{"691686":{"#nid":"691686","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Elliott Named Interim Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKarin Elliott, vice chancellor for Human Resources for the University System of Georgia (USG), has been named the interim vice president and chief human resources officer (CHRO) for Georgia Tech. Elliott will begin her new role on Sept. 1 and will report directly to Tricia Chastain, executive vice president for Administration and Finance.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFormer CHRO Skye Duckett departed the Institute on Aug. 14, and Elliott will lead Georgia Tech Human Resources (GTHR) on an interim basis during this leadership transition. She will work with partners across Georgia Tech to ensure continuity and the effective delivery of human resources support services.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI am grateful to Karin for agreeing to support Georgia Tech during this transition,\u201d said Chastain. \u201cShe brings immense experience and strategic insight. GTHR is critical to the Institute\u2019s success, and I am confident Karin will bring a collaborative and service-oriented approach to the role.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EElliott has more than 18 years of HR leadership experience with the USG, including four years with Kennesaw State University before joining the System Office in 2012.\u0026nbsp;In her current role at the USG, she leads HR strategy, policy, compensation, compliance, and total rewards for USG\u0027s 25 public colleges and universities supporting more than 48,000 employees and 382,000 students. She provides strategic HR guidance to leaders across the system in support of USG\u2019s mission and strategic priorities, sponsoring multiple HR advisory committees, fostering collaboration and stakeholder engagement, and earning national recognition for innovation in employee benefits and financial well-being programs.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cI want to thank Chancellor Sonny Perdue and USG Chief Operating Officer Teresa MacCartney for their support in allowing me to serve Georgia Tech in the interim role,\u201d said Elliott. \u201cI am fortunate to have worked with many colleagues at Georgia Tech and within GTHR and am excited that I will be able to work closely with them, and with their teams, to advance Georgia Tech\u2019s mission.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EChastain will lead GTHR until Sept. 1. Plans to permanently fill the position of vice president and chief human resources officer will be announced as they develop.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElliott will begin her new interim role on Sept. 1.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Elliott will begin her new interim role on Sept. 1."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2026-08-14 13:16:08","changed_gmt":"2026-08-17 13:46:09","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680880":{"id":"680880","type":"image","title":"Karin-Elliott-Headshot.png","body":null,"created":"1786721823","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 15:37:03","changed":"1786721823","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 15:37:03","alt":"Karin Elliott","file":{"fid":"265212","name":"Karin-Elliott-Headshot.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/Karin-Elliott-Headshot.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/Karin-Elliott-Headshot.png","mime":"image\/png","size":13503840,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/14\/Karin-Elliott-Headshot.png?itok=qDUqubVo"}}},"media_ids":["680880"],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"168696","name":"Georgia Tech Human Resources"},{"id":"195251","name":"Karin Elliott"}],"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\u003ERachael Pocklington\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rpocklington@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691704":{"#nid":"691704","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Week of Welcome Invites New Yellow Jackets to Explore Campus ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a new semester dawns and thousands of new Yellow Jackets arrive, Week of Welcome is a chance for students new to campus to learn their surroundings, meet new people, and have fun before classes begin.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWeek of Welcome began in 2020 and has grown each year. For 2026, the weeklong celebration features more than 300 events, offering experiences and opportunities for all first-year, graduate, and transfer students. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis week is an opportunity for students to connect and explore campus, get connected to culture and to their peers, but also just an opportunity to have fun before the stress of coursework begins,\u201d said Chrissonia McCall, senior project support specialist in Housing and Residence Life. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESignature events like New Student Convocation bring thousands together to share in the start of their Tech journey, but Week of Welcome features plenty of smaller-scale events that allow students to connect and get to know their peers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany of our events are 30 students or fewer, and those are great chances to find an organization that piques your interest or to find something completely new to you. This week is all about exploring the breadth of what is available at Tech and bringing down those barriers for students to engage with their new surroundings. Everyone is new and figuring things out at the same time, so this is a time when you can learn it all together,\u201d Tegra Myanna, director of engagement and program operations in Housing and Residence Life, said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo expedite the Week of Welcome experience, students should fill out the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/starrez.housing.gatech.edu\/StarRezPortalX\/B47057FA\/22\/1948\/RESOURCES-Week_of_Welcome_Land\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ewaiver form\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll Week of Welcome events can be found on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/organization\/wow\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEngage\u003C\/a\u003E, but here are some you may want to mark on your calendar. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12523612\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERock, Ramble, and Roll\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Monday, Aug. 17, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 2:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Exhibition Hall and John Lewis Student Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted by the Student and Campus Event Centers, Housing and Residence Life, and Tech Dining, this high-energy event is your chance to meet fellow Yellow Jackets, enjoy food, explore the John Lewis Student Center, and experience fun, music-themed activities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12498838\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYellow Jacket Mega Mixer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Monday, Aug. 17, 7 \u2013 9 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Tech Green\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted by the Center for Student Engagement, which includes Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Media, Student Organizations, Civic Engagement, and John Lewis Student Leadership Pathways, the Yellow Jacket Mega Mixer is a chance to meet new friends, engage with student leaders, and immerse yourself in campus life.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12499263\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Navigating GT: Wellness\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EResource Fair\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 1:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Midtown Ballroom, Exhibition Hall\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKick off your Georgia Tech journey by discovering the people, places, and programs designed to support your success. The fair connects students with a wide range of campus resources and organizations committed to well-being and growth \u2014 both in and out of the classroom. Explore interactive tables; meet peers, faculty, and staff; and learn how to make the most of the Tech experience.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12508003\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKing\/Queen of the Court\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2:45 \u2013 4:15 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Couch Park\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin Women\u0027s and Men\u0027s Club Volleyball out on the grass to play volleyball and make new friends along the way. Volleyball courts will be set up on the grass to play in a casual pickup style for people of all skill levels to participate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12523641\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaste of Tech Square\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 5 \u2013 9 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Tech Square\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExperience a place that\u0027s unmistakably Georgia Tech. Taste of Tech Square is an immersive food festival just steps from campus, serving up delicious bites, lively entertainment, and a glimpse into the future of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12523695\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecFest\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 2:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Stamps Field\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecFest is Georgia Tech Campus Recreation\u2019s signature annual kickoff event designed to welcome students to campus and connect them with the wide range of recreation programs, services, and clubs available at the CRC. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12508018\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEsports Open House\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2:45 \u2013 4:15 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Esports and Gaming Lounge, Campus Recreation Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted by Georgia Tech Esports, this event will feature a tour of the new space and provide an overview of the organization before an open, free-play session for students in the gaming lounge. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12499115\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaper \u0026amp; Clay Craft Day\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 4:30 \u2013 6:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Paper \u0026amp; Clay\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis event is an opportunity to explore Paper \u0026amp; Clay\u0027s crafts by making dorm decor and friendship bracelets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12498901\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrad Expo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Thursday, Aug. 20, 10 a.m. \u2013 4 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Midtown Ballroom, Exhibition Ballroom\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHeld in conjunction with Graduate Institute Orientation, GradExpo connects new graduate students with over 50 campus units and student organizations, showcasing the many resources and services available to support graduate students at Tech. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12498822\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERATS Night\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Thursday, Aug. 20, 6 \u2013 9 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Georgia Tech Library\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake over the Library for a night of fun, filled with entertainment, snacks, video games, trivia, arts and crafts, and free giveaways.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12513131\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMagicians Workshop\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Friday, Aug. 21, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Room C456, Van Leer Building\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeginners and pros alike are invited to attend this open workshop hosted by Magicians @ GT to pick up some cool new tricks to impress your friends. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12506655\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECardboard Boat Race\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Friday, Aug. 21, 1 \u2013 3 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: McAuley Aquatic Center, Campus Recreation Center\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWatch and cheer teams on as they have 60 minutes to build a canoe out of cardboard, duct tape, and other supplies before they must paddle their boat across the McAuley Aquatic Center pool.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12513400\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHouse Party at Bobby Dodd\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Friday, Aug. 21, 6 \u2013 9 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Athletics is hosting a House Party to welcome students back to campus. Enjoy inflatables, on-field activities, a live DJ, a gaming truck, and food trucks. The event will have a clear bag policy, and students are allowed to bring empty, non-metal, reusable water bottles into the stadium.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12498962\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew Student Convocation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen: Sunday, Aug. 23, 4 \u2013 5 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhere: McCamish Pavilion\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGet your RAT cap, T-Book, and Georgia Tech pin at this year\u2019s New Student Convocation. The event is a welcome ceremony for incoming students, and more information can be found on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspecialevents.gatech.edu%2Fconvocation\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cweekofwelcome%40gatech.edu%7C3c27600b547442e9892b08deef281994%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639211152658178593%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=En%2Fmxq0W8KoYsa2hOy7tISiGiKcg0CM3rP4xIAX2EMQ%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENew Student Convocation website\u003C\/a\u003E. Connect with peers beforehand at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/12499204\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENew Transfer and Commuter Student Pre-Convocation Mixer\u003C\/a\u003E at the John Lewis Student Center from 1:30 to 3 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"With more than 300 events, Week of Welcome offers experiences and opportunities for all first-year, graduate, and transfer students. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith more than 300 events, Week of Welcome offers experiences and opportunities for all first-year, graduate, and transfer students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With more than 300 events, Week of Welcome offers experiences and opportunities for all first-year, graduate, and transfer students. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-08-16 23:41:13","changed_gmt":"2026-08-17 00:00:59","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680885":{"id":"680885","type":"image","title":"Cardboard Boat Race","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents participate in the Cardboard Boat Race event during Week of Welcome 2025 at Georgia Tech. Photo by Allison Carter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786924577","gmt_created":"2026-08-16 23:56:17","changed":"1786924577","gmt_changed":"2026-08-16 23:56:17","alt":"Cardboard Boat Race","file":{"fid":"265217","name":"26-R10410-P21-015.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/16\/26-R10410-P21-015.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/16\/26-R10410-P21-015.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2012503,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/16\/26-R10410-P21-015.JPG?itok=bvGDXhjD"}}},"media_ids":["680885"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/welcomehome.gatech.edu","title":"Week of Welcome"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185203","name":"week of welcome"},{"id":"22221","name":"first year students"},{"id":"2007","name":"Fall Semester"}],"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:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691678":{"#nid":"691678","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Record $6.3B Economic Impact Leads USG Institutions\u00a0","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGenerating $6.3 billion in economic impact for Georgia\u2019s economy in fiscal year 2025, Georgia Tech surpassed its own record and continues to lead all state public universities, according to a University System of Georgia (USG) study.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech\u2019s contribution is an 8.8% increase over fiscal year 2024 and accounts for more than 25% of the $25.1 billion economic activity created by the 25 USG colleges and universities \u2014 $16.3 billion in direct spending by students and by institutions, and an additional $8.8 billion generated in local communities as those dollars circulate through the economy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study, conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia\u2019s Terry College of Business, also measures the value of a USG degree, projecting that graduates will boost their work-life earnings in Georgia by 80%\u0026nbsp;and earn $1.4 million more than those who receive a high school diploma.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Serving Georgia is core to our mission as a public university,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cOur $6.3 billion contribution to the economy is one of the many important ways we create value for our state. Together with the talent we develop, the businesses we help create and grow, and the innovation we drive, we are proud to deliver best-in-kind return on the significant investment the state makes in our work year after year.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute conferred 13,096 degrees in fiscal year 2025, with the study estimating total work-life earnings of more than $48.6 billion for the class of 2025. Through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/04\/georgia-techs-big-bets-delivering-record-results\u0022\u003Ereductions in in-state tuition and fees\u003C\/a\u003E, increased access to need-based scholarships, and commitments to preparing graduates for the jobs of the future, Tech continues to be ranked among the top universities for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/25\/georgia-tech-tops-princeton-reviews-best-value-list\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereturn on investment and career placement\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the value it offers to students, Georgia Tech directly employs 12,288 people on campus, and the study finds that an additional 25,100 off-campus jobs have been created due to Institute-related spending \u2014 the highest among all USG institutions. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"In total, USG institutions created more than $25 billion in economic activity in the past fiscal year.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn total, USG institutions created more than $25 billion in economic activity in the past fiscal year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In total, USG institutions created more than $25 billion in economic activity in the past fiscal year.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0"}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-08-14 03:52:06","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 19:15:10","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680877":{"id":"680877","type":"image","title":"Students walking","body":null,"created":"1786716970","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 14:16:10","changed":"1786716970","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 14:16:10","alt":"Students walking","file":{"fid":"265210","name":"22C10400-P36-023.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/22C10400-P36-023.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/14\/22C10400-P36-023.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5663556,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/14\/22C10400-P36-023.JPG?itok=E7niN4l1"}}},"media_ids":["680877"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.usg.edu\/news\/release\/usg-drives-record-economic-impact-2026\/","title":"USG News Release "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193914","name":"usg study"},{"id":"2935","name":"Economic Impact Study"},{"id":"11426","name":"Georgia Economy"}],"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:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689015":{"#nid":"689015","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Successful USDA Program That Has Supported More Than 533,000 Affordable Rental Homes in Rural America is Getting Phased\u00a0Out","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/rent-apartments-cities-near-me-biggest-increases\/\u0022\u003EThe high cost of renting and buying homes in U.S. cities\u003C\/a\u003E is no secret. But this affordability problem isn\u2019t limited to urban regions \u2013 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/research\/2025\/06\/the-deterioration-of-housing-affordability-in-rural-america\/\u0022\u003Eit affects rural areas as well\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERural areas, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fhfa.gov\/blog\/insights\/who-lives-in-rural-america\u0022\u003Ehome to about 25% of Americans\u003C\/a\u003E, benefit from federally supported rental housing programs \u2013 particularly a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to provide affordable homes for low-income residents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ruralhome.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/storage\/documents\/rd515rental.pdf\u0022\u003EUSDA\u2019s Section 515 program\u003C\/a\u003E is the primary way that the U.S. government finances affordable rental homes in rural communities. Since its inception in 1963, the program has supported the construction of over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pfs2.acl.gov\/strapib\/assets\/Rural_Housing_Programs_Chapter_Summary_50076d51da.pdf\u0022\u003E533,000 apartments, townhouses\u003C\/a\u003E and other small, multifamily rental homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program offers below-market-rate loans to private and nonprofit developers who build and manage residential housing for low-income residents in small towns and rural counties. The terms of the deal between property owners and the government obliges these landlords to keep rents affordable for their occupants for decades, generally restricting rent to about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hudexchange.info\/programs\/home\/home-income-limits\/\u0022\u003E30% of tenants\u2019 income\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELast New Loans Were in 2011\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople who live in Section 515 housing typically \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ruralhousingcoalition.org\/section-515-rural-rental-housing-loans\/#:%7E:text=The%20USDA%20says%20that%20Section%20515%20housing,more%20than%20$325%20per%20unit%20per%20month\u0022\u003Epay around US$325 per month\u003C\/a\u003E. That\u2019s much less than rural market-rate rents, which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.apartments.com\/blog\/states-with-the-cheapest-rent\u0022\u003Etypically run $800-$1,100 per month\u003C\/a\u003E for modest homes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nlihc.org\/sites\/default\/files\/AG-2025\/4-131_USDA-Rural-Rental-Housing-Programs.pdf\u0022\u003EUSDA stopped issuing new Section 515 loans in 2011\u003C\/a\u003E, this arrangement is phasing out now as existing loans mature.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELoans for about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ruralhome.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/storage\/documents\/publications\/rrreports\/rental_housing_for_a_21st_century_rural_america_ui.pdf\u0022\u003E90% of all remaining Section 515 homes\u003C\/a\u003E will mature by 2045, according to the Housing\u2002Assistance Council, a national nonprofit that supports affordable housing efforts throughout rural America. By 2050, the owners of nearly all properties currently in the program\u2019s portfolio are projected to have paid off their mortgages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd once most of the owners of these homes exit the Section 515 program, it will have been fully phased out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\u0022tc-infographic-datawrapper\u0022 style=\u0022border-width:0;\u0022 id=\u00226NXiF\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/6NXiF\/1\/\u0022 height=\u0022400px\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 scrolling=\u0022no\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAn Often-Overlooked Housing Program\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003Epublic policy professor who studies housing\u003C\/a\u003E, I wanted to understand what happens when Section 515 loans mature. I also was interested in what determines whether properties remain affordable or leave the program after the loans are paid off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find out, I worked with three other housing policy researchers on a national study that was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10511482.2025.2531878\u0022\u003Epeer-reviewed and published\u003C\/a\u003E in Housing Policy Debate in September 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of 2024, these loans were still supporting \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pfs2.acl.gov\/strapib\/assets\/Rural_Housing_Programs_Chapter_Summary_50076d51da.pdf\u0022\u003Esome 400,000 homes\u003C\/a\u003E on almost \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/32-2024-RHS.pdf\u0022\u003E13,000 properties\u003C\/a\u003E across \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/media\/file\/download\/hac-mfh-ta-fact-sheet.pdf\u0022\u003E87% of all U.S. counties\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe roughly 750,000 Americans in those homes are among the nation\u2019s poorest. The average household income of someone living in Section 515 housing in 2023 was just about $16,000 per year, which was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/4655566-median-household-income-in-october-2023\u0022\u003Eonly about one-fifth of the national median household income\u003C\/a\u003E, which hovered around $76,600 during the same period in inflation-adjusted 2023 dollars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to having a very low income, more than 60% of the people enrolled in the program are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nhlp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rural-Preservation-Handbook.pdf\u0022\u003Eover 62, have disabilities, or fall into both\u003C\/a\u003E of those categories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMarket-Rate Options After Maturity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe vast majority of these affordable rental homes were built in the 1970s through the 1990s and financed with USDA loans that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cura.umn.edu\/research\/usda-section-515-program-quantitative-analysis\u0022\u003Elast between 30 and 50 years\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy 2050, there will be no Section 515 housing left.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe owners of these rental properties no longer have to keep rents affordable once they have paid off their loans. And their owners and tenants may also \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/programs-services\/multifamily-housing-programs\/multifamily-housing-rental-assistancee\u0022\u003Elose access to a USDA rental assistance\u003C\/a\u003E program, which helps keep tenants\u2019 housing costs low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey can refinance the homes or sell\u2002the properties. They also can continue to charge affordable rents to occupants or convert those units to market rate. Because of this flexibility, a large share of rural affordable housing units could soon be converted to properties rented at market rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the Data Shows So Far\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor this study, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10511482.2025.2531878\u0022\u003Eour research team analyzed data\u003C\/a\u003E from nearly 15,000 of the Section 515 properties throughout the country, which have been placed in service since 1963 \u2013 including many that are no longer providing rural affordable housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe found that the largest factors determining whether a building remains affordable after a Section 515 loan matures are who owns and manages\u2002that property. Buildings owned by for-profit companies are far more likely to leave the program than those that belong to nonprofit housing organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENonprofit-owned\u2002buildings, after accounting for building age and local market conditions, are 30% to 40% less likely to convert formerly Section 515 affordable housing into market-rate properties after the owners pay off their loans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter analyzing this data, we also concluded that buildings run by small property management companies are more likely to leave the program than those managed by larger ones. Properties where the owner manages the homes are also more likely to exit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELandlords owning more residential properties were also more likely to exit the program. This indicates that larger landlords may be able to afford the renovations and upgrades required to turn their buildings into market-rate housing once restrictions end.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center zoomable\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;rect=0%2C124%2C8256%2C4644\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A symbolic wooden house, containg a stack of $1 bills and a money bag with a dollar symbol, sits next to an alarm clock in a grocery cart.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;rect=0%2C124%2C8256%2C4644\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=356\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=356\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=356\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/721319\/original\/file-20260302-71-tbznw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=447\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003ETime is running out on the nation\u2019s main affordable housing program in rural areas.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/symbolic-wooden-house-a-stack-of-us1-bills-and-a-royalty-free-image\/2206515182?adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EMax Zolotukhin\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Subsidies and Local Markets Matter\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving subsidies through other government programs can help keep affordable housing units from being converted to market-rate housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne-third of Section 515 properties also get support from other programs, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hud.gov\/helping-americans\/housing-choice-vouchers-tenants\u0022\u003ESection 8 vouchers\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.novoco.com\/resource-centers\/affordable-housing-tax-credits\/about-lihtc\u0022\u003Elow-income housing tax credits\u003C\/a\u003E. Those tax credits are another federal incentive that\u2019s provided to developers who build and rehabilitate affordable rental housing while allowing lower rents for low-income tenants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose properties are more likely to remain affordable, even years after some of these tax incentives expire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocal economic conditions can play a role too. In areas with high unemployment rates, large military populations and low housing inventory, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10511482.2025.2531878\u0022\u003Eproperties are also more likely to exit\u003C\/a\u003E the program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat means the same rural counties experiencing economic or demographic pressures are often the most likely to have a decline in affordable housing units when owners pay off their Section 515 loans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESteps That Can Be Taken\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECongress and the USDA have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.us-hc.com\/blogs\/rhs-makes-funds-available-for-section-515-demonstration-program\/\u0022\u003Etaken some steps\u003C\/a\u003E to slow the loss of affordable housing in rural areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the USDA has funded preservation efforts such as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rd.usda.gov\/programs-services\/multifamily-housing-programs\/multifamily-preservation-and-revitalization-mpr\u0022\u003EMultifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization\u003C\/a\u003E pilot program, which provides grants, loan restructuring and other financing tools to help repair aging Section 515 properties and extend their affordability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese efforts have helped preserve some buildings and support ownership transfers from private sector landlords to nonprofit housing groups. But they spend only tens of millions of dollars per year and focus mainly on maintaining existing properties rather than building new housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers estimate that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs_external_products\/R\/PDF\/R47044\/R47044.1.pdf\u0022\u003Eabout $5.6 billion in repairs\u003C\/a\u003E would be needed to preserve the affordable housing currently tied to the Section 515 program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome lawmakers have proposed reforms aimed at doing more than chipping away at the loss of this kind of affordable housing. The bipartisan \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.naco.org\/news\/congressional-leaders-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-protect-rural-housing\u0022\u003ERural Housing Service Reform Act\u003C\/a\u003E, first introduced in 2023 and reintroduced in 2025, would modernize USDA rural housing programs and allow certain rental assistance contracts to continue after mortgages mature. As of early 2026, the bill remains under consideration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next two decades, most of these landlords will pay off their Section 515 loans. Unless the government reinvigorates the program or replaces it with something else, much of rural America\u2019s affordable rental housing could gradually disappear as owners convert all Section 515 properties to market-rate housing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether rural communities retain affordable housing will depend not only on what the federal government does, but also on the properties\u2019 owners.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/273637\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-successful-usda-program-that-has-supported-more-than-533-000-affordable-rental-homes-in-rural-america-is-getting-phased-out-273637\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe high cost of renting and buying homes in U.S. cities is no secret. But this affordability problem isn\u2019t limited to urban regions \u2013 it affects rural areas as well.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The high cost of renting and buying homes in U.S. cities is no secret. But this affordability problem isn\u2019t limited to urban regions \u2013 it affects rural areas as well."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-03-12 17:07:54","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 16:36:52","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679671":{"id":"679671","type":"image","title":"Low-income Americans in rural areas can struggle to pay market-rate rents. mphillips007\/iStock via Getty Images Plus","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELow-income Americans in rural areas can struggle to pay market-rate rents. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/photo\/housing-market-inflation-and-interest-rates-royalty-free-image\/1395524032?adppopup=true\u0022\u003Emphillips007\/iStock via Getty Images Plus\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773853784","gmt_created":"2026-03-18 17:09:44","changed":"1773853784","gmt_changed":"2026-03-18 17:09:44","alt":"Low-income Americans in rural areas can struggle to pay market-rate rents. mphillips007\/iStock via Getty Images Plus","file":{"fid":"263860","name":"file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125948,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/18\/file-20260302-57-nqoztj.jpg?itok=Yq-cZ8Mz"}}},"media_ids":["679671"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-successful-usda-program-that-has-supported-more-than-533-000-affordable-rental-homes-in-rural-america-is-getting-phased-out-273637","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194974","name":"go-theconversation"},{"id":"188853","name":"go-seiinthenews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/brian-y-an-1461778\u0022\u003EBrian Y. An\u003C\/a\u003E, Co-Director of Center for Urban Research, Director of Master of Science in Public Policy Program, and Assistant Professor of Public Policy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691676":{"#nid":"691676","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emerging Leaders Program Cohort Selected for 2026-27","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 11th cohort of Georgia Tech\u2019s Emerging Leaders Program has been selected for the 2026-27 academic year. Running from Fall 2026 through Spring 2027, the program offers leadership development opportunities through a kickoff retreat, regular workshops, small-group activities, and individualized coaching.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Emerging Leaders Program has cultivated leadership potential at Georgia Tech since 2016 and is open to senior and principal academic and research faculty from all academic units.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our faculty and researchers are at the heart of Georgia Tech\u0027s success,\u0022 said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. \u0022The Emerging Leaders Program invests in future leaders by creating opportunities for collaboration, growth, and learning. I congratulate this year\u0027s cohort and look forward to seeing how they help shape the future of our Institute.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026-27 cohort includes the following members:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Business\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed689a52df3d05c968db8ed13541b2397\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Hsu\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor of Finance\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e45d45175e153277b0ca03c6abdb6b5dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMingfeng Lin\u003C\/strong\u003E, Dean\u0027s Distinguished Term Professor, Professor of IT Management, and ITM Ph.D. Program Coordinator\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e242b0d9b87df0fd3977d3ef31848219c\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKarthik Ramachandran\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor, Operations Management Area\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3632a9d2e204f7c0b5533cb2ed26d0da\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Endert\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor, School of Interactive Computing\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e72883583deaff6ff6963bcb63f1323a7\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeandro Miletto Tonetto\u003C\/strong\u003E, Interim Chair and Associate Professor, School of Industrial Design\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e4c091cf282328de074ac1817f53b4b69\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlair Brettmann\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e220ca0bbcf405533625920e5ddba1b74\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESantanu S. Dey\u003C\/strong\u003E, Anderson-Interface Chair and Professor; Director of Doctoral Recruiting and Admissions, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e86c4d3b406af86190d1ed8325d63ac8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EErin Ratcliff\u003C\/strong\u003E, Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9036527db08eabc62a823d3212f7f67a\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELevi Wood\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Bioengineering Graduate Program, School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Lifetime Learning\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e58754cc244efc5e290a641ceb3be5311\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELacy Hodges\u003C\/strong\u003E, Director of Learning Analytics \u0026amp; Assessment, Professional Education\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ee2c0866bda1b55746471e377c1cfe1cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeha Garg\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor and Blanchard Early Career Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea18905fe9b6eaf140c0f844e08a93ca9\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Robel\u003C\/strong\u003E, Jean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Associate Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e08f0cd0e1b1072a616f398d936fbaf20\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Weigel\u003C\/strong\u003E, Senior Academic Professional, School of Biological Sciences\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e049b6614364f25fe59a3db3b27898fc4\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChris Hayter\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0c187d4bd3c6934369304171feae0662\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdam Meier\u003C\/strong\u003E, Principal Research Scientist, CIPHER LAB\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPartnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5f06724459843aa95bf107b8994d35a6\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffery Young\u003C\/strong\u003E, Principal Research Scientist\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/emerging-leaders\u0022\u003EEmerging Leaders Program\u003C\/a\u003E is a collaborative initiative of the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 11th cohort of Georgia Tech\u2019s Emerging Leaders Program has been selected for the 2026-27 academic year. Running from Fall 2026 through Spring 2027, the program offers leadership development opportunities through a kickoff retreat, regular workshops, small-group activities, and individualized coaching.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 11th cohort of Georgia Tech\u2019s Emerging Leaders Program has been selected for the 2026-27 academic year."}],"uid":"36640","created_gmt":"2026-08-14 00:44:03","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 13:27:51","author":"kconley9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680869":{"id":"680869","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1786668268","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 00:44:28","changed":"1786668268","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 00:44:28","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Tech Tower building.","file":{"fid":"265198","name":"0701006-P1-1-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/0701006-P1-1-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/0701006-P1-1-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":385569,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/0701006-P1-1-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg?itok=B6Ybch9K"}}},"media_ids":["680869"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/emerging-leaders","title":"About the Emerging Leaders Program"}],"groups":[{"id":"619192","name":"Faculty Affairs"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190384","name":"faculty recognition"},{"id":"7846","name":"Georgia Tech Office of the Provost"},{"id":"5124","name":"Emerging leaders"}],"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\u003EAlisa Jordan, Institute for Leadership and Social Impact\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["alisa.jordan@ilsi.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691677":{"#nid":"691677","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ribbon-Cutting Opens Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn time for the fall semester, the ribbon has been cut, and students will soon move into Georgia Tech\u2019s newest traditional residence hall \u2014 the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocated along Northside Drive between Eighth and Ninth streets, the 191,000-square-foot facility offers 862 beds in double-occupancy rooms. The first traditional residence hall constructed on campus since 1969, Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall features collaborative learning areas, an esports lounge, a fitness room, community lounges, a kitchen on the first floor of each wing, and a 24\/7 cashierless market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe opening of the new residence hall allows Tech to keep pace with enrollment as the Institute continues to grow. This fall, over \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/admission.gatech.edu\/images\/pdf\/2026\/undergraduate-admission-year-in-review-2026.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E4,100 first-year students will enroll at the Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, along with 1,400 transfer students in the fall and spring. With growth comes the need for new infrastructure, as Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera said during Thursday\u2019s ribbon-cutting ceremony.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt turns out that more unbelievable students from every county in Georgia, from every corner of our country and countries around the world, want to have the learning experience here. It\u2019s our duty to figure out creative solutions, not just to house them, but to provide them with a transformative experience,\u201d he said. \u201cThe transformation of our students happens right here. It happens in the residence halls. It happens in the friendships that you make, the study groups, the activities, and when you\u2019re learning to be independent and to grow up. This is not just a dorm where you come to sleep.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe residence hall is named in honor of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady. During Peterson\u2019s tenure from 2009 to 2019, Tech enhanced student programs and grew enrollment; increased collaboration and built strategic partnerships in Atlanta and Georgia; expanded its global reach, with a focus on innovation; executed Campaign Georgia Tech, which raised $1.8 billion for the Institute; and more than doubled new research awards, exceeding $1 billion for the first time in 2019. As president, Peterson launched the Online Master of Science in Computer Science program, which has since become a global model for accessible education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe has remained involved with the Institute as president emeritus, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/peterson\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegents\u2019 Professor\u003C\/a\u003E in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and a member of the steering committee for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his remarks, Peterson recounted his first time visiting Tech, the feeling he got when he was on campus, and his path to eventually becoming Tech\u2019s next president, succeeding President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough, who was in attendance at the ceremony.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecoming a candidate for the job of president was \u201cone of the most important decisions I\u2019ve made in my professional career,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cThis is a remarkable place with remarkable people doing remarkable things. Val and I are enormously honored to be recognized in this fashion.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs first lady, Val Peterson was a dedicated presence on campus and an ardent supporter of students and faculty. She served as the chief spokesperson for the Tech Ends Suicide Together initiative when it launched in 2016 and mentored students and campus organizations. Val Peterson holds two bachelor\u2019s degrees and a teaching certificate from Kansas State University and a master\u2019s degree from Texas A\u0026amp;M. She has been recognized as an honorary alumna by the Georgia Tech Alumni Association for her devotion to the greater good of the Institute. Nicknamed the \u201cQueen Bee\u201d of Georgia Tech, she found it \u201cquite fitting\u201d that the new hall bears the couple\u2019s names, because they lived together in a dorm room at KSU when they were first married.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat\u2019s where it all began. Those two towers, like us, together forever,\u201d she said. \u201cMy hope for the students who live in Peterson Hall is that their experience parallels our paths, not only in school but in life.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach space in the new residence hall is designed to encourage students to interact and develop shared experiences, a mindset that Kasey Helton, associate vice president of Campus Services, says was fostered during Peterson\u2019s tenure.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe weren\u0027t trying to create 860 places to sleep. We were trying to create 860 opportunities to belong. That sense of belonging is exactly what Bud and Val spent a decade here building. They championed living-learning communities, expanded opportunities for students to develop global perspectives, strengthened support for student well-being, and helped make a Georgia Tech education accessible to all students. That same spirit is built into this hall,\u201d Helton said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe opening of the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall brings the Institute\u2019s capacity to more than 9,600 bed spaces across nearly 50 residence halls. Move-in for the fall semester begins Aug. 15, including the first group of students who will call Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall home.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Named in honor of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady, the residence hall is the first of its kind to be built on campus since 1969. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENamed in honor of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady, the residence hall is the first of its kind to be built on campus since 1969.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Named in honor of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11th president and first lady, the residence hall is the first of its kind to be built on campus since 1969. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-08-14 03:25:09","changed_gmt":"2026-08-14 03:44:24","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680870":{"id":"680870","type":"image","title":"Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPresident Emeritus Bud Peterson and former Georgia Tech First Lady Val Peterson cut the ribbon outside of the Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall. Photo by Joya Chapman.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786677988","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 03:26:28","changed":"1786677988","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 03:26:28","alt":"Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall","file":{"fid":"265199","name":"Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-10.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-10.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-10.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2615107,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-10.jpg?itok=fZbBa-4x"}},"680871":{"id":"680871","type":"image","title":"Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-01.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786678342","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 03:32:22","changed":"1786678342","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 03:32:22","alt":"Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall","file":{"fid":"265201","name":"Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-01.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-01.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-01.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3426047,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/Bud-and-Val-Peterson-Residence-Hall-Dedication-01.jpg?itok=S3ehUxHV"}},"680872":{"id":"680872","type":"image","title":"DSC00985-HDR-Edit.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786678482","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 03:34:42","changed":"1786678482","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 03:34:42","alt":"Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall","file":{"fid":"265202","name":"DSC00985-HDR-Edit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00985-HDR-Edit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00985-HDR-Edit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":23337785,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00985-HDR-Edit.jpg?itok=sGHDK77H"}},"680873":{"id":"680873","type":"image","title":"DSC00937-HDR.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786678513","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 03:35:13","changed":"1786678513","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 03:35:13","alt":"Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall","file":{"fid":"265203","name":"DSC00937-HDR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00937-HDR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00937-HDR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":23663199,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00937-HDR.jpg?itok=DtC8v8Bb"}},"680874":{"id":"680874","type":"image","title":"DSC00900-Edit.jpg","body":null,"created":"1786678557","gmt_created":"2026-08-14 03:35:57","changed":"1786678557","gmt_changed":"2026-08-14 03:35:57","alt":"Bud and Val Peterson Residence Hall","file":{"fid":"265204","name":"DSC00900-Edit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00900-Edit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00900-Edit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":24142587,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/13\/DSC00900-Edit.jpg?itok=zNTXliz3"}}},"media_ids":["680870","680871","680872","680873","680874"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/housing.gatech.edu\/","title":"Housing and Residence Life"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"179355","name":"Building Construction"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10221","name":"Campus Housing"},{"id":"175895","name":"Student Housing"},{"id":"194376","name":"Curran Street Residence Hall"},{"id":"11304","name":"residence hall"},{"id":"291","name":"Bud Peterson"},{"id":"11258","name":"val peterson"}],"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:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"674486":{"#nid":"674486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Physicists Pioneer New Quantum Sensing Platform","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EQuantum sensors detect the smallest of environmental changes \u2014 for example, an atom reacting to a magnetic field. As these sensors \u201cread\u201d the unique behaviors of subatomic particles, they also dramatically improve scientists\u2019 ability to measure and detect changes in our wider environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMonitoring these tiny changes results in a wide range of applications \u2014\u0026nbsp;from improving navigation and natural disaster forecasting, to smarter medical imaging and detection of biomarkers of disease, gravitational wave detection, and even better quantum communication for secure data sharing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech physicists are pioneering new quantum sensing platforms to aid in these efforts. The research team\u2019s latest study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adk8495\u0022\u003ESensing Spin Wave Excitations by Spin Defects in Few-Layer Thick Hexagonal Boron Nitride\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d was published in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E this week.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team includes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E Assistant Professors \u003Cstrong\u003EChunhui (Rita) Du\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EHailong Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E (corresponding authors) alongside fellow Georgia Tech researchers \u003Cstrong\u003EJingcheng Zhou\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EMengqi Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EFaris Al-matouq\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EJiu Chang\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EDziga Djugba\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EZhigang Jiang\u003C\/strong\u003E and their collaborators.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn ultra-sensitive platform\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new research investigates quantum sensing by leveraging color centers \u2014 small defects within crystals (Du\u2019s team uses diamonds and other 2D layered materials) that allow light to be absorbed and emitted, which also give the crystal unique electronic properties.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy embedding these color centers into a material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), the team hoped to create an extremely sensitive quantum sensor \u2014 a new resource for developing next-generation, transformative sensing devices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor its part, hBN is particularly attractive for quantum sensing and computing because it could contain defects that can be manipulated with light \u2014 also known as \u0022optically active spin qubits.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe quantum spin defects in hBN are also very magnetically sensitive, and allow scientists to \u201csee\u201d or \u201csense\u201d in more detail than other conventional techniques. In addition, the sheet-like structure of hBN is compatible with ultra-sensitive tools like nanodevices, making it a particularly intriguing resource for investigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s research has resulted in a critical breakthrough in sensing spin waves, Du says, explaining that \u201cin this study, we were able to detect spin excitations that were simply unattainable in previous studies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetecting spin waves is a fundamental component of quantum sensing, because these phenomena can travel for long distances, making them an ideal candidate for energy-efficient information control, communication, and processing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe future of quantum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the first time, we experimentally demonstrated two-dimensional van der Waals quantum sensing \u2014 using few-layer thick hBN in a real-world environment,\u201d Du explains, underscoring the potential the material holds for precise quantum sensing. \u201cFurther research could make it possible to sense electromagnetic features at the atomic scale using color centers in thin layers of hBN.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDu also emphasizes the collaborative nature of the research, highlighting the diverse skill sets and resources of researchers within Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWithin the School of Physics, Professor Zhigang Jiang\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/zhigang-jiang\u0022\u003Eresearch group\u003C\/a\u003E provided the team with high-quality hBN crystals. Jingcheng Zhou,\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ewho is a member of both Professor Hailong Wang\u2019s and my research teams, performed the cutting-edge quantum sensing measurements,\u201d she says. \u201cMany incredible students also helped with this project.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDu is a leading scientist in the field of quantum sensing \u2014 this year, she received \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/news\/chunhui-du-awarded-doe-grant-quantum-sensing-research\u0022\u003Ea new grant from the U.S. Department of Energy\u003C\/a\u003E, along with a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/news\/sciences-faculty-awarded-sloan-research-fellowships\u0022\u003ESloan Research Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E for her pioneering work on developing state-of-the-art quantum sensing techniques for quantum information technology applications. The prestigious Sloan award recognizes researchers whose \u201ccreativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next-generation of leaders in the fields.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.adk8495\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.adk8495\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work is supported by the U. S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under award No. DMR-2342569, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award No. FA9550-20-1-0319 and its Young Investigator Program under award No. FA9550-21-1-0125, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under grant No. N00014-23-1-2146, NASA-REVEALS SSERVI (CAN No. NNA17BF68A), and NASA-CLEVER SSERVI (CAN No. 80NSSC23M0229).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech physicists are investigating quantum sensing and leveraging cutting-edge techniques \u2014 embedding color centers in a 2D layered material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The researchers\u2019 results have created a new resource for developing next-generation, ultra-sensitive quantum electronic devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The researchers\u2019 results have created a new resource for developing next-generation, ultra-sensitive quantum electronic devices."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2024-05-02 14:27:52","changed_gmt":"2026-08-13 20:06:43","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673921":{"id":"673921","type":"image","title":"Credit: Unsplash","body":null,"created":"1714660107","gmt_created":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","changed":"1714660107","gmt_changed":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","alt":"Credit: Unsplash","file":{"fid":"257377","name":"zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3269784,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/02\/zak-7wBFsHWQDlk-unsplash.jpg?itok=g4VS2hu9"}},"673922":{"id":"673922","type":"image","title":"From left to right: Hailong Wang, Jingcheng Zhou, Chunhui (Rita Du)","body":null,"created":"1714660107","gmt_created":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","changed":"1714660107","gmt_changed":"2024-05-02 14:28:27","alt":"From left to right: Hailong Wang, Jingcheng Zhou, Chunhui (Rita Du)","file":{"fid":"257378","name":"science advance story_lab photo.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/science%20advance%20story_lab%20photo.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/05\/02\/science%20advance%20story_lab%20photo.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":260533,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/05\/02\/science%20advance%20story_lab%20photo.jpg?itok=HbarXy-m"}}},"media_ids":["673921","673922"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660410","name":"Quantum"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192251","name":"cos-quantum"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"187433","name":"go-ien"},{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Selena Langner\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: jess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJess Hunt-Raston\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683769":{"#nid":"683769","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Record-Setting $5.8B Economic Impact Leads USG","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a record-setting $5.8 billion economic impact, Georgia Tech led all Georgia public institutions in fiscal year 2024, according to the latest data released by the University System of Georgia (USG).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech\u2019s contribution, a 9.9% increase from its fiscal year 2023 output, represents 25% of the $23.1 billion in total impact created by the 25 USG institutions. The data, compiled by the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia\u2019s Terry College of Business, showcases Georgia Tech\u2019s value to the state as well as the value of the degrees conferred by USG institutions. On average, 2024 Tech graduates can expect to earn over $1.4 million more than they would without a college degree.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are proud to deliver an extraordinary return on the resources entrusted to us by the people of our state,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cEvery dollar invested in Georgia Tech fuels the development of our nation\u2019s finest talent, research, and innovation, driving economic growth and strengthening communities across our state. This is the power of a public university that strives to grow its\u0026nbsp;impact year after year.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech conferred 12,202 degrees in fiscal year 2024, with the graduating class expected to accumulate more than $44.5 billion throughout their careers. The Institute has maintained its position as The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/25\/georgia-tech-tops-princeton-reviews-best-value-list\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPrinceton Review\u2019s best public value college\u003C\/a\u003E for three consecutive years, largely due to the return on investment it offers students.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn total, the 73,006 USG graduates from the Class of 2024 are estimated to earn a combined total of $230 billion\u0026nbsp; \u2014 $73 billion more than they could expect to earn had they not finished college or graduate school.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to overall economic impact, Georgia Tech leads all USG institutions in job creation. For fiscal year 2024, Tech generated a total of 36,705 jobs, including 11,634 on campus and 25,071 jobs related to Institute spending.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usg.edu\/assets\/usg\/docs\/news_files\/USG_Economic_Impact_2024_%281%29.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERead the full USG report\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Institute accounts for more than 25% of the University System of Georgia\u2019s total economic output. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute accounts for more than 25% of the University System of Georgia\u2019s total economic output.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Institute accounts for more than 25% of the University System of Georgia\u2019s total economic output. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-08-13 12:04:01","changed_gmt":"2026-08-13 16:04:28","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677679":{"id":"677679","type":"image","title":"Buzz at Commencement","body":null,"created":"1755086707","gmt_created":"2025-08-13 12:05:07","changed":"1755086707","gmt_changed":"2025-08-13 12:05:07","alt":"Buzz takes a selfie with students at Commencement.","file":{"fid":"261610","name":"53699248710_d31fe10455_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/13\/53699248710_d31fe10455_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/13\/53699248710_d31fe10455_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5875203,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/13\/53699248710_d31fe10455_o.jpg?itok=RY-J2hph"}}},"media_ids":["677679"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.usg.edu\/news\/release\/university_system_of_georgias_economic_impact_increases_to_23.1_billion","title":"USG News Release "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"726","name":"University System of Georgia"},{"id":"2935","name":"Economic Impact Study"}],"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:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691632":{"#nid":"691632","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brittain Dining Hall Reopening Following Two-Year Renovation ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter an extensive two-year renovation, Brittain Dining Hall is reopening Monday, Aug. 17.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe facility\u0027s exterior and main dining area retain the same Collegiate Gothic architecture that has been a campus staple since its original construction in 1928, but the kitchen, service areas, and systems have all been modernized.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are proud to bring historic Brittain Dining Hall back to its renowned place at the heart of the Georgia Tech experience. While preserving what generations of Yellow Jackets have loved about Brittain, we have significantly upgraded the facility to serve today\u2019s students, employees, alumni, and stakeholders with greater variety, more options for guests with allergen needs, and innovative culinary selections,\u201d said Ryan Greene, executive director for Dining and Retail Services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn designing the new space, Tech Dining wanted to preserve the structure\u0027s historic character \u2014 which has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/news\/georgia-tech-traditions\/brittain-dining-hall.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Edrawn comparisons to Hogwarts and landed it on \u003Cem\u003ESouthern Living\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E magazine\u2019s list of the South\u2019s most stunning dining halls \u2014 while providing diners with a revamped experience, featuring seven full-service stations outfitted with new state-of-the-art kitchen equipment as well as beverage and dessert options.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose include:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e7b32a92ccf94a28a456f522f41c33961\u0022\u003ESmoothie Lab \u2014 A smoothie and acai bowl station.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eaa9a59675083188e347ef5f147dbbab9\u0022\u003EGreen Bytes and Slices \u2014 An expanded salad bar (relocated from the dining room to the servery), a made-to-order deli, and soup.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ea9c5c31e0c902123ec649a78ac251516\u0022\u003ESmart Slice \u2014 A pizza station.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e69b31ff4bb72235ab5ea51ab1448a7ee\u0022\u003EGT Fire Bowl \u2014 A new Mongolian concept.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e881740462a5eda0767b4c277ad5e3946\u0022\u003ERamblin\u2019 Grill \u2013 A full grill station.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9eb3985502316cf7923cf6b59006f4c4\u0022\u003EPlant-Power Hive \u2014 A vegetarian and vegan station.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e141105918ddf992e5b23638420d7fd91\u0022\u003EA full beverage station \u2013\u0026nbsp; A station featuring soda, water, coffee and other drinks.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e04ef1aee6077b9ef00743373144cf99b\u0022\u003ESoft-serve ice cream and a Dole Whip machine.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalking through the servery \u2014 the service area between the kitchen and the main dining room \u2014\u0026nbsp; diners will notice expanded walkways, increased natural light, and the restored original terrazzo flooring. That flooring was crafted by the Institute\u2019s ceramics department, founded in 1924 by the building\u2019s namesake, Georgia Tech President Marion L. Brittain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the dining room, restoration work preserves the cathedral ceiling and stained-glass windows originally designed by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtalumni.org\/news\/2018\/techs-brilliant-sculptor.html\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJulian Hoke Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, Arch 1928, a longtime architecture professor at Tech. The building\u2019s HVAC systems have been updated, and the wrought-iron lights originally made by the mechanical engineering department have been retrofitted with LED lights.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBehind the scenes, Brittain\u2019s main kitchen has received a complete overhaul. New kitchen appliances, water heaters, and an entirely new dish room will reduce water and energy usage while making the operation safer and more streamlined for employees. A new walk-in freezer has been added to the kitchen, while the previous outdoor unit has been relocated to the West Village Dining Hall.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELighter Fare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen exploring the new offerings at Brittain, diners will not find a fryer at any of the stations. Instead, items like French fries will be baked at the dining hall, offering a more health-conscious approach. The expanded space will allow for the introduction of new dishes, cuisines, and menu rotations to keep up with demand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe renewed Brittain represents the continued evolution of Tech Dining. By combining healthier cooking methods, fresh and flavorful ingredients, innovative menu development, and strong culinary execution, we are creating a dining experience that meets the expectations of today\u2019s students and reflects the excellence of Georgia Tech,\u201d Greene said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHours of Operation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrittain Dining Hall will be open Monday \u2013 Friday, 11 a.m. \u2013 11 p.m.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrittain will not open for breakfast or on weekends, but North Avenue Dining Hall and West Village Dining Hall remain open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrittain\u2019s Next Century\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrittain has been a staple on campus for nearly a century. Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera cut the ribbon at a ceremony Wednesday, marking the beginning of the dining hall\u0027s next chapter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cAt Georgia Tech, we build new things and we develop new technologies, but we are tied to our roots, to our values, to our history. We know where we come from, and this building is a symbol of that. And I know, in another 150 years, we will be able to say the same thing,\u201d he said. \u0022When I\u2019m visiting with our alumni, I tell them when they go back to campus, a lot of things will look new, but a lot of things remain absolutely the same, and that\u2019s what this place represents. Memories are made in this place.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"A modernized Brittain Dining Hall will reopen on Aug. 17."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA modernized Brittain Dining Hall will reopen on Aug. 17.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A modernized Brittain Dining Hall will reopen on Aug. 17."}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-08-13 00:43:03","changed_gmt":"2026-08-13 13:06:48","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680849":{"id":"680849","type":"image","title":"Brittain Dining Hall","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBrittain Dining Hall at Georgia Tech. Photo credit: Marybeth Dinges\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786586463","gmt_created":"2026-08-13 02:01:03","changed":"1786586463","gmt_changed":"2026-08-13 02:01:03","alt":"Brittain Dining Hall","file":{"fid":"265176","name":"Brittain-Dining-Hall-Reopening-26.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/Brittain-Dining-Hall-Reopening-26.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/Brittain-Dining-Hall-Reopening-26.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5817130,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/Brittain-Dining-Hall-Reopening-26.jpg?itok=N1u41cGk"}},"680848":{"id":"680848","type":"image","title":"Brittain Dining Hall","body":null,"created":"1786582458","gmt_created":"2026-08-13 00:54:18","changed":"1786582458","gmt_changed":"2026-08-13 00:54:18","alt":"Brittain Dining Hall","file":{"fid":"265175","name":"773542357_1487091103456022_4093767866879632856_n.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/773542357_1487091103456022_4093767866879632856_n.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/12\/773542357_1487091103456022_4093767866879632856_n.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":322566,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/12\/773542357_1487091103456022_4093767866879632856_n.jpg?itok=5iNpdvLD"}}},"media_ids":["680849","680848"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/dining.gatech.edu\/","title":"Tech Dining"},{"url":"https:\/\/dining.gatech.edu\/dining-locations\/hours-operation","title":"Dining Hall Information and Hours of Operation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"85241","name":"brittain dining hall"},{"id":"13447","name":"Georgia Tech dining"},{"id":"188148","name":"Tech Dining"}],"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:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690637":{"#nid":"690637","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Students Lead Effort to Strengthen Campus Emergency Preparedness","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first week of June marks \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cpr.heart.org\/en\/training-programs\/cpr-and-aed-awareness\/cpr-and-aed-awareness-week\u0022\u003ENational CPR and AED Awareness Week\u003C\/a\u003E, but year-round, Georgia Tech students are helping equip the campus community with lifesaving skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/emsat\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEmergency Medical Services at Tech (EMSaT)\u003C\/a\u003E, the student organization recognized last year with a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/17\/student-ems-group-earns-national-designation\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Enational EMS-Ready Campus designation\u003C\/a\u003E, has expanded access to CPR and AED training through a partnership with Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ehs.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEnvironmental Health and Safety\u003C\/a\u003E. The free courses are available to students, faculty, and staff and are taught by a team of 11 undergraduate students who hold CPR instructor certifications and volunteer their time to serve the campus community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCPR and AED use are some of the easiest ways for everyday people to make a real difference in the event of cardiac arrest,\u201d said Esther Lee, a biomedical engineering major and outreach director for EMSaT. \u201cIf more people know what to do and feel comfortable stepping in, we can make the Georgia Tech community safer and better prepared.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the past year, EMSaT instructors trained 472 members of the Georgia Tech community in CPR and AED use. This spring alone, the organization certified 311 participants.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe training initiative builds on EMSaT\u2019s broader mission to strengthen emergency preparedness at Georgia Tech. Founded in 2019, the group works with campus and community partners to improve emergency response, provide first aid education, and create hands-on opportunities for students pursuing careers in healthcare and emergency medicine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impact of that work can be seen in the experiences of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/26\/students-making-difference-emts-juggle-schoolwork-and-emergency-medicine\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech student EMTs\u003C\/a\u003E, who balance rigorous academic schedules with jobs in hospitals and ambulance services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group will continue offering training sessions this fall at the Campus Recreation Center. More information will be available soon \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/emsat\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eat the EMSaT site\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe first week of June marks National CPR and AED Awareness Week, but year-round, Georgia Tech students are helping equip the campus community with lifesaving skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The first week of June marks National CPR and AED Awareness Week, but year-round, Georgia Tech students are helping equip the campus community with lifesaving skills. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-06-04 13:20:35","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 20:40:06","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680415":{"id":"680415","type":"image","title":"EMSaT Students at AMSA Conference","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents at the 2026 American Medical Student Association Annual Pre-Health Conference, where EMSaT ran a CPR demonstration. (L-R): Aryan Singh, Shivanuja Gokarakonda, Frederick Kane, Krishna Monroe, Esther Lee.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780579522","gmt_created":"2026-06-04 13:25:22","changed":"1780585187","gmt_changed":"2026-06-04 14:59:47","alt":"EMSaT Students at AMSA Conference","file":{"fid":"264672","name":"image2-amsa-conference.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/image2-amsa-conference.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/image2-amsa-conference.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1475738,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/04\/image2-amsa-conference.jpg?itok=cs3mgqFN"}},"680418":{"id":"680418","type":"image","title":"Student CPR instructors","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudent CPR instructors. (L-R): Esther Lee, Frederick Kane, Brandon Brigner, Krishna Monroe, Julian Allen, Imani Adenuga, Savannah Spires. Other instructors include Siddarth Pejavara, Lydia Keifer, Maggie Cong, and Ira Agarwal.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780602781","gmt_created":"2026-06-04 19:53:01","changed":"1780602832","gmt_changed":"2026-06-04 19:53:52","alt":"Student CPR instructors","file":{"fid":"264675","name":"image1_cpr-instructors.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/image1_cpr-instructors.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/04\/image1_cpr-instructors.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2763640,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/04\/image1_cpr-instructors.jpg?itok=B2pH70tJ"}}},"media_ids":["680415","680418"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/17\/student-ems-group-earns-national-designation","title":"Student EMS Group Earns National Designation "},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/26\/students-making-difference-emts-juggle-schoolwork-and-emergency-medicine","title":"Students Making a Difference: EMTs Juggle Schoolwork and Emergency Medicine "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660412","name":"Wellness"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"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:kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690402":{"#nid":"690402","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Father-Daughter Double Jacket Duo  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherman Lofton Jr. has been a Yellow Jacket for more than 40 years, as a student, alumnus, and employee, currently serving as the senior director of cybersecurity operations. He arrived on campus in 1984 and earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in management in 1990, and he never imagined that decades later he\u2019d be graduating with a master\u2019s degree from Tech on the same day as his daughter.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherman hadn\u2019t considered that any of his four daughters would follow in his footsteps at Tech, but when the youngest, Shaina, expressed interest in architecture, he was elated to learn that she planned on applying to his alma mater. The day she received her acceptance letter is one that Sherman ranks among his favorite Tech-related memories. Now, the pair will share another unforgettable memory at Commencement as Shaina \u2014 who graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in 2024 \u2014 earns her master\u2019s degree in architecture, and Sherman graduates with his MBA.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne factor that brought Shaina back to Tech for graduate school was the chance to share a campus with her father. Sherman knew he\u2019d have to take on extra hours to make sure they graduated at the same time. As the day nears, he sees the hard work paying off.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was hard, but I always knew it was going to be worth it to share this moment of becoming a Double Jacket with Shaina,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cMy heart is so full. I\u2019m just so proud of her and everything she has accomplished, and to be able to share this spotlight with her \u2014 I couldn\u0027t have written that script any better.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShaina calls her family\u2019s emphasis on education a blessing and says their support and stories of the life lessons learned at Tech led her here.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI knew how great a school Georgia Tech was through my dad, my mom, and my aunt. They all wore Georgia Tech with pride, and going to Tech games and meeting their friends was such a huge part of my childhood. My sisters and I are all very academically motivated, and I wanted to go to an institution that was innovative and world-renowned because I felt like I was going to finally be challenged,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrowing up, Shaina recalls her dad helping her with her math homework and always being there when she needed help with an essay. During graduate school, the two supported one another with texts before finals and presentations, and they frequently talked about their course load at family gatherings.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFamily Legacy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESherman was the first Lofton to enroll at Tech, but the family\u2019s history with the Institute began when his father, Sherman Lofton Sr., applied for admission before the school\u2019s desegregation in 1961.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI regret that my dad didn\u2019t get the chance to attend Tech. He was the best mathematician I ever knew, but he knew that Shaina was here and that I was starting my program, and he was excited. I wish he, as well as my stepfather, were here to see us, but this day means so much for our family,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cI got to Tech when I was 18 and could never have anticipated that it would be such an integral part of my life, and to think that gets passed down to another generation brings me so much joy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe death of her grandfathers is something that Shaina carried with her throughout her educational journey.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dad lost two of his father figures, and I lost two grandpas, and that hit our family hard, but I think it really motivated us to get through graduate school and finish together and do this not only for us and each other, but for our family too,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter Commencement, Shaina will begin working with HDR, an architecture firm in Midtown, where she\u2019ll work on the design of hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. While her time as a student at Tech is ending, Shaina knows that she\u2019ll share the same lifelong love for the Institute that her father has shared with her.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI grew up with my \u2018aunts\u2019 and \u2018uncles\u2019 that my parents went to school with, and my favorite moments at Tech were realizing that I was meeting the people who will become those same figures in my kids\u0027 lives in the future. It\u2019s amazing to know that this cycle that started with my parents will continue,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Loftons are happy to celebrate graduation season, but Shaina knows there is more excitement on the horizon.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cComing from a family that values education so much, and one that supports each other and encourages each other constantly, this is a moment that may feel like a finish line, but I know Loftons \u2014 we always keep running,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I can\u2019t wait for the great things to come after this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Nearly four decades after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech, Sherman Lofton Jr. will become a Double Jacket on the same day as his daughter.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENearly four decades after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech, Sherman Lofton Jr. will become a Double Jacket on the same day as his daughter.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nearly four decades after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree from Georgia Tech, Sherman Lofton Jr. will become a Double Jacket on the same day as his daughter.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-05-21 13:19:37","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 20:38:50","author":"sgagliano3","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":{"680174":{"id":"680174","type":"image","title":"Sherman and Shaina Lofton ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFather and daughter, Sherman and Shaina Lofton, will each graduate with a master\u0027s degree this spring. Submitted photo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778004689","gmt_created":"2026-05-05 18:11:29","changed":"1778004689","gmt_changed":"2026-05-05 18:11:29","alt":"Sherman and Shaina Lofton ","file":{"fid":"264416","name":"loftons_720.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/loftons_720.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/05\/loftons_720.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":277285,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/05\/loftons_720.jpg?itok=T0Nk-RBb"}}},"media_ids":["680174"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu","title":"Spring Commencement Information "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660412","name":"Wellness"}],"categories":[{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167101","name":"Spring Commencement"},{"id":"26981","name":"masters degree"},{"id":"67881","name":"Tuition Assistance Program"}],"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:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691273":{"#nid":"691273","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Green Forks Transforms Surplus Food Into Campus Support ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat started as concern about food waste has grown into a campuswide effort to help food-insecure Georgia Tech students while keeping thousands of meals out of the waste stream. Since launching in 2024, Green Forks has transformed surplus food from catered events into a valuable resource for students in need.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreen Forks was founded by Renee Alnoubani, CE 2025, who is currently pursuing a master\u0027s in city and regional planning, and Ivy Xue, Neuroscience 2023, with support from Danielle Ismirle Dunigan of Tech Dining, Steven Fazenbaker of Student Life, and Steve Place of the Office of Sustainability, after students raised concerns about the amount of food being discarded after campus events. Recognizing an opportunity to address both food waste and food insecurity, the founding team partnered with Klemis Kitchen to develop a simple, scalable solution that directs surplus food to students who can benefit from it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe process is straightforward. When a catered event ends with surplus food, the event coordinator or catering team submits a brief form. Students registered through Klemis Kitchen receive notifications when food is available, allowing them to pick up meals during a designated collection period. The model is designed to align with food safety requirements while minimizing additional work for event organizers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector of Dining Services Danielle Ismirle Dunigan said, \u201cThe students who proposed the idea were passionate about helping divert the many leftovers after catering events. Green Forks is basically a communication tool, and it has effectively diverted food waste while feeding hungry Yellow Jackets. Each Green Forks alert makes my day, knowing we are making a difference in many ways.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn just two years, Green Forks has made a significant impact across campus. The program has supported \u003Cstrong\u003E526 events\u003C\/strong\u003E and provided an estimated \u003Cstrong\u003E4,750 meals\u003C\/strong\u003E to students. These numbers represent thousands of opportunities for students experiencing food insecurity to access nutritious food that otherwise may have been discarded.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudent Life Program Director Steve Fazenbaker added, \u0022The idea that drives my work is that everything a student needs to thrive and flourish at Georgia Tech can be found somewhere at Georgia Tech. Green Forks brings that idea to life in a powerful way. Through Green Forks, students are made aware almost daily of the abundance of food on campus, and they are reminded that they never need to miss a meal.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the numbers, students say the program has provided both practical support and a sense of community. One student said that Green Forks helped them \u0022worry less about paying for food and living costs,\u0022 while another described the program as a reminder of the generosity and care that exists across the Georgia Tech community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteve Place, campus sustainability project manager for the Office of Sustainability, said, \u0022Green Forks is the perfect example of different units working together to meet a common goal. Each partner brought what they do best, and the result was a terrific collaboration that serves campus and makes us incredibly proud.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreen Forks also advances Georgia Tech\u0027s sustainability goals by reducing food waste. Rather than sending edible leftovers to the landfill, the program diverts food to students who can use it immediately, maximizing the value of meals already prepared for campus events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program\u0027s success has attracted attention beyond Georgia Tech. Team members have worked with other institutions to share the model, including Missouri State University and North Carolina State University, helping expand the impact of a program that began with a simple student idea.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty and staff can help continue that success by using Green Forks for catered events, allowing extra time for food collection, and submitting surplus food through the program. Every event has the potential to reduce waste, strengthen community, and help ensure that no Georgia Tech student goes hungry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor event coordinators and students who want to participate in and learn more about Green Forks and other temporary assistance programs at Georgia Tech, visit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dining.gatech.edu\/greenforks\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGreen Forks webpage\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGreen Forks collaboration reduces waste, supports student well-being, and advances campus sustainability goals.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Green Forks collaboration reduces waste, supports student well-being, and advances campus sustainability goals."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 19:10:40","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 20:31:53","author":"cbrim3","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":{"680687":{"id":"680687","type":"image","title":"green_forks_2yrs_celebration.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left to right: Campus Sustainability Project Manager, Office of Sustainability Steve Place; Director, Safety and Facilities for Dining and Retail Danielle Ismirle Dunigan; and Program Director, STAR Steven Fazenbaker at the Green Forks celebration.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785179481","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 19:11:21","changed":"1785179481","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 19:11:21","alt":"Image of Green Forks co-founders at the two-year anniversary.","file":{"fid":"264987","name":"green_forks_2yrs_celebration.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/green_forks_2yrs_celebration.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/green_forks_2yrs_celebration.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4607292,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/green_forks_2yrs_celebration.png?itok=omOjtma1"}}},"media_ids":["680687"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"},{"id":"660412","name":"Wellness"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193873","name":"green forks"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"},{"id":"171884","name":"food insecurity"}],"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\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure and Operations | Planning, Design, and Construction | Office of Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691593":{"#nid":"691593","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Engineer Rethinks Supply Chains for Community Resilience ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E--Written by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a single Atlanta church to a growing network across the Southeast, Georgia Tech engineer Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n is connecting communities and researchers to support resilience in extreme weather events.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a West Atlanta church received donated solar panels and battery storage to operate as a community resilience hub, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n led an academic-practitioner team that helped the congregation turn that hardware into an operational playbook. She is now using the same model to build a regional network that links community leaders and researchers on resilience, food access, and disaster response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EP\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a faculty fellow at the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), focuses on addressing problems within the supply chain and transportation domains. \u201cThese challenges often encompass disruptions, human behavior, multiple stakeholders, and sustainability objectives,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining Georgia Tech in 2023, she was a postdoctoral research associate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute\u2019s Center for Infrastructure, Transportation, and the Environment. She also holds a courtesy appointment in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of the research that I do always starts with a problem that has some sort of important social impact,\u201d she said, \u201cand then I try to draw from my expertise in different fields to help solve that problem.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Network, One Pilot at a Time\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough BBISS and its Sustainability Next grant program, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina, with plans to expand across the Southeast.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNeither researchers nor practitioners alone can advance community resilience as they could if they work together,\u201d she said. \u201cThe purpose of the network is to facilitate and leverage partnerships.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunity Church Atlanta is one of the first pilots. The church\u2019s resilience hub, established in 2023, offers weekly support services and on-site solar and battery storage to keep power flowing during outages caused by storms, heat waves, or other disruptions. It is also the launching point for the Westside Resilience Corridor, a partnership of four churches along Cascade Road working to become resilience hubs for their neighborhoods.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with church leaders, emergency managers, and community representatives, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n and partners held a two-day workshop to map likely hazards, define critical services, and draft activation procedures. Among those partners was Beth Remmes, coastal outreach and climate resiliency coordinator for Georgia Interfaith Power \u0026amp; Light (GIPL), who helped design and facilitate the process. \u201cThe whole idea behind resilience hubs is creating social cohesion,\u201d Remmes said. \u201cSocial connectivity and relationships in the community are one of the biggest determinants of our ability not only to bounce back, but hopefully to bounce forward in a stronger way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe noted that churches like Community Church Atlanta already serve as informal first responders. The resilience hub work makes that role more intentional by focusing on preparedness, programming, and connection well before an emergency. Just as important, in her view, was Tech\u2019s ability to see how lessons from Community Church Atlanta could inform future resilience hubs across the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErica Holloman-Hill, founder and chief envisioning officer of Ayika Solutions Inc. and a member of Community Church Atlanta, sees that impact from inside the congregation. In the resilience hub effort, she provides technical guidance on the solar and battery system, helps shape programming such as workforce development, and helped bring partners like Groundswell and Georgia Tech to the table.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech uniquely brings the science and academia,\u201d Holloman-Hill said. \u201cBeing able to leverage an institution like Georgia Tech gives weight to some of the work that we\u2019re doing, while leaning on the technical expertise of professors like Sof\u00eda and partnering with organizations like GIPL to create models and support.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, Holloman-Hill said Community Church Atlanta is focused on refining how the hub operates and sharing lessons learned with other churches in the Westside Resilience Corridor. That means clarifying how the church will run the hub during emergencies, which partners need to be at the table, and how a third-party technical advisor can help keep the system performing as designed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n, those kinds of relationships are the real outcome. \u201cThe relationship, the trust, the partnership \u2014 it\u2019s probably the most important outcome we\u2019ve seen,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Hirsch, senior director of BBISS\u2019s Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) and the network co-lead, sees the same value at an institutional scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUniversities are important members of their communities and can be key partners in sustainability and resilience efforts when they mobilize their research capabilities, students, and other resources to partner with and support local leadership and innovations,\u201d Hirsch said. \u201cNetworks of universities and communities can serve as multipliers of innovative approaches. With the resilience hubs network, we are excited to incubate new ideas that are community-centric and evidence-based and tailored to the Southeast communities that our partners know best.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere Resilience Meets Food Access\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis partnership model also shapes what P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n calls her most immediately actionable project: a decision-support tool connecting local food producers, distributors, and access points in Atlanta. Her team has gathered survey and experimental data from residents in West End and citywide, testing how distance, travel time, price, and a store\u2019s ties to the community shape where people choose to shop. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to design tools for logistics and food distribution decisions that bring food closer to people,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA parallel thread runs through her disaster response work, where she studies how people choose among points of distribution for emergency relief. Proximity matters, she\u2019s found, but it isn\u2019t everything. Many people will travel farther if they believe they\u2019re more likely to receive supplies, or if it lets them move closer to family. In urban freight, she has applied the same lens to city logistics, studying behavior around emerging technologies such as sidewalk delivery robots and autonomous trucks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAtlanta\u2019s mix of freight infrastructure, food access challenges, and weather vulnerability makes it fertile ground for that range of work,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAcross every project, the constant is not only patience but also resilience. Along the way, we realize that the original research idea may no longer make sense, or that different approaches are required. The process is very nonlinear and requires revision, reassessment, and a lot of pivoting,\u201d she said. \u201cIt basically requires tons of resilience!\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough BBISS, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Through BBISS, P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n co-leads a community resilience network of roughly 40 to 50 practitioners and researchers working on community-led resilience hubs across Georgia and South Carolina."}],"uid":"34760","created_gmt":"2026-08-10 17:09:38","changed_gmt":"2026-08-12 11:23:32","author":"Laurie Haigh","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680827":{"id":"680827","type":"image","title":"Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n","body":null,"created":"1786381614","gmt_created":"2026-08-10 17:06:54","changed":"1786381738","gmt_changed":"2026-08-10 17:08:58","alt":"Headshot of Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez-Guzm\u00e1n","file":{"fid":"265150","name":"SPG2024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1710516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/10\/SPG2024.jpg?itok=DoLrUXFb"}}},"media_ids":["680827"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"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\u003EMedia Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWriter: Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691610":{"#nid":"691610","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Solar Racing Team Sets Record at Electrek American Solar Challenge ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Solar Racing team returned from this year\u2019s Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) and Electrek American Solar Challenge (ASC) with hardware in hand, setting team and competition records in the process. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s 655-kilogram vehicle, dubbed SR-4 Aurora and powered by a 14-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, 1.2-kilowatt solar array, and custom in-hub radial flux motors, propelled the team to first place in the Grand Prix\u2019s multi-occupant category. Held at the Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota, the Formula Sun Grand Prix tested each vehicle\u2019s handling, endurance, and efficiency. For laps completed, optimization, and efficiency, Tech won with a score of 95.8 (out of 100) and was the only team to place four people in its vehicle throughout the event. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe FSGP served as a qualifier for the premier collegiate solar car event in North America, the American Solar Challenge. The biannual event, which began on July 25, featured teams traveling more than 1,600 miles along the Great River Road and Route 66 from Minneapolis to Amarillo, Texas, over eight days. Tech was one of three multi-occupant teams to complete the challenge, and, once again, the only team to do so with four riders \u2014 setting an all-time ASC record for the highest average occupancy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter placing third in the FSGP last year, the team returned to Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStudent Competition Center\u003C\/a\u003E to begin fine-tuning the SR-4. Weekly testing pushed the car to its limits. Outgoing team president Sam Woolsey recalled that many testing days ended with car components failing. The team addressed mechanical and electrical speed bumps along the way, including an issue that forced them to ship their motors back to their supplier early in the summer. They got the motors back just four days before the competition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe went into this competition without any expectations because our car had broken so much in front of us. But every time that car broke down was an issue we learned about and now knew how to fix it. It was satisfying to come to the competition after all those testing days ended in sadness, because we were prepared for almost anything that our car could throw at us. And on site, we had one of the most reliable cars at that competition,\u201d Woolsey said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the next American Solar Challenge is in 2028, the victories and records at this year\u2019s event only serve to motivate the team to work harder to improve ahead of next year\u2019s Formula Sun Grand Prix. The team intends to launch a new car and compete in the single-occupant category\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cThe work has already started,\u201d Woolsey said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s success didn\u2019t occur overnight. Woolsey credits the hundreds of students who have contributed to the vehicle, dating back to its design phase in 2020. Georgia Tech Solar Racing currently has more than 150 active members, which they expect to grow. The team is primarily made up of mechanical and electrical engineering majors, but all students are encouraged to join. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re proud to be one of the teams in the Student Competition Center that is pushing forward what extracurriculars can do for your education,\u201d Woolsey said. \u201cThere are few other places on campus where you can learn the kind of technical communication, the group work dynamics, and the real-world problem-solving opportunities that you get here. It\u2019s the epitome of what a Georgia Tech education is about.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The team set a challenge record for occupancy and took home first place in the Formula Sun Grand Prix\u2019s multi-occupant category. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe team set a challenge record for occupancy and took home first place in the Formula Sun Grand Prix\u2019s multi-occupant category.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The team set a challenge record for occupancy and took home first place in the Formula Sun Grand Prix\u2019s multi-occupant category. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-08-11 17:52:53","changed_gmt":"2026-08-11 18:54:11","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680837":{"id":"680837","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Solar Racing\u0027s SR-4 Aurora","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Solar Racing\u0027s SR-4 Aurora on the track during the Formula Sun Grand Prix. Photo credit: Innovators Educational Foundation\/American Solar Challenge\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1786471124","gmt_created":"2026-08-11 17:58:44","changed":"1786471124","gmt_changed":"2026-08-11 17:58:44","alt":"Georgia Tech Solar Racing vehicle","file":{"fid":"265161","name":"55409413669_c8c4e8d574_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/11\/55409413669_c8c4e8d574_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/11\/55409413669_c8c4e8d574_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8795837,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/11\/55409413669_c8c4e8d574_o.jpg?itok=ubUldduQ"}}},"media_ids":["680837"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/solarracing.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Solar Racing"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167984","name":"solar racing"},{"id":"179815","name":"Student Competition Center"}],"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:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013\u0026nbsp;Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691596":{"#nid":"691596","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biannual Compliance Training Launching Soon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2026 Fall Biannual Compliance Training will help Georgia Tech employees\u202funderstand and uphold\u202fthe University System of Georgia\u202f(USG) and the Institute\u2019s policies and compliance obligations.\u202fAll faculty, staff, and students who are active employees as of Aug. 21\u202fwill be required to complete the\u202ftraining by 11:59 p.m.\u202fEDT\u202fon Monday, Sept. 21. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs regulatory environments continue to evolve, Institute-wide learning and development are essential to helping employees understand their responsibilities and respond consistently to compliance obligations,\u201d said Joshua B. Toas, chief ethics and compliance officer. \u201cThe 2026 Fall Biannual Compliance Training will help employees recognize common security risks, apply policy requirements in daily work, protect institutional resources, and know where to turn for guidance when questions arise. The active participation of our employees demonstrates a shared commitment to ethics, compliance, and accountability across the Institute.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs with previous campaigns, the training also includes learning modules designed to help employees protect themselves and the Institute from cyberattacks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery member of the Georgia Tech community plays a role in protecting the Institute\u2019s systems and data,\u201d added Leo Howell, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. \u201cAs cyberthreats continue to evolve, including increasingly sophisticated social engineering and AI-enabled attacks, security awareness is more important than ever. These training modules help equip employees with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions and recognize cyberthreats when they come across them.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe training will be\u202favailable at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.geniussis.com\/LearnerDashboard.aspx\u0022\u003Eb.gatech.edu\/genius\u003C\/a\u003E beginning Aug. 31 and will take approximately 120 minutes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Three-Part 2026 Fall Biannual Compliance Training Includes:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPart 1\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e89c4f37934ee4d5c2e8befdb97cc1d48\u0022\u003EUniversity System of Georgia Ethics Refresher.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9bf0b6710bcae6d918094d575d921be7\u0022\u003EEthics in Action at Georgia Tech (includes Conflict of Interest attestation).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e6a6885fcc79e38b7268f51201c712543\u0022\u003EIdentifying and Responding to Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec59978139468e050db453f1a5f104983\u0022\u003EControlled Unclassified Information Overview.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e305dae7e3025d970e474fae0c0ba75cf\u0022\u003EResponsible Conduct of Research Overview.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e6250d8a7c959695efe9e0e14ca85b3e4\u0022\u003ESensitive Data Overview.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPart 2\u003C\/strong\u003E: 2026 KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPart 3\u003C\/strong\u003E: A Deepfake Social Engineering Attack\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe training modules can be completed on a desktop or laptop and do not need to be finished at one time.\u202fEmployees who do not complete the training by the deadline may face disciplinary action by the Institute.\u202f\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/generalcounsel.gatech.edu\/ethics-and-compliance\/biannual-compliance-campaign\u0022\u003ELearn more about the\u202f2026\u202fFall\u202fBiannual Compliance Training\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EBiannual Compliance Training opens for all Georgia Tech employees on Aug. 31.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biannual Compliance Training opens for all Georgia Tech employees on Aug. 31. "}],"uid":"36813","created_gmt":"2026-08-10 19:40:37","changed_gmt":"2026-08-10 20:23:59","author":"kward64","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675217":{"id":"675217","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETech Tower\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1728048469","gmt_created":"2024-10-04 13:27:49","changed":"1728048469","gmt_changed":"2024-10-04 13:27:49","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"258818","name":"24-R10400-P49-018-Web Use - 1,000px Wide.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/24-R10400-P49-018-Web%20Use%20-%201%2C000px%20Wide.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/04\/24-R10400-P49-018-Web%20Use%20-%201%2C000px%20Wide.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":721570,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/04\/24-R10400-P49-018-Web%20Use%20-%201%2C000px%20Wide.jpg?itok=wrdAZ5DU"}}},"media_ids":["675217"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/b.gatech.edu\/genius","title":"Access the Training"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/home?id=kb_article_view\u0026sysparm_article=KB0043774","title":"How-To Guide: Navigating the 2026 Fall Biannual Compliance Training Campaign"},{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.service-now.com\/training_support?id=sc_cat_item\u0026sys_id=019056431b76ce10d1f9cb751a4bcb9f","title":"Training Support Portal"}],"groups":[{"id":"64319","name":"Administration and Finance"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"186035","name":"compliance training"},{"id":"193859","name":"fall compliance training"}],"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\u003EKelly Cross\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EDirector, Ethics and Compliance\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of the General Counsel\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ethicsfirst@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691588":{"#nid":"691588","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet Tech\u0027s Utilities Maestro: Jermaine Clonts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost members of the Georgia Tech community rarely think about campus utilities, and that\u0027s exactly how Jermaine Clonts likes it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs associate director of Utilities Management within Infrastructure and Operations, Clonts and his team work around the clock to ensure that students, faculty, staff, and researchers have reliable access to electricity, heating, cooling, and water. While much of that work happens out of sight, it plays a critical role in supporting every aspect of campus life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In the utilities business, no news is usually good news,\u0022 said Clonts. \u0022Most people don\u0027t think about heating, cooling, electricity, or water until something stops working.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKeeping Campus Running\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClonts oversees the utility infrastructure that helps keep Georgia Tech operating every day. His responsibilities include managing the Institute\u0027s district energy systems, which generate heating and cooling for buildings across campus, as well as overseeing relationships with utility providers and vendors.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis team also tracks energy consumption, benchmarks building performance, identifies conservation opportunities, and supports both Georgia Tech\u0027s Climate Action Plan and long-term utility planning efforts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile many assume that universities simply purchase utilities from outside providers, Clonts says Georgia Tech\u0027s operation is much more complex.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech operates two central district energy plants that generate heating and cooling for a large portion of campus. Beneath the sidewalks, roads, and green spaces lies an extensive network of underground pipes that distribute chilled water for cooling and steam for heating to campus buildings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s infrastructure that works every day to keep campus comfortable and operational,\u0022 Clonts said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo Such Thing as a Typical Day\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause Georgia Tech operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there is no ordinary day in utilities management.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClonts usually begins each morning by reviewing the status of utility systems and district energy plants to ensure they are meeting campus demands. Any equipment issues, outages, or operational concerns immediately become top priorities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce critical operations are addressed, his work shifts toward long-term improvements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Whether we\u0027re responding to an emergency, making campus more resilient, identifying ways to operate more efficiently, advancing sustainability goals, or planning infrastructure that will support Georgia Tech for the next decade, there\u0027s always something new to tackle,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupporting Every Corner of Campus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom residence halls and classrooms to research laboratories, athletic facilities, and offices, reliable utility systems make teaching, learning, research, and campus experiences possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EManaging those services comes with unique challenges.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the largest is the diversity of campus facilities, where each building, lab, or athletic facility comes with different operational needs. The age of campus infrastructure adds another layer of complexity, with some buildings featuring modern, energy-efficient systems while others have served the Institute for decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe need to maintain uninterrupted service for critical operations makes planning and maintenance even more important.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvancing Sustainability Through Energy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany of Georgia Tech\u0027s sustainability goals are directly connected to the work of utilities management.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our greenhouse gas inventory is heavily influenced by two key areas: the natural gas we use for heating and the electricity we purchase to power campus operations,\u0022 Clonts said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne initiative he is especially excited about is the electrification of heating systems and transportation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute is working to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by transitioning building heating systems to technologies such as heat-recovery chillers and expanding the use of electric vehicles across campus. Infrastructure and Operations also regularly invests in energy efficiency improvements, including lighting upgrades and HVAC system optimization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This transition supports Georgia Tech\u0027s Climate Action goals, improves efficiency, and helps reduce local air pollutants,\u0022 Clonts said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnology is also changing the way utility systems are managed. Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure now provide real-time utility data, allowing Clonts\u0027 team to monitor building performance more closely, identify unusual usage patterns, and make better-informed decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027re also seeing significant innovation in heat pump and heat recovery chiller technologies,\u0022 he said. \u0022These systems can simultaneously provide heating and cooling while recovering energy that would otherwise be wasted.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELetting Data Drive Decisions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData and analytics have become essential tools for Utilities Management.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy analyzing utility consumption and building performance, the team can identify trends, prioritize projects, and maximize the impact of investments.\u0026nbsp;\u0022Instead of relying on assumptions, we use real data to help prioritize projects and investments that will have the greatest impact,\u0022 Clonts said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESmart meters, building automation systems, and automated alerts also allow the team to quickly detect equipment issues and respond before they become larger problems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Importance of Water Conservation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile energy often dominates sustainability conversations, Clonts believes water conservation deserves more attention.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta\u0027s history of drought challenges and the city\u0027s relatively high water and sewer costs make conservation efforts both environmentally and financially important. Residence halls are among the largest water users on campus outside of district energy plants, creating a significant opportunity for students to help make a difference.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimple actions, such as taking shorter showers, reporting leaks, and being mindful of daily water use, can have a meaningful impact when multiplied across thousands of students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Water conservation is a sustainability effort where small individual actions can add up quickly,\u0022 Clonts said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Living Campus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor students interested in careers related to infrastructure, energy, engineering, or sustainability, Clonts encourages curiosity and hands-on learning.\u0026nbsp;\u0022Georgia Tech is a mini city,\u0022 he said. \u0022Every day you\u0027re surrounded by a diverse range of buildings, transportation networks, and utility infrastructure.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe believes that understanding how campus infrastructure works helps people recognize how much goes on behind the scenes and how individual actions contribute to a more sustainable campus.\u0026nbsp;Ultimately, that behind-the-scenes work is what motivates him and his team every day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022What many people don\u0027t see is all the planning, monitoring, maintenance, and coordination that happens every day to keep problems from occurring in the first place,\u0022 Clonts said. \u0022When everything is working as it should, people can focus on teaching, learning, research, and campus 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Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure \u0026amp; Operations | Planning, Design, and Construction | Office of Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}