alt":"Georgia Tech-Europe professor Jennifer Orth-Veillon addresses a large group of students standing in front of a large memorial site.","file":{"fid":"264978","name":"Jennifer-addressing-group.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Jennifer-addressing-group.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Jennifer-addressing-group.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3430405,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Jennifer-addressing-group.jpg?itok=9e8XDfFn"}},"680805":{"id":"680805","type":"image","title":"Visit-with-Jacque-Bourgigon-Marche-en-Famenne-Belgium.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786044832","gmt_created":"2026-08-06 19:33:52","changed":"1786044832","gmt_changed":"2026-08-06 19:33:52","alt":"Students visit with Jacque Bourgigon as part of a class visit","file":{"fid":"265126","name":"Visit-with-Jacque-Bourgigon-Marche-en-Famenne-Belgium.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/06\/Visit-with-Jacque-Bourgigon-Marche-en-Famenne-Belgium.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/06\/Visit-with-Jacque-Bourgigon-Marche-en-Famenne-Belgium.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1343581,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/06\/Visit-with-Jacque-Bourgigon-Marche-en-Famenne-Belgium.jpg?itok=m82Cm42X"}},"680806":{"id":"680806","type":"image","title":"Bastogne-War-Museum-Visit.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786044898","gmt_created":"2026-08-06 19:34:58","changed":"1786044898","gmt_changed":"2026-08-06 19:34:58","alt":"Students and professors standing in front of Bastogne War 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France"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["trdsc@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690163":{"#nid":"690163","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Middle School Students Explore STEM Futures at Georgia Tech-Europe Event","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat does it feel like to walk through the halls of a world-class research institution? On April 2, 2026, students from Lionel Terray Middle School in Aumetz found out. As part of the Moselle Department\u2019s annual \u201cDestination Grandes \u00c9coles\u201d day, the junior high class, accompanied by their English and physics-chemistry teachers, spent the day at Georgia Tech-Europe\u2019s instructional site at the Metz Technopole. There, students gained a firsthand look at the possibilities that await them in higher education and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe is the European home of the Georgia Institute of Technology, one of the world\u2019s leading research institutions headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. From electrical, mechanical, and aerospace engineering to computer science, the Metz site offers undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students to address global challenges. It also advances cutting-edge research through an international laboratory developed in partnership with the CNRS and the Lafayette Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many students, a visit like this one is a turning point. Seeing real labs, meeting real researchers, and imagining themselves in that world can transform an abstract future into a concrete goal. Early exposure to university life helps young learners connect their current studies to what lies ahead, strengthening motivation and opening conversations about the paths available to them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe day was packed with hands-on discoveries. Students tackled robotics workshops, toured active research facilities, and spoke with professors, researchers, and current students who shared their own journeys into STEM. A stop at the Makerspace introduced them to the world of design and prototyping, where ideas become physical realities. The program wrapped up with a cultural and sports session, a reminder that college life is about more than academics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the students at Lionel Terray Middle School, April 2 may have been just another school trip, or it may have been the day that sparked curiosity about a future career in STEM. That is the power of programs like \u201cDestination Grandes \u00c9coles\u201d: they plant a seed of curiosity that can grow into a career, a discovery, or an innovation that changes the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents from Lionel Terray Middle School visited Georgia Tech-Europe in Metz, France, on April 2, 2026, as part of the Moselle Department\u2019s \u201cDestination Grandes \u00c9coles\u201d day. The program introduced junior high students to higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through hands-on activities, including robotics workshops, lab tours and discussions with researchers and students. The visit highlighted the importance of early exposure to university environments in shaping academic motivation and career aspirations. Organizers emphasized that such experiences can help students envision their futures in STEM fields while also showcasing the broader aspects of college life.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Middle school students visited Georgia Tech-Europe in Metz, France to explore STEM careers through hands-on activities and interactions with researchers, gaining early insight into higher education opportunities."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-05-05 20:45:41","changed_gmt":"2026-05-05 20:50:43","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680185":{"id":"680185","type":"image","title":"Students in makerspace","body":null,"created":"1778013958","gmt_created":"2026-05-05 20:45:58","changed":"1778013958","gmt_changed":"2026-05-05 20:45:58","alt":"Students engaging in hands-on learning at GTE","file":{"fid":"264427","name":"Picture2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/Picture2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/Picture2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":112828,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/05\/Picture2.jpg?itok=RQDEMF1C"}},"680186":{"id":"680186","type":"image","title":"Picture3.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778013958","gmt_created":"2026-05-05 20:45:58","changed":"1778013958","gmt_changed":"2026-05-05 20:45:58","alt":"Students engaging in hands-on learning facilitated by GTE staff member","file":{"fid":"264428","name":"Picture3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/Picture3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/Picture3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":82579,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/05\/Picture3.jpg?itok=D8EwtRaD"}},"680184":{"id":"680184","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe hosts middle school students at GTE","body":null,"created":"1778013958","gmt_created":"2026-05-05 20:45:58","changed":"1778013958","gmt_changed":"2026-05-05 20:45:58","alt":"Students with GTE leadership outside the GTE building","file":{"fid":"264426","name":"Group-photo-in-front-of-building.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/Group-photo-in-front-of-building.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/Group-photo-in-front-of-building.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":231039,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/05\/Group-photo-in-front-of-building.jpg?itok=iLlI2PyQ"}}},"media_ids":["680185","680186","680184"],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"},{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["trdsc@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689872":{"#nid":"689872","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IE School of Science \u0026 Technology (Spain) partners with Georgia Tech-Europe to launch dual degree in Computer Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIE School of Science \u0026amp; Technology and Georgia Tech-Europe, the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s (Georgia Tech) off-campus instructional site, have signed an academic cooperation agreement to develop joint academic, research, and educational activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this collaboration, students at IE University will have the opportunity to pursue a dual master\u2019s degree, earning both the master\u2019s in computer science \u0026amp; business technology from IE University and the Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis collaboration reflects how engineering education is evolving\u2014more connected, more applied, and increasingly global,\u201d said Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean at IE School of Science \u0026amp; Technology. \u201cStudents need both technical depth and the ability to operate across systems, industries, and regions. This kind of structure makes that possible.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe is Georgia Tech\u2019s flagship international instructional site, located in Metz, France. Georgia Tech ranks among the world\u2019s top public research universities. The partnership between IE and Georgia Tech\u2011Europe provides students with access to world-class STEM education, hands-on research opportunities, and connections to industry and entrepreneurial ecosystems across Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201c\u0022Georgia Tech-Europe\u2019s partnership with IE University reflects a shared commitment to innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and global impact, bringing together two institutions dedicated not only to preparing students for a rapidly changing world, but to shaping it,\u0022 said Abdallah Ougazzaden, President of Georgia Tech-Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement establishes a framework for collaboration across graduate education, student mobility, faculty exchange, and research. Undergraduate students in the final year of IE University\u2019s bachelor\u2019s in computer science \u0026amp; Artificial Intelligence may be recommended for admission to Georgia Tech\u2019s graduate program, in accordance with its standard admissions requirements. Following acceptance, will complete the master\u2019s in computer science \u0026amp; business technology at IE University before continuing to the Master of Science in Computer Science at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program includes a multi-campus international academic experience: students will begin their Master of Science studies at Georgia Tech-Europe in Metz during the fall term and complete the program at Georgia Tech\u2019s Atlanta campus in the spring. Each institution will award its respective degree upon successful completion of its academic requirements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement also promotes faculty and researcher exchanges, the development of joint research projects, and coordinated support for students throughout admissions, mobility, and academic progression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"IE School of Science \u0026 Technology (Spain) partners with Georgia Tech-Europe to launch dual degree in Computer Science"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIE School of Science \u0026amp; Technology and Georgia Tech-Europe, the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s (Georgia Tech) off-campus instructional site, have signed an academic cooperation agreement to develop joint academic, research, and educational activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this collaboration, students at IE University will have the opportunity to pursue a dual master\u2019s degree, earning both the master\u2019s in computer science \u0026amp; business technology from IE University and the Master of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This agreement connects Madrid, Metz, and Atlanta, offering students a transatlantic multi-campus pathway into advanced computing"}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-04-20 14:30:36","changed_gmt":"2026-04-20 14:30:36","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194248","name":"International Education"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["trdsc@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688853":{"#nid":"688853","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe President Recognized as a Leading Figure in Metz Higher Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbdallah Ougazzaden, president of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en\/undergraduate-get-started\/undergraduate-programs\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/a\u003E, was recently recognized as one of the 50 leaders shaping higher education in the Grand Est region of France.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe latest edition of \u003Cem\u003ELe Mensuel Grand Est\u003C\/em\u003E, the premier magazine covering the economy, politics, and culture of the Grand Est region, highlights individuals who play a key role in the growth and economic development of the region. For over 20 years, Ougazzaden has contributed to the international reputation of the Georgia Institute of Technology through his research, publications, and leadership at Georgia Tech-Europe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOugazzaden is a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and serves as president of Georgia Tech-Europe, the Institute\u2019s off-campus instructional site in Metz, France. He is the co-founder and co-president of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kippelengroup.gatech.edu\/institut-lafayette\/\u0022\u003EInstitut Lafayette\u003C\/a\u003E, a platform for innovation and technology transfer. He played a leading role in the creation of the Joint International Research Lab between Georgia Tech and the \u003Cem\u003ECentre National de la Recherche Scientifique\u003C\/em\u003E (CNRS), serving as its director for three terms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOugazzaden was recognized for his prolific academic career in semiconductor materials and device fabrication for optoelectronic applications, having published more than 500 scientific articles and holding 30 patents. His current research focuses on wide-bandgap semiconductors, two-dimensional materials, and related devices for optoelectronic applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn June 2025, the Institut Lafayette was awarded an innovation prize for research collaborations with local industry in intelligent battery-integrated systems. In the same month, Georgia Tech-Europe announced plans to expand its facility to double the number of American students studying in Metz.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOugazzaden\u2019s recognition highlights the far-reaching impact of Georgia Tech-Europe and its commitment to advancing education, research, and global collaboration in the region. As the campus continues to expand and foster connections with industry and the broader community, it stands as a testament to the value of international partnerships in shaping the future of higher education.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbdallah Ougazzaden, president of Georgia Tech-Europe and professor at the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was named one of the \u003Cstrong\u003E50 leaders shaping higher education in France\u2019s Grand Est region\u003C\/strong\u003E by \u003Cem\u003ELe Mensuel Grand Est\u003C\/em\u003E. The recognition highlights his more than 20 years of contributions to Georgia Tech\u2019s international presence through research, leadership, and collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOugazzaden co-founded the Institut Lafayette and helped establish the Joint International Research Lab between Georgia Tech and CNRS. A leading researcher in semiconductor materials and optoelectronic devices, he has published over 500 papers and holds 30 patents. Recent milestones include an innovation prize for Institut Lafayette\u2019s industry collaborations on battery-integrated systems and plans to expand Georgia Tech-Europe in Metz to accommodate more American students. His work underscores the role of international partnerships in advancing research, education, and regional economic development.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Abdallah Ougazzaden, president of Georgia Tech-Europe, was recently recognized as one of the 50 leaders shaping higher education in the Grand Est region of France. "}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-03-11 15:39:47","changed_gmt":"2026-03-11 15:45:59","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679577":{"id":"679577","type":"image","title":"Abdallah-and-Francois-Grosdidier-ceremonial-signing.jpg","body":null,"created":"1773243600","gmt_created":"2026-03-11 15:40:00","changed":"1773244369","gmt_changed":"2026-03-11 15:52:49","alt":"President of GTE shakes hands with Mayor of Metz in a signing ceremony","file":{"fid":"263755","name":"Abdallah-and-Francois-Grosdidier-ceremonial-signing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/Abdallah-and-Francois-Grosdidier-ceremonial-signing.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/11\/Abdallah-and-Francois-Grosdidier-ceremonial-signing.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":118307,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/11\/Abdallah-and-Francois-Grosdidier-ceremonial-signing.jpg?itok=220p9ag6"}}},"media_ids":["679577"],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"},{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["trdsc@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687672":{"#nid":"687672","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe Leads Effort to Revolutionize Artifact Preservation ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the basement of the Louvre, scientists at the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF) work at the frontier of cultural heritage preservation. Their challenge is to find non-invasive ways to probe ancient and precious artifacts to understand their structural integrity and optimal restoration paths. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough cultural heritage scientists already use an array of advanced scientific techniques, the data from these methods cannot yet be fully integrated to provide a comprehensive, multidimensional view of each artifact. Without a holistic view of structural integrity and design, decision-making about conservation remains complex and risk-laden. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis challenge is one that Alexandre Locquet, Georgia Tech-Europe professor and research scientist at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Georgia Tech-Europe Professor David S. Citrin will address in an upcoming Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks research grant project, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unveil-dn.eu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUNVEIL\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (Unified Nondestructive Evaluation of Historical Artifacts), as part of the IRL 2958 Georgia Tech-CNRS, a joint research partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/irl2958.georgiatech-europe.eu\/terahertznde-nonlineardynamicsgroup\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETerahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs coordinator of UNVEIL, Locquet will head a consortium of 21 European organizations, whose diverse areas of expertise will combine to advance nondestructive evaluation methods for cultural heritage preservation. With a budget of 3.7 million euros, the project brings together partners such as the C2RMF, with its advanced techniques in cultural heritage science, and the IRL 2958 Georgia Tech-CNRS. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUNVEIL\u0027s goal is not only to integrate data across multiple techniques to understand cultural artifacts, but also to introduce advanced, engineering-grade methods (e.g., terahertz imaging, ultrasound, and infrared thermography) into cultural heritage science. This dual approach will provide new insights to guide conservation and restoration work, from uncovering an artist\u0027s first sketches, hidden inscriptions, and signatures to detecting structural weaknesses invisible to the naked eye.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UNVEIL project will combine data from these non-invasive methods to create a 3D augmented-reality digital twin that shows an artifact\u0027s structural integrity and layers, revealing hidden elements, such as inscriptions and underdrawings. Collaborations with European museums and heritage institutions will bring these advances to the public, offering interactive 3D exhibits that allow visitors to explore artifacts beyond their visible surfaces.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocquet\u2019s research focuses on terahertz (THz) imaging and spectroscopy for nondestructive evaluation. THz imaging has already demonstrated unique scientific advancements in examining cultural heritage objects, such as deciphering illegible inscriptions on an 18th-century funerary cross, reconstructing the stratigraphy of ancient paper stacks, and revealing hidden signatures and underdrawings beneath layers of paint. These results demonstrate the potential of THz imaging to uncover details inaccessible by other means. As coordinator of UNVEIL, Locquet\u0027s role extends well beyond research. He will guide the consortium as a whole and ensure the integration of all techniques into a unified approach for cultural heritage diagnostics and restoration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UNVEIL project will begin in March. Locquet and his team are currently seeking doctoral students in physics and electrical and computer engineering to join the multidisciplinary research team. Interested students are encouraged to send their CV and a letter of interest to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:alocquet@georgiatech-metz.fr\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ealocquet@georgiatech-metz.fr\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unveil-dn.eu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elearn more about UNVEIL\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe, in collaboration with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and a consortium of 21 European organizations, is leading the UNVEIL project to advance the preservation of cultural artifacts.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech-Europe, in collaboration with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and a consortium of 21 European organizations, is leading the UNVEIL project to advance the preservation of cultural artifacts."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-01-26 17:03:40","changed_gmt":"2026-02-04 19:32:26","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679147":{"id":"679147","type":"image","title":"Research partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the Terahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/irl2958.georgiatech-europe.eu\/terahertznde-nonlineardynamicsgroup\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETerahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1770042831","gmt_created":"2026-02-02 14:33:51","changed":"1770042831","gmt_changed":"2026-02-02 14:33:51","alt":"Research partnership between Georgia Tech and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where Locquet and Citrin lead the Terahertz NDE and nonlinear dynamics group.","file":{"fid":"263270","name":"locquet-research.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/locquet-research.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/02\/locquet-research.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3777174,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/02\/locquet-research.jpg?itok=ID5k9MLm"}}},"media_ids":["679147"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trdsc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETina Rousselot de Saint Ceran\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687117":{"#nid":"687117","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe FYSA Film Festival Highlights Transformative Learning Abroad","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst-year undergraduate students studying at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en\/undergraduate-get-started\/undergraduate-programs\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/a\u003E in the First Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) program showcased their learning outcomes at a film festival on Dec. 2, in Metz, France. The event served as the culminating activity for the FYSA course, Communication and Culture, led by Jennifer Orth-Veillon, FYSA faculty director at Georgia Tech-Europe. The course offers a chronological, comprehensive exploration of European history and society through guided tours of key historical sites.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrth-Veillon explains that the film project provides a framework for students to reflect on their intercultural communication experiences and make connections between places, cultural identities, and histories. The course is designed to foster adaptive skills and confidence in navigating uncertainty and unfamiliar situations in an international setting. For the first eight weeks, students participate in hands-on experiential learning about international travel. With guidance from Orth-Veillon, they plan trips, navigate public transit, and deal with unexpected travel challenges. Later, they use these skills during independent travel.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Jayson Gonzalez, a student in the program, this marks his first experience traveling outside of the U.S. The experience has broadened his perspective and helped him move beyond cultural stereotypes and initial apprehensions about engaging with people in an unfamiliar culture. Tommy Vo, another first-year student, noted that the film project required him to \u201ctalk to people and understand their culture from their point of view.\u201d He emphasized that this method is more effective for learning than simply reading about cultures in textbooks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth Gonzalez and Vo credit their experiences with helping them gain the self-confidence to live independently for the first time. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m sustaining myself, and I\u2019m enriching myself,\u201d Gonzalez said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrth-Veillon views the FYSA program as often transformative for students. \u201cThey have a richer vision of the world and more confidence in their abilities to navigate cultural differences and ambiguity,\u201d she said. According to research from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.forumea.org\/alumni-study-2025.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EForum on Education Abroad\u003C\/a\u003E, 90% of education abroad alumni surveyed reported that their experiences helped them build job skills, including adaptability and intercultural communication, which significantly affected their overall career trajectory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the FYSA program comes to an end, Vo shared his mixed feelings about leaving Metz.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want to stay and continue experiencing all these things. But I also know there\u2019s way more in the world to discover and explore,\u201d he said. Gonzalez echoed the sentiment. \u201cThis world is so much bigger than any of us, any of our problems, and it is worth seeing,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reason our degrees and careers are meaningful is that they contribute to this world. I don\u2019t think any program could have shown me that better than this one. To experience all that while also furthering my academic enrichment has been the most rewarding thing.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrth-Veillon\u2019s vision for the film festival project stems from her interest in sharing the transformative learning outcomes of cohort travel more broadly with the Georgia Tech community. Georgia Tech-Europe recently celebrated 35 years of operation and is hosting its fifth FYSA cohort. To learn more about Georgia Tech-Europe and the FYSA program, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/firstyearabroad.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efirstyearabroad.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFirst-year students in the Georgia Tech-Europe FYSA program showcased their growth in intercultural communication and independent living through a culminating film festival in Metz, France.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"First-year students in the Georgia Tech-Europe FYSA program showcased their growth in intercultural communication and independent living through a culminating film festival in Metz, France."}],"uid":"36779","created_gmt":"2026-01-08 19:35:24","changed_gmt":"2026-02-04 17:22:04","author":"tcran3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679075":{"id":"679075","type":"image","title":"FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFYSA Students in Metz, France\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769184118","gmt_created":"2026-01-23 16:01:58","changed":"1769184118","gmt_changed":"2026-01-23 16:01:58","alt":"FYSA Students in Metz, France","file":{"fid":"263191","name":"FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7912222,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-in-Metz.jpg?itok=3OqYvQ6P"}},"679076":{"id":"679076","type":"image","title":"FYSA Students at film festival","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFYSA Students at film festival\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1769184173","gmt_created":"2026-01-23 16:02:53","changed":"1769184173","gmt_changed":"2026-01-23 16:02:53","alt":"FYSA Students at film festival","file":{"fid":"263192","name":"FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6845903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/23\/FYSA-Students-at-FYSA-Film-Festival-copy.jpg?itok=7X2CglmD"}}},"media_ids":["679075","679076"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu\/en","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"194248","name":"International Education"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191566","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe"},{"id":"190213","name":"First-year Semester Abroad"},{"id":"194890","name":"transformative learning"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trdsc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETina Rousselot de Saint Ceran\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}