{"693191":{"#nid":"693191","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI\u2019s Jie Xu Named OTL\u2019s \u2018Innovator of the Year\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003Eie Xu, Ph.D., a principal research scientist and head of the Chemical and Biological Systems Branch at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has been named Innovator of the Year at Georgia Tech\u2019s inaugural Innovator Awards Celebration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresented by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/licensing.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing (OTL)\u003C\/a\u003E, the awards recognize researchers and inventors whose work demonstrates a strong commitment to moving Georgia Tech discoveries beyond the laboratory and toward real-world applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXu was selected from among Georgia Tech inventors in recognition of her commitment to commercialization and her efforts to translate research into technologies that can address practical challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer research spans analytical chemistry, sensor development, nanotechnology, and water treatment, with applications that include food safety, medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and pathogen detection. Her work has included developing optical sensing technologies for rapid chemical and biological detection, supported through collaborations with government agencies, industry, and other research organizations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat emphasis on moving research into the field reflects the purpose of the Innovator Awards and OTL\u2019s broader mission of helping Georgia Tech intellectual property reach the marketplace through licensing, startup companies, and industry partnerships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXu earned her doctorate in analytical chemistry from Georgia Tech and has built a research career around technologies intended to solve real-world problems. She previously was recognized as a Regents\u2019 Researcher by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, its highest honor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Innovator of the Year recognition highlights not only Xu\u2019s technical research, but also the process required to move promising discoveries toward practical use. Commercialization can connect researchers with industry partners, entrepreneurs, and other organizations that can develop laboratory innovations into products and technologies with broader societal impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the inaugural Innovator Awards Celebration, OTL is highlighting Georgia Tech researchers who have embraced that process and helped extend the impact of Institute research beyond campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EXu\u2019s selection as Innovator of the Year recognizes her contributions to that effort and GTRI\u2019s continuing role in developing applied research that moves from innovative ideas to solutions with meaningful real-world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EQ\u0026amp;A With Jie Xu\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: \u0026nbsp;What does being named Georgia Tech\u2019s Innovator of the Year mean to you, particularly given that the recognition emphasizes moving research toward commercialization and real-world use?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EReceiving this recognition is deeply humbling, especially knowing how much groundbreaking work happens across Georgia Tech every day. What makes this award particularly special to me is its emphasis on translation and commercialization.\u003Cbr\u003EResearch achieves its fullest potential when it leaves the lab and improves lives, industries, or the environment. Translating early-stage science into commercialized, real-world solutions is rarely a linear path\u2014it takes resilience, multidisciplinary teamwork, and an entrepreneurial mindset. This honor belongs just as much to my collaborators, lab team, and partners who share the commitment to moving technology from concept to application. To have Georgia Tech recognize our work through the lens of real-world impact is both a rewarding milestone and a powerful motivation to keep pushing our innovations further out into the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: \u0026nbsp;What is one example from your research where the path from an interesting scientific result to something potentially useful in the real world was especially clear to you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWith our wastewater adsorbent research, getting high target-specific capture in a beaker was a great first step, but the path to a real-world tool wasn\u0027t clear until we figured out capture and recovery. Fine adsorbents disperse quickly, but pulling them back out of thousands of gallons of water is where applied nanotech usually breaks down. Once we demonstrated a rapid, economical way to capture and reuse the spent media, that lab result became a truly scalable, field-ready solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: \u0026nbsp;What is the hardest part of translating research into something that can actually be commercialized or adopted by users, and what have you learned about overcoming that gap?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETranslating research into a commercial product requires accepting that benchtop success is just the starting point; the real test is building resilience through real-world deployment. With sensor development, achieving high sensitivity in clean, controlled samples is relatively easy. The fundamental commercialization barrier is data consistency when exposing sensors to raw field matrices with shifting background chemistry, biofouling, and suspended solids. We learned that you rarely anticipate every environmental challenge from day one; robustness evolves over time through field testing and continuous iteration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: \u0026nbsp;How has working at GTRI, with its emphasis on applied research and sponsor needs, influenced the way you think about innovation and commercialization?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGTRI\u2019s applied research culture thrives on close industry partnerships. Working directly with partners gives us an unfiltered view of the real problem space and operational needs. It ensures commercialization isn\u0027t an afterthought, but an evolutionary design process driven by partner feedback, turning high-performance lab concepts into scalable, field-deployable technologies that solve genuine industrial challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: \u0026nbsp;For researchers who may have promising technology but have never pursued licensing or commercialization, what would you encourage them to do differently, or earlier, in the research process?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMy biggest advice is to step out of the lab and talk to end-users and industry partners as early as possible to confirm that the problem you are solving actually exists and that the technology is genuinely needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQ: \u0026nbsp;Complete this sentence: \u201cI knew I was a researcher when \u2026\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EI knew I was a researcher when I felt that incredible excitement of cracking a tough problem at the lab bench. Experiencing the rush of a major breakthrough and realizing how much I loved the hands-on problem-solving process is what made me realize research was my calling.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJie Xu, Ph.D., a principal research scientist and head of the Chemical and Biological Systems Branch at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has been named Innovator of the Year at Georgia Tech\u2019s inaugural Innovator Awards Celebration, presented by Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing (OTL).\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Jie Xu, Ph.D., a principal research scientist and head of the Chemical and Biological Systems Branch at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has been named Innovator of the Year at Georgia Tech\u2019s inaugural Innovator Awards Celebration."}],"uid":"35875","created_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:29:48","changed_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:32:35","author":"cweems8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681403":{"id":"681403","type":"image","title":"Jie-Xu--lab-coat--505X760.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJie Xu, Ph.D.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791808215","gmt_created":"2026-10-12 12:30:15","changed":"1791808215","gmt_changed":"2026-10-12 12:30:15","alt":"Jie Xu","file":{"fid":"265806","name":"Jie-Xu--lab-coat--505X760.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/12\/Jie-Xu--lab-coat--505X760.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/12\/Jie-Xu--lab-coat--505X760.png","mime":"image\/png","size":337450,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/12\/Jie-Xu--lab-coat--505X760.png?itok=xoFYfVgp"}}},"media_ids":["681403"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"194609","name":"Industry"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"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":["cweems8@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"693189":{"#nid":"693189","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Cybersecurity Expert Appointed to Georgia Emergency Communications Authority Board","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) cybersecurity researcher Trevor Lewis, Ph.D., has been appointed to the state board that helps safeguard Georgia\u2019s evolving 911 infrastructure. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Lewis to serve on the Board of Directors of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/911.georgia.gov\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA).\u003C\/a\u003E Lewis will serve as the board\u2019s cybersecurity subject-matter expert, a position recently created as Georgia expands and modernizes its emergency communications capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis, a principal research scientist in GTRI\u2019s Cybersecurity, Information Protection, and Hardware Evaluation Research Laboratory (CIPHER), has had a wide-ranging career spanning law enforcement, information technology, and advanced cybersecurity research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis was sworn in at the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday, Oct. 8. At the ceremony, held in Gov. Brian Kemp\u0027s office, Lewis was joined by a large contingent of family members.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis was sworn in by Kemp. With his hand raised, he \u0022solemnly\u0022 swore to \u0022discharge and perform all the duties required of a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority, according to the best of my ability and understanding.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/webwise.gtri.gatech.edu\/image\/0c1a0090jpg\u0022\u003E0C1A0090.jpg\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/webwise.gtri.gatech.edu\/system\/files\/0C1A0090.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022 Christopher J. Moore, GTRI)\u0022 width=\u00228192\u0022 height=\u00225464\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETrevor Lewis now holds a key position protecting the people of Georgia. (Photo: Christopher J. Moore, GTRI)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe appointment comes as emergency communications systems increasingly depend on interconnected digital networks, making cybersecurity an integral part of public safety. Georgia law now requires the governor to appoint a cybersecurity subject-matter expert to serve on GECA\u2019s board. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/legiscan.com\/GA\/bill\/HB423\/2025\u0022\u003EHouse Bill 423\u003C\/a\u003E, which passed in May 2025, established this requirement and expanded\u0026nbsp;GECA\u2019s responsibilities for developing and implementing Next Generation 911, or NG911, across Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENG911 represents a significant technological evolution from traditional 911 systems. Georgia law defines it as an Internet Protocol-based system designed to be secure, resilient, redundant, and interoperable. In addition to voice calls, NG911 infrastructure supports other forms of emergency communications and associated data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat increased capability also creates a larger and more complex digital environment that must be protected from an increasingly broad cybersecurity threat landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 2025 legislation also directs GECA to establish and operate a network management center in coordination with cybersecurity subject-matter experts to protect the ESInet, core services, and public safety answering points. The authority is also responsible for monitoring network performance and coordinating technical standards intended to create an interconnected and interoperable statewide system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis brings experience to that mission from both sides of the cybersecurity \u201cbattlefield.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis research at GTRI encompasses offensive and defensive cybersecurity topics, including penetration testing, red teaming, cyber threat emulation, defensive cyberspace operations, and threat hunting, among many others. His work frequently involves approaching systems from an adversary\u2019s perspective to identify weaknesses before a malicious actor can exploit them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt GTRI, our team frequently collaborates with government and commercial organizations to simulate cyber-attacker techniques, identify system vulnerabilities, and design strategies to bolster defenses against real threats,\u201d Lewis said in an interview.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis has applied those skills to critical infrastructure and national security challenges. His GTRI work has included cybersecurity research involving electric power systems and other operational technology environments. In one Georgia Tech research effort, Lewis and other GTRI red-team researchers tested the security of electric utility technology by attempting the types of malicious actions a real-world attacker might use. He has also researched ways to detect abnormal cyber activity within electric power systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore recently, Lewis has contributed to Georgia Tech research designed to help hospitals identify, track, and mitigate vulnerabilities in network-connected medical devices, another environment in which cybersecurity failures can have consequences extending well beyond information technology systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat background is particularly relevant as 911 systems become more interconnected and can carry increasingly diverse forms of digital information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis also brings prior law enforcement experience to the appointment, giving him a perspective that bridges cybersecurity technology and the operational realities of public safety. Before joining GTRI, Lewis served in law enforcement and later worked in network and security engineering before moving into advanced cybersecurity research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Lewis, effective cybersecurity requires understanding not only how systems are intended to work, but how an adversary might attempt to make them fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo excel in cybersecurity, one must master the art of thinking like an adversary,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cRegardless of your chosen cybersecurity specialization, you must constantly challenge assumptions by asking, \u2018How can X be broken?\u2019 This mindset uncovers hidden flaws before malicious actors can exploit them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELewis said his work has been particularly meaningful when it helps protect systems whose reliability has real-world consequences. This vital work ties into the tenets of GTRI\u2019s mission to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e354d0895a932ac66157a5cccdf432d81\u0022\u003EImprove the human condition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5277b5b8bb97820b7c28a01a365be15d\u0022\u003EEnhance State of Georgia economic development.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e839b4c2fa95c27f5a24abf12f9e723dc\u0022\u003EServe national security.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe greatest fulfillment comes from realizing my contributions to enhancing the security of power grids, critical infrastructure, and national defense systems against genuine cyber threats,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis new role with GECA extends that mission to another form of critical infrastructure: the communications systems Georgians rely on when they need help most.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGTRI cybersecurity researcher Trevor Lewis, Ph.D., has been appointed to the state board that helps safeguard Georgia\u2019s evolving 911 infrastructure. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Lewis to serve on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA). Lewis will serve as the board\u2019s cybersecurity subject-matter expert, a position recently created as Georgia expands and modernizes its emergency communications capabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Trevor Lewis will be a subject matter expert for agency that manages Georgia\u0027s 911 systems."}],"uid":"35875","created_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:23:38","changed_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:23:38","author":"cweems8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["cweems8@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"693188":{"#nid":"693188","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech AI Symposium Connects Research and the Future Workforce","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers, educators, students, and industry leaders met at Exhibition Hall on Sept. 28 for the Tech AI Symposium to address the challenge of turning AI research into practical tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo morning panels explored research collaboration and workforce adaptation, while an afternoon student poster session and a concurrent Tech AI Career Fair connected the discussions with research and career opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Cstrong\u003ETim Brown\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s academic program director for AI, helping people find the right expertise is a practical starting point. When people ask how to become involved in AI research and partnerships, he said, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ETech AI\u003C\/a\u003E can help connect their interests with researchers and projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe get these inquiries every day,\u201d Brown said. He encouraged students to share their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s and areas of interest, and to seek out faculty whose research methods and fields of study align with their goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech AI\u2019s broader purpose is to help industry, government, and other organizations move from research ideas to AI systems they can put to use. Part of the university-wide Georgia Tech AI ecosystem, Tech AI draws on expertise across the Institute\u2019s colleges and schools, interdisciplinary research institutes, AI institutes, advanced computing infrastructure, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/webwise.gtri.gatech.edu\/system\/files\/AI%20Symposium%20panel%20moderated%20by%20Tim%20Brown_1.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022The \u0026quot;How Tech AI Collaborates\u0026quot; panel, moderated by Tim Brown (left), featured (left-right) Belinda Vogel, Kevin Dalmeijer, and Jeffrey Young.\u0022 width=\u0022800\u0022 height=\u0022450\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u0022How Tech AI Collaborates\u0022 panel, moderated by Brown, examined what it takes to make those partnerships work, particularly when research depends on sensitive information or creates intellectual property.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBelinda Vogel\u003C\/strong\u003E, research engagement manager for the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute and the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, described plans to open advanced manufacturing capabilities to remote users in academia and industry. Such access could extend the reach of research facilities, but it also raises questions about how companies can benefit from AI while keeping their data private.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKevin Dalmeijer\u003C\/strong\u003E, a senior research associate in Georgia Tech\u2019s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and managing director of the NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization, described safeguards used in projects involving sensitive or controlled data. Those measures can restrict where information is stored, how students access it, and which AI tools they can use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDalmeijer also discussed internships that divide a student\u2019s time between Georgia Tech research and work embedded within a company. Establishing clear boundaries at the outset, he said, helps distinguish academic research from company-specific implementations and clarifies expectations for data and intellectual property.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrown brought \u003Cstrong\u003EAjay Upadhyaya\u003C\/strong\u003E, Tech AI\u2019s associate director for research administration, from the audience into the discussion to explain another approach. Upadhyaya described developing foundational models with synthetic data, allowing students to publish academic work, then defining separate ownership for work incorporating a company\u2019s proprietary data. He emphasized the importance of clearly specifying those boundaries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe panel also looked toward emerging computing capabilities. \u003Cstrong\u003EJeffrey Young\u003C\/strong\u003E, a Georgia Tech principal research scientist working with the Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment, discussed how AI could help researchers improve quantum systems and determine how best to map applications onto quantum hardware. His remarks pointed to a relationship in which AI can support the development of other computing technologies, even as researchers continue exploring their potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second panel, \u201cWorkforce Adaptation in the Age of AI,\u201d shifted the focus to the people learning and working with these tools. Moderator \u003Cstrong\u003ELeigh Hopkins\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Economic Development Research, described a workforce being asked to adapt while the technology itself rapidly changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Joyner\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s interim vice provost for AI in Education and executive director of its Online Master of Science in Computer Science program, said AI familiarity is moving toward becoming an expected professional skill. He compared that transition with an earlier era when applicants listed typing speed on their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s before such capabilities became \u201cbaseline.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople still need the knowledge and judgment to do the underlying work themselves, Joyner said. Learning to use AI must be paired with learning to evaluate its output and avoid overreliance on the technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech faculty are exploring that balance through classroom experimentation, from changing assignments to developing tools tailored to particular courses. Joyner described the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/academic-ai-playbook\/\u0022\u003EAcademic AI Playbook\u003C\/a\u003E as a way to share what individual instructors tried, the challenges they encountered, and what others might learn from their experiences. The 2026 edition includes 67 faculty-authored articles and 20 lessons drawn from classroom experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoyner also raised a longer-term question for employers and educators: If AI takes on tasks traditionally assigned to entry-level employees, how will those employees gain the experience needed to advance? He suggested that evaluating work, framing problems, and defining clear requirements will become increasingly important as people take responsibility for directing AI-assisted work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech alum Brian Greene, an operations and supply-chain executive, brought the discussion back to organizational decision-making. Companies can become so focused on acquiring an AI tool, he said, that they overlook the business need it is supposed to address.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat\u2019s the problem you\u2019re trying to solve?\u201d Greene asked. He urged organizations to begin with that question and work backward to the capabilities and partnerships they need. For smaller businesses with limited resources, choosing a tool without a clear purpose can be especially costly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENarayanan (KK) Krishnakumar, chief technology officer at Delta Air Lines, offered examples of AI at work in a large organization. He described systems that help optimize baggage routing and generative AI tools that summarize information for customer-service employees. Across those applications, he emphasized the continuing need to verify AI-generated information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor both Krishnakumar and Greene, the qualities employers value remain the same as they have traditionally been: curiosity, problem-solving, collaboration, and an ability to deliver results. AI fluency adds to those capabilities while making sound judgments about data and answers all the more necessary.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/webwise.gtri.gatech.edu\/system\/files\/20260928_130755_corrected.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022Student poster session during the Georgia Tech AI Symposium. (Photo: Christopher Weems, GTRI)\u0022 width=\u00221960\u0022 height=\u00221422\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe afternoon poster session demonstrated how widely those questions now reach. Student projects explored trustworthy optimization, AI agents and responsible design alongside research on education, city planning and biomedical diagnostics. Other work addressed materials discovery and sustainable material selection, quantum chemistry, signal analysis, and AI that could support aging in place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA well-attended career fair ran simultaneously with the symposium. In a large auditorium filled with company booths, students lined up to meet employers as both sides sought to connect research with potential positive industry outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe challenges of turning artificial intelligence research into useful tools brought Georgia Tech researchers, educators, students, and industry leaders together Sept. 28 at Exhibition Hall for the Tech AI Symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The challenges of turning artificial intelligence research into useful tools brought Georgia Tech researchers, educators, students, and industry leaders together Sept. 28 at Exhibition Hall for the Tech AI Symposium."}],"uid":"35875","created_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:15:08","changed_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:15:08","author":"cweems8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["cweems8@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"693187":{"#nid":"693187","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Space Week Showcases the Institute\u2019s Space Research Enterprise","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHeld Sept. 22\u201325, Space Week brought together researchers, students, government representatives, industry professionals and entrepreneurs. Organized by Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute (SRI), the gathering drew more than 200 registrants. It featured approximately 100 presentations, posters, keynotes and invited talks, according to \u003Cstrong\u003EJud Ready\u003C\/strong\u003E, a principal research engineer at GTRI and SRI\u2019s executive director.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a week-long event celebrating the different types of\u0026nbsp;space research we\u2019ve got going on at Georgia Tech, as well as the entrepreneurship,\u201d Ready said. Ready added that the Institute\u0027s and Space Week\u0027s reach extends far beyond Georgia Tech. He noted that Space Week\u0027s\u0026nbsp;roster of speakers included leading experts from\u0026nbsp;industry and military research organizations such as Aerospace Corp. and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as well as academic institutions such as Georgia State University, the State University of New York at Albany, the University of Michigan, San Diego State University, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady said that Space Week highlighted the collaborative nature of SRI, as it continuously works with institutions and companies that support the three foundational pillars of SRI:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e559a7fa571e21210c0646542f5d4f8ed\u0022\u003EResearch and Development (R\u0026amp;D).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ead52e875ba0608c9b8c21100e65fe1d8\u0022\u003EEducation.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e552a8198441844872148f7443eb34e7a\u0022\u003ECommercialization\/Entrepreneurship.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace Week\u2019s sponsors underscored SRI\u2019s ability to bring together a broad network of collaborators extending well beyond Georgia Tech\u2019s Atlanta home. Support came from Amazon; CreationsVC, Mantis Space and Varda Space Industries; Deleon.bio, Reed Smith and the Georgia Center of Innovation; and Nelson Mullins, Qcells and West Coast Solutions. The roster connected Georgia\u2019s space community with companies across the country, including\u0026nbsp; Varda Space Industries\u0026nbsp;and West Coast Solutions, which are based on the other coast\u0026nbsp;in California.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event highlighted the breadth of research across sensing, materials, computing, policy, and human exploration. Participants examined problems that demand expertise from multiple disciplines. SRI provides a home for those connections, bringing together faculty, staff, and students whose work contributes to space exploration and discovery. Space Week made it visible through research presentations, conversations about new collaborations, and student projects supported by the institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGTRI\u0027s Role\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI, the applied research arm of Georgia Tech, played a significant role during Space Week and in the Institute\u2019s growing contributions to research on the technical challenges of reaching space and operating there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Peterson\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of GTRI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/severestorms.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESevere Storms Research Center (SSRC),\u003C\/a\u003E organized the Terrestrial and Space Weather session and presented FulminoSat, a concept examining severe-weather lightning signals as a space-based sensing opportunity for studying ionospheric effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElena Plis\u003C\/strong\u003E, a senior research engineer in the Electro-Optical System Laboratory (EOSL), led a program on the weathering of materials in space, where researchers considered how exposure changes the materials spacecraft depend on. GTRI\u2019s \u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Gaylo\u003C\/strong\u003E, a senior research engineer in the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory (ATAS), presented SolarWing, a bio-inspired deployment system for solar arrays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a track dedicated to hypersonics, GTRI\u0026nbsp;ATAS laboratory researcher\u0026nbsp;and GT Regents\u0027 Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EKrish Ahuja\u003C\/strong\u003E spoke on the HyperSat project. Graduate Research Assistant \u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Milone\u003C\/strong\u003E presented on GTRI\u0027s experimental hypersonic test capabilities. At the same time, ATAS senior research engineer \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Forbes\u003C\/strong\u003E discussed hypersonic computational fluid dynamics. Those topics highlighted complementary approaches to understanding flight under extreme conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAhuja, one of the foremost experts in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hypersonics.research.gatech.edu\/about\u0022\u003Ehypersonics\u003C\/a\u003E and a pioneer in the field, led the track alongside ATAS\u0026nbsp;laboratory Principal Research Engineer \u003Cstrong\u003ERob Funk\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding what surrounds a spacecraft is another essential part of protecting it. That challenge anchored a session organized by \u003Cstrong\u003EDouglas Hope\u003C\/strong\u003E, who moved from GTRI to Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Physics at the end of August.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHope described space domain awareness as a progression: detect an object, track its orbit, identify it, and use that knowledge to predict its behavior. Distinguishing an operational satellite from debris requires more than knowing where a point of light appears in the sky.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEssentially, where is it? What is it? What is it doing?\u201d Hope said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe described an SRI-supported initiative to establish a center for space domain awareness research, connecting expertise in physics, engineering, policy and machine learning. The effort seeks to bring researchers across schools together to pursue opportunities that draw on their combined strengths.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHope\u2019s own presentation examined the difficult problem of detecting faint objects near bright satellites. Optical sensing and image analysis could help reveal objects that would otherwise be obscured, providing a clearer understanding of a spacecraft\u2019s surroundings. His move to Physics carries that research forward while strengthening connections between GTRI experience and Georgia Tech\u2019s academic community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPolicy discussions explored how those technical capabilities fit within the rules and relationships governing space activity. \u003Cstrong\u003EMariel Borowitz\u003C\/strong\u003E, an associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and an SRI associate director, emphasized the connections among engineering, policy, and international affairs. Topics included orbital sustainability, commercial activity, and the choices governments make about space programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s really those interconnections that give Georgia Tech an edge,\u201d Borowitz said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAstronauts - Past and Future\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESandra Magnus\u003C\/strong\u003E, a former NASA astronaut and now a Georgia Tech professor of the practice, brought an operational perspective to the evolution of human spaceflight and the changing relationship between government and commercial providers. Her discussion linked decisions about future destinations with the institutions and partnerships needed to reach them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace Week also demonstrated that Georgia Tech\u2019s role extends to preparing the people who will build, test, and maintain future aerospace systems. Ready and \u003Cstrong\u003EStephen Ruffin\u003C\/strong\u003E, interim chair and a professor at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech and director of NASA\u2019s Georgia Space Grant Consortium, discussed the Southeast Space Technology and Aerospace Readiness Skills initiative (SE-STARS).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech leads the Georgia hub in NASA\u2019s inaugural cohort of seven Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/nasa-state-hubs\/\u0022\u003ENASA State Hubs\u003C\/a\u003E. Announced in August, the national initiative has awarded approximately $10.5 million across the seven institutions. Georgia Tech\u2019s SE-STARS award provides $1.5 million over three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENASA Associate Administrator for STEM Engagement Elaine Ho described the program\u2019s origins and workforce priorities during her Space Week keynote. NASA had convened the inaugural hub leaders in Houston just the previous week, underscoring how early Georgia Tech is helping shape this new effort.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe hubs are designed to connect employers, education providers and workforce organizations around technical careers such as machining, electronics, welding and systems integration. These jobs require substantial expertise, with many offering pathways that do not require a bachelor\u2019s degree.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERuffin serves as principal investigator for SE-STARS, with Ready among its co-principal investigators. Partners include SRI, the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, the Technical College System of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and aerospace employers. The Technical College System\u2019s 22 colleges and 88 campuses give the partnership statewide reach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal is to connect education with industry needs through relevant curricula, credentials, and practical experience. For Georgia Tech, leading an inaugural hub creates an opportunity to help develop a model for aerospace workforce preparation while extending access to careers across Georgia and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents at Space Week showed what taking responsibility for a mission can look like well before a first industry job. Georgia Tech aerospace engineering undergraduates Bella Diedrich and Gabriel Buggi presented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.southeastanalog.org\/\u0022\u003ESoutheast Analog\u003C\/a\u003E, a student-led program that simulates space missions on Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore than 100 students have contributed as mission designers, investigators, analog astronauts, and flight controllers, the presenters said. Early SRI funding helped the team purchase equipment and support selection and training activities, turning an ambitious concept into an operational program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn August mission placed analog astronauts in Arkansas and flight controllers in Georgia, with a simulated 20-minute communications delay in each direction. That separation required participants to plan carefully, communicate clearly, and make decisions without the convenience of an immediate reply. Students gained experience with the technical and human demands of mission operations while developing a more accessible route into spaceflight-related work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir presentation exemplified\u0026nbsp;a point Ready emphasized throughout the event: students were contributing to the research community while also learning from it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s been great to see the students get involved, both as attendees as well as presenters,\u201d he said.Former NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps offered a real-world view of preparation, describing her training in T-38 jets, robotics, spacewalk procedures, and emergency response. Drawing on her experience during NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, which included 232 days aboard the International Space Station, she explained the teamwork and adaptability required to operate in demanding environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat connection between preparation and practice ran through the four-day Space Week program. Georgia Tech researchers presented work on microgravity systems, lunar resources, robotics and spacecraft design. A poster presentation gave students and researchers opportunities to discuss their projects with visitors from government, industry and academia. Entrepreneurship sessions examined how space companies are financed and built, while a public observatory night extended the event\u2019s reach beyond the research community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace Week brought the Institute\u2019s capabilities to the fore for attendees from throughout the nation. Georgia Tech\u2019s academic expertise, GTRI\u2019s applied research, and SRI\u2019s support for collaboration form\u0026nbsp;a common foundation for work already \u201cin flight\u201d and to be \u201claunched.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHeld Sept. 22\u201325, Space Week brought together researchers, students, government representatives, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs. Georgia Tech\u2019s Space Research Institute (SRI) organized the gathering, which drew more than 200 registrants. It featured approximately 100 presentations, posters, keynotes, and invited talks\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Held Sept. 22\u201325, Space Week brought together researchers, students, government representatives, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs."}],"uid":"35875","created_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:01:10","changed_gmt":"2026-10-12 12:06:29","author":"cweems8","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["cweems8@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"693061":{"#nid":"693061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Hosts Macro-Energy Systems Workshop","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents, researchers, and energy professionals from across North America and Europe gathered at Georgia Tech Aug. 13\u0026nbsp;\u2013\u0026nbsp;14 for the fourth Macro-Energy Systems (MES) Workshop. The biennial MES workshop is led by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.macroenergysystems.org\/\u0022\u003EMacro Energy Systems Society\u003C\/a\u003E, which promotes research and education in macro-energy systems and helps translate MES work into policy and practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted at the Georgia Tech Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the workshop was organized by a committee of researchers and practitioners from across the macro-energy systems community. The committee was chaired by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003EMicah Ziegler\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two-day workshop brought together more than 130 participants and featured lightning talks, poster presentations, interactive learning sessions, and keynote addresses that strengthened connections across the macro-energy systems research community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe energy challenges facing society today are increasingly interconnected, and solving them requires a systems-level perspective,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/christine-conwell\u0022\u003EChristine Conwell\u003C\/a\u003E, director of planning and operations at the Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cSupporting events like the MES Workshop, which provides a unique space for academic collaboration and knowledge sharing, aligns with the Strategic Energy Institute\u2019s commitment to advancing research and workforce development that support more resilient and effective energy solutions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop received financial support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which supports research and education in science, technology, engineering, math, and economics. Through its Energy and Environment program, the foundation helps advance interdisciplinary research and collaboration across the macro-energy systems field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Macro-Energy Systems Workshop has become a significant forum for interdisciplinary energy systems researchers to share and discuss their work,\u201d said Evan Michelson, director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/programs\/research\/energy-and-environment\u0022 title=\u0022Original URL:\u0026#13;https:\/\/sloan.org\/programs\/research\/energy-and-environment\u0026#13;\u0026#13;Click to follow link.\u0022\u003EEnergy and Environment\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;program. \u201cWe were especially glad to help ensure participation from early-career researchers spanning a wide range of institutions, providing them access to the collaborations and conversations that will help them develop as scientists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraduate students and postdoctoral scholars played a central role in this year\u0027s workshop, presenting research on energy system planning, grid reliability, technology deployment, energy transitions, and policy. Their sessions gave the early-career researchers opportunities to share new approaches to studying large-scale energy systems, interact with faculty and industry experts, refine research ideas, and build collaborations beyond their home institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis year, we significantly expanded the MES Workshop to include more early-career scholars,\u201d said Ziegler. \u201cThe workshop provides a great opportunity for young researchers to develop ideas, connections, and a better understanding of how to design research to have a positive impact on the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe workshop also featured keynote presentations from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/viterbi.usc.edu\/directory\/faculty\/Sanders\/Kelly\u0022\u003EKelly Sanders\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.dartmouth.edu\/community\/faculty\/erin-mayfield\u0022\u003EErin Mayfield\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor at Dartmouth College\u0027s Thayer School of Engineering. Both speakers discussed insights from their experience contributing to policymaking and highlighted opportunities for energy systems research to inform policy decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInteractive sessions led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/f276dd8a-0e13-5b66-b4cf-3d2960e01b2d\u0022\u003EMichelle Graff\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0026nbsp;Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E encouraged participants to consider how macro-energy systems research can more effectively inform and support policymakers and other decision-makers. Graff developed and facilitated the sessions, with support from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lafollette.wisc.edu\/people\/edwards-morgan\/\u0022\u003EMorgan Edwards\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Micah Ziegler. The first session explored how researchers can identify policy windows and position their work to inform decision-making at the right time. The second focused on matching research to the appropriate audiences and jurisdictions, highlighting opportunities to inform policy at the state and local levels.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudents, researchers, and energy professionals from across North America and Europe gathered at Georgia Tech Aug. 13\u0026nbsp;\u2013\u0026nbsp;14 for the fourth Macro-Energy Systems (MES) Workshop. The biennial MES workshop is led by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.macroenergysystems.org\/\u0022\u003EMacro Energy Systems Society\u003C\/a\u003E, which promotes research and education in macro-energy systems and helps translate MES work into policy and practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHosted at the Georgia Tech Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the workshop was organized by a committee of researchers and practitioners from across the macro-energy systems community. The committee was chaired by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003EMicah Ziegler\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two-day workshop brought together more than 130 participants and featured lightning talks, poster presentations, interactive learning sessions, and keynote addresses that strengthened connections across the macro-energy systems research community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech hosted more than 130 students, researchers, and energy professionals for the fourth Macro-Energy Systems Workshop, chaired by Micah Ziegler, to strengthen collaboration across the macro-energy systems community."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-10-04 03:06:47","changed_gmt":"2026-10-04 03:48:12","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681344":{"id":"681344","type":"image","title":"LR-03355-MESArticle.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E2026 MES Workshop Participants at the Kendeda Building for Innovative Design at Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791083299","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:08:19","changed":"1791083299","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:08:19","alt":"2026 MES Workshop Participants at the Kendeda Building for Innovative Design at Georgia Tech 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Tech","file":{"fid":"265723","name":"Participants-1787173106475.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/Participants-1787173106475.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/Participants-1787173106475.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":909914,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/Participants-1787173106475.jpg?itok=asORm3iu"}},"681346":{"id":"681346","type":"image","title":"ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EErin Mayfield, assistant professor at Dartmouth College\u0027s Thayer School of Engineering gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791085386","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:43:06","changed":"1791085386","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:43:06","alt":"Erin Mayfield, assistant professor at Dartmouth College\u0027s Thayer School of Engineering gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop","file":{"fid":"265724","name":"ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":369919,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/ErinMayfield-1787173106297.jpg?itok=g_0uhLTE"}},"681347":{"id":"681347","type":"image","title":"KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly Sanders, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1791085486","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 03:44:46","changed":"1791085486","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 03:44:46","alt":"Kelly Sanders, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California gives a keynote at the 2026 MES Workshop","file":{"fid":"265725","name":"KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":394879,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/KellySanders-1787173106220.jpg?itok=EctMBnwL"}}},"media_ids":["681344","681345","681346","681347"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"693060":{"#nid":"693060","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Webinar Series Explores the Future of Nuclear Energy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E (EPIcenter), in partnership with Georgia Tech\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nremp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program\u003C\/a\u003E, recently hosted a three-part webinar series, \u003Cem\u003ENuclear Energy: A Public Primer\u003C\/em\u003E, bringing together experts to discuss the science, economics, policy, and geopolitics shaping the future of nuclear power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesigned for industry professionals, policymakers, educators, students, community leaders, and members of the public, the lunchtime webinar series provided an accessible introduction to the key issues influencing the nuclear energy sector at a time of growing interest in nuclear power as part of the global energy transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe series began on Aug. 20 with \u003Cem\u003EThe New Nuclear\u003C\/em\u003E, presented by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/steven-biegalski\u0022\u003ESteven Biegalski\u003C\/a\u003E, chair of the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program. The session examined the evolution of nuclear reactor technology, from today\u0027s operating fleet and the AP1000 reactors at Plant Vogtle to emerging small modular reactors and advanced reactor designs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second webinar, held Sept. 3, focused on the economics and policy landscape of nuclear power.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E, director of EPIcenter and professor of economics at Georgia Tech, joined\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nuclearscaling.org\/people\/stephen-comello\/\u0022\u003EStephen Comello\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president and executive director of the Nuclear Scaling Initiative at the EFI Foundation, to discuss the economic drivers, policy considerations, and opportunities influencing nuclear energy development in the United States.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe series concluded on Sept. 17 with a discussion of nuclear fuel, security, and geopolitics.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/anna-erickson\u0022\u003EAnna Erickson\u003C\/a\u003E, Woodruff Professor of Nuclear Engineering, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/rachel-whitlark\u0022\u003ERachel Whitlark\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, explored global nuclear energy growth, fuel supply chains, and the policies needed to support the safe, secure deployment of nuclear technologies worldwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecordings and presentation materials from all three sessions are available on the webinar series webpage. Those who were unable to attend can watch the presentations and access the accompanying slides to learn more about the technologies, policies, and global trends shaping the future of nuclear energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/nuclear-energy-primer\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EView webinar recordings and presentation slides on the EPIcenter website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E (EPIcenter), in partnership with Georgia Tech\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nremp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics program\u003C\/a\u003E, recently hosted a three-part webinar series, \u003Cem\u003ENuclear Energy: A Public Primer\u003C\/em\u003E, bringing together experts to discuss the science, economics, policy, and geopolitics shaping the future of nuclear power.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A three-part webinar series hosted by Georgia Tech\u0027s Energy Policy and Innovation Center provided an accessible introduction to the science, economics, policy, and geopolitics shaping the future of nuclear energy."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-10-04 02:58:41","changed_gmt":"2026-10-04 03:01:22","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681343":{"id":"681343","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","body":null,"created":"1791082730","gmt_created":"2026-10-04 02:58:50","changed":"1791082730","gmt_changed":"2026-10-04 02:58:50","alt":"Nuclear Plant Aerial View Stock Image","file":{"fid":"265721","name":"AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/03\/AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":619516,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/03\/AdobeStock_346733066-Article-LR.jpg?itok=cfl4g6sz"}}},"media_ids":["681343"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ggonzalez68@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGil Gonzalez\u003C\/a\u003E || Energy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690988":{"#nid":"690988","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How AI-Powered Flood Forecasts Could Transform Hurricane Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen most people think of hurricanes, they picture howling winds tearing off roofs and snapping trees. But for Ali Sarhadi, a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sarhadi.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EClimate Risk and Extreme Dynamics Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, the real killer is often less visible. \u201cPeople think that hurricanes are about wind, but sometimes that\u2019s not the whole story,\u201d he said. \u201cThe majority of fatalities are coming from the water, not the wind.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by two Sustainability Next Seed Grants, Sarhadi\u2019s work draws on climate science, fluid physics, engineering, and artificial intelligence. He\u2019s using AI-powered, physics-informed models to better anticipate water hazards that can cripple cities and power grids in both coastal and inland communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERethinking Hurricane Risk\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarhadi focuses on compound flooding, the dangerous interaction between storm surge, torrential rainfall, and river flooding that increasingly defines hurricanes. He points to Hurricane Mitch, which hit Central America in 1998, as a stark example, noting that more than 12,000 people died, \u201call from freshwater flooding \u2014 none from wind,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis work has shown how climate change and sea-level rise are reshaping flood risk from storms like Hurricane Sandy, which devastated New York and New Jersey in October 2012. In the current climate, a Sandy-level natural disaster has a recurrence period of roughly once every 150 years. But that is changing fast. \u201cBecause of climate change and sea-level rise, by the middle of this century, the same level of flooding is likely to occur once every 60 years. By the end of the century, that goes up to once every 30 years,\u201d he says. \u201cHurricane Sandy caused about $70 billion in damage. Imagine experiencing that kind of destruction every 30 years.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1970, Sarhadi notes, damage from tropical cyclones has increased by about 380% globally, a trend driven by the combined effect of stronger storms and more people and infrastructure being located in harm\u2019s way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhysics-Informed AI: Street-Level Flood Warnings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile storm forecasting has improved dramatically in recent decades, Sarhadi argues, \u201cWe\u2019re in good shape in terms of track forecasting, and we\u2019re getting better at rapid intensification forecasting. But what is missing is the hazard part, and specifically the water part. That\u2019s the number one killer.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis lab is developing AI models tightly coupled with physics-based simulations to forecast hurricane-induced flooding at unprecedented resolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing Hurricane Sandy as a test case, his team showed that by integrating physics-based surge and rainfall models with generative AI, they could forecast building-level flood depths three to five days before landfall. \u201cWe could predict that a storm was surge-dominant and estimate how much flooding could happen at the level of each building with an accuracy beyond 90%,\u201d he says. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose extra days, and that level of granularity, could give emergency managers and local leaders the information they need to order earlier evacuations, pre-stage resources, and protect critical infrastructure. \u201cWe hope by combining AI and physics-based models we can come up with faster, more accurate modeling, first, to save lives, and then to minimize the economic damage,\u201d Sarhadi says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETargeting Georgia\u2019s Coastline\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough much of the public\u2019s attention focuses on the Gulf Coast and megacities on the Eastern Seaboard, Georgia\u2019s coastline is also highly vulnerable to surge and compound flooding. Sarhadi is collaborating with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E to model risk in places like Savannah and the surrounding coastal region. \u201cWe\u2019re working to come up with good long-term solutions for protecting coastal communities and infrastructure,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvents like Hurricane Helene in 2024, which triggered extended blackouts in Georgia and lethal flooding in western North Carolina, underscore how far inland these risks can reach. \u201cPeople think hurricanes are just a problem for coastal areas,\u201d Sarhadi says. \u201cBut even if you are far from a coastline, you can be at risk when saturated soils, torrential rain, and river flooding combine.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Climate-Resilient Power Grids and Cities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESarhadi\u2019s work doesn\u2019t stop at forecasting. A central focus of his research is climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly the power grid. His team is exploring digital twin modeling \u2014 virtual replicas of energy and infrastructure systems. \u201cWhen you have a digital twin of your grid, you can run that hurricane through it and identify which substations or power lines are more vulnerable,\u201d he says, explaining that this knowledge could trigger utility crews to fix or reinforce power lines ahead of storms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking decades ahead, these tools could help utilities and planners prioritize where to upgrade aging infrastructure as hurricanes intensify and water levels rise. \u201cWe know hurricanes are getting more intense, and our infrastructure is aging,\u201d Sarhadi said. \u201cBy combining engineering, climate science, and AI, we\u2019re trying to design better adaptation plans so our communities and power systems are more resilient in the future.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy combining physics-based AI with climate and engineering insights, Ali Sarhadi is redefining how we predict compound flooding, safeguard power grids, and build hurricane-resilient infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assistant Professor Ali Sarhadi is using AI and digital twins to predict how and where major storms will cause the most damage."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-06-30 19:48:34","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:50:25","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680539":{"id":"680539","type":"image","title":"Ali Sarhadi Portrait","body":null,"created":"1782848936","gmt_created":"2026-06-30 19:48:56","changed":"1782849065","gmt_changed":"2026-06-30 19:51:05","alt":"Portrait of an individual standing on a paved campus walkway, wearing a light-colored button-down shirt. Trees, landscaped green spaces, and campus buildings appear in the softly blurred background, with daylight illuminating the outdoor scene. The image is framed from the waist up, with the individual centered in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264813","name":"Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/30\/Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150773,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/30\/Ali_Sarhadi_portrait.jpg?itok=InSZB5Ps"}}},"media_ids":["680539"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"195184","name":"Ali Sarhadi"},{"id":"179230","name":"digital twin"},{"id":"194819","name":"hurricane forecasting"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EBrook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691226":{"#nid":"691226","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Helps Advance Genesis Mission, a National Effort to Transform Scientific Discovery Through AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech will play a key role in the newly announced \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/undersecretaryforscience\/genesis-mission\/genesis-mission\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E, a national initiative harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to propel scientific discovery and address challenges in health, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and national security. The White House announced the first Genesis Mission projects on July 22 as part of a more than $5 billion investment in AI-enabled science and technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech was chosen for multiple Genesis Mission awards. Faculty will lead two projects and collaborate on others with research partners across the country.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArtificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we conduct research and drive discovery,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for Research. \u201cThese awards recognize Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in AI, advanced computing, engineering, and the sciences. By bringing together expertise from across our colleges and research units, we can help accelerate breakthroughs in areas that are crucial to the nation\u2019s future \u2014 from energy and manufacturing to health and critical infrastructure.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef48fed33303f787f2d03a09ca3172ed\u0022\u003EAmeet Pinto, associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and faculty director for interdisciplinary research and collaboration for the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, will lead \u201cAI-Enabled Single Cell Phenotyping to Advance Biomanufacturing.\u201d The project aims to advance AI-enabled approaches for understanding biological systems and strengthening next-generation biomanufacturing capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e394fd872589e430e8a7f12ca5d6a40d2\u0022\u003EFan Zhang, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will lead the project, \u201cAI Driven Workflow with Cyber Assured Digital Twin for Autonomous Operations in SMRs and Microreactors.\u201d Her team will focus on developing AI-enabled digital twin technologies to support the safe, autonomous operation of advanced nuclear energy systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe additional Georgia Tech-supported awards span multiple disciplines and involve researchers from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences; the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems; the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines; the Institute for Data Engineering and Science; and the Strategic Energy Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e7a92afba6dacd2d56dd5615804d907cf\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown (Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will build AI foundation models that predict and test water-for-energy conditions in the Tennessee Valley Authority region.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5ee3d514f06472b2bd8eed39853bf64e\u0022\u003EPeng Chen (School of Computational Science and Engineering) will collaborate on two projects designed to improve predictions of both water availability and flood risks. He will partner with ORNL and the Argonne National Laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1bb31f256d17759aa5ead75ec2e02245\u0022\u003EAsif Khan (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to accelerate the discovery of new materials for a type of computer memory called Electro-Chemical RAM (ECRAM) to help create more energy-efficient AI systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e2732e959fa01c6df4ef27eaccb18fd78\u0022\u003EFan Zhang\u2019s second Genesis Mission project is a collaboration with ORNL to develop AI tools for the lifecycle of fusion plants, including robotics and maintenance.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e940b6bc9dff007fbe6f6c84bebf1d591\u0022\u003ESamer Naif (School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences) will collaborate with the University of Southern California on the project \u0022AI-enabled Geobiological Critical Minerals Characterization and Recovery in Geothermal Systems.\u0022\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eba933b0a9119da9f1ce9b17ace8d422d\u0022\u003EShimeng Yu (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with Duke University on the project, \u0022Neuromorphic Circuit Primitives for Robotic Embodied Physical AI.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s role in the Genesis Mission highlights the Institute\u2019s strong interdisciplinary research approach, which brings together experts across many fields to solve complex problems and rapidly advance innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENote: Selection for award negotiations does not constitute a final funding award. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, awards remain subject to successful negotiations and the availability of funding.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 13:57:45","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:47:24","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680665":{"id":"680665","type":"image","title":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech graduate student examines a hollow fiber membrane, used for low-energy chemical separation. New DOE Genesis Mission awards have bolstered innovative interdisciplinary work across the Institute, with Georgia Tech leading two projects and contributing to five more. (Photo: Rob Felt)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784901576","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 13:59:36","changed":"1784903464","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 14:31:04","alt":"Georgia Tech grad student holding a hollow fiber membrane that can be used for low-energy chemical separation.","file":{"fid":"264956","name":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":241001,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg?itok=Dxo9rLze"}}},"media_ids":["680665"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAngela Ayers\u003Cbr\u003EAVP of Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691930":{"#nid":"691930","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Neuroscientist Went Looking for Prediction. She Found Time Instead.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFew neuroscientists would dispute that the brain relies on prediction. From houseflies evading swatters to humans catching baseballs, living things are constantly anticipating what comes next. Understanding how the brain generates those predictions could help explain one of neuroscience\u0027s most enduring questions: how the brain builds internal models of the world that allow us to learn, adapt, and anticipate what comes next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWithout actively predicting the world, we cannot survive,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/farzaneh-najafi\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFarzaneh Najafi\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and a faculty affiliate of Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThere is quite some sensory-motor delay in the processing. We can\u2019t just sit there, wait for the brain to process our environment, and then react.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of the puzzle may lie in signals known as neural ramps. Almost like a drumroll leading up to a big reveal, neurons in some areas of the brain have shown gradual increases in activity immediately before a stimulus appears. For decades, researchers have interpreted this ramping activity as a neural signature of prediction, reflecting anticipation of an upcoming event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently published in \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aed6417\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a new study from Najafi\u2019s lab reveals these signals may not be \u201cpredictions\u201d at all, but instead a way neurons track elapsed time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSurprisingly,\u201d says Najafi, \u201cthe very first study from my lab called the Predictive Processing Lab showed that no, these are not prediction signals.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe finding challenges a long-standing interpretation of one of neuroscience\u0027s most studied signals and reveals that the search for predictive neurons may lead to different circuits \u2014 or require different experiments to uncover.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Problem With Prediction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is a challenge in separating simple time tracking from active prediction. Just because numbers on a stopwatch are increasing doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s counting up to a specific event.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo tease the problem apart, the team designed a series of experiments that progressively stripped prediction out of the equation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with mice, the researchers presented audio and visual cues at carefully controlled intervals. Some appeared at regular, hence predictable, times, while others arrived unpredictably. If neurons are making predictions, their activity should look different when events are predictable versus when they are not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that\u2019s not what they found. Even when the researchers introduced errors into those predictable patterns, activity remained largely the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was in the first year of collecting data in my newly established lab that my student, Yicong Huang, started showing me the data and I was shocked: how come we are not seeing a difference between the expected case and the unexpected case?\u201d Najafi recalls. \u201cBecause the entire theory is that there is a difference.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team found even more definitive evidence by monitoring \u201cnaive\u201d mice that had never seen the stimuli before. The brain must learn a pattern before it can anticipate it, yet they found that these neural ramps were present even in the first few trials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrumroll, Please\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf these signals aren\u2019t predictions, then what\u2019s happening?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we are seeing are pure sensory signals,\u201d she says. \u201cThey are not about predicting the timing of the upcoming stimulus. They\u0027re about encoding the time that is elapsed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENajafi thinks that what neuroscientists have long interpreted as an anticipatory \u201cbuildup\u201d to a future event is actually a \u201crelaxation\u201d from the past. Rather than a drummer rolling up to a specific event, imagine one who is always rolling. Each stimulus briefly interrupts the performance before the rhythm gradually returns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut they found that not every neuron behaves like a drummer. While \u201cdrummers\u201d recover their interrupted rhythm after a stimulus, other neurons operate more like a reverberating gong, firing strongly after a stimulus before gradually quieting down.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe beautiful part of this story is that neurons don\u0027t all do the same thing,\u201d Najafi says. \u201cOne neuron ramps up quickly, another more slowly, another with a completely different time course. When you put that heterogeneous population together, you get a very robust readout of time.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe finding may also have implications for how neuroscientists think the brain represents time itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings support the theory that time representation in the brain is an intrinsic property of neurons,\u201d says Najafi. Because the signals appeared even in na\u00efve mice and in sensory brain regions, the results suggest that timing may emerge from the properties of neurons themselves, rather than from a specialized timing system elsewhere in the brain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Najafi, the study doesn\u0027t close the case on predictive processing. Time, after all, is an important variable to track if you want to make predictions. Instead, it opens more questions about when and where those signals emerge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMaybe we didn\u0027t find them because this was a passive perception task, meaning mice just passively received stimuli without being instructed to attend to them. Maybe we need active perception or an active movement task, and that\u0027s when we can extract these predictive signals from the brain. Alternatively, we may need to search other brain areas to find neural signatures of temporal predictions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDo I believe now that the brain is not doing predictive processing? Absolutely not,\u201d Najafi says. \u201cBut before we say we\u0027ve found evidence for a theory, we really need to do multiple carefully designed experiments. We need to attack this from many different angles.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: This research was supported by the Whitehall Foundation, the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.aed6417\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech study challenges a decades-old explanation for one of neuroscience\u0027s most famous signals, revealing an intrinsic neural code for tracking time.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech study challenges a decades-old explanation for one of neuroscience\u0027s most famous signals, revealing an intrinsic neural code for tracking time."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-08-24 19:39:14","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:47:09","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680972":{"id":"680972","type":"image","title":"Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003EGeorgia Tech neuroscientist Farzaneh Najafi studies how the brain predicts future events. A new study from her lab challenges a long-standing interpretation of one of neuroscience\u0027s most famous \u0022prediction signals,\u0022 suggesting it may instead help the brain track elapsed time. Photo via Georgia Tech College of Sciences.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1787600538","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 19:42:18","changed":"1787600957","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 19:49:17","alt":"Farzaneh Najafi standing outside smiling with her arms crossed. Green foliage is visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"265314","name":"Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7788922,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/Najafi-SciAdv.jpeg?itok=DPVq2zuE"}}},"media_ids":["680972"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/molecules-mind-farzaneh-najafi-receives-multiple-awards-cognitive-research","title":"From Molecules to Mind: Farzaneh Najafi Receives Multiple Awards for Cognitive Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/nathan-mcdonald-and-farzaneh-najafi-awarded-curci-foundation-grants","title":"Nathan McDonald and Farzaneh Najafi Awarded Curci Foundation Grants"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-researchers-make-waves-worlds-largest-neuroscience-conference","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Make Waves at the World\u2019s Largest Neuroscience Conference"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"192253","name":"cos-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter and Media Contact:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692183":{"#nid":"692183","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Opens Trash Lab to Turn Campus Waste Into New Possibilities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeginning this fall, Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff will have a new way to rethink waste. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ipat\u0022\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/a\u003E (IPaT) is opening the Trash Lab, a makerspace in Room S27 of the Technology Square Research Building dedicated to plastic recycling, upcycling, and circular-economy innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of the new lab is the miniTrashpresso, a compact recycling and manufacturing system developed by the sustainability technology company \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.miniwiz.com\/\u0022\u003EMiniwiz\u003C\/a\u003E. The machine can take used plastics and other waste materials, process them locally, and transform them into new products in less than five minutes. By bringing manufacturing and recycling together in a single system, the Trash Lab aims to give the Georgia Tech community a way to explore sustainable design, material reuse, and the future of circular manufacturing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe launch of IPaT\u2019s new Trash Lab represents an exciting step forward for sustainability at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability. \u201cAs a living-learning lab, it provides students and researchers with hands-on opportunities to work alongside campus operations, turning used plastics into valuable new products and creating innovative solutions that support a more circular campus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Makerspace Focused on Circular Innovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Trash Lab expands Georgia Tech\u2019s growing network of makerspaces and innovation environments by focusing specifically on waste recovery and reuse. Instead of treating used plastics as disposable materials, the lab encourages users to view them as valuable resources that can be transformed into new products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe miniTrashpresso represents the latest generation of recycling technology developed by Miniwiz. The company originally launched the world\u2019s first mobile recycling line, known as the Trashpresso, to support communities that lacked access to traditional recycling infrastructure. The newer miniTrashpresso is smaller, more energy-efficient, and more portable, making it suitable for campuses and community-based applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe modular system uses industrial equipment, including shredders, presses, and heating technologies, to process materials on-site. Advanced heat-induction presses and specialized molds can quickly transform recovered plastics into new objects and components. The system can also be integrated with AI-powered waste-tracking tools and robotic automation technologies that help identify, sort, and process materials more efficiently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor IPaT leaders, the Trash Lab represents more than the addition of specialized equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCommunity resilience and people-centered sustainability are core research areas within IPaT,\u201d said Michael Best, executive director. \u201cOur new Trash Lab will allow the entire Georgia Tech community to not only think about upcycling and plastic reuse but to make and do innovative projects that directly demonstrate sustainable futures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETurning Trash Into a Resource\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiniwiz founder Arthur Huang, who developed the miniTrashpresso system, describes upcycling as a practice rooted in centuries of human ingenuity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUpcycling is actually recycling old material and turning that into something new,\u201d Huang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout history, societies have reused existing materials in construction, manufacturing, and everyday life. According to Huang, modern waste streams, particularly plastic packaging and electronic waste, represent an enormous and often untapped source of raw materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe miniTrashpresso was designed around that idea. Rather than transporting waste long distances to centralized facilities, the system enables materials to be processed where they are collected. By reducing transportation needs and creating opportunities for local manufacturing, decentralized recycling systems can help lower the environmental footprint associated with traditional waste management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiniwiz estimates that using recycled materials can reduce embedded energy consumption by 60% to 80% compared with using raw materials. The company has developed more than 1,200 upcycled materials and products from everyday waste streams, including plastics, food packaging, coffee cups, and electronic waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince its introduction, Miniwiz technology has been deployed in communities, campuses, and organizations worldwide, including projects in Taiwan, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. According to Huang, Georgia Tech is installing and operating North America\u2019s first miniTrashpresso recycling machine from Miniwiz.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Community Around Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new facility is also intended to serve as a gathering place for interdisciplinary collaboration. Students interested in sustainability, materials science, engineering, design, manufacturing, and public policy will have opportunities to experiment with new ideas while working with researchers and campus partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen Michael Best first pitched the idea of the Trash Lab, I expected there to be interest in a space like this given the general momentum toward sustainable practices on campus, but the level of excitement from students, staff, and faculty has been outstanding,\u201d said Tim Trent, IPaT\u2019s lab director for the Trash, Craft, Prototyping, and Usability Labs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is an opportunity to create a gathering point for sustainability initiatives, act as a catalyst for partnerships, and help strengthen the many amazing networks and projects already present on campus,\u201d he said. \u201cThe IPaT Innovation Labs have a continuous focus on supporting the overall Georgia Tech research enterprise, and I\u2019m happy we are adding another piece to the portfolio.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the Trash Lab opens its doors, members of the Georgia Tech community will be invited to explore how waste materials can be reimagined as resources, prototypes, and products. By combining makerspace culture, advanced recycling technology, and sustainability research, the lab offers a tangible demonstration of how circular economy principles can move from theory into practice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Georgia Tech, the Trash Lab is not simply a place to recycle plastic. It is a space where innovation, design, and sustainability intersect, helping transform discarded materials into opportunities for learning, discovery, and impact.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E---\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor more information about the Trash Lab, contact the IPaT Innovation Labs at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ipat-labs@groups.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eipat-labs@groups.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew IPaT makerspace combines advanced recycling technology, hands-on learning, and sustainability innovation.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New IPaT makerspace combines advanced recycling technology, hands-on learning, and sustainability innovation."}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-09-01 21:33:00","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:31:50","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681033":{"id":"681033","type":"image","title":"Trash Lab Ribbon Cutting","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECelebrating the opening of Georgia Tech\u0027s Trash Lab - the newest makerspace on campus which is located in the basement of TSRB\u003C\/strong\u003E. Pictured left-to-right: \u003Cstrong\u003ETim Trent\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of IPaT\u0027s Trash Lab; \u003Cstrong\u003EArthur Huang\u003C\/strong\u003E, CEO of Miniwiz; \u003Cstrong\u003EMichael Best\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of IPaT; \u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate vice president of sustainability; and \u003Cstrong\u003ERob Kadel\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of research program administration. They are wearing sunglasses made from recycled plastic created by using the miniTrashpresso machine.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788297893","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 21:24:53","changed":"1788530006","gmt_changed":"2026-09-04 13:53:26","alt":"Pictured left-to-right: Tim Trent, director of IPaT\u0027s Trash Lab; Arthur Huang, CEO of Miniwiz; Michael Best, executive director of IPaT; Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability; and Rob Kadel, executive director of research program administration.","file":{"fid":"265381","name":"Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1136224,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/Ribbon-Cutting1.jpg?itok=u_x2dAAj"}},"681032":{"id":"681032","type":"image","title":"Tim-Arthur-Tai","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPictured left to right: Tim Trent, IPaT\u2019s lab director for the Trash Lab; Arthur Huang, CEO of Miniwiz; and Tai Liu, mechanical engineer with Miniwiz. In this picture, they are installing the miniTrashpresso system in the TSRB building and showing the test plastic bowl made using recycled plastic.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788297611","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 21:20:11","changed":"1788297881","gmt_changed":"2026-09-01 21:24:41","alt":"Pictured left to right: Tim Trent, IPaT\u2019s lab director for the Trash Lab; Arthur Huang, CEO of Miniwiz; and Tai Liu, mechanical engineer with Miniwiz. In this picture, they are installing the miniTrashpresso system in the TSRB building.","file":{"fid":"265380","name":"Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":935131,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/Tim-and-Arthur-and-Tai-Liu.jpg?itok=HSZysoaX"}},"681031":{"id":"681031","type":"image","title":"Recycled Trashpresso items","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastic items you can make using the Trash Lab include wireless chargers, sunglasses, bowls, and other items.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788297484","gmt_created":"2026-09-01 21:18:04","changed":"1788354852","gmt_changed":"2026-09-02 13:14:12","alt":"Recycled plastic items you can make using the Trash Lab","file":{"fid":"265379","name":"ItemsYouCanMake.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/ItemsYouCanMake.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/01\/ItemsYouCanMake.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":610865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/01\/ItemsYouCanMake.jpg?itok=L2xQj4GY"}}},"media_ids":["681033","681032","681031"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:walter.rich@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692566":{"#nid":"692566","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Window Into the Hidden World of Immunity Inside Human Bone Marrow ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, immunologists have known that the body\u0027s most durable defenses depend on plasma cells, the antibody-producing cells responsible for long-term immune memory. Long after an infection has passed or a vaccine has been administered, these cells continue releasing protective antibodies, sometimes for decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet one of immunology\u0027s enduring mysteries has remained unsolved: scientists understand what plasma cells do, but not how they interact with their environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge is simple. Plasma cells reside deep within bone marrow, one of the most difficult tissues in the human body to study. Encased in bone and inaccessible to direct live imaging, it has largely remained a black box. As a result, much of what scientists know comes from mouse studies or simplified laboratory systems that capture only fragments of the human environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, researchers at Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt University have opened an unprecedented window into this hidden world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adz3976\u0022\u003Epublished in \u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the team developed a human bone marrow-on-a-chip with channels of the size of human hair that allowed fluids to flow through it. This enabled them to directly observe human antibody-secreting cells as they migrated, interacted, and settled within a three-dimensional tissue environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform recreates not only the cellular complexity of bone marrow but also its vascular architecture and specialized microenvironments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat we found was far more dynamic than the textbook view of plasma cells simply taking up residence and staying put,\u201d said study co-senior author Ankur Singh, Carl Ring Family professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Singh is also Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, part of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBuilding a Human Bone Marrow Model\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than creating a conventional cell culture, the researchers engineered a living microenvironment containing two major bone marrow neighborhoods: areas surrounding blood vessels, known as the perivascular niche, and a bone-like region lining internal bone surfaces, known as the endosteal niche.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team then introduced human antibody-secreting cells generated from engineered lymphoid organoids, which are miniature immune tissues capable of producing large numbers of cells that develop into plasma.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat happened next surprised them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of dispersing throughout the tissue, the cells traveled through the vascular network and accumulated around blood vessels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese cellular gatherings were not random traffic jams,\u201d said co-senior author \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.vanderbilt.edu\/bio\/krishnendu-roy\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKrishnendu Roy\u003C\/a\u003E, the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering University Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt University. \u201cThe cells appeared to congregate in regions rich in survival signals, suggesting that specialized perivascular neighborhoods serve as safe harbors for long-term immune memory.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaboration between Roy and Singh began while Roy was a faculty member at Georgia Tech, where much of the work was initially conceived and launched. The Roy lab pioneered the bone marrow chip while the Singh lab pioneered the lymphoid organoids. Their joint findings provide strong evidence that human plasma cells actively seek supportive environments rather than simply becoming trapped where they are, as previously believed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENot as Stationary as Once Believed\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps the most striking discovery emerged when researchers tracked individual cells over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than remaining fixed in place, a subset displayed a distinctive \u0022stop-and-go\u0022 migration pattern.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cClassic immunology has often viewed plasma cells as largely sedentary,\u201d said Singh. \u201cWe found that many cells paused for extended periods, moved, stopped again, and continued exploring their surroundings.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe behavior suggests that plasma cells actively sample their environment, searching for the combinations of signals and support needed for long-term survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EA Tale of Two Niches\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study also revealed that bone marrow\u0027s two major compartments perform distinct but complementary functions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe perivascular niche attracts cells and provides key survival signals, while the neighboring endosteal niche influences how they migrate, persist and are retained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these compartments form a cooperative ecosystem that shapes plasma cell fate, challenging the idea of bone marrow as a single, uniform environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy It Matters\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications extend far beyond understanding where plasma cells live.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBone marrow niches support the cells responsible for long-term antibody protection, placing them at the center of vaccine durability, immune aging, autoimmune disease, chronic infection, blood cancers, and cancer metastasis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new platform allows researchers to systematically manipulate components of the human bone marrow environment and observe the consequences in real time. It may help explain why immunity wanes with age, why some vaccines provide longer-lasting protection than others, and how disease disrupts the biological foundations of immune memory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost importantly, it offers a rare glimpse into one of the immune system\u0027s most inaccessible habitats. Though there is still much more to learn, their secrets are no longer quite so hidden.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt Scientists Use Human Bone Marrow-on-a-Chip to Reveal the Secrets of Antibody-Producing Cells "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe cells that keep vaccines working for decades have long remained a mystery deep within human bone marrow. A new study watched them move, settle, and survive in a living human tissue model, revealing a surprisingly dynamic world that could reshape how scientists think about immunity, aging, cancer, and vaccine protection.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In a study published in Science Advances, the team developed a human bone marrow-on-a-chip, enabling them to directly observe human antibody-secreting cells."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-09-11 17:55:21","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:30:33","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681139":{"id":"681139","type":"image","title":"bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EInside this lab-grown bone marrow, blood vessels (green and grey) thread through a network of supportive cells and proteins (magenta). Antibody-producing cells (blue) move through this landscape, finding the signals they need to survive and keep making antibodies.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1789149330","gmt_created":"2026-09-11 17:55:30","changed":"1789149330","gmt_changed":"2026-09-11 17:55:30","alt":"A microscopic image shows lab grown bone marrow and blood vessels highlighted in gray and green weaving through a network of supportive cells and proteins highlighted in magenta.","file":{"fid":"265499","name":"bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/11\/bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/11\/bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":573015,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/11\/bone-marrow-on-chip.jpg?itok=-LhFSLBJ"}}},"media_ids":["681139"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abowman41@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAshlie Bowman\u003C\/a\u003E, Communications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692466":{"#nid":"692466","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Supporting Community-Led Flood Resilience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA new research project aims to empower coastal communities. Using advanced AI-based flood modeling, residents will be able to compare flood mitigation strategies and identify the potential solutions that best meet their needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe CHORUS (Community Hubs for Optimizing Resilience) project will collaborate with coastal communities in Georgia and New York and will be split into two pieces: technology development and community engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re not just building a simulator and hoping it fits the needs of coastal residents,\u201d explains \u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Robel, \u003C\/strong\u003Eproject leader and Jean \u201cChris\u201d Purvis Associate Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0022By collaborating with community partners from the very beginning, we can ensure that what we ultimately develop will be effective because the people who will be using it are helping design it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting Flood Modeling in Residents\u0027 Hands\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe technology development component will include faculty from the College of Sciences and the College of Computing. The College of Sciences team will develop an AI-based flood simulator and the College of Computing team led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJosiah Hester\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;associate professor and Catherine M. and James E. Allchin Early Career Professor, will create a web platform that allows users to visualize potential flood impacts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETraditional flood models can take hours or days to generate results and often require specialized expertise and expensive computing resources. The CHORUS platform will be designed to provide easy-to-understand results in seconds, producing building-scale flood maps that show how water moves through streets, yards, and structures during a range of flooding scenarios. Researchers will use the model to test how specific interventions, such as seawalls, restored marshes, or improved stormwater infrastructure, could affect flooding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEventually, users will be able to test their own scenarios through the browser-based tool, enabling them to explore how different decisions could change flood impacts in their communities:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cUsers will be able to go into a web browser and indicate where a sea wall could go or change a parking lot into a porous vegetated landscape, then click simulate. Within a few seconds, they\u2019ll have a new flood map showing the impacts of these interventions,\u201d says Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Community-Driven Approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA collaborative effort with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nyclimateexchange.org\/climate-data\u0022\u003ENew York Climate Exchange\u003C\/a\u003E, the project will be funded by\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gacoast.uga.edu\/research\/biennial-funding\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Sea Grant\u003C\/a\u003E and IBM, with support from\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E (GT2),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cearhub.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Coastal Equity and Resilience (CEAR) Hub\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cearhub.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/seagrant.noaa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;National Sea Grant College Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;The CHORUS project is an initiative of the New York Climate Exchange, where Georgia Tech is a core partner institution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECommunity engagement in Georgia is being led by CEAR and the Pin Point Betterment Association, which represents descendants of the historic Gullah Geechee community near Savannah. In New York, the project team is partnering with the New York Climate Exchange and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/waterfrontalliance.org\/\u0022\u003EWaterfront Alliance\u003C\/a\u003E to work with communities surrounding Jamaica Bay.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWhat makes this partnership meaningful is that it puts community voices at the center,\u201d says\u003Cstrong\u003E Jasmine Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E, president of the Pin Point Betterment Association.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cToo often, decisions are made to \u2018better\u2019 communities without actually involving the people who live there. We hope this partnership can serve as a blueprint for how communities are included in future sustainability projects from the very beginning.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe project includes community advisory boards and technical advisory boards in both locations. Community members will help identify priority assets, select flood scenarios for analysis, and shape the design of the web-based tool. They\u2019ll also test and offer feedback. Technical advisory boards made up of local officials, planners, and other experts will help evaluate the feasibility of proposed solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe aim is to blend information from both groups without allowing the technical perspective to override community priorities,\u201d says Robel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAccording to Robel, giving communities direct access to flood modeling tools can help close the gap between public input and infrastructure planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are putting decision making in the hands of the community. With a tool like this, the community can say: \u2018We want to prevent flooding at this community center, this school, or this road,\u2019\u201d says Robel. \u201cThey can run the model, produce data, and present it to local governments or the Army Corps of Engineers\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u2014 advocating\u0026nbsp;for potential solutions themselves rather than relying on outside experts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERobel sees this project as just the beginning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cFunded by two-year grants, CHORUS is meant to be a pilot for how this kind of community-centered project can be done. Once we understand some of the challenges and opportunities involved, it will hopefully make it easier for us to scale this work to additional community partners.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Community-Engaged Research at Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech is actively working to foster more projects that foster community engagement. Collaborative groups at Georgia Tech involved in the CHORUS project include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e24ad42d08ff5aaeb8f0e7892a7ae22cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe CEAR Hub\u003C\/strong\u003E, part of the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), and housed at the Georgia Tech Savannah campus, advances community-engaged research and planning throughout coastal Georgia, helping communities build resilience to environmental and climate challenges.\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e37deda0b2f16b9d512f523a8c923dc46\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scre.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education\u003C\/a\u003E (SCoRE) trains faculty, students, and staff in best practices for conducting community-engaged research as well as facilitating connections directly with communities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e79895753719bd77cdf19df0d35438ceb\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainablesystems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS)\u003C\/a\u003E houses SCoRE and is Georgia Tech\u2019s point of contact to the New York Climate Exchange. BBISS forms partnerships like these to fulfill its mission to expand the reach and impact of Georgia Tech\u2019s sustainability research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe CHORUS research project will combine advanced flood modeling, artificial intelligence, and community partnerships to help coastal residents in Georgia and New York evaluate flooding solutions and shape resilience planning.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The CHORUS research project will combine advanced flood modeling, artificial intelligence, and community partnerships to help coastal residents in Georgia and New York evaluate flooding solutions and shape resilience planning."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-09-09 17:30:40","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:28:10","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681109":{"id":"681109","type":"image","title":"Alex Robel","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAlex Robel\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788975052","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 17:30:52","changed":"1788975052","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 17:30:52","alt":"Headshot of a smiling man","file":{"fid":"265466","name":"Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":775472,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/Robel55224553122_c82a2500b1_k.jpg?itok=LQ3vrmCk"}},"681110":{"id":"681110","type":"image","title":"Jill Gambill, executive director and senior research associate of the CEAR Hub, demonstrates a tide gate engineered to maintain storm sewer outflow capacity amidst rising sea levels to Georgia Tech students.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJill Gambill, executive director and senior research associate of the CEAR Hub, demonstrates a tide gate engineered to maintain storm sewer outflow capacity amidst rising sea levels to Georgia Tech students.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1788975321","gmt_created":"2026-09-09 17:35:21","changed":"1788975321","gmt_changed":"2026-09-09 17:35:21","alt":"Students view a tide gate to prevent flooding in a marshy area.","file":{"fid":"265467","name":"Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1357639,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/09\/Jillbafkreic4slfm5vvdcatjamaxofnzvz7emg6fmxa4zmomgejdunhsb4vzoy_0.png?itok=pd_MVOtp"}}},"media_ids":["681109","681110"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sciences.gatech.edu\/news\/rare-nasa-satellite-data-reveals-major-limits-flood-models","title":"Rare NASA Satellite Data Reveals Major Limits in Flood Models"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/13\/bringing-classroom-coast","title":"Bringing the Classroom to the Coast"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"181662","name":"Coastal Flooding"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELaura S. Smith\u003C\/a\u003E, writer\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692718":{"#nid":"692718","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Sign Agreement to Expand Strategic Research Partnership","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E (PNNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen their longstanding partnership and expand collaboration in scientific discovery, national security research, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement was signed during a Sept. 14 visit by PNNL leadership to Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/facilities\/ampf\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E. It builds on years of successful collaboration between researchers at the two institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe enhanced collaboration has three primary goals: solving big problems through multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research; sustaining and engaging human capital by creating opportunities for students, faculty, researchers, and interns to work on complex real-world challenges; and accelerating technology adoption by taking scientific discoveries and innovations into industry and the federal marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Strengthening our partnerships with national laboratories is a strategic priority for Georgia Tech,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/leadership\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u0022PNNL is an outstanding partner, and we look forward to deepening connections among our researchers and students, expanding opportunities and access to world-class capabilities and facilities, and advancing discovery, innovation, and national impact together.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPNNL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that advances scientific discovery and innovations that support reliable energy, national security, and economic competitiveness. Georgia Tech is one of the nation\u0027s leading research universities, conducting more than $1.5 billion in research annually and pursuing a mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022PNNL and Georgia Tech have a long history of working together,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/deb-gracio\u0022\u003EDeb Gracio\u003C\/a\u003E, laboratory director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. \u201cThis agreement provides the foundation to take on difficult research challenges and to leverage our complementary expertise and investments in the years ahead.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) has played a central role in advancing Georgia Tech\u0027s engagement with the national laboratory system and connecting researchers with partnership opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As SEI takes on a greater role in coordinating Georgia Tech\u0027s national laboratory partnerships, this agreement with PNNL demonstrates how we are building stronger pathways for faculty, researchers, and students to engage with world-class national lab capabilities,\u0022\u0026nbsp;said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/yuanzhi-tang\u0022\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI executive director.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/national-laboratories\u0022\u003ENational Laboratory Partnership Program\u003C\/a\u003E supports engagement between Georgia Tech and the U.S. national laboratories. SEI now leads the program, with ongoing support from Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of the Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research. The agreement with PNNL is the first formal agreement established through the program since its transition to SEI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This MOU formalizes and strengthens relationships that have been growing for many years,\u0022 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-mcwhorter\u0022\u003EScott McWhorter\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI director of national laboratory partnerships. \u201cIt leverages the unique strengths of Georgia Tech and PNNL and provides a framework for expanding engagement across areas of mutual interest.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and PNNL bring complementary strengths in energy and environmental systems, electric grid resilience, cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, alternative fuels and advanced materials, biofuels, radiation detection, data science and visual analytics, nuclear nonproliferation, and national security. These capabilities will be brough together through two upcoming \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/projects\/genesis-mission\/phase-1-projects\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/william-pike-phd\u0022\u003EBill Pike\u003C\/a\u003E, PNNL\u0027s deputy director for Science and Technology, who joined the laboratory\u2019s leadership delegation for the MOU signing, said the projects reflect the growing partnership and expanding collaboration between the two institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u0027s leading research universities, with strengths spanning engineering, computing, science, business, design, and the liberal arts. With more than $1.5 billion annually in research awards across its Colleges and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Tech is among the nation\u0027s most research-intensive universities. The Institute\u0027s mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Pacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pnnl.gov%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpriya.devarajan%40research.gatech.edu%7C3afd7c8f8d5343d98b8108df151af314%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639252877654867152%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=3F97zK7e9LpJfsHQvvHqZbkSpD6OiYDEp9UfOiAQBqU%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 title=\u0022Original URL:\u0026#13;https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0026#13;\u0026#13;Click to follow link.\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in\u0026nbsp;energy resiliency and national security.\u0026nbsp;Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle and supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/\u0022\u003EPacific Northwest National Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E (PNNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen their longstanding partnership and expand collaboration in scientific discovery, national security research, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe agreement was signed during a Sept. 14 visit by PNNL leadership to Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/facilities\/ampf\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;. It builds on years of successful collaboration between researchers at the two institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Together, the organizations will pursue new opportunities in joint research, workforce development, technology commercialization, and talent exchange."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-09-18 19:03:18","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 18:27:37","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681199":{"id":"681199","type":"image","title":"GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESeated, from left: Deb Gracio, PNNL Laboratory Director; Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research. Standing, from left: Yuanzhi Tang, SEI Executive Director; Alexa Harter, Director, GTRI CIPHER Lab; George White, Executive Director, GT Strategic Partnerships; Asha Menon, SEI Program Manager; Scott McWhorter, SEI Director for National Lab Partnerships; Bill Pike, PNNL Deputy Director for Science and Technology; Jess Smith, PNNL Senior Cybersecurity Researcher; Steve Biegalski, Georgia Tech Faculty Liaison for PNNL; Erin Searcy, PNNL Director of Institutional Investments and Research Partnerships; Aaron Stebner, Associate Director of Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute; Christine Conwell, SEI Director for Strategic Planning and Operations.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1789758427","gmt_created":"2026-09-18 19:07:07","changed":"1789758427","gmt_changed":"2026-09-18 19:07:07","alt":"Picture of MOU Signing ceremony participants from PNNL and Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"265564","name":"GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/18\/GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/18\/GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1253216,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/18\/GT-PNNL-MOU-Signing-Ceremony-21_LR.jpeg?itok=lRnqEJBQ"}}},"media_ids":["681199"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"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\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"692738":{"#nid":"692738","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Launches ETHOS Initiative to Accelerate Human-Centered Medical Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore a promising new therapy can reach a patient, researchers need to answer a deceptively simple question: Will it work?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, part of the answer has come from animal testing. Animal models have helped scientists make countless medical advances and understand how potential treatments behave in a living system. But they also present scientific and ethical challenges, including one unavoidable limitation: A mouse isn\u0027t a human. This limitation is one reason \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aeb0045\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emany promising drug candidates fail during human clinical trials\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Georgia Tech is launching a new Institute-wide initiative focused on technologies that help researchers close that gap by studying human health and disease in ways that more closely reflect human biology. This interdisciplinary venture, called Emerging Technologies for Human-Oriented Systems (ETHOS), will advance human-centered research technologies, including new approach methodologies (NAMs) that improve prediction of human responses and support the development of safer, more effective therapies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cETHOS reflects Georgia Tech\u0027s commitment to advancing innovative approaches to some of society\u0027s most pressing health challenges,\u201d said Executive Vice President for Research Tim Lieuwen. \u201cBy bringing together expertise from across the Institute and investing in technologies that more closely reflect human biology, we have an opportunity to accelerate discovery, strengthen translation, and help shape the future of biomedical research.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUnifying Research\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupported by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, ETHOS is built on an interdisciplinary framework that connects researchers across Georgia Tech and with clinical and translational partners. The initiative draws on expertise in bioengineering, materials science, device engineering, computing, and data science. It will be led jointly by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB) and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ideas.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E (IDEaS).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat sets Georgia Tech apart is our ability to unify deep expertise in foundational life sciences, bioengineering, and materials science with artificial intelligence and data science,\u201d said Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research Julia Kubanek. \u201cETHOS creates a framework for connecting those strengths, fostering new collaborations, and enabling researchers to tackle complex health challenges in ways that no single discipline could accomplish alone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnkur Singh, Carl Ring Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University\u003C\/a\u003E (BME), will lead ETHOS in his new administrative role as deputy director of IBB. Although ETHOS is a new initiative, Georgia Tech researchers have already begun building a NAMs community through an institutional task force and other collaborative efforts. That momentum will continue with the 2027 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/news\/events\/suddath-symposium\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESuddath Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E, which will focus on NAMs and bring researchers together across disciplines.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has expertise across the full spectrum of these approaches, from AI and computational modeling to engineered tissues and experimental systems,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/james-gumbart\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJC Gumbart\u003C\/a\u003E, Dunn Family Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cETHOS gives us a framework to connect those strengths and accelerate human-centered biomedical research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGumbart co-led the NAMs task force and is co-organizing the symposium with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/shuichi-takayama\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EShuichi Takayama\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and chair of regenerative engineering medicine within BME.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAdvancing Discovery\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat are new approach methodologies, or NAMs, and how can they help researchers address human health challenges?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENAMs include both physical models, such as organoids and organ-on-chip technologies, and computational models that use artificial intelligence. Each approach has its own advantages and limitations.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganoids and organ-on-chip are living tissue systems grown in the lab that mimic key features of human biology and help researchers study how the body may respond to new drugs or treatments. These models allow researchers to observe biological responses in human tissue systems, but they are limited by the steep cost of time and resources required to create them.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComputational models take advantage of AI and supercomputing technology to rapidly explore and predict thousands of possibilities. They use existing datasets to examine complex relationships at scale and simulate how potential changes might affect a system. Though these simulations can provide a large-scale prediction of what might happen, they can\u2019t provide evidence of how cells actually respond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EETHOS emphasizes a bidirectional approach that combines engineered biological systems with predictive computational models. For instance, a scientist who is testing a new drug on an organoid may use AI to predict how the drug could affect a larger population with differing demographics. Conversely, a researcher using a computational model may use an organ-on-chip experiment to validate (or disprove) the computer\u2019s prediction.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese human platforms allow us to look broad \u2014 exploring how therapies behave across populations \u2014 and look deep, engineering precise models that reflect an individual patient\u2019s unique health profile,\u201d Singh said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELeading the Way\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe adaptability of NAMs gives researchers a more human-centered way to study \u2014 and hopefully one day treat \u2014 some of humanity\u2019s most pervasive health problems, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, infection, and more. Therapies developed using NAMs could be broad-use solutions that impact entire populations or tailored treatments for personalized healthcare. By bringing together strengths in engineering, computing, data science, and the life sciences, ETHOS positions Georgia Tech to help shape the future of NAMs research and technology development.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe next generation of medical research increasingly relies on models that are both more human and more intelligent. Georgia Tech\u0027s strength lies in connecting the physical and digital worlds of biology,\u201d Singh said. \u201cThat closed loop between human biology and computation gives us a powerful advantage in developing the next generation of non-animal models for research and drug development.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative will also include the development of a platform designed to connect researchers across the Institute and help them identify complementary expertise, shared experimental systems, and collaborative funding opportunities. The digital matchmaking system, along with pilot research and technology development, AI integration, grant development, and community building, makes ETHOS a potentially groundbreaking program launching at an opportune time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cETHOS is an initiative of convergence. Few institutions combine strengths in advanced human tissue systems, engineering, AI, and data science at the scale of Georgia Tech. ETHOS provides a framework to unite those capabilities and accelerate biomedical discovery and translation,\u201d Singh said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EETHOS is designed to strengthen connections between fundamental research and real-world health applications. By developing research models that more closely reflect human biology, the initiative could help researchers identify promising therapies earlier and better understand how they may perform in people. ETHOS could also strengthen collaborations among Atlanta\u0027s academic, clinical, and industry partners, creating new opportunities for translational research and technology development.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore a promising new therapy can reach a patient, researchers need to answer a deceptively simple question: Will it work?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, part of the answer has come from animal testing. Animal models have helped scientists make countless medical advances and understand how potential treatments behave in a living system. But they also present scientific and ethical challenges, including one unavoidable limitation: A mouse isn\u0027t a human. This limitation is one reason \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aeb0045\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Emany promising drug candidates fail during human clinical trials\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Georgia Tech is launching a new Institute-wide initiative focused on technologies that help researchers close that gap by studying human health and disease in ways that more closely reflect human biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s ETHOS initiative brings together expertise from across the Institute to advance human-centered research models that could accelerate the development of safer, more effective therapies."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-09-21 15:58:51","changed_gmt":"2026-09-29 16:23:19","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681214":{"id":"681214","type":"image","title":"_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnkur Singh will lead Georgia Tech\u2019s new ETHOS initiative to advance New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and transform drug discovery through human-relevant systems. Singh is pictured alongside Ph.D. student Olivia Jones, holding a human immune organ engineered on-a-chip, a breakthrough innovation developed at Georgia Tech to model complex immune responses outside the body.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1790006443","gmt_created":"2026-09-21 16:00:43","changed":"1790006443","gmt_changed":"2026-09-21 16:00:43","alt":"A woman with brown hair wearing a navy blue blouse holds a microscope slide up to the camera. To her right is a male researcher wearing a suit holding a round lab dish with plastic organ-on-chip experiments inside.","file":{"fid":"265577","name":"_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/21\/_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/21\/_0000_NAMs-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":128202,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/21\/_0000_NAMs-1.jpg?itok=Cgtrcz6B"}}},"media_ids":["681214"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187082","name":"go-ideas"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}