{"690607":{"#nid":"690607","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Taking a Cue From Horror Movies: When Music Tells You What\u2019s Coming","body":"","field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are arranging music to help you see what\u2019s behind you."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses spatialized music instead of alarms to help people anticipate movement around them \u2014 such as approaching robots \u2014 by conveying direction, distance, and timing through sound. Created in the Robotic Musicianship Lab, the technology aims to improve safety and awareness in human-robot environments while also showing promise for applications in virtual reality, gaming, and assistive navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/spherephones\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses directional music to help people anticipate movement and improve safety and awareness."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 18:10:50","changed_gmt":"2026-06-17 14:59:35","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680407":{"id":"680407","type":"image","title":"Spherephones headset with a robotic arm","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERobotic arm holds a prototype Spherephones headset, a Georgia Tech\u2013developed wearable that uses spatialized sound to help users anticipate movement around them.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780423885","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 18:11:25","changed":"1780424174","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 18:16:14","alt":"Robotic arm holding circular sensor devices with exposed wiring in a lab setting with a blurred brick wall background.","file":{"fid":"264663","name":"music-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114192,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg?itok=-SuGi3DO"}}},"media_ids":["680407"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690517":{"#nid":"690517","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Data Centers, Microbes, and the Future of Water Reuse","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs metro Atlanta becomes a magnet for hyperscale data centers, the region faces a twin challenge: securing enough water to cool these facilities while ensuring that wastewater reuse doesn\u0027t introduce new public health risks. At Georgia Tech, Katherine Graham, assistant professor of environmental engineering and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow, is working at exactly that nexus, using viruses, bacteria, and advanced analytics to understand how water reuse and cooling systems can support data center growth without compromising community health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Data centers are important, and so are their cooling needs. I don\u0027t think they\u0027re going away,\u0022 she said. \u0022But there needs to be a lot of investigation to develop guidelines for operating these facilities based on how microbes behave so that we can get the economic benefit and protect the communities where they operate.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETracing Viruses Across Georgia\u0027s Water Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a Sustainability Next Seed Grant project administered by the BBISS, Graham\u0027s lab focuses on water reuse safety, particularly in Georgia communities facing water stress. Her team works with municipal reuse facilities, where, she said, \u201cWe look at what comes out of wastewater treatment plants, what exists in the natural waters they discharge treated water into, and what comes into downstream drinking water plants at their intake.\u0022 Her team is especially interested in pathogens such as viruses and phages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhages \u2014 viruses that infect bacteria rather than humans \u2014 pose no direct human hazard. Still, because they travel through water systems similarly to viruses that can harm people, they serve as powerful ecological markers. \u0022They can be good surrogates for human viruses,\u0022 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work builds on Graham\u0027s wastewater surveillance experience dating to 2018, which became central during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her lab helped develop actionable public health guidelines to show how wastewater can be used to monitor for mpox outbreaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Cooling Towers to Data Centers: A Proactive Public Health Lens\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Graham\u0027s Sustainability Next Seed Grant project isn\u0027t exclusively about data centers, the connection to their cooling systems is direct. Data centers need to dissipate massive quantities of heat \u2014 typically with water-hungry cooling towers \u2014 and are increasingly turning to treated wastewater as a supply.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Reuse can supply more water of sufficient quality for these cooling systems,\u0022 Graham said. But beyond the quantity issue lies an underexplored dimension: microbial risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECooling towers have long been linked to Legionnaires\u0027 disease, with documented outbreaks occurring miles downwind of a source. \u0022For most healthy people, it may not be a problem,\u0022 Graham noted, \u0022but for the immunocompromised and elderly, it can be a really big problem.\u0022 What makes this especially concerning is how little is known. \u0022It\u0027s not well quantified. It\u0027s not well characterized,\u0022 she said. \u0022There\u0027s been no national study collecting cooling-tower waters and looking at the prevalence of these bacteria.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is currently no systematic, national effort to characterize the prevalence of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in any cooling towers \u2014 let alone the potential additional risk of building more cooling systems to accommodate the needs of hyperscale data centers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBBISS has been central to sharpening her focus here. Exposing Graham to colleagues working on energy and water quantity challenges helped her connect the microbiology dots. \u0022A lot of the data center ideas I\u0027ve started to think about have been generated by BBISS faculty presenting their own work,\u0022 she said. \u0022Given that cooling towers are already a problem in pre-AI settings, it seems like a good proactive idea to be aware of the problem going into the age of AI.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraham is now writing proposals to study microbial communities in cooling towers, analyzing water, air, and biofilms under different operating conditions. Her call to industry is direct: Partner early. \u0022I would be extremely happy to collaborate with anyone interested in this problem. Industry buy-in would be critical \u2014 and so helpful \u2014 to get it done.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeat Waves, Infrastructure, and Legionella\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraham\u0027s lab also examines how climate-driven extreme heat affects drinking water systems. Working with utilities in the Southwest, her team studies how prolonged heat waves warm distribution-system water, accelerate disinfectant loss, and shape the persistence of microorganisms in drinking water distribution systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We were able to see temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) \u2014 with a maximum of 52 (126 degrees Fahrenheit) \u2014 which is very warm,\u0022 she said. \u0022Most of the literature refers to testing conducted at much lower temperatures, like room temperature.\u0022 Such elevated temperatures, combined with nutrients and stagnation, can allow opportunistic pathogens to thrive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeaching and Outreach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraham teaches undergraduate environmental engineering and graduate courses in quantitative microbial risk assessment and public health microbiology. She serves as associate editor for \u003Cem\u003EWater Research\u003C\/em\u003E and has hosted a microbiology outreach workshop for K-12 students through Georgia Tech\u2019s \u0026nbsp;Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe through line across her work is consistent: science that anticipates risk and informs action. \u0022As we expand this data center infrastructure, a proactive approach should be taken to understanding concerns that, maybe, haven\u0027t been fully addressed yet.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a region and a world betting big on AI, her research offers a timely reminder: Progress depends not just on computing power, but on ensuring that the water that keeps these systems from melting down remains safe for the communities living alongside them.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThrough a Sustainability Next Seed Grant project administered by the BBISS, Graham\u0027s lab focuses on water reuse safety, particularly in Georgia communities facing water stress.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Metro Atlanta has become a magnet for hyperscale data centers and securing enough cooling water with wastewater reuse has unknown public health risks."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 18:20:24","changed_gmt":"2026-06-15 17:12:50","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680362":{"id":"680362","type":"image","title":"Katherine_Graham_portrait.jpg","body":null,"created":"1779906452","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 18:27:32","changed":"1779906576","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 18:29:36","alt":"Portrait of an individual photographed outdoors, shown from the shoulders up and wearing a dark red top. The background includes a textured stone column, greenery, and part of a building with a window visible behind the subject.","file":{"fid":"264618","name":"Katherine_Graham_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/Katherine_Graham_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/Katherine_Graham_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":414974,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/27\/Katherine_Graham_portrait.jpg?itok=JmK9zlJR"}}},"media_ids":["680362"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"195154","name":"hyperscale datacenters"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690733":{"#nid":"690733","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scientist Maps Biodiversity on a Warming Southern Landscape","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/jenny-mcguire-named-teasley-professor\u0022\u003EJenny McGuire\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor\u0026nbsp;in the Schools of Biological Sciences and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech, is building a regional blueprint for safeguarding biodiversity in the southeastern United States while drawing insights from half a world away in Denmark. She is\u0026nbsp;the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/jenny-mcguire-named-teasley-professor\u0022\u003EHarry and Anna Teasley Professor in Ecology\u003C\/a\u003E and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) faculty fellow. She is currently on faculty development leave in Copenhagen where she is sharpening her work with fresh perspectives from European conservation practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire, winner of the National Science Foundation\u2019s prestigious \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/jenny-mcguire-lutz-warnke-receive-nsf-career-awards-0\u0022\u003EFaculty Early Career Development Award\u003C\/a\u003E, describes herself as a\u0026nbsp;spatial or landscape ecologist, rather than a traditional wildlife biologist. She currently leads Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab, whose motto is\u0026nbsp;\u201clearning from the past how to conserve the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;She uses modern, historical, and paleontological specimens\u0026nbsp;to identify how communities of plants and animals move across landscapes over long time scales in response to past climate shifts. Her goal is to identify\u0026nbsp;strategies to conserve as much biodiversity as possible\u0026nbsp;in the face of an increasingly volatile climate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwice awarded\u0026nbsp;with Sustainability Next Seed Grants by BBISS, most recently in 2025, McGuire is using that support to knit together scientists, conservation groups, agencies, and students to understand how plants and animals are moving in response to both climate and land-use change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve been wanting to pivot to a more regional approach toward this work,\u201d McGuire said. \u201cThe Southeast, and especially the Atlanta region, is really critical because we sit at this \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.maps.tnc.org\/migrations-in-motion\/#3\/19\/-78\u0022\u003Eimportant geographic point\u003C\/a\u003E where southern Appalachia and the Piedmont come together.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs species track cooler temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, many are expected to move upslope into the\u0026nbsp;southern Appalachians, even as Atlanta\u2019s urban and suburban footprint continues to expand northward. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of competing stressors on the regional environment,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Regional Conservation Community\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of McGuire\u2019s Sustainability Next Seed Grants, in collaboration with Nicole Kennard, BBISS Assistant Director for Community Engaged Research, supports a partnership with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rootsdownregen.com\/\u0022\u003ERoots Down\u003C\/a\u003E, an innovative urban land-use nonprofit working with the cities of Avondale Estates and Atlanta to understand how\u0026nbsp;native plant restoration\u0026nbsp;affects ecosystem health. Georgia Tech students established protocols to survey sites before and after restoration to track changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other seed grant McGuire received enabled her to convene a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mcguire.gatech.edu\/wildlife-conservation-conference\/\u0022\u003Econference\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Ethat brought together nonprofit conservation organizations, government agencies such as Georgia\u2019s Department of Natural Resources, and academics from across the Southeast. The group formalized their collaboration as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mcguire.gatech.edu\/wepa\/\u0022\u003EWildlife Ecology in the Piedmont and Appalachia (WEPA) coalition\u003C\/a\u003E. They agreed to survey the resources, such as data,\u0026nbsp; projects, and people, that would support a regional wildlife conservation effort. Over the past semester, her team compiled those resources and shared results back with partners in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mcguire.gatech.edu\/wepa-workshop\/\u0022\u003Esecond virtual conference\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly indications from this survey show a strong focus on mammals in urban Atlanta, including 11 camera-trap projects. Two of these projects follow transects from urban cores to suburbs to see how animals move across the city. This group has conducted extensive studies on how wildlife use roadside drainage structures, such as culverts, to move beneath roadways, and how animals are shifting to more nocturnal activity to avoid traffic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaking connections among current and ongoing studies reveals knowledge gaps where both contemporary and historical data are sparse. Although historical records are held by regional museums, including the Georgia Museum of Natural History, many collections across the broader region remain undigitized. \u201cThose historic distributions exist somewhere, but they\u2019re really difficult to access,\u201d McGuire said. Identifying these data sets is \u201ccritical to establish a baseline of where things lived in the past so we can understand how human landscapes and climate change are affecting things today and into the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe\u2019s also working with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/04\/college-sciences-launches-new-center-georgia-tech-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow (GT\u00b2)\u003C\/a\u003E, a new College of Sciences initiative focused on regional impact. The program is hiring a postdoctoral fellow whom McGuire will supervise to jumpstart a collaborative research agenda around biodiversity dynamics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire\u2019s work is increasingly collaborative, drawing on expertise across Georgia Tech and partner institutions like Atlanta\u2019s Fernbank Museum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBenjamin Freeman, assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences, focuses on bird ecology to detect shifts in diversity and species ranges. In a new North Georgia Bird Project, with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, he is resurveying bird communities across 13 mountain ridges, concentrating on about 40 forest bird species. His research tests projections that a rapidly warming climate could leave Georgia with very different plant and animal communities within a few human generations. \u201cThere\u2019s no substitute for going out there and seeing what is actually changing,\u201d says Freeman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a May 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s44358-026-00167-9\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Reviews Biodiversity\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;paper\u003C\/a\u003E co-authored with McGuire, he combines his field-based bird surveys with her paleo-ecological analysis of fossil and pollen records. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe make models that predict how species and biological communities will respond to warming, then we go into nature to test those predictions, and finally refine our models when reality doesn\u2019t match what we expected,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother Georgia Tech faculty member, Steve Mussman, assistant professor in the College of Computing, brings a different skill set to the project. \u201cI\u2019m a computer and data scientist. I can help with the technical modeling aspects to make the analyses valid and useful,\u201d he says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the ways he does this is to identify \u201csampling bias\u201d in\u0026nbsp;camera-trap and citizen science data, which may not be uniformly sampled from the animal population. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to bring machine learning and statistics to a very practical problem,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these collaborations support WEPA\u2019s overarching goal: to integrate past and present data into tools that help decision-makers prioritize conservation actions under climate uncertainty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELessons From Denmark\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the past nine months, McGuire has been on faculty development leave in\u0026nbsp;Copenhagen, using the time to think deeply about habitat connectivity and how species move across altered landscapes. There, she found a natural comparison point.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe entire country of Denmark is about the same geographic size as the region we\u2019re interested in,\u201d she noted. \u201cAnd population-wise, it\u2019s smaller than the Atlanta metro area.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat struck her most was how thoroughly human activity has reshaped Denmark. \u201cThere\u2019s no part of the entire country that hasn\u2019t been very heavily modified by humans,\u201d she said. \u201cAt this point, all conservation is gardening.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy contrast, she sees the Southeast as having retained a foundation of the historical ecology. Forests in the Appalachians have been heavily affected, \u201cbut not nearly for as long, or to the same extent, as in Europe,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of nice to think about how we still have a slightly more natural landscape to start with that we can then maintain moving forward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Denmark, McGuire has been learning from conservation biologists who are developing\u0026nbsp;tiered metrics\u0026nbsp;to assess restoration success, from basic, low-cost measures such as tree diameter and understory volume to more advanced tools like genomic analyses. She hopes to adapt similar frameworks to help southeastern land managers and communities assess ecosystem health under tight budgets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Appalachia to Berkeley to Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire grew up in\u0026nbsp;southern Virginia, where her love for biodiversity and the southern Appalachians first took root. She went on to earn her\u0026nbsp;Ph.D. in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley, where she deepened her focus on how species and ecosystems respond to environmental change over long time scales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe then completed postdoctoral research at the\u0026nbsp;National Evolutionary Synthesis Center\u0026nbsp;and at the\u0026nbsp;University of Washington, where she expanded her quantitative and interdisciplinary toolkit \u2014 experience that now underpins her work at Georgia Tech, bridging ecology, paleontology, data science, and conservation planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom my perspective, there\u2019s an ethical imperative to maintain the world around us,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing in nature and recognizing that we\u2019re being good neighbors and good partners to the other species on the planet is just incredibly rewarding. We must leave the next generation a planet that is at least as healthy as the one we inherited.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELife Beyond the Lab\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond research and mentoring, McGuire enjoys hiking and biking. Much of her free time during her Copenhagen sabbatical has revolved around her young daughter, who turns 4 this summer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire looks forward to the occasion, which follows a cherished Danish school tradition: The child circles a picture of the sun once for each year of their life, holding a small Earth, while a parent holds up photos and tells a story from each year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReturning Home\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs she prepares to return to Georgia Tech in August after a year away, McGuire will resume her fieldwork and continue her conservation initiatives throughout the Southeast. She hopes to draw in collaborators from all across Georgia Tech to help build a truly regional, interdisciplinary effort around biodiversity and climate resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWithin WEPA, we\u2019re really excited to bring more people into this work. For anyone interested in conservation modeling, sensors and AI, policy, or how nature supports communities,\u201d she said, \u201cthere\u2019s a place in this regional effort to understand and protect biodiversity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMcGuire leads Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab, whose motto is\u0026nbsp;\u201clearning from the past how to conserve the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;She uses modern, historical, and paleontological specimens\u0026nbsp;to identify how communities of plants and animals move across landscapes over long time scales in response to past climate shifts.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jenny McGuire is refining tools and partnerships that help protect biodiversity, from Atlanta\u2019s urban canopy to the southern Appalachians."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-06-11 18:44:58","changed_gmt":"2026-06-11 19:05:42","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660288":{"id":"660288","type":"image","title":"Jenny McGuire, Ph.D.","body":null,"created":"1660770880","gmt_created":"2022-08-17 21:14:40","changed":"1660770880","gmt_changed":"2022-08-17 21:14:40","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250228","name":"mcguire_jenny.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mcguire_jenny.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/mcguire_jenny.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1120755,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/mcguire_jenny.jpg?itok=ni8-bYdD"}}},"media_ids":["660288"],"related_files":{"264714":{"fid":null,"name":"McGuire_Copenhagen_2026","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/11\/McGuire_Daughter_Copenhagen.jpg","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/11\/McGuire_Daughter_Copenhagen.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":131099,"description":null}},"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"168746","name":"Jenny McGuire"},{"id":"195175","name":"species migration"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690118":{"#nid":"690118","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grants Awarded","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most recent round of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainability-next-plan\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Research Seed Grants has been awarded to 15 transdisciplinary teams featuring 36 collaborators from across Georgia Tech and beyond. The teams span 21 units from six of Georgia Tech\u2019s seven Colleges, including Schools, research centers, and Interdisciplinary Research Institutes, as well as organizations external to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe seed grant program, administered by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), reaches faculty members from a diverse array of disciplines due to the generous support provided by broad-based partnerships in addition to the funds provided by the Sustainability Next committee. This year\u2019s partners are\u0026nbsp;the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;College of Design\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBBISS,\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ethe\u0026nbsp;Renewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal of the program is to nurture promising research areas for future large-scale collaborative sustainability research, research translation, and\/or high-impact outreach; to provide mid-career faculty with leadership and community-building opportunities; and to broaden and strengthen the Georgia Tech sustainability community as a whole. The call for proposals was modeled after the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research\u2019s\u0026nbsp;Moving Teams Forward and Forming Teams programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb093cfb5ae8a6b6a3830c19ddc0e62f9\u0022\u003EAI and Sustainability, and the Sustainability of AI Infrastructure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ee5eed9c59345c67cf16a2095a3c1ca59\u0022\u003EClimate Science, Technology, and Solutions.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eeff06928324490ae6ab7715e8e5a1716\u0022\u003EHealthy Environments and Sustainable Resource Use.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eeaef417908461d165bb4284022466f40\u0022\u003EResilience and Regeneration.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe 2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grant awards are:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForming Teams:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e25f6df467676a7c1cc7e3a56d4c134de\u0022\u003EActualize Shallow Geothermal Systems for Decentralized Heating.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPrincipal Investigator (PI):\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sheng-c-dai\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESheng Dai\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1d482fbc517458d8123f6d8c5b4b2674\u0022\u003EBuilding Community University Research Capacity for PFAS Testing and Treatment. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/ruthie-yow\u0022\u003ERuth C. Yow\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ECo-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs): \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/yongsheng-chen\u0022\u003EYongsheng Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seeel.ce.gatech.edu\/our-team-2\/\u0022\u003EAhmed Ibrahim Yunus\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e927b790b8958ca6a0d675948dad53b31\u0022\u003EA Global Sustainability Analysis of Places \u201cUrbanizing from Within.\u201d PI:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-randolph\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGregory\u0026nbsp;Randolph\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theigc.org\/people\/sabina-dewan\u0022\u003ESabina Dewan\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/yiyi-he\u0022\u003EYiyi He\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/john-e-taylor\u0022\u003EJohn Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/independent.academia.edu\/CelineVacchianiMarcuzzo\u0022\u003ECeline Vacchiani\u2011Marcuzzo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5fc89393dc8654e6991c59dafc1c54b5\u0022\u003ECreating a Refusal Taxonomy to Explore Alternate Computing Practices. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/richmond-wong\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERichmond\u0026nbsp;Wong\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/624a4663-6439-585b-8bb0-3633dbbf089f\u0022\u003EHeidi Biggs\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/people\/carl-disalvo\u0022\u003ECarl DiSalvo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef6184112845dc36886ab6996d162cc00\u0022\u003EDemystifying Data Centers: Examining Georgia Tech\u2019s Coda HPCC in the Context of Sustainability and Resilience. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/scott-j-duncan\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScott\u0026nbsp;Duncan\u003C\/a\u003E. Co-PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jung-ho-lewe\u0022\u003EJung-Ho Lewe\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/david-solano-sarmiento\u0022\u003EDavid Solano Sarmiento\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9709e50e9a293bcbbd1e752223b3c7dd\u0022\u003EPhysical Transport of Sunlight\u2011Exposed Dissolved Organic Carbon in the New Arctic. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/space.gatech.edu\/lily-dove\u0022\u003ELilian Dove\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-bowen\u0022\u003EJennifer Bowen\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoving Teams Forward:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec012ec93ef9cc92e5c82d516f070fd8d\u0022\u003EAgentic AI Digital Twins for Hurricane Resilience in Coastal Georgia. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/sarhadi-ali\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAli\u0026nbsp;Sarhadi\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed86bd082992b186131f9ef933c629e08\u0022\u003ECLEAR\u2011SE: Co\u2011Creating a Center\u2011Scale Network for Advancing Collaborative, Long\u2011Term Action Research on Community\u2011Led Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Southeast. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda\u0026nbsp;P\u00e9rez\u2011Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/our-team\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer\u0026nbsp;Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e82478e789a048825abcc3157e9db6535\u0022\u003EData Center Effects on Communities in Georgia\u2019s Black Belt. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/people\/cindy-kaiying-lin\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECindy\u0026nbsp;Kaiying\u0026nbsp;Lin\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs:\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/joe-f-bozeman-iii\u0022\u003EJoe Bozeman\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/tony-harding\u0022\u003EAnthony Harding\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/allen-hyde\u0022\u003EAllen Hyde\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/jung-ho-lewe\u0022\u003EJung-Ho Lewe\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scs.gatech.edu\/people\/ahmed-saeed\u0022\u003EAhmed Saeed\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebfb94066d0a2555e5c67ef6e930bea7c\u0022\u003EReimagining Southern Forests: Enabling Cost\u2011Effective Sustainable Production of High\u2011Value Climate\u2011Ready Southern Pines. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/caitlin-petro\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECaitlin\u0026nbsp;Petro\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/clay\/index.html\u0022\u003ELucas Clay\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ulrika-egertsdotter\u0022\u003EUlrika Egertsdotter\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef714ab155b21002722ebcf190dddf60\u0022\u003EHuman\u2011Technology Collaborations: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Food Systems. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/rosemarie-santa-gonzalez\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERosemarie\u0026nbsp;Santa\u0026nbsp;Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/ashutosh-dhekne\u0022\u003EAshutosh Dhekne\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/sylvia-janicki\u0022\u003ESylivia Janicki\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/nicole-kennard\u0022\u003ENicole Kennard\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/yaman-sangar\u0022\u003EYaman Sangar\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/people\/abigale-stangl\u0022\u003EAbigale Stangl\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0d944f2e85ddfd8b4fd8e29e8fd4acc8\u0022\u003EGuiding Transportation with Community Action through Research, Education, and Service (GT\u2011CARES). PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003ERounaq Basu\u003C\/a\u003E. Co-PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sofia-perez-guzman\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESof\u00eda\u0026nbsp;P\u00e9rez\u2011Guzm\u00e1n\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scre.research.gatech.edu\/our-team\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJennifer\u0026nbsp;Hirsch\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-moffat\u0022\u003EScott Moffat\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eb89b80d033629196b64c7b6ebc8685ba\u0022\u003EInstability\u2011Resolved Ocean Mixing for Climate Prediction and Climate Solutions. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1086\u0022\u003ESuhas S. Jain\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PIs: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/mohammad-mohaghar\u0022\u003EMohammad Mohaghar\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/donald-r-webster\u0022\u003EDonald Webster\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e72e6c1ade52f81e05c4a967a8110c6da\u0022\u003EBuildings Next: Forming a Transdisciplinary Consortium for Sustainable Building Innovation. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fptd.gatech.edu\/people\/paula-gomez\u0022\u003EPaula Gomez\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/bridges\/index.html\u0022\u003EAllison Bridges\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5f679ec3c5c8332e040392bdc39f6430\u0022\u003EPaper and Natural Dye Living Exhibition. PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/people\/anna-doll\u0022\u003EAnna Doll\u003C\/a\u003E. Co\u2011PI: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rbi.gatech.edu\/people\/virginia-howell\u0022\u003EVirginia Howell\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Sustainability Next seed grant program, administered by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS), reaches faculty members from a diverse array of disciplines due to the generous support provided by broad-based partnerships in addition to the funds provided by the Sustainability Next committee.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This year\u2019s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech\u2019s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges"}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 16:57:44","changed_gmt":"2026-06-11 18:10:32","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680154":{"id":"680154","type":"image","title":"2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage","body":"\u003Cp\u003E2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grant Principal Investigators:\u0026nbsp;(R to L, Top to Bottom) Rounaq Basu, Sheng Dai, Anna Doll, Lilian Dove, Scott Duncan, Paula Gomez, Suhas S. Jain, Cindy Kaiying Lin, Sof\u00eda P\u00e9rez Guzm\u00e1n, Caitlin Petro, Gregory Randolph, Rosemarie Santa Gonzalez, Ali Sarhadi, Richmond Wong, and Ruth C. Yow.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777913877","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 16:57:57","changed":"1777916844","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 17:47:24","alt":"Collage of multiple individual portrait photos arranged in a grid, showing people photographed from the shoulders up in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Backgrounds include office spaces, greenery, campus walkways, and neutral studio backdrops, with individuals wearing professional or business\u2011casual clothing. The images vary in lighting and composition but share a consistent head\u2011and\u2011shoulders portrait style.","file":{"fid":"264396","name":"2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1325301,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/2026_Sustainability_Next_Seed_Grant_Collage.jpg?itok=cKUbBHG-"}}},"media_ids":["680154"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"191514","name":"sustainability next"},{"id":"174822","name":"seed grants"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690648":{"#nid":"690648","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Involving Communities in Model Design Could Reduce Bias in AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom routing citizen nonemergency calls to operating affordable housing, state and local governments are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to manage bureaucratic processes. While these tools can improve efficiency, they can also reinforce bias. Data used to train AI often reflects decades of disparities tied to gender, race, ethnicity, and age \u2014 patterns that can carry through to the very communities these systems are meant to serve.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEditor\u0027s note. This story was first \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/involving-communities-model-design-could-reduce-bias-ai\u0022\u003Epublished \u003C\/a\u003Eby Georgia Tech Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOrganizations need to shift the way they treat bias in AI,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/dceb4574-87e0-5aea-af42-5279afbe4d01\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReeham Mohammed\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral fellow in Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBias isn\u2019t a problem that can be solved once and for all, and it affects everyone. We are all stakeholders in how this technology is implemented.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost efforts to address AI bias focus on fixing systems after they are built. Reeham proposes starting earlier. In a recent\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-3-032-15283-1_13\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ebook chapter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, she outlines an approach called participatory modeling, where stakeholders help map how AI systems function before they are deployed. The process reveals where bias can enter along the way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer framework draws on an unexpected comparison: the human immune system. When the body detects a virus, multiple systems respond and remain active until the threat is contained. Addressing AI bias, she argues, requires a similar approach \u2014 one that is continuous, adaptive, and systemwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt takes the whole body to react to a virus, and the immune system stays active until it contains it,\u201d Reeham said. \u201cStopping AI bias also requires ongoing intervention. AI is rapidly evolving, and our response should evolve with it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test this idea, Reeham and her co-author, Erik Johnston of Arizona State University, wrote the recent chapter reporting on three empirical studies examining how bias can emerge across complex systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Peoria, Illinois, the research mapped how health services, social services, and other support systems used AI and how it affected their operations.\u0026nbsp;Three main issues stood out: Access barriers to resources kept some stakeholders out, AI systems reflected their designers more than the intended users, and the complexity of public institutions made public trust challenging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohnston analyzed 311 service request data, showing how citizen input, usage patterns, and response systems can reflect \u2014 and sometimes reinforce \u2014 existing disparities between neighborhoods. For example, low-income, ethnically diverse communities often don\u2019t use 311 due to language barriers or low government trust. In a third study, Reeham conducted focus groups with 57 stakeholders at a higher education institution, including students, instructors, and administrators. These interviews explored perceptions of AI use and oversight within the higher education environment. Many of the conversations addressed faculty policies on student AI usage, with students reflecting frustration that they were not consulted in the making of these policies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the findings show AI systems cannot be designed effectively from the top down without excluding important groups that actually use the AI services. Instead, participatory modeling calls for stakeholders to be involved early to help identify where bias begins. Whether through town halls or focus groups, stakeholders should be part of discussions when designing a new system. Stakeholders also need to remain engaged after deployment to ensure that systems stay fair; this could include everything from community advisory boards to third-party consultants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople should know that if they see bias in AI, they need to speak up,\u201d Reeham said. \u201cWe often assume machines are more objective than humans, but that\u2019s not always true.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECITATION: Johnston, E.W., Mohammed, R.R. (2026). How Participatory Modeling Can Enable Collective Bias Mitigation when AI Is Used across Systems and Institutions. In: Ahrweiler, P., Gilbert, N. (eds) Participatory Modelling and Simulation to Improve AI-based Public Social Services. Artificial Intelligence, Simulation and Society. Springer, Cham. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-032-15283-1_13\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAddressing AI bias requires a continuous, adaptive, and systemwide response, argues Carter school postdoctoral fellow Reeham Mohammed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Addressing AI bias requires a continuous, adaptive, and systemwide response, argues Carter school postdoctoral fellow Reeham Mohammed."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2026-06-05 18:28:46","changed_gmt":"2026-06-05 18:33:46","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680423":{"id":"680423","type":"image","title":" Reeham Mohammed","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Reeham Mohammed, a postdoctoral fellow in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780684136","gmt_created":"2026-06-05 18:28:56","changed":"1780684347","gmt_changed":"2026-06-05 18:32:27","alt":"A professional studio portrait of a woman smiling warmly, wearing a light-colored patterned hijab and a white collared blouse against a neutral, solid background.","file":{"fid":"264680","name":"Reeham-169.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/Reeham-169.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/05\/Reeham-169.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1305897,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/05\/Reeham-169.jpg?itok=v9Uw1Ajb"}}},"media_ids":["680423"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETess Malone\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tess.malone@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690606":{"#nid":"690606","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Helping Patients See Again: How One Doctor Uses Georgia Tech Research to Treat Eye Disease With Precision","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/garetina.com\/retina-specialist\/david-s-chin-yee-m-d\/\u0022\u003EDavid Chin Yee\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech microneedle is opening new possibilities for treating debilitating eye disease. Developed over two decades, it delivers medication precisely where it\u2019s needed, helping to preserve vision, ease pain, and prolong relief. For patients, that can mean fewer treatments \u2014 and more time for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/real-life\/microneedle\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The tiniest breakthrough can make the biggest difference."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr. David Chin Yee, a Georgia Tech microneedle is opening new possibilities for treating debilitating eye disease. Developed over two decades, it delivers medication precisely where it\u2019s needed, helping to preserve vision, ease pain, and prolong relief. For patients, that can mean fewer treatments \u2014 and more time for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A doctor uses a tiny microneedle developed at Georgia Tech to preserve patients\u2019 vision, reduce their pain, and give them more time for daily life."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 17:56:24","changed_gmt":"2026-06-03 15:29:01","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680406":{"id":"680406","type":"image","title":"Dr. David Chin Yee","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. David Chin Yee is an Atlanta-based retina specialist who collaborates with Georgia Tech researchers on advancing microneedle technology for targeted drug delivery in eye care.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780423298","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 18:01:38","changed":"1780423602","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 18:06:42","alt":"Person in blue medical scrubs demonstrates a small device to a seated patient in a clinical exam room with medical equipment visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"264662","name":"microneedle-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":158236,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg?itok=-Um6cUcC"}}},"media_ids":["680406"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690583":{"#nid":"690583","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Generating Buzz: World Cup Puts Atlanta Back in Global Spotlight","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Spain and Cabo Verde take the pitch inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium (temporarily renamed Atlanta Stadium) on June 15, Atlanta will become one of two U.S. cities to have hosted the Olympics, a Super Bowl, an NCAA Men\u2019s Basketball Final Four, a College Football National Championship, and a World Cup match, further cementing its status as a global sports city.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/8e6ac738-7497-5f94-ab1a-0c3fd32d15a7\u0022\u003EDeclan Abernethy\u003C\/a\u003E, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to events of the past, how the city\u2019s capacity to host \u201cmega-events\u201d has changed since the 1996 Olympic Games, and expectations for the visitor and viewer experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbernethy teaches courses at the intersection of sport, history, and science and technology studies, with an emphasis on the culture and community around soccer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/05\/world-cup-puts-atlanta-back-global-spotlight\u0022\u003EListen to the full podcast\u003C\/a\u003E on the GT News Center website.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDeclan Abernethy, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to \u0022mega-events\u0022 of the past.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Declan Abernethy, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to \u0022mega-events\u0022 of the past."}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2026-06-01 18:54:52","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 19:00:18","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680394":{"id":"680394","type":"image","title":"World-Cup.jpg","body":null,"created":"1780340099","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 18:54:59","changed":"1780340099","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 18:54:59","alt":"Mercedes-Benz Stadium wrapped with World Cup 2026 promotions.","file":{"fid":"264651","name":"World-Cup.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/World-Cup.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/World-Cup.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1392573,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/World-Cup.jpg?itok=1NUY9oYf"}}},"media_ids":["680394"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Esteven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690581":{"#nid":"690581","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BBISS Insights Series Reflection: Demystifying Data Centers \u2014 Water","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs data center development accelerates across Georgia and beyond, understanding the relationship between AI infrastructure and water systems is becoming increasingly urgent. The BBISS Demystifying Data Centers Insights Series on March 27 focused on this issue, bringing together perspectives from engineering, utilities, and infrastructure planning. Moderated by Ameet Pinto, BBISS faculty director for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration, the discussion highlighted the water impacts of data centers and the need for systems thinking and collaboration across disciplines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Systems Thinking Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA recurring theme was the mismatch between AI infrastructure and water systems. AI services are ubiquitous and scalable, while water resources are local, physically constrained, and managed by regionally fragmented utility systems. Data centers can be deployed rapidly, but water infrastructure evolves slowly. These differences complicate how impacts are measured and managed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWater usage is more complex than it appears. While discussions often focus on water used directly for cooling, this represents only part of the total footprint. Significant water is used indirectly through electricity generation and the manufacturing of the computing hardware and cooling systems installed in data centers. As noted by Akanksha Menon, \u0026nbsp;assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, distinguishing between direct, indirect, and embodied water use shows that impacts extend far beyond individual facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese complexities make isolated solutions insufficient. Reducing water use in one location doesn\u2019t necessarily reduce overall demand. For example, Douglas County\u2019s collaboration with Google, as presented by Brian Keel, deputy director of Engineering for Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority, has invested in alternative water sources, such as treating wastewater from the Sweetwater Creek facility for non-potable cooling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet the growing energy and water demands driven by accelerating AI use remain a major challenge. In particular, managing water as a finite resource becomes increasingly important because energy can be generated through different methods, but water cannot simply be created. Such complexity highlights the need for a systems approach to navigate overlapping and conflicting issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Collaboration Is Essential\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe session also underscored that no single discipline or entity can fully address these challenges. Douglas County\u2019s partnership with Google highlights not only collaboration between local agencies and industry, but also the need for coordination beyond individual jurisdictions, as water used for power generation or sourced outside the immediate region can create indirect pressures elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohn Ikeda, chief mission officer for the Water Environment Federation, discussed governance challenges associated with data center water use. Ikeda underlined the challenges in measurement and governance, noting that water impacts can be counterintuitive. While efforts that appear water-saving, such as avoiding on-site water use, can increase indirect water demand through additional electricity use, water-based cooling may reduce total systemwide demand. These complexities reveal the limits of single metrics and the need for frameworks that account for direct, indirect, and life-cycle impacts. Governance challenges can arise from complex practical issues, including rural communities\u2019 limited experience working with industrial partners and broader social resistance to AI and AI infrastructure, which once again calls for large-scale collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe broader takeaway is that the challenges linking AI and water are deeply tied to structural mismatches between digital AI infrastructure and physical water systems: ubiquitous AI services versus physically constrained water resources; rapid data center growth versus the slower development of water infrastructure; and global digital demand versus regionally concentrated environmental impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs these gaps complicate measurement, planning, and governance, the discussion highlighted the need for broader, systems-level perspectives and collaboration across disciplines and sectors, including engineering, computing, utilities, policy, and community stakeholders. Sustainable data center development depends on perspectives that consider water, energy, infrastructure, and community resilience together.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAI services are ubiquitous and scalable, while water resources are local, physically constrained, and managed by regionally fragmented utility systems. Data centers can be deployed rapidly, but water infrastructure evolves slowly.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A recent BBISS seminar focused on the issue of water and data centers, bringing together perspectives from engineering, utilities, and infrastructure planning."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-06-01 18:26:29","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 18:52:29","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680391":{"id":"680391","type":"image","title":"Data_Center_Cooling_Towers.jpg","body":null,"created":"1780338414","gmt_created":"2026-06-01 18:26:54","changed":"1780338414","gmt_changed":"2026-06-01 18:26:54","alt":"Aerial view of a large industrial facility with multiple blue cylindrical cooling towers arranged in rows, releasing visible steam into the air. The structures are connected by metal walkways, pipes, and equipment, with a darker building facade behind them. Green grass and patches of standing water are visible in the distance beyond the facility.","file":{"fid":"264647","name":"Data_Center_Cooling_Towers.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/Data_Center_Cooling_Towers.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/01\/Data_Center_Cooling_Towers.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1581977,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/01\/Data_Center_Cooling_Towers.jpg?itok=bzU5yje8"}}},"media_ids":["680391"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690554":{"#nid":"690554","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clough Lecture Highlights the Human Side of Climate Science","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- By Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2026 Clough Lecture, co-sponsored by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, featured Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and author. Marvel opened a space for conversation about how we understand, feel, and communicate climate change and sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe evening opened with remarks from Georgia Tech College of Sciences Dean Susan Lozier, who recognized President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough for his support in making the lecture series possible. Alexander Robel, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, then introduced Marvel, describing her work as being at the intersection of climate science and public communication. Robel highlighted Marvel\u2019s \u201cwarmth and fearless honesty\u201d in her insistence \u201cthat science and feeling are not opposites.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on her recent book \u003Cem\u003EHuman Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet\u003C\/em\u003E, Marvel\u2019s lecture questioned a long-standing assumption in science: that objectivity requires emotional distance. She argued instead that climate science is not only about data and models, but also about human experience. Scientific inquiry, she suggested, does not exclude emotion; rather, it can be informed and motivated by it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarvel began by reflecting on Earth\u2019s uniqueness as a habitable planet, shaped by a delicate balance of atmosphere, temperature, and position in the solar system. The sense of awe inspired by the planet\u2019s unique position, she noted, is often the starting point for scientific curiosity as well as a sense of commitment to a sustainable Earth. From there, she moved to consider the more difficult emotions, including anger and guilt, that may arise as the stability of that system becomes increasingly uncertain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo illustrate how understanding of climate evolves, Marvel walked through a range of potential explanations for changes in the Earth\u2019s climate \u2014 from orbital shifts and solar variation to volcanic activity and deforestation. What stood out was her skillful interweaving of science and storytelling. For example, she noted how the atmospheric conditions created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia influenced European artistic expression. Citing the hyper-real intensity of the sky\u2019s color in Edvard Munch\u2019s 1893 painting, \u003Cem\u003EThe Scream\u003C\/em\u003E, Marvel highlighted the role of human feeling and imagination in making sense of complex environmental change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, Marvel also suggested that climate modeling is not simply a technical exercise. It can be deeply intertwined with narratives about the future. Different assumptions about human behavior, policy decisions, and technological development produce different climate outcomes. In this sense, models reflect not only data, but also the stories societies tell about where they are headed and what future they would like to have.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lecture concluded with Marvel emphasizing the importance of framing climate challenges in ways that connect with lived experience and a sustainable future, suggesting that storytelling can help inspire more meaningful communication and action. She pointed to the \u201chero\u2019s journey\u201d as one framework for climate storytelling \u2014 one in which moments of difficulty and uncertainty are inseparable from growth, purpose, and joy, and where action becomes central to moving toward a better future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarvel now works with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/drawdown.org\u0022\u003EProject Drawdown\u003C\/a\u003E, who have developed the Drawdown Explorer, an open-access platform that helps individuals and governments assess everyday decisions and public policies in terms of climate outcomes. The Drawdown Explorer frames daily practices as part of a broader journey toward a more sustainable future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lecture offered an engaging and inspiring perspective, encouraging the audience to think more actively about how sustainability is communicated, what stories are told, and how emotional engagement can contribute to meaningful climate action.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKate Marvel\u0027s talk offered an inspiring perspective on how sustainability is communicated, what stories are told, and how emotional engagement can contribute to meaningful climate action.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2026 Clough Lecture, co-sponsored by BBISS, featured Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and author."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-29 18:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-06-01 16:23:40","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680383":{"id":"680383","type":"image","title":"Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","body":null,"created":"1780079828","gmt_created":"2026-05-29 18:37:08","changed":"1780079934","gmt_changed":"2026-05-29 18:38:54","alt":"Side\u2011by\u2011side image showing a portrait photo on the left and a book cover on the right. The left image shows an individual standing outdoors among trees, wearing a dark jacket over a light shirt, while the right image displays the book Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet with bold red title text and illustrated ocean waves and ice formations. The book cover also includes the author name Kate Marvel at the bottom.","file":{"fid":"264639","name":"Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/29\/Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png","mime":"image\/png","size":708275,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/29\/Kate_Marvel_Human_Nature.png?itok=clsB5lJ6"}}},"media_ids":["680383"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"195156","name":"Kate Marvel"},{"id":"195157","name":"Clough Lecture"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690508":{"#nid":"690508","#data":{"type":"news","title":"BBISS Appoints Three New Faculty Directors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) has expanded its faculty leadership team to advance its work in partnerships, AI and resilience research, and interdisciplinary graduate student training.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarta Hatzell to Lead BBISS External Partnership Efforts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarta Hatzell has been appointed as faculty director for Strategic Engagement and Partnerships. Hatzell is a Woodruff Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u0026nbsp;with a joint appointment in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her research builds the foundation for sustainable food, energy, and water systems through electrified catalysis and separations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross institutes, research centers, federal agencies, national laboratories, and industry partnerships, Hatzell\u2019s work has operated at the intersection of research, infrastructure, policy, and implementation. She has worked closely with power utilities, industry partners, and federal sponsors. In this role, Hatzell will help shape BBISS\u2019s external-facing strategy involving federal agencies, national laboratories, and university partners. She will bring her experience and expertise to steward strategic partnerships and strengthen large-scale collaborative research efforts, working closely with Ameet Pinto, faculty director for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EXiao Liu to Advance AI and Resilience Research at BBISS\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXiao Liu has been appointed as faculty director for Resilience and AI. Liu is the David M. McKenney Family Associate Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. His research advances statistical methods and machine learning, with applications spanning wildfire risk analysis, climate and environmental modeling, infrastructure systems, and data-driven resilience research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELiu\u2019s appointment is part of BBISS\u2019s growing focus on connecting AI, resilience, and sustainability research across disciplines, particularly in areas related to sustainable AI and AI for climate and sustainability science. His work on wildfire ignition risk quantification for power delivery networks, wildfire spread modeling, and remote-sensing analysis of wildfire aerosols demonstrates a commitment to using machine learning and AI to address complex environmental and infrastructure challenges. In this role, Liu will lead efforts to advance AI-driven approaches to resilience and will co-steward the AI, Sustainability, and Resilience Initiative in partnership with Josiah Hester, faculty director for Civic Innovation and AI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Realff to Lead BBISS Education Initiatives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMatthew J. Realff has been appointed as faculty director for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education. Realff is a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, where he has served on the faculty since 1993. Realff\u2019s decades of research and education leadership center on advancing sustainable systems, with an emphasis on integrating process systems engineering with environmental and economic analysis. He has contributed to the development of sustainability policy, environmentally informed design, recycling systems, and industry standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERealff\u2019s appointment supports BBISS\u2019s ongoing efforts to strengthen interdisciplinary graduate education and workforce development aligned with Georgia Tech\u2019s broader sustainability strategy. His commitment to sustainable systems education and his prior leadership roles, including chair of the Sustainability Education and Curriculum Committee, position him to expand interdisciplinary training and pathways for students who want to tackle sustainability challenges across boundaries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeril Toktay, BBISS executive director, said, \u201cI\u2019m delighted to welcome Marta, Xiao, and Matthew to the BBISS faculty leadership team. These appointments greatly expand BBISS\u2019s capacity to address sustainability challenges crossing disciplinary, institutional, and sectoral lines.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) has expanded its faculty leadership team to advance its work in partnerships, AI and resilience research, and interdisciplinary graduate student training.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"BBISS has expanded its team to include three more faculty members."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-05-27 13:59:29","changed_gmt":"2026-05-29 18:49:48","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680358":{"id":"680358","type":"image","title":"Hatzell_Liu_Realff_Collage.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E(L to R) Marta Hatzell, Xiao Liu, Matthew Realff\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779890379","gmt_created":"2026-05-27 13:59:39","changed":"1779890379","gmt_changed":"2026-05-27 13:59:39","alt":"\u0022Three side\u2011by\u2011side headshot portraits showing individuals from the shoulders up against different backgrounds. The left image shows a person wearing a black top with greenery behind them, the center image shows a person in a light blue shirt and patterned tie against a neutral brown backdrop, and the right image shows a person in a light green collared shirt against a gray studio background.\u0022","file":{"fid":"264614","name":"Hatzell_Liu_Realff_Collage.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/Hatzell_Liu_Realff_Collage.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/27\/Hatzell_Liu_Realff_Collage.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":222426,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/27\/Hatzell_Liu_Realff_Collage.jpg?itok=HGGYQnHW"}}},"media_ids":["680358"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[{"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":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690442":{"#nid":"690442","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College Recognizes 8 Faculty Members with Excellence Awards","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEight faculty members have been honored by the College of Engineering (CoE) for their excellence in research, service, teaching, inventorship, and commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECandidates for the fifth annual CoE Faculty Excellence Awards were nominated by their peers or submitted self-nominations. Materials were reviewed by a committee of academic and research faculty members within the College.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo of these faculty award winners, Hong Yeo and Omar Inan, are members of the Institute for People and Technology. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/college-recognizes-8-faculty-members-excellence-awards\u0022\u003ERead the full CoE article \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Honorees have demonstrated outstanding service, teaching, inventorship, and commercialization."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEight faculty members have been honored by the College of Engineering (CoE) for their excellence in research, service, teaching, inventorship, and commercialization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECandidates for the fifth annual CoE Faculty Excellence Awards were nominated by their peers or submitted self-nominations. Materials were reviewed by a committee of academic and research faculty members within the College.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo of these faculty are members of the Institute for People and Technology. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/college-recognizes-8-faculty-members-excellence-awards\u0022\u003ERead more \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Honorees have demonstrated outstanding service, teaching, inventorship, and commercialization."}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-05-22 14:25:55","changed_gmt":"2026-05-22 14:34:00","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680334":{"id":"680334","type":"image","title":"College Recognizes 8 Faculty Members with Excellence Awards","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollege of Engineering Faculty Members with Excellence Awards \u003C\/strong\u003E(Akanksha Menon, Hong Yeo, Kinsey Herrin, Lauren Steimle, Kevin Haas, Omer Inan, Scott Hollister, and Kim Paige).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779459864","gmt_created":"2026-05-22 14:24:24","changed":"1779460276","gmt_changed":"2026-05-22 14:31:16","alt":"College Recognizes 8 Faculty Members with Excellence Awards","file":{"fid":"264582","name":"8CoE-Faculty-copy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/8CoE-Faculty-copy.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/8CoE-Faculty-copy.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1443077,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/22\/8CoE-Faculty-copy.png?itok=SfWxCAxs"}}},"media_ids":["680334"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689830":{"#nid":"689830","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Graduate\u2019s Work Lights Up Atlanta Airport","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESamuel Thurman, a double master\u2019s graduate in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/master-architecture\u0022\u003Earchitecture\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/master-science-urban-design\u0022\u003Eurban design\u003C\/a\u003E, uses his skills to design, model, and digitally fabricate works of art. His most recent pieces are on display in Concourse F at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for the next year, welcoming international travelers and introducing them to the extraordinary innovation, technological expertise, and creativity of Georgia Tech\u2019s students and alumni.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESamuel Thurman, a double master\u2019s graduate in architecture and urban design, uses his many skills to design, model, and digitally fabricate works of art.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Samuel Thurman, a double master\u2019s graduate in architecture and urban design, uses his many skills to design, model, and digitally fabricate works of art. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-04-28 15:41:17","changed_gmt":"2026-05-14 12:40:17","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679989":{"id":"679989","type":"video","title":" Samuel Thurman Art Installation ATL Airport ","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESamuel Thurman Art Installation ATL Airport\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776440466","gmt_created":"2026-04-17 15:41:06","changed":"1776440466","gmt_changed":"2026-04-17 15:41:06","video":{"youtube_id":"uHDgtrPNwQU","video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uHDgtrPNwQU"}},"680063":{"id":"680063","type":"image","title":"Samuel Thurman installs digitally designed and fabricated lamps in the Atlanta airport. Photo by Rob Felt","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESamuel Thurman installs digitally designed and fabricated lamps in the Atlanta airport. Photo by Rob Felt\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777056218","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 18:43:38","changed":"1777056218","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 18:43:38","alt":"Samuel Thurman installs digitally designed and fabricated lamps in the Atlanta airport","file":{"fid":"264299","name":"26-R10410-P97-007.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/26-R10410-P97-007.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/26-R10410-P97-007.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":525683,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/26-R10410-P97-007.jpg?itok=s79gSUUi"}},"680064":{"id":"680064","type":"image","title":"Samuel Thurman installs digitally designed and fabricated lamps in the Atlanta airport. Photo by Rob Felt","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESamuel Thurman installs digitally designed and fabricated lamps in the Atlanta airport. Photo by Rob Felt\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777056272","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 18:44:32","changed":"1777056272","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 18:44:32","alt":"Samuel Thurman installs digitally designed and fabricated lamps in the Atlanta airport","file":{"fid":"264300","name":"26-R10410-P97-016.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/26-R10410-P97-016.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/26-R10410-P97-016.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":469465,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/26-R10410-P97-016.jpg?itok=Md__W5dO"}}},"media_ids":["679989","680063","680064"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech College of Design"}],"groups":[{"id":"1221","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"48996","name":"School of Architecture"}],"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:stacy.braukman@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EStacy Braukman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690229":{"#nid":"690229","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Carter School Professor Receives $500,000 Sloan Grant to Study Renewable Energy Workforce ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Graff, an assistant professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, has received a $500,000 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant to lead a multi-university investigation of barriers to employment in the renewable energy sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 3-year project will examine how obstacles, such as training and certification requirements, geographic issues, awareness gaps, and shifts in federal policy,\u0026nbsp;may affect employment in the sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u2019s a good time\u0026nbsp;for a project like this\u0026nbsp;because the renewable energy industry continues to grow\u0026nbsp;and it\u2019s at a point at which it needs to take charge of its own future. This study will help them start making some of those decisions,\u201d said Graff.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/f276dd8a-0e13-5b66-b4cf-3d2960e01b2d\u0022\u003EGraff\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eis in her first year on campus at Georgia Tech, and is now the principal investigator on a project that spans 13 states and includes researchers from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Northwestern University, and colleagues at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe main goal of the project is to understand issues that may complicate\u0026nbsp;employment options for aspirants interested in jobs in the renewable energy sector, which continues to see employment gains despite project cancelations and headwinds due in part to policy shifts by the federal government.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor instance,\u0026nbsp;the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/opub\/ted\/2025\/employment-for-wind-turbine-service-technicians-expected-to-increase-49-9-percent-by-2034.htm#:~:text=The%20fastest%20growing%20occupations%20over,fewer%20than%2020%2C000%20new%20jobs.\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ereported\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in September that it expects\u0026nbsp;wind turbine service technician and solar photovoltaic installer\u0026nbsp;will be the nation\u2019s fastest growing occupations through 2034.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Georgia, the\u0026nbsp;clean energy\u0026nbsp;advocacy organization E2\u0026nbsp;reported\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;jobs in Georgia grew at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/e2.org\/releases\/clean-jobs-georgia-2025\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efive times\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;the rate as the rest of the state\u2019s economy in 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers want to first understand\u0026nbsp;how familiar job searchers are with clean energy jobs and\u0026nbsp;what barriers stand in the way for\u0026nbsp;them\u0026nbsp;to be able to find jobs in the sector, including application hurdles, language skills, and location.\u0026nbsp;Part of the work will include\u0026nbsp;in-depth\u0026nbsp;case studies\u0026nbsp;across the country, a virtual workshop, and other outputs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey then plan to produce policy recommendations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal is to not only to identify these burdens, but also think of ways to creatively reduce them without sacrificing rigor or training while recruiting the most\u0026nbsp;talented\u0026nbsp;people possible,\u201d\u0026nbsp;Graff said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraff\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ECarter School\u003C\/a\u003E colleague Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/daniel-matisoff\u0022\u003EDan Matisoff\u003C\/a\u003E will act as a connection with the clean energy industry and help craft the policy recommendations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe\u0026nbsp;expects\u0026nbsp;the study, which is called \u201cInvestigating Administrative Burdens in the Renewable Energy Workforce,\u201d will be completed in 2030.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECarter School Assistant Professor Michelle Graff will lead an inquiry into barriers to employment in the renewable energy sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Carter School Assistant Professor Michelle Graff will lead an inquiry into barriers to employment in the renewable energy sector. "}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2026-05-11 18:19:07","changed_gmt":"2026-05-13 15:51:49","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680252":{"id":"680252","type":"image","title":"michellle-graff-ic.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECarter School Assistant Professor Michelle Graff will lead an inquiry into barriers to employment in the renewable energy sector.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1778523555","gmt_created":"2026-05-11 18:19:15","changed":"1778523555","gmt_changed":"2026-05-11 18:19:15","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"264496","name":"michellle-graff-ic.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/11\/michellle-graff-ic.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/11\/michellle-graff-ic.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":307035,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/11\/michellle-graff-ic.jpg?itok=sn3IdT9K"}}},"media_ids":["680252"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690127":{"#nid":"690127","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Double Major Graduate to Take Her STEM and Intercultural Skills to Spain as Fulbright Scholar ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiology major Sonali Kaluri is a STEM expert. Spanish major Sonali Kaluri is a language and culture expert.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPut the two together and you have a sharply educated researcher with a passion for healthcare. Kaluri is headed to Barcelona after graduation this Spring as a Fulbright Scholar to study the health of migrant workers under\u0026nbsp;the digital platform economy. She plans to later embark on a career in medicine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s something she says she couldn\u2019t have done without her experiences at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou need to have a deep understanding of people and the systems that surround us to be able to effectively and ethically help people as a physician,\u201d said Kaluri, who attended Georgia Tech as a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/stampsps.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStamps President\u0027s Scholar\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKaluri\u2019s Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies degree from the School of Modern Languages helped shape that understanding, including through classes studying Spanish literature.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLiterature is such an important window into the lives of people different from you,\u201d Kaluri said. \u201cStudying another language\u2019s great works is an excellent way to understand the experiences of different people and build that empathy, which translates to real life for me in being able to better connect with the people I meet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKaluri, who was fluent in her parents\u2019 languages of Telugu and Kannada before arriving at Georgia Tech, had always wanted to combine language training with her work in healthcare.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEarly in high school and college, I would shadow doctors, and if they had a patient that couldn\u2019t speak English, I\u2019d be able to follow along with the conversation even without an interpreter using my knowledge from high school Spanish classes,\u201d Kaluri said. \u201cI figured that one day as a doctor, it would be cool to be able to talk directly to a larger number of patients without needing an interpreter and to be able to build greater rapport with patients. That was the spark for why I wanted to pursue more rigorous study of Spanish.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer interest in medicine derives from seeing how cultural norms around gender and caregiving can shape and even sideline women\u2019s own healthcare needs.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI realized that was a big part of why I wanted to pursue medicine \u2014 to advocate for people on a deeper level, to try to bridge these gaps that I\u0027ve noticed in research, in the clinic, et cetera,\u201d Kaluri said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKelly Comfort, one of Kaluri\u2019s Spanish professors, said Kaluri\u2019s success shows what\u2019s possible with a combined STEM and liberal arts education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSonali is the kind of student who proves that the humanities are not separate from science and medicine \u2014 they strengthen them. Her ability to think critically about culture, identity, and social systems through her ALIS major has shaped her into a more thoughtful future healthcare professional,\u201d Comfort said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cShe is not only highly skilled in pre-health and pre-medicine fields, but she is also multilingual, interculturally competent, empathetic, reflective, and prepared to improve the human condition across cultures, languages, and borders,\u201d Comfort said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBiology and Spanish major Sonali Kaluri is headed to Barcelona after graduation this Spring as a Fulbright Scholar to study the health of migrant workers under the digital platform economy.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biology and Spanish major Sonali Kaluri is headed to Barcelona after graduation this Spring as a Fulbright Scholar to study the health of migrant workers under the digital platform economy."}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 19:28:11","changed_gmt":"2026-05-11 19:56:47","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680167":{"id":"680167","type":"image","title":"MERCURY--2-.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777923045","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 19:30:45","changed":"1777923045","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 19:30:45","alt":"Sonali Kaluri","file":{"fid":"264409","name":"MERCURY--2-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/MERCURY--2-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/MERCURY--2-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":166993,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/MERCURY--2-.jpg?itok=zvQJc3fG"}}},"media_ids":["680167"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"},{"id":"1284","name":"School of Modern Languages"}],"categories":[{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"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\u003EMichael Pearson\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emichael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690230":{"#nid":"690230","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Aaron Levine Named Interim Chair of Carter School of Public Policy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/aaron-levine\u0022\u003EAaron Levine\u003C\/a\u003E will serve as interim chair for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, effective June 1. A search for the next chair of the Carter School will launch in fall 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAaron is a trusted colleague and leader who will guide the Carter School expertly as we navigate this transition,\u201d said Amanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELevine led and implemented many transformational, high-impact efforts as the Ivan Allen College\u2019s associate dean for research and outreach. He supported interdisciplinary research during record-breaking years, expanded research support programs and excellence awards, communicated the impact of research to external and internal stakeholders, established connections with early-career faculty, and co-created a mid-career academy for associate professors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELevine will continue to serve as the interim executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/civicleadership.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership\u003C\/a\u003E and participate in the Faculty Executive Leadership Academy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELevine\u2019s research addresses the intersection of public policy and biomedical innovation, particularly in the context of stem cells, cell therapy, and assisted reproduction. He has a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from Princeton University, a M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELevine will step down as Ivan Allen College\u2019s associate dean for research and outreach on May 31. Effective June 1, the senior associate dean for strategic initiatives position will expand to include college-wide outreach and strategic partnership efforts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn expedited internal search for the next associate dean for research will launch in summer 2026. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/richard-utz\u0022\u003ERichard Utz\u003C\/a\u003E, senior associate dean for strategic initiatives, will temporarily oversee the College\u2019s research portfolio.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/aaron-levine\u0022\u003EAaron Levine\u003C\/a\u003E will serve as interim chair for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E, effective June 1.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Aaron Levine will serve as interim chair for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, effective June 1. "}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2026-05-11 18:36:50","changed_gmt":"2026-05-11 19:11:39","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680257":{"id":"680257","type":"image","title":"Aaron-Levine-preferred.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778526686","gmt_created":"2026-05-11 19:11:26","changed":"1778526686","gmt_changed":"2026-05-11 19:11:26","alt":"Aaron Levine","file":{"fid":"264501","name":"Aaron-Levine-preferred.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/11\/Aaron-Levine-preferred.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/11\/Aaron-Levine-preferred.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1167836,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/11\/Aaron-Levine-preferred.jpg?itok=_Ei58hbF"}}},"media_ids":["680257"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMegan McRainey\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:megan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emegan.mcrainey@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689985":{"#nid":"689985","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow and Bald Head Island Conservancy Launch Research Fund, Partnership","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENorth Carolina\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bhic.org\/\u0022\u003EBald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC)\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow (GT\u00b2)\u003C\/a\u003E are pleased to announce a formal research fund and partnership between BHIC\u2019s Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability and GT\u00b2.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGT\u00b2\u0026nbsp;is a newly established research initiative at Georgia Tech that focuses on discovery science, engineering innovation, and AI-enabled decision tools to address urgent challenges at the intersection of environmental and community resilience in the Southeast. The initiative fosters research in direct service to regional communities through public-private partnerships, and it provides opportunities for graduate student engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe BHIC-GT\u00b2 research fund and partnership will pursue shared initiatives in the fields of coastal sustainability, ecosystem health, and environmental resilience. By combining BHIC\u2019s applied, field-based conservation work with Georgia Tech\u2019s expertise in technological innovation and data analysis, new opportunities for impactful research will be created through graduate student projects and community engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Partnership\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELike the GT\u00b2 initiative, BHIC\u2019s Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability was created to translate research into real-world impact. BHIC established the Johnston Center as a research partnership and education hub for sustainability initiatives on Bald Head Island, with the broader goal of advancing coastal sustainability across the Southeast. Seed funding for the Center was provided in 2021 by \u003Cstrong\u003EDick and Pat Johnston\u003C\/strong\u003E, longtime supporters of BHIC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDick, a Georgia Tech IM 1962 alumnus, and Pat Johnston shared their enthusiasm for the BHIC and Georgia Tech collaboration, noting:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are delighted to see our two favorite institutions come together through this partnership. It brings additional resources, expertise, and leadership to our shared focus on keeping the historic tagline \u2018Living in Harmony with Nature\u2019 in the hearts of future generations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E, Faculty Director of GT\u00b2 who also serves as Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor and associate chair for Research in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E with a joint appointment in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech added:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Bald Head Island Conservancy and its Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability exemplify how place\u2011based conservation and rigorous science can work together to create real impact. The Bald Head Island Conservancy\u2019s long\u2011term stewardship, research infrastructure, and commitment to translating science into action make it an ideal partner for Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow as we advance collaborative research that strengthens coastal resilience across the Southeast.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis partnership will focus on Georgia Tech graduate student research projects that use innovative technology and data analyses to directly support the conservation work of BHIC.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGraduate student research already plays an important role in BHIC\u2019s conservation efforts. \u003Cstrong\u003EGabie Krueger\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. student in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ocean.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOcean Sciences and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and BHIC\u2019s 2025-26 Johnston Graduate Fellow in Coastal Sustainability, has been working with BHIC scientists on a salt marsh ecology project that examined how ribbed mussels and fiddler crabs influence the health of Bald Head Island\u2019s dominant salt marsh grass\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ESpartina alterniflora\u003C\/em\u003E. These flora-fauna interactions serve as primary indicators of marsh health, so her research is important for understanding the resilience of Bald Head Island\u2019s salt marsh to environmental concerns such as sea-level rise and development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThrough the BHIC-GT\u00b2 partnership, Georgia Tech student researchers who work with the Conservancy will also gain invaluable experience with local conservation efforts and community engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EG. Christopher Shank, Ph.D.\u003C\/strong\u003E, Executive Director of BHIC, commented:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Bald Head Island Conservancy is thrilled about this opportunity to create a formal research partnership with Georgia Tech, one of the nation\u2019s most esteemed research universities. It is recognition of the quality of conservation studies we are currently pursuing at the Conservancy and it also augments the impact of our work for BHI and beyond because of the technological and data analysis talent that Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow will bring to this partnership.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy This Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis research fund and partnership represents an important step forward in strengthening connections between academic research and applied conservation institutions. Together, BHIC and GT\u00b2 aim to inform coastal management decisions, support resilience planning, engage students, and advance research that benefits coastal ecosystems and communities across the southeastern U.S.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdditional details about joint initiatives, research priorities, and collaborative opportunities will be shared in the coming months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Bald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC) and Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow (GT\u00b2) are pleased to announce a formal research fund and partnership between BHIC\u2019s Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability and the GT\u00b2 initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Bald Head Island Conservancy and Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow are pleased to announce a formal research fund and partnership."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2026-04-23 21:00:49","changed_gmt":"2026-05-04 18:26:45","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680049":{"id":"680049","type":"image","title":"120259-bhiconservancy-b.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EVibrant \u0027Spartina alterniflora\u0027 salt marsh grass wraps the oxbow of a tidal waterway. (Credit: Bald Head Island Conservancy)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776978094","gmt_created":"2026-04-23 21:01:34","changed":"1776978094","gmt_changed":"2026-04-23 21:01:34","alt":"Vibrant \u0027Spartina alterniflora\u0027 salt marsh grass wraps the oxbow of a tidal waterway. (Credit: Bald Head Island Conservancy)","file":{"fid":"264283","name":"120259-bhiconservancy-b.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/23\/120259-bhiconservancy-b.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/23\/120259-bhiconservancy-b.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":164976,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/23\/120259-bhiconservancy-b.jpg?itok=XyoQqRZY"}}},"media_ids":["680049"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow","title":"Georgia Tech for Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow"},{"url":"https:\/\/bhic.org\/","title":"Bald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC)"},{"url":"https:\/\/portcitydaily.com\/news-briefs\/2026\/04\/21\/bald-head-island-conservancy-announces-partnership-with-georgia-tech-for-coastal-resilience\/","title":"Port City Daily: Bald Head Island Conservancy announces partnership with Georgia Tech for coastal resilience"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wect.com\/2026\/04\/23\/bald-head-island-conservancy-georgia-tech-form-research-partnership\/","title":"WECT: Bald Head Island Conservancy, Georgia Tech form research partnership"}],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195058","name":"Georgia\u0027s Tomorrow"},{"id":"194752","name":"transforming tomorrow"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejess.hunt@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChris Shank\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EExecutive Director\u003Cbr\u003EBald Head Island Conservancy\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shank@bhic.org\u0022\u003Eshank@bhic.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690037":{"#nid":"690037","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Workshop Explores Policy Needs as Data Centers Surge in Georgia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech hosted an event on April 21 examining the rapid expansion of data centers and the social and policy issues emerging alongside the growth of AI infrastructure. The program, The Future of Data Centers: Shaping the Social and Policy Landscape of Our AI Infrastructure, was held at the Alumni House and co-sponsored by the Institute for People and Technology and the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has become the world\u2019s second-largest data center market, a shift that has brought economic opportunity as well as concerns about water use, energy demand, land development, and impacts on host communities. One recurring theme throughout the event was the tendency for environmental and resource issues to overshadow other important policy questions about community impact, transparency, and long-term governan\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntroductory remarks were made by Beril Toktay, executive director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, and Michael Best, executive director of the \u0026nbsp;Institute for People and Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVerghese Jacob, senior vice president of technology at the DayOne corporation, delivered the keynote address. Jacob discussed how DayOne works with governments in Asia to plan data centers and said early policy development and consistent communication can help communities better understand the impact and manage growth for long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships between governments and communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event also included a BBISS Connect Workshop, led by Kristin Janacek, a senior extension professional with BBISS. The workshop built on BBISS\u2019s Sustainability for Data Centers Insights Series and asked participants to contribute to a collaborative \u201cblue paper\u201d intended to guide future research partnerships and responses to funding opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo panel discussions explored the social and political dimensions of data center development. The first, moderated by Cindy Lin, an assistant professor in the School of Interactive Computing, focused on international perspectives. Panelists included Celine Benoit of the Atlanta Regional Commission, Matthew Wesley Williams of Groundswell, Kahlil Bostick of Ryan Companies, and Ding Wang of Google Research. They discussed global examples of community-centered planning and the need for transparency in negotiations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA second panel, moderated by Allen Hyde, an associate professor in the School of History and Sociology, examined collaboration between communities and government agencies. Panelists were Georgia Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard; Donnie Beamer, senior technology advisor for the City of Atlanta; \u003Cem\u003EAtlanta Journal-Constitution\u003C\/em\u003E reporter Zachary Hansen; and Michael Czajkowski, director of advocacy for Science for Georgia. The group highlighted the importance of proactive regulation and clear communication with residents as data center development accelerates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpeakers throughout the day emphasized that Atlanta\u2019s continued growth in the data center sector will require coordinated planning and meaningful engagement with affected communities. The event closed with a call for all stakeholders to be proactive about creating policies that balance the technological and economic promise of the data center building boom with environmental and community concerns.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech hosted an event on April 21 examining the rapid expansion of data centers and the social and policy issues emerging alongside the growth of AI infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech hosted an event on April 21 examining the rapid expansion of data centers and the social and policy issues emerging alongside the growth of AI infrastructure. "}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 14:37:48","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 15:09:40","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680095":{"id":"680095","type":"image","title":"Data Center Event April 21","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELeft: panelists Cindy Lin, Celine Benoit, Matthew Williams, Ding Wang, and Kahil Bostick. Center: Michael Best and Verghese Jacob. Right: panelists Allen Hyde, Michael Czajkowski, Zachary Hansen, and Donnie Beamer. Not pictured: Peter Hubbard who joined virtually.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777472884","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 14:28:04","changed":"1777473166","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 14:32:46","alt":"Left: panelists Cindy Lin, Celine Benoit, Matthew Williams, Ding Wang, and Kahil Bostick. Center: Michael Best and Verghese Jacob. Right: panelists Allen Hyde, Michael Czajkowski, Zachary Hansen, and Donnie Beamer. Not pictured: Peter Hubbard who joined virtually.","file":{"fid":"264334","name":"3-picsvz.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/3-picsvz.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/3-picsvz.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":676457,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/3-picsvz.jpg?itok=6Gg1IwE9"}},"680096":{"id":"680096","type":"image","title":"Beril Toktay","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBeril Toktay delivering the welcome and introductory remarks to the attendees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777473185","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 14:33:05","changed":"1777473423","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 14:37:03","alt":"Beril Toktay delivering the welcome and introductory remarks to the attendees. ","file":{"fid":"264335","name":"55223655864_8a2763107c_b.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/55223655864_8a2763107c_b.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/55223655864_8a2763107c_b.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":244664,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/55223655864_8a2763107c_b.jpg?itok=x_7ZW6mN"}}},"media_ids":["680095","680096"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690035":{"#nid":"690035","#data":{"type":"news","title":"LMC Students \u2018Dream Big\u2019 With Boys and Girls Clubs of America Commercial ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Boys and Girls Club Digital Growth Director Tiffany Simmons met with Georgia Tech students at the organization\u2019s national headquarters in January, her directive was simple: \u0022dream big.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat challenge served as the catalyst for a collaboration between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Literature, Media, and Communication\u003C\/a\u003E (LMC) and the Boys and Girls Clubs that has culminated in a commercial that\u2019s now slated for national distribution. The project will serve as a strong portfolio item for the students as they pursue future opportunities in film production while helping build awareness and donations for the Boys and Girls Clubs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was very exciting to get to work on something with such a big impact and real-life application,\u201d said Lila Parker, the project\u2019s student director. She will graduate this Spring with a degree in Literature, Media, and Communication.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker\u2019s vision was selected from a series of competitive pitches delivered by six students enrolled in a special topics cinematography course overseen by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/john-thornton\u0022\u003EJohn Thornton\u003C\/a\u003E, LMC\u0027s director of film and media. Students Charity Dawson, Jordan Green, Natalie Howlette, Taylor Lee, and Erica Yun comprised the crew and took on various roles to make the commercial a reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDuring our first meeting, Tiffany told us to dream big. That stuck with me and evolved into the concept for the ad, which I titled, \u2018Not Just a Dream,\u2019 Parker said. \u201cThe ad starts with a kid sleeping and transitions into a whimsical, dreamy sequence showing pursuits like art and athletics. It then switches to show that this is actually reality for these kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs. The message is that the club provides the resources to make these big dreams come true.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe partnership originated when Simmons sought a fresh perspective from a younger demographic to modernize the organization\u2019s creative content.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe production involved a two-day shoot, including location filming at a Boys and Girls Club venue and studio work in the Skiles Building, where students designed and constructed their own sets.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond academic credit, participants gained hands-on experience in pre-production, script finalization, and equipment coordination.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EThe resulting commercial will be integrated into the Boys and Girls Clubs\u2019 paid advertising on television and YouTube to drive awareness and donations. Simmons said she intends to share those metrics with the students to help bolster their resumes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn my twelve years of marketing, these students are by far the most advanced I have ever worked with,\u201d Simmons said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative, which Simmons said she expects will become an annual partnership, highlights LMC\u0027s commitment to providing students with industry-standard opportunities that bridge the gap between the classroom and the professional media landscape, according to Thornton.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous advantage for college graduates who are interested in pursuing film as a career to leave school with meaningful real-world examples of the kind of work they\u2019re capable of doing,\u201d he said. \u201cThese are the kinds of opportunities we\u2019re excited to offer at LMC, and we\u2019re grateful to the Boys and Girls Club for the opportunity to partner on this great project.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe School of Literature, Media, and Communication offers a concentration in media, including film, as part of the Bachelor of Science in Literature, Media, and Communication, as well as a \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lmc.gatech.edu\/programs\/minors\/film-media-studies\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eminor in film and media studies\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication developed and filmed a commercial for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication developed and filmed a commercial for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2026-04-29 12:30:35","changed_gmt":"2026-04-29 12:48:12","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680090":{"id":"680090","type":"image","title":"lmc bgca commercial shoot","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStudent Lila Parker, operating camera, directed \u0022Not Just a Dream,\u0022 a commercial for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777466093","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 12:34:53","changed":"1777466093","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 12:34:53","alt":"A student operates a camera while two other students confer in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264329","name":"Image--3-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Image--3-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/Image--3-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":168676,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/Image--3-.jpg?itok=SIvJwDuK"}}},"media_ids":["680090"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689952":{"#nid":"689952","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Communicating During a Crisis","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E- written by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe North American hurricane season is, for many on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, six months of vigilance, and among the resources most likely to be consulted during this time are storm tracking maps. If you learn that your home might be in the path of a storm, you probably actively search for the most current version of one of these maps. Bruce Walker, a professor in the schools of Psychology and Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech, wants to ensure that storm-tracking maps and other emergency and environmental communication tools convey the most important information in the most understandable manner to the largest number of people possible. \u201cWeather and climate affect every single person on Earth,\u201d he said, \u201cso no one can be left behind when it comes to these critical communications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalker is director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cicc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Inclusive Climate Communication\u003C\/a\u003E (CICC) at Georgia Tech. CICC is a new and growing consortium of researchers, organizations, agencies, and companies whose goal is to ensure that climate information of all types is widely accessible. The center is housed in the School of Psychology but has affiliated faculty from all around campus, and several universities around the U.S. CICC is expanding internationally as well, developing sub-networks in Europe, Africa, and Australia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of its efforts, the CICC is working with the coastal city of Brunswick, Georgia. Situated about 65 miles northeast of Jacksonville, Florida, Brunswick is no stranger to hurricanes and tropical storms. The city is working to develop a comprehensive Community-Based Emergency Warning System, which will include maps and other emergency communications that ensure language, culture, level of education, or other differences in lived experience are not barriers to residents understanding critical safety information. This work is supported by the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) and the Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE) through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/sustainability\/seed-grants\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E Seed Grant Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHurricane maps and related information can come from many sources. Government agencies, municipal emergency management agencies, media outlets, and meteorological organizations all may have their own versions, which vary in how they visually display data. The information used to generate the maps is collected and distributed to the public domain by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) every few hours. The maps that the public sees show the important information that one would expect, but they may not do so with an eye for how different people might interpret, or misinterpret, that info.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnce we determine the best way to present hurricane data to the most people, we will work with content providers to standardize the way they generate these resources,\u201d says Walker. \u201cReliable data and what we call inclusive communications lead to better decisions by the public.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CICC investigators\u2019 process aspires to the philosophy of Universal Design, but since no design can be 100% universal, they refer to what they create as \u201cinclusive designs.\u201d Inclusive design means adapting to the diverse needs of the broadest possible audience. Since the language skills, education, lived experience, and physical ability of the person in the storm\u2019s path can vary, these maps must present information in many alternative ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor those who can see the map, for example, improving the visual design (e.g., a better use of symbols and a clearer visual layout) can help. For those with vision impairment, adding audio layers (called \u201csonification\u201d) to the map can help. For many people, simply comprehending a map can itself be a challenge. In that case, adding more explanations about how to interpret a map, what different terms mean, and what the storm is likely to do can make it more understandable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of these strategies provide multiple means of accessing, understanding, and acting on the data represented by the map. When studying how to design inclusive maps, soliciting input and suggestions from as many different potential users as possible helps the CICC team ensure that vital information is understandable and useful to the most people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of CICC\u2019s primary goals is to take lessons from their research projects, such as the inclusive hurricane map, and derive general principles for the effective design of emergency communications tools of all types. While every disaster, from floods and wildfires to tsunamis, tornadoes, and ice storms, will require the distribution of unique pieces of data, the CICC researchers and their community partners are identifying design strategies that will make these communications understandable and actionable to everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWalker and other CICC researchers engage students in this work. Isabella Martincic, a Ph.D. student in engineering psychology, shepherds many of the center\u2019s research and design efforts, including AccessCORPS, a team that makes educational materials more inclusive and accessible. Jessica Herring and Ishan Vepa, students in the M.S. program in human-computer interaction, have led the hurricane map project, including overhauling existing maps from recent storms by applying CICC design guidelines to them. And undergraduate student Cal Price has been the lead researcher on the Brunswick collaboration, engaging with both community members and civic officials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese efforts \u2014 adding more features, revamping existing maps, and consulting with weather experts and end users \u2014 demonstrate how seemingly simple changes can lead to significantly better interpretations of the data by the target audience. The research behind the inclusive hurricane maps will be presented at the 23rd International Web for All Conference, which takes place later this year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECICC researchers are also engaging in partnerships with companies that see the potential benefits of this approach. Data visualization company Highcharts, for example, is a supporter and collaborator. Since their business models revolve around distributing such information, they have a keen interest in the lessons learned from CICC research. CICC does not regard its findings as intellectual property; they prefer that good design guidelines proliferate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUltimately, our goal is for anyone to be able to look at a communication tool, quickly grasp critical pieces of information that may impact their lives and well-being, and take appropriate actions,\u201d Walker said, \u201cwhether that be for the daily weather or for an impending natural disaster.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe North American hurricane season is, for many on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, six months of vigilance, and among the resources most likely to be consulted during this time are storm tracking maps. If you learn that your home might be in the path of a storm, you probably actively search for the most current version of one of these maps.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Center for Inclusive Climate Communication (CICC) at Georgia Tech is a new and growing consortium of researchers, organizations, agencies, and companies whose goal is to ensure that climate and disaster information of all types is widely accessible."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-04-22 22:23:47","changed_gmt":"2026-04-24 19:26:17","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680036":{"id":"680036","type":"image","title":"SideBySide_Hurricane_Maps.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776896796","gmt_created":"2026-04-22 22:26:36","changed":"1776896882","gmt_changed":"2026-04-22 22:28:02","alt":"Side\u2011by\u2011side comparison graphic showing two hurricane forecast visualizations. The left panel, labeled \u2018Conventional Hurricane Map,\u2019 displays a white cone of uncertainty over the Atlantic Ocean and southeastern United States with dated forecast points for Hurricane Florence, while the right panel, labeled \u2018Inclusive Hurricane Map,\u2019 shows a red shaded impact corridor over Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina with a storm track line and icons indicating storm categories near cities such as Atlanta, T","file":{"fid":"264270","name":"SideBySide_Hurricane_Maps.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/SideBySide_Hurricane_Maps.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/SideBySide_Hurricane_Maps.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":811363,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/SideBySide_Hurricane_Maps.jpg?itok=K8l-PK_h"}}},"media_ids":["680036"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1937","name":"Bruce Walker"},{"id":"195054","name":"Center for Inclusive Climate Communications"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"10617","name":"resilience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}